Janice Morgan
Appearances
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
This case fell into the Virginia State Police's jurisdiction, so it was now two for the state and two for the FBI. Virginia state police officers quickly learned that the car belonged to 21-year-old Daniel Lauer and that he'd been traveling to Virginia Beach with his brother's girlfriend, 18-year-old Anna Maria Phelps.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
The two were supposed to arrive at Daniel's brother's place the day before, but never did. Here's the strange part. The car was found on the westbound exit ramp, which heads in the opposite direction of Virginia Beach. Once again, authorities searched for the missing pair, but they didn't find anything. Some wondered, or perhaps hoped, that Daniel and Anna Maria ran off together.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
But with all the rumors of a serial killer in the area, everyone braced for the worst. Six weeks later, some hunters stumbled upon two decomposing bodies. They were in a forested area near a logging trail, impossible to see from the road. Soon after, Virginia State Police Officer Daniel Plott arrived on the scene. He had forensics run analyses on the couple's remains to confirm their identities.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
You might recognize me as the voice behind the investigative docuseries Broken and the true crime podcast Fear Thy Neighbor. I'll be your host for the next few weeks, and I'm thrilled to be here. We'd love to hear from you. Follow us on Instagram at Serial Killers Podcast and share your thoughts on this week's episode. Or if you're tuning in on the Spotify app, swipe up and leave a comment.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
They were, in fact, Daniel and Anna Maria. But determining a cause of death was harder due to the state of their bodies. The medical examiner eventually concluded that Anna Maria likely died of a stab wound, but Daniel's cause of death remained undetermined. Forensics also found a small cut on one of Ana Maria's finger bones.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Officer Plotz suspected that Ana Maria sustained the wound when trying to block her attacker from cutting her throat. But like the other cases, it was impossible to know for sure without finding the killer. To improve the search, state authorities worked in tandem with the FBI. Seeking a unified theory, they mulled over these main points.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
In all the Colonial Parkway cases so far, wallets and glove boxes were found open, as if the victims had been reaching for driver's licenses or registrations. All of the attacks happened at night in secluded areas, involving young people who appeared to be couples, with most of the cars found near water.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Now, double homicides are rare, and three, potentially four, in just three years, all within the same 30-mile radius, off the same stretch of road, well, that's even rarer. That said, there's no clear motive, and no concrete M.O., Some believed they were dealing with a murderer who evolved, changing his methods each time he killed. But for others, things just didn't add up.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
The cases were similar, yes, but could they be linked conclusively? And then, just like that, the killings stopped. Years passed. The Parkway communities regained a sense of peace, and the pressure on authorities to find the killer lessened. But people still needed answers, especially the victims' families.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
For the next 12 years, investigators tried to bring them closure, but there just weren't any more leads. The case got a new look in 2001, when an FBI trainee named Steve Spingola dove into the Bureau's stack of cold cases. Pouring over the files, he came across the Colonial Parkway murders.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
At this point, the public was long convinced that the double homicides were all the work of the same serial killer. But Spingola wasn't so sure. He wondered if the serial killer angle was just the easiest pill for people to swallow. At least, it was easier than admitting there were four different attacks in one small area. Spingola looked into Kathy and Rebecca's case first.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
He wondered if this case did have a motive, one that wasn't properly looked into, mainly that the two women were romantically involved. In an Oxygen docuseries on the murders, former FBI profiler Jim Clemente suggested the killer saw himself as a moral enforcer, someone who doles out punishment on those he deems sinners.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
That same documentary revealed that Kathy and Rebecca regularly visited the parkway on Thursday nights, so it's possible the killer wasn't just lashing out at a random couple, but targeted them specifically. If Spingola is right that the killer targeted Kathy and Rebecca specifically, then that muddies the water for the other three cases.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
But even if there aren't four separate perpetrators, Spingola believes there might be more than one. So he looked at all the files and focused on the last double homicide, Daniel and Anna Maria. It didn't seem to fit with the other three. Unlike the other cases, they weren't pulled off onto a lover's lane. They were at a rest stop. Their attacker could have been anyone.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Today we're covering the murders of three young couples and the disappearance of another all along the same stretch of road over a three-year period. We'll dive into the 39-year hunt for answers and how a chance break in the case revealed a suspected serial killer who evaded the police until years after he died. Stay with us.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Still, Spingola's theory was only a theory. And without new evidence or suspects, the case grew cold and the files collected dust. Even though the victims' families desperately wanted answers, they were stuck. That was until the FBI made a major mistake. In 2008, nearly two decades after the final set of murders, a man named Fred Atwell enrolled in a school for private investigators.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Atwell was a former Virginia sheriff's deputy with some knowledge of the Colonial Parkway murders, but it had been a long time since he'd thought about the case. So what his teacher showed the classroom one day came as a major shock. Atwell was stunned to see photographs of the Colonial Parkway crime scenes and victims used as teaching materials.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
The Colonial Parkway cases were still open investigations. No one should have had these photos. So we contacted both the FBI and Virginia State Police to let them know. According to Atwell, they didn't do anything about it. That didn't sit well with the former deputy.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
So in 2009, he went to the local news channel, WTKR, and told them that nearly 80 crime scene photos were leaked from the FBI to a private training agency. Naturally, WTKR reported on the scoop. Once they did, the FBI scrambled to round up the photos and offer an explanation. Apparently, a, quote, non-agent FBI photographer had taken the slides without authorization and gave them to the school.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
