34 Years Ago: The I-70 Killer Claimed His Sixth Victim
Thursday marks the grim 34-year anniversary of one of America's most terrifying serial killers claiming his sixth victim.
In the spring of 1992, an unidentified serial killer put the American Midwest in a state of fear with a chilling 29-day crime spree. Over that period, the phantom killed six people at five business stores in three different states.
Eventually, authorities working on the six slayings dubbed him the 'I-70 Killer'. The reason? The murders took place around Interstate 70 or near a connecting highway.
The first confirmed victim of the I-70 Killer was Robin Fuldauer on Apr. 8, 1992. The 26-year-old was working alone at a Payless ShoeSource location in Indianapolis, Indiana. When calls to the store were ignored, police were asked to investigate. They found her body in a back room.
On Apr. 11, 32-year-old Patricia Magers and 23-year-old assistant Patricia Smith were found dead at a bridal shop (which Magers owned) in Wichita, Kansas. A witness arrived shortly after the murders and had a confrontation with a gunman, who told him to go into the backroom. The witness refused, and the gunman allowed him to leave unharmed.
16 days later, 40-year-old ceramics shop owner Michael McCown was found shot to death in Terra Haute, Indiana. Six days later, 24-year-old Nancy Kitzmiller was found dead at a boot store in St. Charles, Missouri.
May 7: The I-70 Killer Strikes Again in Raytown
The I-70 Killer's last confirmed murder happened on May 7 at the Woodson Village Shopping Center in Raytown, Missouri. Unlike the other murders, this spree had two witnesses.
37-year-old Sarah Blessing had been working alone at a gift shop. A man who owned a video store next to her shop observed a strange man walking past him; he recalled the incident to Unsolved Mysteries. Moments later, he heard a gunshot inside Blessing's store.
The video store owner saw the man disappear around the corner, went inside the shop and found Blessing's body. A grocery store worker also saw the gunman climb up an embankment and vanish.
34 years later, police still don't know who the I-70 Killer is. They were able to link the murders through ballistics test. Witnesses in 1992 said he was around 35-40 years of age.
The I-70 Killer – An Unsolved Spree That Still Haunts the Midwest – Thread 3/6The I-70 Killer used a rare and specific firearm: the Erma Werke ET22, a .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol (German-made, originally designed as a naval training/recreation gun). Only about 6,500 were… pic.twitter.com/BssyvCRlP8
— Outsider's Perspective (@OutsidersP36679) January 31, 2026
In Feb. 2022, authorities said they were hoping to solve the case through touch DNA. Four years later, it's unclear if investigators got any hits.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 1:54 PM.