Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - "The I-5 Strangler" Roger Reece Kibbe Pt. 3

Episode Date: January 31, 2022

Police had taken Roger Kibbe into custody numerous times but never had enough evidence to arrest him. Each time he was let go, he went on to claim more victims. But a discovery by a forensics investigator was exactly what authorities needed to put him away for good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of sexual assault, violence, and murder. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. Forensic expert, Faye Springer, was up late as usual. She cast her tired eyes over the inventory on the table. Endless rows of petri dishes were spread out before her. There were dozens to get through, and it took hours to review each sample. It was going to be a long night.

Luckily, the laboratory was where Faye truly came alive. She took a moment to stretch before placing the next slide on her microscope. As she leaned in to get a better look, her eyes widened. Finally, something interesting. She was looking at some blue fibers found on a victim's dress. Faye studied the image closely. The shape and color of the fibers reminded her of something she'd already seen. She called another criminalist over to take a peek.

She told him she needed to see another sample from the floor mat of the suspect's car. Her colleague eagerly whisked the carpet over. Fay placed a thread under her microscope and stared silently at the image, as if trying to solve a difficult puzzle. From time to time, she bobbed her head to the side and jotted down notes. Fay was careful, methodical, and it was soon clear that the fibers weren't just similar. They were exactly the same. at them, she felt something rising in her chest and smiled.

The I-5 Strangler was as good as caught. Hi, I'm Greg Poulson. This is Serial Killers, a Spotify original from Parkast. Every episode, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today, in the final episode of a three-part series, we're wrapping up our look at Roger Kibby, California's I-5 Strangler. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi everyone, you can find episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. So far, we've delved into Roger Kibby's troubled childhood and his transition from compulsive thief to brutal rapist and murderer. We've covered the height of his demented killing spree and the hectic police investigation that quickly passed him by.

Today, we'll follow the authorities as they finally close in on Kibby. We'll see how the I-5 Strangler clamored to continue his murder and murder. mayhem until the bitter end. We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Bonnie and Clyde, the lonely hearts killers, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. These are infamous criminal duels.

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Meet your match on ZipRecruiter. recruiter. This episode is brought to you by Prime. Obsession is in session. And this summer, Prime Originals have everything you want. Steamy romances, irresistible love stories, and the book to screen favorites you've already read twice. Off campus, L, every year after, the love hypothesis, Sterling Point, and more. Slow burns, second chances, chemistry you can feel through the screen.

Your next obsession is waiting. Watch only on Prime. On August 17, 1986, Roger Kibby abducted his fifth victim, 26-year-old Charmaine Sabra. Kibby found Charmaine and her mother, Carmen, on the side of the I-5 freeway around 3 a.m. He posed as a Good Samaritan and offered to take Charmaine home, while Carmen stayed behind, stranded in her car. We don't know exactly what Kibi did after driving off with Charmaine, but by that point, killing was routine to him. He likely treated Charmaine in a similar way as his other victims. He drove her somewhere secluded, then raped and strangled her to death.

This time, however, his methods were more refined. In the past, Kibby had clumsily used his victim's stockings or another item of clothing to strangle them. But for Charmaine, he also employed a nylon parachute cord. This allowed him to apply greater force, possibly killing Charmaine more efficiently than his previous victims. Knowing this, we can see that Kibi wasn't just falling into old habits. He was actively learning and adopting new methods to make murder even easier. Before we continue with the psychology for this episode, please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, but we've done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg.

According to criminology professor Scott Bonn, it's not uncommon for serial killers to refine their methods of murder as they gain more experience. In a 2015 article, Bonn wrote, the MO, or method of operation, is what the offender must do in order to commit the crime. Significantly, the MO is a learned behavior that is subject to change. A serial killer will alter and refine his ammo to accommodate new circumstances or to incorporate new skills and information. Kibi was getting smarter, and at the same time, harder to catch. After killing Charmaine, he dumped her body in the woods of Amador County near Highway 124, nearly 50 miles north of the spot on the I-5, where he kidnapped her.

