Philip Innes Fraser was born on January 3, 1965, in the largest city of Alaska, Anchorage (USA). The man's parents (Robert and Shirley) were doctors. My mother specialized in neurology. The father, who was from Philadelphia, was an internist. The man boasted a lot of experience in treating tuberculosis. Thanks to his knowledge and practice, he became the director of the state center dedicated to the fight against this disease. The Frasers had three sons: Will, Robert Jr. and Philip. The parents were very intelligent and capable, but they worked hard for their professional success. They also tried to inculcate their principles in the children.
However, the greatest passion of the hero of our history was not science, but music and literature. Philip is said to have played the violin very well too. In 1982, Fraser graduated from high school. Soon the 17-year-old entered Western Maryland College. His father graduated from the same university earlier. After a year, the young man stopped his education and returned home.
He decided that he did not want to blindly follow in the footsteps of his parents. He wanted to think seriously about his future. For a very long time, however, he could not decide in which direction he wanted to go. In 1988, Philip finally decided to start studying to become a doctor. So in the end he chose the profession of his parents. However, the 23-year-old changed the university. He decided to go to Evergreen State College, located in Olympia, the capital of Washington (USA). It is worth adding that this state borders with Canada, which will be quite important for our history.
On June 14, 1988, Philip packed most of his possessions into his Volkswagen Jetta (born 1983). In the early afternoon, the man set off on a long journey. The distance between Olympia and Anchorage was 3700 km. At the same time, it was still one of the universities closest to his hometown. The man decided that instead of sleeping in hotels or guesthouses, he would choose a more budget option. He decided he would be camping.
On the first day, the future student wanted to cover the greatest possible distance. After driving a little over 300 km, however, Fraser realized that something was wrong with his car. So he stayed in the town of Tok. It was one of the last chances to get the car repaired. The next few hundred kilometers were supposed to lead through desolate areas. An accident in the middle of the tundra in Alaska would put even an experienced traveler in trouble.
In the aforementioned city, the 23-year-old called his parents and told them about his adventures. He revealed that he intended to stay at the campsite until the car was fully functional. Father asked for more details, but stubborn Philip kept them to himself. This conversation would probably have had a different course if both sides had known that they were hearing each other for the last time.
On Sunday 19 June at around 9.30 pm the fire brigade was called in to put out the fire. It turned out that a car was burning in a car wash in Prince George (British Columbia, Canada). After a few minutes, the wreck was put out. However, the damage turned out to be so great that it was impossible to examine the interior. The vehicle was also badly damaged from the outside. Fortunately, the model of the burned car was quickly verified. It turned out to be - as you may have guessed - Volkswagen Jetta. It was suspicious that the car had no license plates.
The next day, investigators established the unique VIN of the vehicle. It also turned out that the car did not appear in the base as stolen. So the policemen went to the address of the Jetta owner that was recorded in the files. Philip's parents were there. They were surprised because they had no idea about the car fire. They then began to worry even more about their son. The last time they spoke to him was five days earlier, at the very beginning of his departure. So Robert and Shirley reported the man missing. A theory quickly emerged that the car was set on fire, most likely to destroy all evidence. Officers soon began an investigation.
In the beginning, the investigators wanted to establish a route for Philip to follow. Information about the disappearance found its way to the local media. Unfortunately, it did not help much. Detectives began checking gas stations, shops, and restaurants along the road that Fraser was likely to take. The policemen hoped to find witnesses who could help solve the mystery. It was, however, a very tedious job. The investigators had to travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometers.
This effort brought results. Several people reported to the investigators. One of them testified that she saw Philip on Saturday morning at a campsite near Lake Dease (British Columbia, Canada). Another witness, in turn, noticed the 23-year-old on a camping trip some 4.5 hours from the place where the car was discovered. These words kept the family spirited. At first, relatives assumed the participation of third parties in Fraser's disappearance. There was a hope, however, that the man could for some reason leave the vehicle and continue the journey by hitchhiking or a rented car.
Police officers also determined that Fraser had crossed the US-Canadian border on Friday 17 June. The man was remembered by the customs because he had two pistols with him. However, he could not take them on the way. US citizens are prohibited from bringing firearms to Canada. Border guards saw the man drive away after depositing his pistols. However, the further fate of Philip was still unknown.
The breakthrough came a few weeks later. On July 27, 1988, a group of tourists stopped on a gravel area just off the highway. One of the men got out of the car to take his pet for a walk. After a while the dog started walking towards the bushes and stopped there too. As the owner came closer, he noticed a human body. The dead man was lying facedown on the ground. His body had several bullet marks. The discovery was, of course, reported to the police. It should be added that the place where the body was found was about 700 km away from the abandoned car.
Two days later, the identity of the deceased was established. Dental records confirmed that the body belonged to Philip Fraser. It has also been estimated that the 23-year-old's death occurred around the time the car was found on fire. However, the police never disclosed the details of the autopsy. So we don't know how many gunshot wounds there were or where they were located.
