I always thought it was odd he killed Philip, but he didn't kill the couple that invited him to spend the night in their house. Did Philip say something or did something to make the Hitchhiker kill him?

I know there is a topic, but I am having trouble finding it, my computer some how won't allow me to do a search for the topic. I always thought it was odd he killed Philip, but he didn't kill the couple that invited him to spend the night in their house. Did Philip say something to the man that made him mad to the point he killed him?

I always thought the hitchhiker had planned to kill Philip from the outset. It seems all he really wanted to do was steal Philip's identity and vehicle, until he was finished using both.

I also thought he specifically intended to kill Philip to steal his car and identity. Philip was alone on a long trip and the killer could assume that it would be a while before it was discovered that he was missing.

I am kinda surprised that he didn't steal something from the people who he stayed with and sneak off with it before they woke up. The reasons I think he didn't kill them or commit some other crime against them was because he would gain nothing from it and/or since they were a couple in their own home, it probably wouldn't be long before someone noticed that things weren't right. Leaving them alive and committing no crime in their home would help cover his tracks longer.

I think the hitchhiker has probably killed or maimed before and Phillip was just another opportunity. My guess is he was probably already on the run and needed to keep himself moving, which is why he took Phillip's car.

I believe he didn't harm the Olsens (couple that picked him up) because he had no real reason to do so; regardless of whether or not he knew about the guncase in the house. Besides, he didn't want to leave a trail of victims in a short time span.

Google serial killer Michael Wayne McGray and compare his photos to the hitchhiker's composite sketches shown in the segment.

Google serial killer Michael Wayne McGray and compare his photos to the hitchhiker's composite sketches shown in the segment.

I do very much think it's likely he's the guy. If you imagine him without facial hair in many of those photos in which he's heavier, he looks nearly identical to some of the composites.

I'm still baffled as to why he didn't harm the initial driver who dropped him off at the restaurant...

I'm still baffled as to why he didn't harm the initial driver who dropped him off at the restaurant...

There's a lot of possibilities but two of them really seem the most likely. Foremost, the hitchhiker was probably looking for an easier prospective victim. The truck driver who dropped him off could have been some big guy who would have the edge in a fight; or he might have had other passengers in the vehicle which would be pushing his luck way too far if he tried to harm one of them.

There's a lot of possibilities but two of them really seem the most likely. Foremost, the hitchhiker was probably looking for an easier prospective victim. The truck driver who dropped him off could have been some big guy who would have the edge in a fight; or he might have had other passengers in the vehicle which would be pushing his luck way too far if he tried to harm one of them.
I agree.
I think the hitchhiker also didn't hurt Gay and Tina because customers were coming and going and that would have been a crime that would have been noticed faster than a travelling med student not showing up for a few days.



Did they ever release how the murder was committed? UM didn't specify. It's such a sad case, especially when you consider that he almost DIDN'T give him a ride. I think the hitchhiker saw his chance and took it.

Did they ever release how the murder was committed? UM didn't specify. It's such a sad case, especially when you consider that he almost DIDN'T give him a ride. I think the hitchhiker saw his chance and took it.

Phillip's cause of death wasn't disclosed in the segment. Remember, the segment said his body wasn't found for another 6 weeks after he was last seen at the 40 Mile Flats Cafe (where he crossed paths with the hitchhiker). Given that amount of time, his body might have been too badly decomposed to determine the cause of death without an in-depth examination during autopsy and they chose not to disclose those ultra-specific details (the kind of evidence which they don't usually discuss in depth in any murder case).

Or it might have been determined but they didn't disclose it in case the killer might have been paying attention to the media and the authorities didn't want him know they were on his trail. Nonetheless, they still had evidence that pointed to the manner of death being homicide.

If I had to hazard a guess, I would say Phillip might have been stabbed/slashed and/or beaten, possibly with a blunt weapon. That is the usual modus operandi of serial killers because often times they like to devour it instead of making it quick. A lot of serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy started out in their early years by torturing animals. It's a way of absorbing in the feeling they get from killing. Many of them do the same with their human victims.

If I had to hazard a guess, I would say Phillip might have been stabbed/slashed and/or beaten, possibly with a blunt weapon. That is the usual modus operandi of serial killers because often times they like to devour it instead of making it quick. A lot of serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy started out in their early years by torturing animals. It's a way of absorbing in the feeling they get from killing. Many of them do the same with their human victims.

I disagree with that statement on Frazier's killer, if only because he didn't seem like organized type of serial killer. He was a transient hitchhiker, depending on others for cash and transportation, and seemed to be taking victims of opportunity.

Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer could torture and play with their victims, because they also had a carefully selected location where they could play out a ritual killing of their victims. They were lured and brought somewhere where they had complete control and power over the victim for hours, if not days at a time, and even after death.

Frazier's killer, if he was a serial killer, didn't have that luxury. He had to get rid of Frazier before he either changed his mind or put up a fight, take his stuff, and get rid of the body before being spotted by another motorist or stopped by the police for a routine check.

I disagree with that statement on Frazier's killer, if only because he didn't seem like organized type of serial killer. He was a transient hitchhiker, depending on others for cash and transportation, and seemed to be taking victims of opportunity.

Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer could torture and play with their victims, because they also had a carefully selected location where they could play out a ritual killing of their victims. They were lured and brought somewhere where they had complete control and power over the victim for hours, if not days at a time, and even after death.

Frazier's killer, if he was a serial killer, didn't have that luxury. He had to get rid of Frazier before he either changed his mind or put up a fight, take his stuff, and get rid of the body before being spotted by another motorist or stopped by the police for a routine check.

I'm not sure the hitchhiker was completely dependent on others; he pulled his own money out of a wallet which indicated he was used to having sufficient amounts of it instead of habitually scraping for it; he probably worked through odd-end jobs. The idea that he had enough money to take care of himself is indicated by his physical appearance; the witnesses didn't describe him as smelly or filthy so he apparently carried toiletries with him. The composite sketches also showed him as clean-shaven. But I do agree that he chose his victims based on opportunity.

Not all serial killers need the luxury of their own barn. A lot of them act on impulse and make their dirty deeds quickly but not fast enough where they can't soak it in before moving along. Generally speaking, they don't necessarily need a fixed location or extended time with their victims. Some examples of these drifter-type killers include:
Angel Maturino Reséndiz aka the Railroad Killer
Henry Lee Lucas
Tommy Lee Sells
Aileen Wuornos
Donald Leroy Evans
Ronald James Ward, Jr.
Anthony J. Jackson
Vernon Brown

One example on UM is the Ohio prostitute killer. His profile indicates someone who is constantly on the move and is definitely familiar with the state highways; this knowledge makes it too easy for him to dump his victims without leaving any kind of clear-cut trail thus being able to elude capture. According to Phillip Frazier's segment, the authorities believed his killer is familiar with the Toronto area and Seattle area; this indicates he is also someone who is capable of leaving victims in such fashion to avoid a trail.