That was bad news for the police who were still two steps behind the I-5 strangler. The morning after Charmaine was abducted, Carmen woke in her vehicle and realized her daughter hadn't returned to pick her up. After her son drove her to Charmaine's apartment, and she saw that her daughter was still missing, she reported Charmaine's disappearance to the authorities. Technically, Charmaine had only been gone for a few hours by that point. that and the fact that she was a grown adult usually would have meant that law enforcement delayed the filing of a missing person's report. However, these weren't the usual circumstances when Carmen described her location

and her interactions with the mysterious Good Samaritan to police, alarm bells rang in their heads. Detectives immediately connected her story with Stephanie Brown, Kibby's third victim. Many officers suspected a serial killer was on the loose after Stephanie's murder, and Carmen's report only deepened their suspicions. Carmen did her best to tell the authorities what she remembered about Kibby. Physically, she described him as an older white man of average height with gray hair. One of the things she remembered most was his hoarse voice. When he spoke to her, he sounded so quiet it was almost like he was whispering.

It wasn't a whole lot to go on, but authorities hoped they were finally getting closer to answers. Using Charmaine's description, they created a composite sketch of the killer. and spread it far and wide. Over the next few weeks, calls came flooding into the station with anonymous tips. Detectives followed up on the most promising ones,

but didn't find many leads worth pursuing. Weeks passed with no change. Finally, three months after Charmaine's disappearance, a hunter and his dog discovered her body. An autopsy found that Charmaine had been tied up and strangled to death. A criminalist also discovered loose hair on her clothing, suggesting that the killer

had cut her hair with scissors, just like he had with Stephanie Brown. With these frightening details fresh in their minds, authorities were more motivated than ever to shut the killer down. They were finally confident enough to make an official announcement. There was a serial killer on the loose in Southern California. The news brought the I-5 Strangler to the forefront of the public's mind, and just days later, a sex worker in Stockton flagged down a deputy with a tip. This woman, who will call Denise, told the officer that her friend had recently endured an unsettling interaction with a potential client.

According to Denise's friend, a man in a blue sports car said he would give her $1,000 and a brand new outfit if she'd take a trip with him down to Lake Tahoe. She refused because it was too long a ride, and something about the John had unnerved her. When Denise saw that same car drive by later, she jotted down the license plate number, after telling the whole story to the, the cop, she handed him the paper, hoping it was helpful. At first, the officer took the story with a grain of salt, as dozens of similar tips had already come in. But just hours later, he spotted a blue Dotson running a red light. He pulled the vehicle over for a routine stop and noticed that its license plate matched the one Denise had written down. Intrigued and cautious, the officer approached the Dotson slowly. Sitting in the driver's seat was 48-year-old Roger Kibby.

Kibi acted normally when the deputy asked for his license and registration, but the officer's guard was up. He was struck by how much Kibi resembled the composite sketch of the I-5 Strangler. When he shined his flashlight into the back of the car, the deputy saw what looked like a gun behind the driver's seat. He reached for his own weapon and asked Kibi to step out of the car. And he did. Then he hardly complained when he was frisked.

The officer examined the gun in the back and realized it wasn't real. It was a pellet gun, which Kibby claimed he'd simply forgotten was back there. The officer wasn't taking any chances. He had a colleague take pictures of the car and confiscated Kibby's license on the grounds that Kibby had failed to repair a broken tail lamp. Kibby stayed characteristically quiet throughout the encounter, but the deputy thought there was something dark behind his eyes. He seemed nervous and a little too calm as if he was trying to pretend he wasn't scared. Kibby was told to drive home and stay off the road until his license was reinstated.

Then the officer passed his report onto the homicide department, but authorities didn't act on it immediately. They were already buried in other potential leads and had a difficult time honing in on the most valuable ones. And while Kibi might have been scared on the night he was pulled over, that didn't convince him to lay low for long. On November 5, 1986, he hit the road once again in search of another victim.

This time, he targeted yet another young woman in Sacramento, 25-year-old Catherine Kelly Kienonis. We don't have many details about the circumstances of her capture, but she met the same fate as Kibby's other victims. After strangling Catherine, he left her body near Lake Beriesa. It was the same area where he dumped the remains of his first victim, L.L. and Burley, nearly 10 years earlier. By the time they found Kino Ness a month later, it felt like the body was in a body of

were piling up and the police were undermanned. It was almost Christmas by the time authorities followed up on the lead from the San Joaquin County deputy. It had taken months, but on the evening of December 15th, police finally arrived at the home of Roger and Harriet Kibby. They said they wanted to ask Kibby a few questions because he resembled the I-5 strangler composite. Harriet was frightened by the detective's attitudes.

