The Rainbow Murders (West Virginia, 1980)

In June 1980, Vicki Durian (26) and Nancy Santomero (19), participants heading to a “Rainbow Gathering,” were hitchhiking near Droop Mountain, West Virginia. Their bodies were later discovered on a remote backroad, each killed by gunshot. Multiple suspects emerged over the years—some claimed local hostility toward perceived “hippies” contributed to their murders. One man was convicted, then released after new testimony emerged. The case remains controversial.