While investigating the case of convicted serial killer Sean Patrick Goble, known as “The Interstate Killer,” authorities made a chilling discovery—a possible new serial killer. Goble, a long-haul trucker, was notorious for strangling women, primarily sex workers, and dumping their bodies along highways across multiple states in the early 1990s. He was arrested in 1995 after a killing spree that spanned years.
Sean Patrick Goble’s confessions
Goble confessed to the murders of multiple women, including 45-year-old Brenda Kay Hagy, 36-year-old Alice Rebecca Hanes, and 34-year-old Sherry Tew Mansur, all of whom he picked up, strangled, and abandoned near highways. Goble’s victims were found across Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and Alabama. His arrest at age 28 led to his confession of at least four murders, although he was suspected in more cases.
Unsolved case leads to new suspect
One case that baffled investigators was the 1992 murder of 29-year-old Nona Cobb, found strangled by an interstate in North Carolina. Despite Goble being a prime suspect, DNA evidence did not match, leaving the case unsolved for nearly 30 years. However, a breakthrough occurred in April 2021 when investigators re-tested the DNA using advanced genealogy methods.
The arrest of Warren Luther Alexander
The DNA led authorities to 73-year-old Warren Luther Alexander, a former long-haul trucker, living in Mississippi. On March 15, 2022, Alexander was arrested and extradited to North Carolina to face charges in Cobb’s murder. Once in custody, his DNA was entered into the national database CODIS, revealing a disturbing connection to other unsolved cases.
Alexander’s DNA matched evidence from three cold cases dating back to 1977 in California. The victims—Kimberly Carol Fritz, 18; Velvet Ann Sanchez, 31; and Lorraine Ann Rodriguez, 21—were all sex workers strangled to death in the Oxnard area. The cases had remained unsolved for decades until this new development.
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced the breakthrough, stating, “We believe there may be additional victims locally and in other states.” Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick, a genealogy expert involved in the case, echoed the sentiment, highlighting the possibility of more victims along Alexander’s trucking routes across the country.
The investigation is expanding to explore Alexander’s potential involvement in other unsolved murders, including that of 26-year-old Cassandra Lee Miller, who was found strangled in a California motel in 1975. Authorities are now piecing together his history as a long-haul trucker, a profession that may have provided the perfect cover for his alleged crimes.
Legal proceedings and the broader implications
Alexander is currently held without bail in Ventura County Jail and is set to be arraigned on August 21. He will stand trial in California before potentially facing charges in North Carolina. Prosecutors have decided not to seek the death penalty, given the lengthy process and aging witnesses.
The FBI’s Highway Serial Killings initiative has highlighted the prevalence of long-haul truckers in highway homicides, with over 850 murders linked to truckers in recent decades. Alexander’s arrest adds to the growing concern about the dangers posed by some individuals in this profession, who exploit their mobility to evade detection.
Former FBI assistant director Frank Figliuzzi, who has extensively researched highway serial killings, noted that the nature of truckers’ work allows them to “grab a victim in one jurisdiction, kill them in a second jurisdiction, dump their body in a third jurisdiction – and be on their way before anyone has figured anything out.”
As the investigation into Alexander continues, authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward, in hopes of bringing closure to more cold cases.