It wasn't the first time she'd worried for her husband. After Llewellyn Burley was murdered, officers had hauled Kibby in for a similar interrogation. Harriet hadn't believed for a minute that her husband was a killer back then. She still didn't think he was capable of violence, but things were somewhat different these days. Kibi was more withdrawn than ever, and she knew he went out at all hours of the night. Harriet tried to shake the dark thoughts from her mind. Even if he didn't really deserve her loyalty, she would stand by her husband. So she followed the police down to the station to wait while they questioned him.

It's hard to know how Kibi might have felt in those moments. As always, his face betrayed almost no emotion on the outside. He seemed unbothered by the situation at first, but his responses were definitely measured. He didn't say any more than he thought he needed to. In response to the investigator's accusations, he claimed he had spoken to sex workers before, but had never actually been with one. He admitted he was familiar with the eye. I-5 and drove on it regularly.

After an hour of questions, the detectives were torn. Most agreed there was something off about Kibby. He seemed a little too careful, and his aloof attitude made them suspicious. Cross-checking his statements with DMV records only made them more wary. Multiple vehicles Kibby had owned in the past, roughly matched up with witness statements about the I-5 killer. On the other hand, Kibi hadn't technically slipped up in the interrogation room. He didn't dodge any questions, and there were no obvious signs that he was lying to them. The investigators might not have picked up on all of Kibby's subtle signs, but his wife did.

When Kibby came out to speak to Harriet after the questioning, she could tell something was wrong. Back in 1978, Kibi had laughed off the accusations that he'd murdered Llewellyn Burley. Harriet didn't remember him seeming uncertain at all back then, but this time he wasn't so optimistic. All of a sudden, Harriet felt nagging doubts overtake her again. What was her husband hiding from her? Coming up, Roger Kibby is backed into a corner. Love. It's been the subject of poems, novels, music, and film. It's also been the driving force behind some of the most horrendous crimes in history.

Hi, I'm Vanessa Richardson. Join me for Season 2 of Criminal Couples and meet the lovers who took their passion to perilous lengths. Featuring standout episodes from female criminals, serial killers, solved murders, and crimes of passion, this season of criminal couples gets to the heart of what makes two turn to a life of murderous crime. Some couples were set off by revenge or greed.

Others were fueled by sex and drugs. All acted in the name of love. Discover the darker side of desire. In season two of the Spotify original, from Parcast, criminal couples. Follow for free and tune in every Monday only on Spotify. Snoring, gasping during sleep, feeling fatigued, ask your doctor about Zepbound, terseptite, the first and only FDA-approved prescription medicine for moderate to severe

obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, and adults with obesity. Zepbound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, and obesity to improve their OSA. Zepbound is approved as a 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, or 15 milligram injection. Zetbound contains terseptitide and should not be used with other terseptitine-containing products or any GLP1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if Zepound is safe and effective for use in children. Don't share needles or pins or reuse needles.

Don't take if allergic to it or if you or someone and your family had medullary thyroid cancer, or if you've had multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. Tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. Stop Zepbound and call your doctor if you have severe stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction. Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes before scheduled procedures with anesthesia.

If you're nursing, pregnant, plan to be, or taking birth control pills. Taking Zep bound with a sulfonelioria or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Side effects include nausea, diet, diarrhea and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsened kidney problems. Talk to your doctor. Call 1-800-545-99 or visit setbound.lily.com. Now back to the story. On December 15, 1986, 47-year-old Roger Kibby was questioned by police in connection

with the I-5 murders, and it seems the experience rattled him because the very next morning he packed his things and skipped town. We don't know exactly where Kibby went or what his plan was. He likely didn't have one. But he was sure the authorities were closing in, and he had no way of knowing how much evidence they'd already found. He must have figured he had just one more chance to run, so he took it. He drove cross-country at one point stopping in Las Vegas.

