Serial Killer Thinks He Got Away — Until Teen Comes Back From the Dead | Tina, Dawn & Linda’s Case | HO!!!!

“Pay attention to the man in this video,” investigators warn.

He smiles. He flirts. He talks about wanting “to date socially.”

But behind the harmless persona lies one of the most dangerous predators of the 1980s: Christopher Wilder, a race-car driver, millionaire playboy, and the man responsible for one of the biggest multi-state manhunts in American history.

For years, he hid in plain sight—posing as a photographer at beauty pageants, charming young women at malls, and slipping effortlessly into glamorous crowds. No one suspected the truth.

Until three young women—Linda, Tina, and Dawn—survived long enough to expose him.

This is the shocking story of the “Beauty Queen Killer,” the reign of terror that swept across the country, and the teenage girl who came back from the dead to bring him down.

A Disappearance at the Miss Florida Pageant

Miami, 1984.

The Miss Florida competition dazzles the crowd—gowns shimmering under spotlights, cameras flashing, contestants glowing with excitement.

One of the finalists, 23-year-old Elizabeth Kenyon, radiates confidence onstage. No one imagines she’ll vanish just days later.

Police searching for clues notice something disturbing: a photographer seen shadowing multiple contestants. An unfamiliar man lingering backstage, taking pictures, chatting, blending in.

No one knows his name.

No one knows what he’s capable of.

And no one knows he has already struck before.

Just weeks earlier, at the Miami Grand Prix, another woman—20-year-old Rosario Gonzalez—vanished. The same man was spotted there too, this time wearing a racing suit.

The pattern is unmistakable: wherever Wilder goes, women disappear.

By the time police put the pieces together, he is long gone.

And more young women across the country begin to vanish without a trace.

A 19-Year-Old College Student Escapes the Unimaginable

March 20th, 1984 — Tallahassee, Florida.

Linda, a 19-year-old Florida State University student, leaves class for a quick trip to Governor’s Square Mall. She has no idea a predator has already chosen her.

Hours later, she vanishes.

Twelve hours after that, a barefoot, terrified Linda bursts into the lobby of a roadside motel in Bainbridge, Georgia—forty miles from where she was last seen.

Shaking uncontrollably, she whispers to the night manager:

“A man kidnapped me and tortured me.”

Deputies rush to the motel room she points to.
Inside, they find clear signs of a violent struggle.

Meanwhile, Linda is rushed to the hospital. Despite her traumatic ordeal, she insists on telling investigators everything.

She describes a well-dressed man with a slight accent who approached her in a store claiming she could be a model. When she politely declined, he followed her to her car. She remembers a blow to the stomach—then darkness.

When she awoke, she was trapped.

But Linda fought.
She attacked him when he least expected it, pretended to be unconscious, and waited for a chance to escape. When she realized he had stepped away from the room, she bolted.

Her courage becomes the first major turning point in the case.

Detectives in Miami hear her description and instantly feel a chill.

They’ve seen this man before.

The Killer Has a Name — and a Head Start

When Linda is shown a series of photographs, she identifies one man immediately:

Christopher Bernard Wilder.

Miami detectives confirm it’s the same man who was romantically involved with missing beauty queen Elizabeth Kenyon. The same man last seen near Rosario Gonzalez. The same man seen at malls across the nation.

And the same man who now has a head start.

The FBI is quickly brought in.
But Wilder is already moving again—crossing state lines faster than police can track him.

In the days after Linda’s escape, new reports of missing young women pour in from across the country.
Aspiring models. Shoppers at malls. Teens at gas stations.

Wilder leaves devastation everywhere he goes.

The manhunt intensifies.

A Teenager Is Snatched From a California Mall

April 4th, 1984 — Torrance, California.
16-year-old Tina is walking through a mall looking for a summer job. Witnesses see a well-dressed man strike up a conversation with her.

Minutes later, she is seen walking beside him.
Seconds after that, she is gone.

While her mother pleads with police to take her disappearance seriously, Tina is enduring the same horror Linda survived.

Wilder transports her across state lines. He threatens her repeatedly and makes it clear that any attempt to escape will be fatal.

For seven days, Tina’s world is reduced to fear, uncertainty, and survival.

But Wilder has bigger plans—and Tina has no idea she will soon be forced to help him find his next victim.

A Second Teen Is Taken — But This One Fights Back

April 10th — Gary, Indiana.
Wilder orders Tina to walk through a mall and identify a young woman he can target. Terrified for her life, Tina complies.

She approaches a friendly 18-year-old named Dawn.

