Philip Fraser

[JM]

Originally Posted by Latka Gravas

So, in closing - I don't believe BA went from being a homicidal drifter in the late 1980's to a successful contractor in the 1990's. This just doesn't track.

For real. It's really kind of puzzling what can get started when someone is sitting in front of a keyboard and has access to the internet. Blair Adams 'situation' occurred in 1996. Philip Fraser was murdered in 1988. I mean... sheesh Reddit – come on! Step away from the keyboard, Mr. Redditor.

I know we're all familiar with this set of composites:



However, I don't think I had ever seen this next set of composites anywhere before tonight when I happened to just be googling about PF:



The first (and well known) set are based on the Frocklage and Olson families recollections. The second set are composites of suspect from motorists who remember giving him a ride.

I didn't dig too far into this because it's late and I'm fading fast here before bedtime, but this is fresh on my mind and I wanted to post it. There was an article on americancrimejournal.com in 2018 about PF.

Link here

Apologies if this has already been mentioned and discussed. The author mentions the additional composites here:

What does bother me, they (UM) failed to elaborate on the suspect’s description and show all the composites. The two that generated the most leads were the two not shown on national television.

In addition, the suspect continued to use PF's identity for 'some time' (maybe weeks) and then the RCMP lost his trail.

Just so tragic. I wonder if showing the additional composites would have made a difference? Hindsight is 20/20, I suppose.

[StackTime]

I think his parents should be taken to task. They were both physicians and yet he drove off on this long journey in an unreliable car. Surely they could have given him something safer to drive.

If he hadn't encountered car trouble for a couple of days before showing up at the cafe, there's a good chance he would not have encountered his killer to begin with.

[blacksymbiote]

Originally Posted by StackTime

I think his parents should be taken to task. They were both physicians and yet he drove off on this long journey in an unreliable car. Surely they could have given him something safer to drive.

If he hadn't encountered car trouble for a couple of days before showing up at the cafe, there's a good chance he would not have encountered his killer to begin with.

If that initial car trouble was indeed the fan belt, I'm surprised he was able to drive any further at all. Typically when that goes bad, you're lucky to get more than a few miles on the road. I wonder if it didn't have a different problem that hid the bad belt. In any case, you could make just as good an argument for if he'd had his guns with him, he might have been okay against the hitchhiker.

[DALLASTEXAN!!]

Originally Posted by blacksymbiote

If that initial car trouble was indeed the fan belt, I'm surprised he was able to drive any further at all. Typically when that goes bad, you're lucky to get more than a few miles on the road. I wonder if it didn't have a different problem that hid the bad belt. In any case, you could make just as good an argument for if he'd had his guns with him, he might have been okay against the hitchhiker.

good point. maybe there was nothing wrong with the car and the fan belt was a ruse to do something else. he ended up burning the car anyway after the night that he spent with the people that housed him for a night. it's hard to tell what the murderer's motives were.

[EighthStreet]

I think trying to apply any kind of rationale or motive to the killers decisions in this case is a fools errand. Every question as to why he went north, then went south, then burned the car, killed this person, didn't kill that person can all be answered with "he was insane" or "he was having some kind of manic episode".

My best guess is that this case is much like the L.A. ATM robbery case where the murderer went and died shortly after.

[StackTime]

Originally Posted by DALLASTEXAN!!

good point. maybe there was nothing wrong with the car and the fan belt was a ruse to do something else. he ended up burning the car anyway after the night that he spent with the people that housed him for a night. it's hard to tell what the murderer's motives were.

The fan belt thing that was apparently fixed before he left the Olsons is one thing, but it is mentioned that before arriving at the cafe (earlier in the trip), Philip "lost two days to car trouble." Even if the fan belt was indeed a ruse by the murderer, it doesn't sound like the type of car I'd trust to safely get me from Alaska to Washington.

[blacksymbiote]

Originally Posted by StackTime

The fan belt thing that was apparently fixed before he left the Olsons is one thing, but it is mentioned that before arriving at the cafe (earlier in the trip), Philip "lost two days to car trouble." Even if the fan belt was indeed a ruse by the murderer, it doesn't sound like the type of car I'd trust to safely get me from Alaska to Washington.

That's just part of owning a car. General Motors is often credited for being the pioneers of planned obsolescence.

[nicoge21]

This wasn’t a serial killer, IMO. Seems like Philip was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. The hitchhiker was homeless/mentally ill and wanted Philip’s car/money/identity. The fact that he didn’t kill the good samaritans tells me he realized he screwed up and had to make a getaway.