If he was stressed, it wasn't enough to dull his libido. He apparently caught crabs while he was on his trip. Meanwhile, Kibby's wife Harriet awoke to a familiar scene. Her husband was gone, and she had no idea where he went. This time, he'd taken $375 from an office drawer, a fair chunk of the meager funds they had left. It was just one more burden for Harriet to shoulder. Despite the nightmare that Kibby was putting her through,

she did what she thought was her duty. She covered for her husband. Anyone else might have taken Kibby's sudden disappearance, as essentially at admission of guilt. But no matter what happened, Harriet refused to believe her husband could be used. responsible for multiple murders. If anything, her current predicament seemed to confirm that Roger Kibby was a runner, not a fighter. Harriet figured her husband was a total coward,

and she couldn't believe a man like that could be a serial killer. But Harriet was simply caught in the psychological trap of denial. According to psychiatrist Henry Prather Loughlin, denial can be a powerful defense mechanism. Loughlin wrote, Denial is a primitive and desperate unconscious method of coping with otherwise intolerable conflict, anxiety, and emotional distress or pain. In other words, people may deny the facts in front of them because the truth is too painful to confront. We see that in Harriet, who chose to blindly believe her husband's ridiculous excuses. She believed he wasn't guilty of murder, even when he literally went on the lamb to avoid law enforcement.

She just couldn't accept what Kibi had done. And neither could his brother. A day or two after Kibby vanished, he called Steve from a Las Vegas payphone. Kibby sounded distraught. He claimed he was being framed for murder and that the police had it out for him. Steve was sympathetic.

He talked his brother down and insisted that running from the police would only make the situation worse. Two days after Kibi disappeared, Steve and his wife phoned Harriet. Roger was with them. They'd convinced him to head. home.

The next day, Kibi returned, slinking back to Harriet with his tail between his legs. While she helped him medicate to get rid of his crabs, local police were still digging into Kibi's background, unaware that he'd briefly slipped away. Their investigation had already revealed a treasure trove of new and disturbing facts about their suspect. Officers finally discovered for themselves that Kibby had been accused of assaulting a sex worker in the past. This revelation flew in the face of Kibi's insistence that he'd never been with a sex worker before.

Now they knew for sure Kibi was lying to them. Yet again, however, almost all the evidence they had was circumstantial. Charmaine-Sabra's mother, Carmen, who'd watched Kibby drive away with her daughter on the I-5, couldn't pick him out of a photo lineup. The boyfriend of another victim who'd briefly spoken to Kippy also couldn't identify him. It was a frustrating development and a repeat of what had happened after Lou Ellen Burley's death, the authorities were always so close but could never get the cold, hard proof they needed to nail Kibby.

Every second they delayed gave the killer more opportunities to strike, yet law enforcement remained unable to make any real headway in the I-5 investigation. And by the time the New Year dawned, the police department was flooded with more cases to take care of. Detectives still actively searched for the I-5 Strangler, but with other things on their plate, it wasn't as big of a priority as before. So months slipped by with little progress, and the entire time Roger Kibby was free to prowl California's highways

to his heart's content. As far as we know, Kibi laid low during the first half of 1987. Whether he was afraid of the police or it was something else, it seems that he didn't go out hunting for new victims. But by the summer, he was apparently more confident. Either that or his urge to kill was just too strong to resist. On June 14th, he took a familiar route down the road south of Sacramento. At some point, he passed by the small airport in Stockton, California.

This was likely the area where he met 25-year-old, Karen Finch. Karen was young, attractive, and thin, just like his other victims. Before she'd gotten on the road that evening, she'd mentioned to her ex-husband that she was having problems with her radiator, so it's possible she had car trouble and was forced to pull over. However, it may have been the reverse situation, as skid marks in front of her vehicle suggested that Karen pulled up behind another car before stopping. Kibby might have stopped on the side of the road and pretended he was the one with car trouble. Either way, he forcibly abducted Karen and took her north toward a patch of woods off the Jackson Highway.

There he broke with his signature pattern. For some reason, instead of strangling Karen, Kibby stabbed her in the neck and dropped her lifeless body into a ditch. All the blood made for a more gruesome kill than usual. Less than a week later, a reserve police officer and his family found Karen's blood-soaked clothing in the middle of the road and followed the trail to her body nearby. It was a confusing scene for the authorities. The description of the victim, the seemingly random nature of the attack, and the fact that she was found near the I-5, all suggested their serial killer had struck again. However, the pattern break made things complicated.

Detectives tentatively theorized that the killer had gotten mad at Karen for some reason. It's possible she fought back or that something else went wrong during the attack and he reacted by stabbing her. Whatever Kibby's motivations, this murder was sloppier than the others. Law enforcement found duct tape in Karen's hair, which hadn't been cut out like the other victims. Her clothes, however, had been sliced to pieces, like many of the earlier women. So another case was added to the pile. Roger Kibby had killed at least seven women by that point,

though authorities had only linked the I-5 killer to four of the victims, and the police still hadn't found any hard evidence tying him to the crimes. Of course, he was near the top of the list of suspects. The list was just too massive to keep track of. In total, law enforcement had at least 500 potential killers to investigate. Most of them were red herrings from anonymous tippers, but even those took precious time to sort through. And police manpower was still an issue.