The question of who killed Fraser and why remained unanswered. The real breakthrough was the account of Gaye Frocklage, the owner of a local gas station and restaurant. This place was called '40 Mile Flats Cafe 'and it was about an hour's drive from the Dease Lake. The woman testified that on Saturday, June 18, she spotted a dark pick-up truck pulled up outside her restaurant.
A man who was clearly a hitchhiker got out of the vehicle. He looked suspicious and there was something disturbing about his appearance. Gaye was frightened by the man to such an extent that the woman decided to stay at work longer. She did not want her daughter, who assisted in running the business, to be left alone in the premises with the suspected stranger.
While the man was eating dinner, a well-known Volkswagen Jetta drove up to the restaurant. Philip, however, did not get out of the car. It seemed that he was looking for something in him. Meanwhile, the mysterious man finished his meal, paid and went outside. He then walked over to Fraser and began talking to him.
Witnesses assumed that he asked for a lift. The Alaskan resident initially disagreed, so the stranger started walking along Highway 37. After a while, Philip continued on his way. The hitchhiker then started running after him. The man then let him into the car and drove away. The owner of the restaurant and her daughter Tina were watching the whole situation. They both felt that this was not a good decision on Fraser's part.
So the police started looking for the mysterious man. There were a few witnesses who saw a hitchhiker on the road. Their relationship was consistent. The man was 20-25 years old, about 175 cm tall and weighed about 100 kg. His hair and eyes were brown.
A characteristic feature was a beer belly and rotten teeth. Despite his young age, he looked very neglected, had stubble and smelled. Most likely, he was mentally retarded in some way, constantly biting his fingernails and holding the cigarette between his thumb and forefinger like a twist.
The witnesses were unable to determine the man's nationality. Interestingly, he was quite eager to tell strangers about himself. However, his life story was different each time. Some said he worked in a fish processing plant in Tok, Alaska, another said he was visiting relatives there. It is significant that this city appeared earlier in our story. It was in Tok that the main character of today's history stopped to repair his car.
Another said that he was a student from Toronto who hitchhiked back from his friends' wedding. The strangest thing, however, is that, according to several witnesses, the man introduced himself as Philip Fraser. He claimed to be the son of doctors and studying medicine. What's more, he was reportedly seen driving a Volkswagen Jetta. However, no one noticed the rightful owner at the time.
The policemen had to wait two months for the next (and unfortunately the last) groundbreaking event. At the end of the summer, they heard testimony from Eddie and Pauline Olson. The spouses lived in the small town of Kitwanga. It was about 200 km from where Fraser's body was found. Their story began on Saturday evening, June 18.
The Olsons then returned home. On the way, they noticed a man parked on the side of the road. The stranger tried to repair the car, but his attempts were unsuccessful. So the couple offered their help. Eddie and Pauline tow the car to their home. The spouses were also so hospitable that they offered the man a night in their basement.
The night passed peacefully, and the three of them met for breakfast the next morning. The stranger, however, was very silent and did not allow himself to be drawn into the conversation. All he said was that he was the son of doctors from Anchorage and had to be in Seattle class tomorrow. As he wanted to get there as soon as possible, he offered to sell his car. After all, he couldn't drive it anyway.
Eddie was interested in this unusual proposition because the price was bargain and the car was in pretty good condition. However, Olson wanted to put the deal on hold until Monday. He wanted to legally report the purchase of the vehicle to the office. However, the young man began to get nervous that he did not have that much time. He made one more offer. He offered to leave his car for the couple in exchange for a plane ticket to Seattle. The Olsons did not agree to this.
Consequently, the man began to check Jetta's condition once more. This time it turned out to be a minor glitch. The stranger repaired the car. In the end, he wanted to get back for help somehow. Although the spouses insisted that he did not have to do this, the man took two wallets from his pocket. From one of them he took US $ 20 and handed Eddie to thank him for staying overnight. Shortly after that, he continued his tour. It was around 9:00 am. About 12 hours later and 480 km away, the burned vehicle was found.
It is assumed that the Olsens were the last people to see the mysterious hitchhiker. Fraser's personal belongings have also never been found. According to some opinions, the perpetrator stole Philip's identity. However, I believe it would be risky, especially in the months following the man's death. It was quite loud about the case. An episode of the famous program Unsolved Mysteries was also devoted to her.
To this day, it is not known whether the 23-year-old died where his body was found. Perhaps only the body was planted there. The police have never disclosed all details of the case to the public. The investigators probably hoped that on this basis they would be able to confirm the guilt of the perpetrator, should he ever fall into their hands. However, this did not happen.
So while there is no major doubt that the hitchhiker was the actual murderer, his identity has not been known to this day. There is often a theory that the perpetrator was some sort of Canadian or American serial killer. The name of Michael McGray appears most often in this context.
The supporters of this hypothesis emphasize that the man is similar to the memory portrait, although in my opinion it is not a significant similarity. McGray committed 12 murders between 1984 and 1998, so the timeframe also agrees. The most interesting, however, is that its victims were hitchhikers. But the killer never gave their names. However, police reportedly investigated this clue and ruled out McGray's involvement. Therefore, for over 30 years, this case has been waiting for a solution.
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