The Journey Begins
It was a dark, dreary day in late June 1988 when young Philip Innes Fraser left his home in Anchorage, Alaska, to pursue his dreams of becoming a doctor. Unbeknownst to him, his journey south on the desolate Highway of Tears would become a chilling tale of betrayal and identity theft.
A Chilling Encounter
Determined to follow in his parents’ footsteps, Philip loaded his black Volkswagen Jetta with his most prized possessions, including two handguns, and embarked on his journey to Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Little did he know, his life would be tragically intertwined with a mysterious, unnerving hitchhiker whose true intentions would forever remain unknown.
As the tale unfolds, we find Philip crossing the Canadian border on June 17th, 1988. The Canadian customs officers confiscate his firearms, reminding him that it is illegal for Americans to bring guns into the country. With a heavy heart and an empty holster, he continued southward.
Meanwhile, on June 18th, a strange, disheveled hitchhiker appeared at the 40 Mile Flat Café, some 600 miles south of the border checkpoint. His presence was unsettling to the café owner, Gaye Frocklage, and her daughter Tina. His demeanor was eerie, his appearance unkempt, and his intentions unclear. As they reluctantly served the mysterious man, they couldn’t shake the feeling that he was up to no good.
As fate would have it, Philip’s black Jetta pulled up outside the café just as the hitchhiker was preparing to leave. Though Philip initially refused to give the stranger a ride, something seemed to change his mind. In a moment that would seal his fate, Philip agreed to let the stranger into his car.
As they drove away, Tina turned to her mother and said, “He’s going to live to regret the day he picked this man up.” Her words, laden with foreboding, would prove to be hauntingly accurate.
The Sinister Turn
The story takes a sinister turn when, 200 miles south of the café, the hitchhiker encounters Eddie and Pauline Olson. They offer him shelter for the night, unaware that the mysterious man had assumed Philip’s identity, claiming to be the son of two doctors from Anchorage. The hitchhiker offers to sell Philip’s Jetta to the Olsons, but they decline, suspecting something was amiss when the man pulled out two wallets and behaved secretively.
The next day, the hitchhiker hastily left the Olson’s home, only to resurface 300 miles away in Prince George, British Columbia. There, Philip’s Jetta was discovered, burnt and abandoned in a car wash bay. The flames had devoured the vehicle, leaving nothing but a gutted shell. The police, baffled by the sinister nature of the scene, were left with more questions than answers.
The Search for Answers
As the days passed, the search for Philip Fraser intensified. Authorities retraced his steps, leading them back to the 40 Mile Flat Café, where Gaye and Tina Frocklage shared their chilling encounter with the hitchhiker. Piecing together the fragments of Philip’s journey, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police created a composite sketch of the mysterious stranger, hoping it would lead them closer to the truth.
But the truth was more horrifying than anyone could have imagined. On July 27th, 1988, Philip’s lifeless body was found in a remote gravel pit off Highway 37A, near Stewart, British Columbia. His death, caused by a gunshot wound, sent shockwaves through the community and left his family devastated.
As the investigation into Philip’s murder continued, more witnesses came forward, recounting encounters with the enigmatic hitchhiker, who had been using Philip’s identity as his own. The authorities believed the stranger had studied Philip closely, learning all he could about the young man’s life before ruthlessly taking it from him. It seemed the stranger had meticulously planned to assume Philip’s identity, even going so far as to carry his credit cards, checkbook, passport, and birth certificate, all of which have never been found.
The Elusive Culprit
Despite the tireless efforts of the RCMP and the countless leads they pursued, the identity of the mysterious hitchhiker remained elusive. His sinister presence continued to haunt the minds of those who had encountered him, and the chilling events that unfolded along the Highway of Tears became the stuff of legends.
As the years passed, the case of Philip Fraser’s murder began to grow cold. Some speculated that Michael McGray, a Canadian serial killer active during that time, could be the culprit. However, the RCMP ruled him out as a suspect, leaving the case shrouded in mystery.
Philip’s father, Robert Fraser, passed away in 2014, never having seen his son’s killer brought to justice. His mother, Shirley, along with the rest of his family and friends, continue to hold out hope that one day the truth will be revealed, and justice will be served for Philip.
The Haunting Legacy
The Vanishing on the Highway of Tears is a chilling tale of a young man’s dreams cut short by a merciless stranger who seemingly vanished into thin air. A story of deception, betrayal, and a stolen identity, it serves as a haunting reminder of the dark secrets that sometimes lurk beneath the surface of the most ordinary encounters.
As the years go by and the shadows grow longer on the Highway of Tears, the memory of Philip Fraser’s tragic end continues to haunt those who knew him and the investigators who tried to bring his killer to justice. And the mysterious hitchhiker, whose true identity remains a puzzle, lives on as a chilling figure in the annals of unsolved mysteries.
Deep Lore 