Conventional serial killers have always caused fright in the country throughout the years, but to learn of mobile serial killers such as serial killer truckers? That could be a nightmare to many. One always prioritizes safety and the FBI and the police do their best to achieve that goal but unfortunately, some things are just beyond their control. Not all long-haul truckers are monsters but some of them are far from being angels either. The opportunity to go on a killing spree while being on low radar is very tempting to some of them as will be seen in this article.
Facts Surrounding the Serial Killer Truckers
FBI former assistant director, Frank Figliuzzi, released a book this year on the matter called Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers, having worked with the FBI for 25 years. In his book, he states that since 1980, there have been about 850 murders along America’s highways and about 200 of them are unsolved to this day. In addition, according to NPR, there are between 300,000 and 500,000 long-haul truckers in America. While their main goal is to keep the supply chain moving, for now, 25 long-haul truckers are already in prison for multiple murders, as reported in Figliuzzi’s book.
The Serial Killer Truckers’ Psyche
So, the lure behind a trucker picking somebody up and killing them is the fact that it is all under the radar. Their mobile lifestyles and the fact that they cross multiple jurisdictions on their way leave behind no or few witnesses. In addition, they can murder one person in one state and dump the body in another, while the trucker originally resides in a third state. Such a scenario is too much of a mess to de-clump for authorities.
Another thing worthy of mentioning is the serial killer truckers’ sly way of targeting victims. They target victims who are deemed “most invisible.” Meaning, the ones with the least ties to their families, and they may or may not be trafficked. If you add drug addiction to this concoction, it’s all the better for these truckers. Unfortunately, the most common example of this description is prostitutes at truck stops. Serial killer truckers with some money up their sleeves can easily lure such targets into their den, and get away with it like a knife through a piece of butter.
The Sex Trafficking Intervention Research Program
The director of its office, Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, talked about this horrid phenomenon. Her program led to the capture and arrest of multiple suspects believed to be guilty of murders across the country, as per the FBI’s website. The downside is that a spokesperson with the FBI’s National Press Office told Fox News Digital that the program is shut down, without giving any reasons as to why so. Roe-Sepowitz said to Fox News Digital that the halted program is “just one more cut in a very bleeding situation,” as vulnerable women are simply no longer being seen and there is no national tracking of traffickers with its absence. She claims it to be “a loss for intelligence.”
Roe-Sepowitz tries to look at the sunnier side of things, as she says that of course, not all these truckers are serial killer truckers. On the contrary, some of them are against what’s happening. There is a group called Truckers Against Trafficking that has trained 235,329 truckers to spot and intervene in human trafficking situations, based on what’s stated on its website. However, the seriousness of the situation should never be taken lightly.
Final Thoughts
Having serial killers, or killers in general, alone is not convenient, let alone serial killer truckers. The aim here is not to spread terror but to spread awareness of a dangerous phenomenon that could potentially grow out of proportion. Figliuzzi talked about it in-depth in his new book, and Roe-Sepowitz portrayed the situation as it is, with its upsides and downsides. Here is a hope to have a safer world for everyone.
