The Rocky Mount Killer is an American serial killer in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Since 2005 he has killed at least six women, possibly nine – three women are missing. No one knows who he is. “Rocky Mount Killer” is my name – the press has yet to give him one.
It took six bodies and four years before the police formed a task force in June 2009 and started to get somewhat serious. In July the FBI joined in. In August it made news across the country when AP and CNN carried the story.
The police are saying little. They are starting to look into it and have leads and suspects, but have yet to search the woods where many of the bodies were found and where there might be three others.
The murdered women were all black prostitutes hooked on drugs or drink who came from the edge of town. Most were found near the same stretch of road, their naked bodies thrown away in the woods, often lying there for months because the police did not care to look for them:
Found dead: May 29th 2005: Melody Wiggins, 29
Found dead: August 17th 2007: Jackie Thorpe, 35
Found dead: March 13th 2008: Ernestine Battle, 50
Found dead: February 2009: unidentified
Found dead: March 7th 2009: Taraha Nicholson, 28
Found dead: June 29th 2009: Jarneice Hargrove, 31
The three missing women:
Christine Boone
Joyce Durham
Yolanda Lancaster
When a white woman was missing the other week, the police held a press conference. None of these women got a press conference.
Rocky Mount, the birthplace of Thelonius Monk, won an award for being an all-American city. It is in tobacco country, an hour by car north-east of Raleigh. Blacks live on the east side, on the “wrong side” of the railroad tracks that divide the city.
On the east side the serial killer is all people can talk about. Meanwhile on the west side hardly anyone even knew about it till June when Hargrove’s body was found. Even the news reporters did not know. But the police certainly did: they are the ones who picked up all six bodies.
The police did not get serious till the news started covering the murders. But the news did not cover it till the women’s faces began to appear on billboards.
The billboards were the work of M.O.M.S. – Missing or Mudered Sisters, founded by Stephanie Jones, 28, who knew two of the dead. She raised money through fish fries and motorcycle rides. The billboard company gave her a good discount and one donor gave $20,000 – half for the billboard and half as a reward to find the killer.
Experts say the Rocky Mount Killer is most likely black – because 80% of serial killers go after their own race. He seems to have been in the military or the police force because he leaves little evidence behind. He has a car where the passenger-side door cannot be opened from the inside. He gets his kicks from controlling women through sex.
He will continue to kill till he is stopped.
Thanks to Siditty for featuring this story on her blog and thereby letting me know about it.
See also:
- News articles: blackwebportal.com, The Loop21, CNN, AP
- M.O.M.S.
- The Missing White Woman Syndrome
- The police
- Romona Moore, a missing black woman – an excellent example of racist policing and news coverage
- Henry Louis Wallace – black serial killer from North Carolina. Same pattern of police disinterest so long as only black or Latina women are getting killed.
- Virginia Dotson – yet more disregard for black life by the police (video)
Abagond 
This is really sick..
Abagond you need to check out the Microsoft scandal, they tried to replace a black guy with a white guy, pandering to polish racism..the original US version still has the black guy..
The ‘white guilt’ means that white people are saying its not racist, its ‘localization’…
LikeLike
Thank you very much Abagond for posting this. You are appreciated. And now that the public knows about our missing and murdered sisters, hopefully the killer will be found soon.
LikeLike
Thank you so much for putting this important article. These women deserve better than a footnote in the police statistics.
My heart goes out to the families of the missing/dead women and may they rest in peace.
La Reyna
LikeLike
http://httpjournalsaolcomjenjer6steph.blogspot.com/2009/08/rocky-mount-serial-killer-case-by.html
LikeLike
abagond,
Thanks, again, for demonstrating your concern for the PROTECTION of BW in a society that ROUTINELY IGNORES ANTI-BW VIOLENCE/HATE CRIMES.
I am excited to see that a BW is showing us, through the use of billboard advertising, how to PROPERLY PUBLICIZE the HEINOUS ANTI-BW CRIMES that are CONSISTENTLY UN/UNDERREPORTED in America.
LikeLike
Plenty of coverage about a white girl that was held captive for 18 years though.
LikeLike
I am neither shocked nor surprised by this (i.e the lack of coverage or regard outside of their community), but at least someone who knew some of these women cared enough to have a billboard done. That’s one blessing I can see in this mess.
LikeLike
“Plenty of coverage about a white girl that was held captive for 18 years though.”
True enough. However, the story was news worthy aside from race. She was kidnapped in front of her stepfather and held captive for 18 years, was forced to have her kidnappers children (2) and then showed up at home.
There is no doubt that the media is biased as to what stories they cover in regards to race, but to simply refer to what that child went through and toss it away like “That white girl” is just as offensive as what the media does.
No need to sink down to their level. Lead by example and show compassion to ALL victims of sexual crimes.
Great post though Abagond.
LikeLike
Thank you. Clearly the lives of white women matter just as much as that of black women, but we are just sick of seeing the press act like they matter so much more. I think that is what the Joker meant.
