Adam Leroy Lane

Serial Killer

Adam Leroy Lane: The Highway Killer

Background

Adam Leroy Lane was an American long-haul truck driver who carried out a series of nighttime knife attacks in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts during July 2007. Because the crimes occurred close to major interstate highways and Lane used his trucking routes to move rapidly between states, he became known as the "Highway Killer." He murdered two women and seriously wounded two other victims before he was captured during a violent home invasion. Lane was born on August 7, 1964, in Jonesville, North Carolina. He left high school before graduating and worked at different times as a truck driver and a chicken-processing plant employee. By 2007, his job as a trucker allowed him to travel through numerous states while remaining largely anonymous. Investigators later feared that he may have used this freedom of movement to commit additional crimes, although no other murders were conclusively attributed to him.

Weapons and Preparation

Lane did not appear to choose victims because of a personal relationship or identifiable dispute. Instead, he prowled residential neighborhoods near highways, entered homes during the early morning hours, and attacked women with large knives. The seemingly random nature of the attacks made him especially dangerous because his victims had little reason to anticipate that they were being watched. When Lane was arrested, investigators discovered disturbing items associated with the attacks. He possessed large hunting knives, dark clothing, a length of wire that could be used for strangulation, and a black leather mask with openings cut around the eyes and mouth. A copy of the horror film Hunting Humans, which concerned a killer who stalked people before attacking them, was also reportedly found in his truck. These objects suggested that Lane's nighttime prowling was deliberate rather than spontaneous. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Monica Massaro Age: (38), Date of Death: 2007-07-29

Survivors:

Dena R. McBreen , Date of Attack: 2007-07-13

Patricia Brooks , Date of Attack: 2007-07-17

Adam Leroy Lane - Wikipedia