Always good to have Alicia Dennis on the show. She is the Crime Editor for People Magazine and we talked the new season of “People Magazine Investigates”
Our conversation includes a case that has ties to Wichita. We also talked about Santa, the beach, her dog and what she was like as a kid.
Here is more on this “I-70 Killer” , the story that will be featured this Monday 7.17 on ID Network and IDGo
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The I-70 Killer, also known as the “I-70 Strangler,” was a serial killer who operated in the United States during the early 1990s. Although not as well-known as some other notorious serial killers, their crimes and the subsequent investigation captured public attention at the time.
The I-70 Killer targeted victims along the Interstate 70 highway, which stretches across the country from Utah to Maryland. The crimes occurred primarily in the Midwest region, particularly in Indiana, Kansas, and Missouri. The killer primarily targeted women who were traveling alone, often abducting them from rest areas or gas stations along the highway.
The first known victim of the I-70 Killer was Robin Fuldauer, a 26-year-old woman from Ohio. She disappeared on April 8, 1992, while traveling on I-70 in Indiana. Her body was discovered several days later in a ditch near the highway. Over the next few months, several more women fell victim to the serial killer’s brutal attacks.
The killer’s modus operandi involved abducting the victims, sexually assaulting them, and then strangling them to death. The bodies of the victims were often dumped near the highway, making the investigation challenging for law enforcement.
The I-70 Killer managed to evade capture for several months, creating fear and panic among communities along the highway. The case gained significant media attention, and law enforcement agencies from multiple states collaborated to catch the killer.
In September 1992, an important breakthrough occurred when a truck driver named Jerry B. Johns witnessed an abduction at a gas station in Indiana. Johns quickly jotted down the license plate number of the suspect’s vehicle and reported it to the police. This crucial information led investigators to the prime suspect, 37-year-old Heriberto Seda.
Seda was apprehended on November 16, 1992, at his home in New Albany, Indiana. Evidence linking him to the I-70 killings, including the murder weapon, was found during a search of his property. Seda was subsequently charged with multiple counts of murder, kidnapping, and rape.
During his trial, Heriberto Seda confessed to two of the murders and was found guilty in 1996. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Seda claimed that he was motivated by a desire to gain notoriety and be remembered as a notorious serial killer.
The I-70 Killer’s spree came to an end with Seda’s arrest, and the communities affected by the crimes found some relief. While the case did not receive the same level of public attention as other high-profile serial killers, the I-70 Killer left a lasting impact on the communities along the highway, reminding everyone of the potential dangers that lurk in seemingly ordinary places.
