Welcome back to Love, Lies and Alibis, the podcast where we unpack the darkest true crime stories filled with deception, betrayal, and those all-important alibis—or the glaring lack of them. I’m Mark, joined as always by my co-host Hannah, and today we’re diving into a chilling unsolved case that involves a deadly lie and a stolen identity.
In June 1988, 25-year-old Philip Innes Fraser—a promising young man from Anchorage, Alaska, son of two doctors, and on his way to start pre-med at Evergreen State College—hit the road south in his black 1983 VW Jetta. Full of dreams and adventure, Philip crossed into Canada, surrendering his handguns at the border before stopping at a remote café in the Yukon.
That’s when a simple act of kindness turned fatal.
At the Forty Mile Flats Café, Philip picked up a nervous, clean-cut hitchhiker in his early 20s. Soon after, witnesses saw the hitchhiker driving Philip’s car alone—boldly impersonating him with eerily accurate details about his life, family, and plans. He even crashed at a couple’s home overnight, getting help with a fan belt repair.
Then, the Jetta was found burned and abandoned in Prince George, British Columbia.
Weeks later, Philip’s body turned up in a remote gravel pit, shot multiple times. The killer had taken his wallet, passport, checkbook—everything needed to assume his identity—and vanished without a trace.
Featured on Unsolved Mysteries in 1992, this case of cold-blooded murder and identity theft on Canada’s lonely highways remains unsolved nearly 38 years later. Despite sketches, leads, and theories linking it to possible serial killers, the impostor is still out there.
Join Hannah and me as we explore the lies, the missing alibis, and the heartbreaking mystery of who killed Philip Fraser.
If this case left you feeling shaken, depressed, or overwhelmed, please reach out – you’re not alone:
United States
- Call or text 988 – Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7, free)
- Text HOME to 741741 – Crisis Text Line
United Kingdom
- Samaritans: Call 116 123 (24/7, free from any phone)
- Text SHOUT to 85258 – Shout Crisis Text Line (24/7, free)
- Call 999 or go to A&E if you’re in immediate danger
Anywhere in the world
- Visit findahelpline.com and select your country for local, free support numbers
Talking helps. Take care of yourselves out there. ❤️
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