More than 35 years ago, the first in a series of shocking murders rocked the Peninsula and baffled law enforcement. Ultimately eight people were killed in what would be known as the Colonial Parkway murders, and while bits of information emerged in the intervening years, there was never a breakthrough that could deliver justice for the slain.
Until this week.
Monday brought the stunning announcement that authorities believe Alan Wilmer, a Northern Neck resident who died in 2017, was responsible for two of the homicides and a third death in Hampton. As we commend investigators for their work, the region should hope this revelation can pry loose information needed to solve the remaining cases and bring closure to families who have suffered for far too long.
What would come to be known as the Colonial Parkway murders began in October 1986 when the bodies of Cathleen Thomas, 27, and Rebecca Dowski, 21, were discovered at an overlook of the scenic roadway between Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown. The two were strangled and found in a Honda Civic that the perpetrator had tried to set on fire.
A year later, in September 1987, another couple — David Lee Knobling, 20, and Robin Margaret Edwards, 14 — were found shot to death at Ragged Island Game Refuge in Isle of Wight County. Richard Keith Call, 20, and Cassandra Lee Hailey, 18, were reported missing in April 1988; their bodies were never located. Daniel Lauer, 21, and Annamaria Phelps, 18, disappeared from a New Kent County rest stop off Interstate 64 on Sept. 5, 1989; hunters located their bodies about six weeks later.
Then … nothing.
Families of the victims waited for breaks in the case — new evidence, new leads, new developments — but the limits of forensic science could only advance the investigation so far. Local and national media revisited the cases from time to time, giving new attention to a trail gone cold, but nothing provided investigators with the break they needed.
That spurred all sorts of theories and ideas about what happened. Sleuths, both amateur and professional, dug into the details, searching for clues that law enforcement may have missed. But as time passed, and interest waned, only family members held out hope that the cases would someday be solved.
That wish came true for three families on Monday when state and federal investigators announced DNA evidence found at two crime scenes connected the crimes to Wilmer, who died in Lancaster County at age 63 more than six years ago.
Investigators believe Wilmer, who worked as a waterman, operated a small commercial fishing boat and owned Better Tree Service, was responsible for the deaths of Knobling and Edwards, as well as the murder of Teresa Howell, who was found strangled in June 1989 near Magruder Boulevard in Hampton.
Howell’s case was not considered part of the Colonial Parkway murders, and authorities do not yet know if Wilmer was responsible for the other six killings. But a spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police said Wilmer would have been charged in all three homicides if he were alive.
In statements, the Knobling and Edwards families expressed “a sense of relief and justice knowing that [Wilmer] can no longer victimize another.” Howell’s family spoke to the tragedy of their loss, saying, “The void left by her absence over the years is inexpressible.”
The region can hope that those who loved Knobling, Edwards and Howell may find some measure of comfort and peace in having this information instead of dwelling in the unknown. But we should also send our strength to families of the other victims, who surely hoped this break in the case would ease their suffering as well.
Toward that end, federal and state authorities continue their work and anyone with information about Wilmer is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or via tips.fbi.gov. Any detail, however miniscule, might make a difference in helping to solve these crimes that have haunted Hampton Roads for decades.