A traveler who narrowly escaped a notorious criminal has shared the chilling last words he uttered to her before she managed to flee.
Robert Ben Rhoades, now 79 years old, gained infamy as the Truck Stop Killer following his conviction for brutalizing and murdering at least two couples in Illinois and Texas during 1989 and 1990. Suspected of assaulting, raping, and killing over fifty women between 1975 and 1990, Rhoades’ route and the disappearances of women fitting his victim profile suggest a much larger scope of crimes.
Among those who encountered Rhoades, a hitchhiker eluded him in the summer of 1985 after a terrifying encounter. Author Vanessa Veselka, now 56, recounted witnessing the retrieval of a young hitchhiker’s body from a dumpster during her journey with another person.
Days later, Rhoades picked up Vanessa as she traveled through the Carolinas on I-95. She noted his distinctive appearance and clean truck cabin but soon realized she was in the presence of a dangerous individual as he evaded her inquiries while driving.
Things took a dark turn when Rhoades mentioned a deceased girl and then brandished a hunting knife after pulling over. Despite being just a teenager, Vanessa managed to escape after the killer granted her a head start. His final command to her was “run” as she dashed into the woods, waiting for his truck to depart.
Rhoades evaded detection even after hunters discovered skeletal remains in Millard County, Utah, in 1990. It was not until 2003 that forensic scientists identified the victim as Patricia Candace Walsh, who vanished with her husband Douglas Scott Zyskowski in 1989.
Rhoades eventually confessed to the murders, admitting to picking up the hitchhiking couple, killing Zyskowski, and subjecting Walsh to torture, rape, and eventual murder. He is believed to have numerous other victims, including Regina Kay Walters, for whose murder he received a life sentence without parole.
Currently serving a life sentence at a maximum-security facility, Rhoades’ heinous crimes continue to haunt the memories of those who encountered him.