Moments later, Wilder shoves Dawn into his car and disappears onto the highway.

For Dawn, the nightmare begins instantly. For Tina, the guilt becomes unbearable. Both girls quickly realize they may not survive.

Hours later, in a motel in Ohio, both girls fear the worst. Wilder prevents any escape attempts—breaking bathroom locks, keeping constant watch, and threatening violence.

The next morning, he forces them back into the car and speeds east.

A Brutal Attack in the Woods — and a Miracle Escape

April 12th — Upstate New York.
Wilder pulls off the road near the Finger Lakes and forces Dawn out of the car.

Deep in the woods, he attacks her.

Dawn fights back with everything she has—then sees a flash of metal.

Bleeding and barely conscious, she waits until he disappears.
Against all odds, Dawn drags herself to the road, finds help, and is rushed to a hospital.

Her survival changes everything.

She tells police the name of her abductor. She tells them he has another girl. She describes the car. She warns them he is headed east.

It becomes the break agents have been desperate for.

The FBI Makes Wilder a Household Name

With credible witnesses and a trail of bodies across multiple states, the FBI takes drastic action.

They release Wilder’s dating-service video to the public.

Millions of Americans watch in horror as he speaks calmly into the camera:

“I have a need to meet people. I want to date socially.”

The tape goes viral nationwide.
Suddenly, everyone knows the face of the man police have been chasing for weeks.

Tips flood in.
Roadblocks go up.
Airports tighten security.

But Wilder is still on the move—with Tina trapped beside him.

A Random Mother Becomes His Next Target

Later that same day, Wilder enters a mall parking lot in Victor, New York, panicked and erratic. He spots 33-year-old Beth Dodge sitting in her gold Pontiac Firebird.

At gunpoint, he forces Beth into his vehicle and orders Tina to follow them in Beth’s car.

Minutes later, in a secluded area, Beth is killed.

Her death marks a chilling escalation.
It also gives police the most crucial clue of all:

Wilder is now driving a bright gold 1982 Firebird.

Every trooper on the East Coast is alerted.

Wilder Suddenly Lets Tina Go — But Why?

After nine days of captivity, Tina braces for the worst.

But Wilder abruptly announces he will drop her off at Boston Airport.

She doesn’t believe him. Not after everything she’s seen.

But he buys her a plane ticket, hands her cash, and orders her to walk through the airport alone. She boards the plane still expecting him to appear behind her at any moment.

Only when the aircraft lifts off does the reality hit:

She is free.

Tina rushes to police as soon as she reaches Los Angeles.
But instead of comfort, she is met with suspicion.

Media outlets falsely label her Wilder’s accomplice.
Other jurisdictions question her involvement.

But detectives who understand trauma see the truth: Tina survived by doing whatever she needed to do to stay alive.

And because she talked—quickly—officers now know exactly what kind of car Wilder is driving, and where he was last seen.

The manhunt is now closing in.

A Final Standoff in Rural New Hampshire

April 13th — Colebrook, New Hampshire.
Two state troopers spot a gold Pontiac Firebird at a gas station.

As they approach, the driver reaches for something.

Gunfire erupts.

When it’s over, Wilder lies dead behind the wheel—killed by his own gun in the chaos.

The 47-day nationwide terror spree is finally over.

Eight women are dead.
Four survive.
Countless families are shattered.

The Victims Who Stopped a Serial Killer

In the days that follow, three women emerge as the key to this historic case:

Linda

Her escape in Georgia allowed investigators to identify their suspect early—and realize just how dangerous he was.

Dawn

Despite life-threatening injuries, she gave police the vital information that confirmed Wilder’s direction of travel and saved countless lives.

Tina

A 16-year-old who endured nine days of terror, manipulation, and control—yet found the courage to walk into a police station and tell the truth, even when the world turned against her.

All three survived.
All three fought back.
All three stopped a serial killer.

Life After Survival

Today, each woman continues to build a life beyond the trauma that nearly claimed them.

Linda
She carries the stories of the girls who didn’t make it, living in honor of their memory.

Dawn
Now a mother, she raises her children with strength, compassion, and resilience.

Tina
After years of being misunderstood, she finally reclaimed her voice—and her story. She hopes her truth inspires others:

“Don’t let anyone tell you who you are.
Only you get to decide that.”

In the End, Wilder Didn’t Lose Because of the FBI — He Lost Because of Them

Linda fought.
Tina endured.
Dawn survived.

They refused to let him win.

Their courage stopped one of America’s most elusive serial killers—and their strength continues to inspire survivors around the world.