So though the deeds of the I-5 Strangler were becoming big news, no one was able to hone in on Roger Kibby amongst a sea of other possible culprits. It left him free to continue his deadly spree. Some time in late August or early September, Kibby struck again. This time he killed 17-year-old Darcy Frackenpole. She was his youngest victim, but had much in common with his usual targets. Namely, she was beautiful and vulnerable.

Unlike some of his previous victims, however, she was also a runaway. For two years, she'd been leaving home on and off, never staying with her mother for more than a few days at a time. Darcy's body was discovered near Lake Tahoe in September, but because the girl had no ID, she wasn't identified at first. However, a criminalist correctly linked the murder

with the I-5 Strangler, because the victim had been strangled and her clothes had been cut to rest. ribbons. And this time there was something else to go on. A close examination revealed nylon fibers on Darcy's dress, likely from the rope she was strangled with. Finally, there was some physical evidence.

It wasn't much, but it was a start. Meanwhile, Roger Kibby didn't show any signs of stopping his rampage. On the night of September 14, 1987, the 48-year-old picked up another sex worker in Sacramento, who will call Lily. He fell back into an old pattern, beginning with his promise to Lily that he would pay her way more money than she was used to. He promised her $1,500 if she agreed to do some nude modeling for him. When she asked for some money up front, though, he said he only had $25 bucks on him.

They negotiated a price for sex instead, and Kibby drove them to a nearby golf course. Once they parked, Kibby reached over, pretending to adjust the passenger seat. Then, in a flash, everything changed. Herty's demeanor hardened, and he grabbed Lily's arm tightly. She heard handcuffs jingling in his other hand. Panicking, Lily tried to escape out of the passenger side door, but it was locked. Kibby barked at her to stop struggling, and there was something terrifying about his voice, where before it sounded soft but gentle, it was suddenly harsh and icy.

Lily was scared out of her mind. She continued to fight back, just barely managing to unlock the door and throw it open. She screamed for help as Kibby fought to keep her inside the car. Luckily, there was someone around to hear. A Sacramento police officer was patrolling the golf course when Lily started yelling. He turned a corner near the rear parking lot and spotted her fighting for her life. When Kibby saw the headlights behind him, he kicked Lily out of the car and tried to flee. But in his panic, he went in the wrong direction.

He was forced to make a desperate U-turn, which gave the police officer more than enough time to catch up. After a brief chase, Kibby pulled over and surrendered. He was arrested then and there. And this time, his victim was going to make sure he paid for what he'd done. Coming up, Roger Kibby's reign of terror comes to an end. Every outfit starts with a choice. What am I wearing underneath? Something comfortable?

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On September 14, 1987, 48-year-old Roger Kibby was arrested for attacking a sex worker who will call Lily. The next morning, he phoned his wife from prison to ask for her help. Harriet passed the unwelcome news onto Kibby's detective brother, Steve, and asked what he could find out. He quickly got back to her with some disturbing details. Kibby had been accused of attempting to rape a sex worker in his car. When she heard that, Harriet was so angry and confused she could barely think straight. As punishment, she let her husband rot in jail for four days before she finally bailed him out.

On the tense ride home, Kibby didn't have much to say for himself, not that Harriet expected anything more. Still, for the next few weeks, he stayed on his best being. behavior. But it was too little, too late. Kibby's arrest was noticed by investigators looking into the I-5 killings. It wasn't just the crime itself that intrigued them. It was all the evidence officers had found in his car on the night he attacked Lily.

Along with the handcuffs Kibby had tried to use to restrain Lily, detectives found a vibrator, nylon cord, and long medical scissors. Crucially, there were some tape and nylon fibers stuck to the blades. And those nylon fibers looked like those found on Darcy Frackenpole's body. It was the final link the authorities needed. A definitive connection between Roger Kibby and one of the I-5 victims. When authorities took another look at Kibby's file,

it was as if all the pieces fell into place. Investigators couldn't believe how perfectly it all lined up. Kibi had to be their man. They knew the I-5 strangler had used scissors to cut up the hair and clothes of his victims, so that was a strong indicator. However, it was the rope that was the decisive factor. By chance, an investigator showed a piece of the nylon rope to an employee at an airport, hoping he could identify what they were used for.

