The Flat-Tire murders refer to a series of unsolved killings of girls and women in Broward and Dade (now Miami-Dade) County, Florida, between February 1975 and January 1976. The name comes from investigators' belief that in at least two cases, the offender deflated the tires of victims' vehicles before the attacks. A total of twelve victims are listed as part of this suspected series, all found in or near South Florida canals, streams, or embankments.
Investigators described the suspected perpetrator as a white male, aged 20–25, well-dressed, physically athletic, likely of above-average intelligence, and possibly a sexual sadist who used charm to gain victims' trust before luring them to his car. A $1,000 reward was offered for information leading to his capture. Law enforcement theorized the same offender may have committed additional murders across several states beginning in the early 1970s, possibly starting in California, with a total of thirty-five such murders recorded.
Victims identified in the case include Judith Ann Oesterling (19), Barbara Davis Stephens (23), Arietta Marie "Renie" Tinker (17), Nancy Lee Fox (19), Barbara Susan "Barbie" Schreiber (14), Belinda Darlene Zetterower (14), Robin Leslie Losch (14), Ronnie Sue Gorlin (27), Elyse Rapp (21), Mary Coppolla (15), Marlene Annabelli (27), and Michelle Winters (17). Most were found sexually assaulted and/or beaten before death, with bodies disposed of in canals or wooded areas; some cases, such as those of Schreiber and Zetterower, involved gunshot wounds rather than the pattern of sexual assault seen in other victims. Vehicles belonging to some victims, including Ronnie Sue Gorlin and Elyse Rapp, were found abandoned with deflated or slashed tires, giving the case its name.
In August 2023, the Broward County Sheriff's Office announced that DNA evidence collected from the clothing of two victims, Barbara Schreiber and Darlene Zetterower, had been used to identify a suspect: Robert Clark Keebler, a known felon who died in 2019. Investigators at the time believed Keebler had an accomplice whose identity was initially unknown. In May 2025, the Sheriff's Office announced that the second suspect had been identified as Lawrence Stein, another felon who died in 2005. Deputy Andrew Gianino stated that he personally believes these two crimes are unrelated to the remaining cases in the broader series.
No living suspect has been charged, and the broader series of killings attributed to the so-called Flat-Tire murderer remains officially unsolved.
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