Colonial Parkway Killer

Serial Killer

Colonial Parkway Murders

Overview

The Colonial Parkway murders were a series of unsolved homicides that occurred between 1986 and 1989 in Virginia, United States. The crimes were linked to the Colonial Parkway, a 22-mile long thoroughfare that cuts through the Colonial National Historical Park and connects Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. The isolated nature of the road made it a popular location for young couples, who became the primary targets of the killer.

Victims

• Rebecca Dowski and Cathy Thomas - October 12, 1986: Rebecca Ann Dowski (21) and Cathleen Marian "Cathy" Thomas (27) were found in a car down an embankment on the Colonial Parkway. Both women were bound with rope, strangled, and had their throats slit. Rebecca's body was found in the backseat, while Cathy's was stuffed into the hatchback.
• David Knobling and Robin Edwards - September 22, 1987: David Knobling (20) and Robin Edwards (14) were found along the bank of the James River. David's car was discovered in a parking lot by the James River Bridge. Both victims had been shot; Robin in the back of the head execution-style, and David twice, once in the head and once in the shoulder.
• Cassandra Hailey and Keith Call - April 10, 1988: Cassandra Hailey (18) and Keith Call (20) went missing after a date. Their car was found abandoned on the Colonial Parkway, but their bodies were never recovered. They are presumed dead.
• Annamaria Phelps and Daniel Lauer - September 5, 1989: Annamaria Phelps (18) and Daniel Lauer (21) were last seen on Interstate 64. Their car was found at a rest area, and their bodies were discovered nearby. Both victims had been stabbed.

Suspect

In January 2024, authorities announced that at least two of the murders (David Knobling and Robin Edwards) had been conclusively linked to an official suspect, Alan Wilmer Sr., a local fisherman who died in 2017. Wilmer was also linked through DNA evidence to the previously unrelated murder of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell. Wilmer has been described as "suspect number one" in the presumed murders of Cassandra Hailey and Keith Call but was freed after an FBI polygraph. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (8)

Rebecca Dowski Age: (21), Date of Death: 1986-10-12

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Dead fisherman named the suspect in 2 'Colonial Parkway Murders'

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