The I-80 Hitchhiker Murders
Who Killed Wayne Rifendifer and Marty Shook?
Although separated by 2000 miles, the murders of two hitchhikers are ultimately connected through ballistics. On August 19, 1981, Wayne Rifendifer’s naked body was discovered near Ravensburg State Park in the area of Rauchtown, Pennsylvania, just north of Interstate-80. He had been shot in the head and his genitals removed. Less than one year later, on June 14, 1982, the naked body of Marty Shook was found in Utah. He had also been shot in the head and castrated. Perhaps it’s not just ballistics connecting these two murders. Could they also be linked by an Interstate?
The lifestyle of a hitchhiker can be high-risk, never knowing who you’re accepting a ride from, the routes you will traverse, or the arrangements for sleep, food and stops along the way.
Wayne Rifendifer was 30 years old in 1981, a frequent hitchhiker. In the days leading up to his death, Rifendifer was seen in and around Lock Haven, Pennsylvania and was also seen at a party about 3 days before his body was discovered.
Marty J. Shook was 22 years old in 1982. He routinely hitchhiked but some of his last days were spent in the company of his uncle Calvin and Calvin’s girlfriend, Betty fishing and camping. That was, until there was an argument between Calvin and Betty, so Marty decided to leave and was last seen hitchhiking out of Sparks, Nevada near I-80. It was just 2 days later when his body would be found in Daniel’s Canyon, Utah in the area of US-40, just south of Interstate 80.
If not for the ballistics, the two investigations may not have been connected as quickly as they were. There have been other castration murders documented in the United States, and it is certainly possible that more murders could be attributed to the killer of Rifendifer and Shook. Some of the unsolved cases include murders in Wyoming, Georgia, California, and Connecticut, but no direct connections have been made to the Rifendifer and Shook cases.
The locations of the Rifendifer-Shook murders have intrigued detectives who have theorized that a possible connection is Interstate 80 which passes through both Pennsylvania and Utah. Could the suspect be a truck driver? Former detective Todd Park from Utah thinks that the killer actually called state police on August 27, 1981. It was that date when Wayne Rifendifer’s body was identified through fingerprints. Up until then he had been classified as a John Doe. Det./Ret. Todd Park told APB Cold Case that the investigations involving Rifendifer and Shook are ‘all about the timeline’. In fact, it’s one particular point on that timeline that causes investigators to laser-focus on August 27. As Pennsylvania State Police were preparing to locate and notify Rifendifer’s next of kin, they received a curious phone call. Det. Park said, “He says he’s calling from the Jersey Turnpike, that he’s a truck driver, that he picked up Wayne.” He gave troopers the name – “Wayne Rifendifer” and claimed that he had picked up Wayne near I-80. The caller also had Rifendifer’s social security number and the name of a family member. Corporal Chad Kramer of the Pennsylvania State Police said, “…it proves he definitely had contact with him (Wayne) at some point. Suspicious in the sense that he wouldn’t give his name, hasn’t called back, had his (Wayne’s) belongings but kept them or disposed of them in some manner – but never made any effort to return them to us.” Park added, “There’s no doubt in my mind that this truck driver knew Wayne somehow.”
Park said that during the phone call the man described a scenario where he claimed that he and Rifendifer had “fooled around in the sleeper…”. Police have considered whether the victims may have been homosexual given the genital mutilation component of the cases. But Park says he’s not buying it. “I’m under the opinion that neither one of them was homosexual, and that could be the precipitant of why they were killed,” said Park.
At the time of the anonymous call police attempted to trace its origin. The caller claimed to have been calling from the Jersey Turnpike, and Park said that the call was pinpointed to a junction about 31 miles from Lock Haven, PA. Based on the information known to the caller, the context and chronology of all of the circumstances, Park said, “My thoughts are that this is the killer.” But why would the caller risk identifying himself to police? Park said that the case of the unidentified body (Wayne Rifendifer) had been in the news, and this may have presented an opportunity for the killer to taunt law enforcement. “He’s been seeing the news that we’re trying to identify this John Doe, and he knows he can mess with the police.” Park added, “And I think he lives in Williamsport, or he did.”
During the investigation of the Rifendifer and Shook murders, the name of Harry Christ Manos came into the picture. According to the Los Angeles Times[1], Manos, of Alhambra, California, had been found with human genitals in a jar, and in 1990 was arrested for murder. But those charges were soon dropped. Manos also faced charges of sexual molestation of a 17-year-old boy who, according to the Santa Ana and Orange County Register[2] it was reported that the charges against Manos concerning the 17-year-old were dismissed in court[3].
Park said that it’s possible the killer kept mementos or souvenirs from his victims, whether it is genitalia, a handgun, or a couple ratty back packs. Det./Ret. Park and Corporal Kramer urge anyone with any information about the murders of Wayne Rifendifer or Marty Shook to call investigators.
If you think you might have some information that can assist in the investigations of the murders of either Wayne Rifendifer or Marty Shook, – call Lt. Shane Frederickson with the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office in Utah at 435-654-1098 or Pennsylvania State Police Investigators at 570-726-6000. Those phone numbers along with other details can be found in our show notes at apbcoldcase.com.
EPISODE LINK HERE
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[1] Manos Tries to Return to Normal Life: Accusations: Molestation charges were dismissed after a mistrial, but not everyone believes the Montebello teacher is innocent; Los Angeles Times; Nov. 10, 1991
[2] Teacher held on sex charges had lived with teen runaway; Santa Ana and Orange County Register; Jan. 5, 1991, p. 40
[3] Manos Tries to Return to Normal Life: Accusations: Molestation charges were dismissed after a mistrial, but not everyone believes the Montebello teacher is innocent; Los Angeles Times; Nov. 10, 1991