The man immediately recognized them as belonging to a parachute cord. When they heard the news, detectives stopped for a moment to think about that curious detail. Then they remembered Roger Kibby liked to skydive. The authorities were confident they had a solid lead at last, which was exactly why they couldn't afford to let it go to waste. Police started surveilling Kibby in mid-October. Though they had strong circumstantial evidence, they were hoping to catch him in the act

to ensure they had the strongest case possible, and they'd have to wait a week to obtain a search warrant. However, a few days passed with no movement from Kibby. The authorities were at a loss, but they noticed how submissive their suspect appeared to be to his wife. Officers theorized that a conflict with Harriet might set Kibby off, lead him to vent his frustrations, and attempt to kill again. So they plan to humiliate Harriet and hope she took it out on her husband. It was an aggressive move, typical of the more confrontational and accusatory police investigations that are common in the United States.

But according to a forensic psychology textbook by Kurt R. Bartol and Anne M. Bartol, it may not be the most effective method. The authors wrote, Although the confrontational approach frequently results in obtaining confessions, the method can also lead to false confessions. Referring to a less accusatory investigative interviewing strategy, the authors pointed out that information-gathering approaches are effective methods for eliciting more useful information from both cooperative and reluctant individuals. The authorities likely knew that setting harried off was risky. But after more than a year of chasing a serial killer, they were anxious to bring the case. to a close. So the next morning, police officers ambushed Harriet while she was at work. In full view

of her coworkers, they loudly tried to get her to answer a few questions about her husband. Clearly, they didn't know Harriet as well as they thought. Their visit certainly agitated her, but not in the way they'd hoped. Instead of being angry with her husband, she lost her temper with the police. She screamed at the cops until they left her office, vowing never to speak to law enforcement again about Kibby. She and her husband, and her husband, were both eventually fired because of the police inquiry. The authorities had clearly crossed a line, but they hoped it would still pay dividends.

That night, the surveillance team waited for Kibi to react. He definitely seemed to be in trouble. Harriet made him do extra chores that night, but he didn't leave the house to hunt for a new victim like they'd expected. The investigators were back to square one again, but they weren't giving up. Their next move was to use a search warrant to enter Kibby's home at office. Once inside, investigators didn't find everything they were looking for, but they did discover some parachute cord

that resembled the fibers found on the strangler's last victim. They also called Kibby in for questioning once again. Authorities pressed him hard, trying to find a way past his obstinate poker face. But again, they made little headway. Kibby didn't say much except to answer direct questions, and he absolutely refused to take a polygraph. Investigators would have to put even more pressure on him

if they wanted answers. This time, the authorities decided to branch out for information. They spoke to Kibby's estranged daughter, his elderly father, and finally to his brother. Steve Kibby wasn't in a good mood when an investigator came by to interview him. As a homicide detective himself, he felt like he had things figured out. He was adamant that his brother was innocent. He, like Harriet, was convinced that Kibi wouldn't hurt a fly. After years of supporting Kibby through thick and thin,

in, Steve had seen it all, and mostly he'd seen his brother act pathetic. Steve claimed that Kibby couldn't even function if he was away from Harriet for more than a few days. He believed that his brother was on the verge of a mental breakdown, and implied that the investigation was overzealous. Hoping to help him see the truth, the authorities let Steve in on what they had against Kibby. Though it was largely circumstantial, the evidence was piling high. Even still, Steve seemed unconvinced. It was clear that he was going to stand behind his brother until the end. Law enforcement was forced to proceed without his aid, but to do that, they needed more time. They decided to try Kibby with a misdemeanor for attacking Lily,

and another for soliciting prostitution. With the help of Lily's testimony, they put Kibby behind bars for eight months. They planned to use that time to uncover more clues in the homicide cases, and their gambit worked. A forensics expert was able to match fibers found on the floor mat in one of Kibby's vehicles to those found on Darcy Frackenpole's dress. They were also able to definitively link a parachute cord found in his house to the fibers lodged in Darcy's neck. It was enough.

On the day before Kibi was supposed to be released from prison for assaulting Lily, he was booked a second time. Things were finally different. Now the police had actual physical evidence to throw in Kibby's face. They even arranged for Steve to call in and talk to his brother. He'd seen the new evidence too, but he told Kibby that it was enough to put him away for good. Following that conversation, Kibby saw the writing on the wall. He was still far from chatty, but seemed more willing to cut a deal.

