Imagine hitching a ride and later finding out your driver was a nightmare come to life. That’s exactly what happened to a man back in 1975 when he unknowingly caught a lift with a serial killer.
The story begins with 19-year-old Steve Fishman hitchhiking from Boston to Norwich, Connecticut. A man driving a green Buick sedan pulled over, introduced himself as Red, and offered Fishman a ride. As they drove, Red casually mentioned he had just been released from prison.
Despite his budding journalistic instincts, Fishman never probed into why Red had been imprisoned. The ride was brief, lasting only about 15 minutes, but it wasn’t until six months later that Fishman would understand the terrifying truth about his driver.
It turned out that Red was actually Robert Frederick Carr III, a confessed serial killer who had kidnapped, raped, and murdered multiple people, with a particular predilection for young hitchhikers. When Fishman saw Carr’s face on a news alert, the chilling reality hit him.
Years later, Fishman, still haunted by the encounter, met Carr in prison for an interview. One pressing question he had was, “Why not me?” Carr’s response was horrifyingly simple: “I thought you were too big.”
At the time of their encounter, Carr was on parole after serving a sentence for rape. His history of violence was gruesome. He had raped and murdered 16-year-old Tammy Ruth Huntley, killed two 11-year-olds, Todd Payton and Mark Williams, and murdered 21-year-old Rhonda Holloway shortly after meeting Fishman. Carr showed police the isolated graves where he buried his victims across the country.
Carr’s life ended in prison from prostate cancer at the age of 63, but the shadow of his crimes lingers. Fishman’s terrifying ride serves as a haunting reminder of the dangers that can lurk in the most mundane moments.