Sadly, like Peta I am not surprised or shocked either. I have seen all the elements of this story before in different forms. But it still makes me upset all the same. To not be upset at a story like this would mean I agree with the police and the killer that blacks are a throw-away people. How can I agree to that?
LikeLike
It’s ashamed that this seems to be dejavu. My cousin/best friend Brandi June Henderson was murdered in 1994 by Henry Louis Wallace and it all began just like this. Black women disappearing and being discovered murdered. Brandi was biracial and I am white and the police still would not listen to me so I agree that there was bias b/c of her race. My cousin was number 10 of the 11 he was accused of killing. (10 in Charlotte, NC and 1 in SC). One of the 10 was an alledged prostitute so she was discounted in the trial. Sad b/c she was a human life with family also. I feel for the families in Rocky Mount b/c the hurt never ceases even long after the initial shock becomes reality.
LikeLike
Agreed.
I wrote a post about your cousin:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/03/18/brandi-henderson/
May she rest in peace.
LikeLike
I know I use the term “Missing Women” rather loosely when referring to the 6 identified bodies that have been found in Rocky Mount / Edgecombe County North Carolina. “Missing Women” was the term originally coined to identify the 60 – 70 prostitutes who disappeared from Vancouver’s East side in the 1970s-80s. They literally vanished. Eventually, Robert Pickton was accused of their murders and was sentenced to a handful of the killings (having disposed of their bodies on his pig farm). “Missing Women” became a larger metaphor for the manner in which society treated these victims as translucent (think Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, and the marginalization of the lower strata).
In the case of Rocky Mount I use the term in the same context; these women are missing; society does not see them; it only acknowledges their presence as prostitutes, drug addicts and general low-lifes. It is an age old practice of blaming victims for their outcomes, then abdicating societies responsibility to do anything about it (thus the lag to form a task force and lack of media coverage.)
The situation in Rocky Mount is so disturbing because it so closely echoes what happened in Vancouver (and what is happening along the Highway of Tears in British Columbia). Have we learned nothing?
Well we better start learning or the cost to tax payers will be in the millions with the reforms that will (very slowly) come in the wake of what is brought forth (very slowly) in the disclosure of justice. Not to mention the endless public hand-wringing and blame that will-out.
http://www.theresaallore.com
LikeLike
john a.,
Thanks for sharing your story about the missing and murdered British Columbian women in Canada. Same pattern, same victim-blaming, same racism/misogyny/ethnic bigotry/classism that comes out through police treatment, media and societal indifference.
Rocky Mount, South L.A., and Cleveland aren’t any different from the British Columbia murders. Those areas are written off as no-go and one musn’t know about those people, they’re not missed by anyone, according to mainstream society.
I hope the families of the 70 victims get closure and healing soon. My heart goes out to them.
La Reyna
LikeLike
These ladies that were murdered, may they rest in peace.
This should have made national news. We live near Rich Square and did not know this was happening so close to us. Could it be that, somehow, the media thought this was not important becuase of their profession.
Before they became professional girls, they were someones daughter, someones Mother, someones sister.
They belonged and were loved by someone, so why so slow to investigate. God help me for saying this but, had they been white, law enforcement would have had the dogs, the FBI, psychics, mid night memorials, TV interviews with Matt Lauer, profilers, MSNBC and CNN looking for them.
These ladies werre no doubt poor, and the poor has no power. Certainly, the dead has none.
I demand that this investigation get going with all deliberate speed….the nation will now be watching as this situation has now gone viral.
LikeLike
Possible capture of the Rocky Mount serial killer:
http://hamptonroads.com/node/521672
http://www.truecrimereport.com/2009/09/antwan_maurice_pittman_have_po.php
LikeLike
Any update on this case?
LikeLike
[…] Taraha Nicholson (2009) – Antwan Pittman, black, found guilty of first-degree murder in 2011. He is suspected of having murdered seven other black women. Life in prison. […]
LikeLike
I’m still sad about this. hav fam in a nice part of rocky mount,nc. i m sad for each victim. ANTWAN PITTMAN is a serial killer,to many.Yet, cops still have not at all charge him,at all since 2010 or whatever. This man is a monster.I m sorry to all the victim families.
THEIR LIVES MATTER!
None of the Rocky Mount multiple murder victims who are blk got a press media conference. Only 1 victim got real justice. (only partial)to me, beause PITTMAN got LIFE IN PRISON.easy to do. visits,phone calls, anytime. and food,eating and sleepin’ and even get now a days web pages…from jail.” -I’m friends with a girl, a lady who is workin’on a MUCH needed book,already implemented.She is also working on turnin’it into a MUCH needed movie, tv documentary/screenplay and pitching networks as we speak. CAN our ogr.utilize some of your info from the site?If so reach me. I can be reached over at email left here for webmaster. web owner thanks.
Lizette @
JailTalkRealTalkHotline@Gmail. thank you.
LikeLike