In exchange for one last chance to talk to Harriet, he promised detectives he would tell them the truth, at least partially. detectives decided to take what they could get. They let Kibby talk to Harriet in private in the backseat of a car. Harriet knew he was about to confess something big. She held his hand. Through tears, Kibi told his wife what he'd done. He admitted that he'd lied to her time and time again. For the 13 years that they'd been together,

he'd hid the darkest parts of himself. He wasn't ever the husband she thought he was. He was a serial rapist, and murderer. Kibby had finally confessed, but not to the authorities. After he spoke to Harriet, the cold, unfeeling killer was back in control, and he'd had a change of heart. He refused to give law enforcement the information he'd promised in return for seeing his wife.

It was a frustrating betrayal, but the authorities were confident that they didn't need his confession. In February of 1991, Roger Kibby was finally brought to trial. His first court date was for the murder of Darcy Frackenpole. Investigators had gathered the most physical evidence in that case, but also called witnesses associated with Kibi's other attacks to the stand to give jurors the full picture. A little more than a month later,

Kibi was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. He spent years behind bars while authorities strengthened their other cases against him. On occasion, police took Kibi out to Lake Beriazza and other sites. hoping he would lead them to more bodies. In the aftermath of his conviction, what little family Kibby had left fell apart. Steve never visited his brother in prison and blamed him for sullying his career in law enforcement.

Harriet visited Kibby regularly for a few years, but rarely spoke to him after that. When the trial ended, she moved in with another man, though she never technically divorced Kibby. Things didn't end peacefully for Roger Kibby. In 2009, he finally pleaded guilty to six more counts of murder and received multiple life sentences. Then on February 28, 2021, he was reportedly killed in prison at the age of 81. The culprit is believed to be his cellmate, 40-year-old Jason Budrow.

Budrow confessed to the murder and claimed he had been working to earn Kivby's trust for months leading up to the crime. And about Satanist, Budrow also said he, carved a pentagram into Kibby's chest. As of this recording, the investigation into the murder is currently ongoing. But Budro claimed this ritualistic act, released Kibbi's victims so that their souls could find peace. Whether or not the ritual worked, we obviously can't say, but even if it did, that peace can't reach all the families left behind and torn apart by Kibi's crimes. The I-5 strangler was a heartless man. He betrayed his wife. his child, and his brother in the pursuit of mindless violence.

But his wasn't the only family he ruined. Kibby killed a new mother, two teenagers, and many more young women, by praying on them at their most vulnerable. To this day, there are suspicions that his victim count was higher than he ever confessed to, but the full truth about his crimes may never be known. The only thing that's certain is that the roads are safer, now that Roger Kibby is gone for good.

Thanks again for tuning in to serial killers. We'll be back next time with another episode. For more information on Roger Kibby, among the many sources we used, we found trace evidence, The Hunt for the I-5 serial killer by Bruce Henderson, extremely helpful to our research. You can find all episodes of serial killers

and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time. Serial Killers is a Spotify original from Parcast. Executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, sound design by Brendan Hawkins, with production assistants by Ron Shapiro, Trent Williamson, Carly Madden, and Joshua Kern. This episode of Serial Killers was written by Terrell Wells, with writing assistants by Joel Callan, fact-checking by Claire Cronin,

and research by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood. Serial Killers stars Greg Paulson and Vanessa Richardson. It's been said that love is a many splendor, thing. That is, until it's not. In season two of criminal couples, discover true stories of couples who turned their love lives into a life of crime. Lies and deceit are just the beginning. Follow the Spotify original from Parcast, Criminal Couples. Catch new episodes every Monday, free and only on Spotify. All. Pay off your home, travel for life, drive a Ferrari. In celebration of the world premiere of the Monopoly, big board buck slot machine by aristocrat gaming, Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is giving one person a $1.6 million dream package.

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Hasbro is not a sponsor of this promotion. A beloved 75-year-old man washing up getting ready for bed is grubly. beaten and killed. Despite an exhaustive investigation, the killer avoids arrest and then strikes again. I'm Global News crime reporter Nancy Hicks. You might listen to a lot of true crime podcasts this year, but they're not crime beat. Search for and follow the award-winning podcast Crime Beat on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.