The Eastbound Strangler site

Crime Scene Location Atlantic City, New Jersey

This is the location where an unidentified serial killer called the Eastbound Strangler dumped the remains of four women.

It is situated at 8030 East Black Horse Pike in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

At the time, this was the address of the Golden Key Motel. These days, it is an empty lot, as the motel was torn down in 2015 after it suffered extensive flood damage.

On November 20th, 2006, two women were walking their dogs along an access road behind the Golden Key Motel when they noticed one of the victims' bodies in an adjacent drainage ditch.

During a search of the area, the police discovered the remains of three more women.

Aerial image and map — The red dots on this aerial image show the locations where the police discovered the women's bodies.

The four victims were identified as Kim Raffo (35), Barbara Breidor (42), Molly Jean Dilts (20), and Tracy Ann Roberts (23).

The women disappeared between October and November 2006. At the time of their deaths, they were working as sex workers to fund their drug habits.

Eastbound Strangler victims — Raffo (35), Breidor (42), Dilts (20), and Roberts (23) died between October and November 2006. All four women were mothers who had struggled with addiction. Some turned to drugs after experiencing personal hardships, including divorce and grief.

None of the women were from Atlantic City. Instead, they had all left their hometowns and relocated to "America's Playground." With the exception of Breidor, they were all relatively new to the city.

The police were unable to determine the cause of death for Dilts and Breidor, as both of their remains were too badly decomposed. Raffo was strangled with a rope or cord, while Roberts' cause of death has been listed as asphyxiation.

Breidor had a potentially lethal dose of heroin in her system. However, that does not mean that she died of an overdose, as a person's tolerance level influences how a specific dose affects the body.

The victims' heads were all facing east. Although they were fully clothed, their shoes and socks were missing.

It appears as though tall reeds beside the access road had kept their bodies hidden from view.

Drainage ditch — Two dog walkers spotted the first body while they were walking along the access road at the back of the motel. A small pathway connected a vacant lot beside the Golden Key to the access road beside the drainage ditch. The killer may have parked his vehicle in this area while he was dumping the victims.

Following the discovery, a task force of 36 investigators from multiple law enforcement agencies was assembled to find the killer. However, despite this considerable manpower, they failed to hone in on a viable suspect.

The investigation into the homicides was hampered by the fact that all of the bodies had been lying in water, as DNA evidence becomes heavily degraded in such conditions.

Despite a $25,000 reward, the Eastbound Strangler has never been identified.

The case remains unsolved to this day.

Demolished

The site no longer exists. However, you can still visit the location.

Further Details: The Golden Key Motel was badly damaged by flooding during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The remnants of the motel were torn down in July 2015 as part of a redevelopment plan.