[jets4life]

Originally Posted by StackTime

I think his parents should be taken to task. They were both physicians and yet he drove off on this long journey in an unreliable car. Surely they could have given him something safer to drive.

If he hadn't encountered car trouble for a couple of days before showing up at the cafe, there's a good chance he would not have encountered his killer to begin with.

You can't be serious...

[jets4life]

Originally Posted by nicoge21

This wasn’t a serial killer, IMO. Seems like Philip was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. The hitchhiker was homeless/mentally ill and wanted Philip’s car/money/identity. The fact that he didn’t kill the good samaritans tells me he realized he screwed up and had to make a getaway.

I guarantee the person who killed Phillip either has a criminal record, or has done other really bad things and has never been caught. Possibly both. Nobody goes through life to think one day "I'm just going to kill some random guy who gave me a ride," on a whim. Their bad behaviour probably had been progressing for years.

The case may never be solved, but I would not be at all surprised if the guy has done time in prison before, or since Phillip was murdered.

[freakbook]

Originally Posted by jets4life

I guarantee the person who killed Phillip either has a criminal record, or has done other really bad things and has never been caught. Possibly both. Nobody goes through life to think one day "I'm just going to kill some random guy who gave me a ride," on a whim. Their bad behaviour probably had been progressing for years.

The case may never be solved, but I would not be at all surprised if the guy has done time in prison before, or since Phillip was murdered.

Yeah, the people who ran the rest stop said that the killer gave off such bad vibes that they couldn't help but notice. But to Nicoge's credit he didnt kill anyone else and he could've killed Phillip out of necessity. He could've easily murdered the elderly couple who let him stay the night but he didnt. I dont know if he was a serial killer or not, but he could've killed Phillip out of desperation. There's a chance that Phillip tried to kick him out of the car and as a hitchhiker who would've been on empty and possibly deserted road for a while..he could've been desperate

He was also smart to burn the vehicle. But I wonder how much DNA could've been lifted out of the couples basement?

[jets4life]

Originally Posted by freakbook

He was also smart to burn the vehicle. But I wonder how much DNA could've been lifted out of the couples basement?

I was thinking the exact same thing about the DNA, whether Police recovered any. Having said that, I'm pretty convinced that the killer was familiar with the city of Prince George. He would have had to have known a place he could dispose of the vehicle (setting it on fire), without being out of place, or with witness sightings.

I've been to Prince George before. It's a city of about 80,000 people, and the main hub for Northern BC. Considering he was headed southbound, the hitchhiker would have had to pass through Prince George, as it's the first relatively large city that the highway enters.

[freakbook]

Originally Posted by jets4life

I was thinking the exact same thing about the DNA, whether Police recovered any. Having said that, I'm pretty convinced that the killer was familiar with the city of Prince George. He would have had to have known a place he could dispose of the vehicle (setting it on fire), without being out of place, or with witness sightings.

I've been to Prince George before. It's a city of about 80,000 people, and the main hub for Northern BC. Considering he was headed southbound, the hitchhiker would have had to pass through Prince George, as it's the first relatively large city that the highway enters.

Youre absolutely right. Not only did he know where to dispose of the car, but he disappeared afterwards. So either he knew someone in the area or he knew where to go..but he definitely knew the area

[TheCars1986]

I don't think the hitchhiker killed Philip to assume his identity, I think he was giving the Olson's false information so he couldn't be identified. The Olson's said he pulled out two wallets, one that had Canadian currency and the other that had American currency. He paid for his food at the cafe with Canadian currency. IMO, the guy was Canadian. He also tried selling the car to the Olson's for a plane ticket to Seattle. Did he actually want the Olson's to buy the ticket or give him the money that was needed for a ticket? Because Seattle could be a red herring. If he was trying to get to Seattle, why would he torch Philip's car hundreds of miles away? The segment also mentioned that the hitchhiker was familiar with Toronto, which is across the country from where the car was torched.

[mwcarolina]

Originally Posted by StackTime

I think his parents should be taken to task. They were both physicians and yet he drove off on this long journey in an unreliable car. Surely they could have given him something safer to drive.

If he hadn't encountered car trouble for a couple of days before showing up at the cafe, there's a good chance he would not have encountered his killer to begin with.

While his car wasn’t good, I can’t blame the parents here. They didn’t tell their son to pick it a crazy hitchhiker who would kill him (likely for money). Even the people at the gas station thought he was not all there. Not blaming Philip by ANY means, but the blame should only go to the overweight guy who killed for money