The photographer passed away a few years earlier, and the school continued using them. Thanks to Atwell's whistleblowing, the FBI secured all the photos. But more importantly, the case was now back in the forefront of people's minds. it was a chance for the cases to get another look. At least that's how Bill Thomas saw it.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Bill is an older brother of Kathy Thomas, one of the first women killed on the parkway in 1986. In 2009, Bill had never actually spoken to other victims' families. But after the FBI leak, he decided to reach out. He felt they now had an opportunity to make demands. The FBI messed up, and now they owed the families.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Bill convinced other siblings and parents of the victims to team up as a united front. Then he contacted the FBI. He asked them to spend more time and resources on these cases. The FBI agreed to meet with all the families. It was the first in-person meeting with everyone together. FBI agents discussed the status of the case and answered questions to a degree.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
The FBI didn't share everything they knew with the families, nor did they share files with the media. Regardless, the families felt this meeting was a step in the right direction. It helped to have whistleblower Fred Atwell on their side. He seemed to genuinely want to help and offered the family's support.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Atwell believed the theory that the murders were committed by at least one, if not two, law enforcement agents. He even named names. However, he offered no proof, and no one has been charged based on his accusations. But around 2010, not long after the FBI family meeting, Atwell started acting strange.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
First, he claimed to be in contact with a lawyer working for an anonymous client involved in the murders. Atwell said he was just the middleman, but the client wanted $20,000 to reveal the location of Keith Call and Cassandra Haley's bodies. Those are the victims in the third Parkway attack who've never been found.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Virginia authorities were skeptical, and after questioning Atwell, authorities decided his claims weren't worth pursuing. The following year, in 2011, Atwell set up a raffle, which he advertised as a charity event. He said the prize was a new car, and all the proceeds would go to the Colonial Parkway Victims Fund.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
But Virginia police learned he was actually pocketing some of the money for himself, so they arrested him on charges of obtaining money under false pretenses. Soon after that, Atwell allegedly called a suicide hotline and claimed he was a suspect in a serial murder investigation. He said the FBI was after him and he wanted to die by suicide.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
It's unclear whether authorities verified this call, but Atwell spiraled further. A few weeks later, he robbed a woman at gunpoint, stealing $60. Officers caught Atwell and arrested him again. Atwell was convicted of multiple crimes and sentenced to a decade in prison.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Despite his alarming behavior, the families of the Colonial Parkway victims never seem to suspect Atwell of the crimes, although it's not out of the realm of possibility given that he would have been in his late 30s at the time of the first murders and presumably working in law enforcement in the Colonial Park area.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Even if Atwell was considered a suspect, any opportunity to get answers out of him vanished in 2018 when he died in prison. But just a few years later, new DNA evidence would blow the case wide open. Through the 2010s, Bill Thomas continued fighting for answers about his sister Kathy's murder. He started a Facebook page, and he actively passed tips to the FBI.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
In early 2020, he started a podcast called Mind Over Murder, where he covers cases and advocates for victims' families. With cold cases, it's often parents fighting for answers. But in this instance, it's been so long that many of the victim's parents have either passed or are in declining health.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
The burden of keeping the cases alive falls to the victim's siblings, like Bill, and like Joyce Call Canada. She's Keith Call's older sister. She hyphenated her last name so that if he was ever looking for her, he'd find her. Cassandra Haley, who went missing with Keith, has sisters looking for her too, Paula and Terry Haley.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Both have regularly written letters to the FBI seeking updates and answers. Similarly, Robin Edwards' sister Jeanette took over as her family's spokesperson. Her dad passed away, and her mom could no longer deal with the stress of the case. Jeanette's son was only a year old when her 14-year-old sister was murdered. Now, he's a grown adult with three children of his own.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
All these siblings hoped to get answers before their children had to seek them. Perhaps out of fear, in 2021, the families came together to make a new demand of the FBI. They wanted DNA tests. Bill Thompson gave an interview with the Virginia Gazette to explain the request.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
He said the FBI would not confirm if DNA was collected from the crime scenes, but he was sure that three of the four cases did have DNA and now was the perfect time to test it. Bill and the rest of the families were inspired by the genetic genealogy testing that caught the Golden State Killer. That killer's crimes had been unsolved for even longer than the Colonial Parkway murders.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
But in 2018, investigators took DNA from old crime scenes and then used genetic genealogy sites to identify Joseph D'Angelo as the killer. After waiting for years, the Golden State Killer's victims' families finally had answers and some justice. D'Angelo is currently serving life in prison without parole. Bill, Joyce, Paula, Terry, and Jeanette hoped the same could be done for their siblings.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
The FBI and Virginia State Police agreed. So the state police profiled the DNA they did have from Robin Edwards' sexual assault. It turned out the siblings were right. There was a genetic match. To the rape kit from the murder of Teresa Spa Howell. If you're about to rewind to remember who Teresa is, don't. This is the first time we've mentioned her.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
And don't worry, the Virginia State Police were just as confused. Because up to this point, Teresa's case hadn't been linked to the Colonial Parkway murders. It didn't fit the established profile. Because Teresa was seemingly killed alone. Teresa was last seen at a club on July 1st, 1989.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
The next day, construction workers found women's clothes scattered across their worksite on the edge of a forest. As they continued looking around the area, they found a body in the woods. Teresa's. She'd been strangled to death and sexually assaulted. All less than 15 miles from where Robin and David were killed. With the DNA match, authorities had what they called a common suspect.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
The trouble was, they didn't know whose DNA they had. So they dusted off the case files and reviewed old suspects. Maybe there was someone linked to both crimes. In the process, they learned that one of the suspects they'd cleared up had died. And in a random turn of events, the state had his DNA sample. I'm going to back up a second here.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Back in 2017, a delivery driver noticed a house with an open door. Concerned, the driver walked up to alert the owners and got a shock. They quickly called the sheriff. When the authorities arrived, they found a dead body so severely decomposed, it required a DNA test to identify it. The test revealed it was Allen W. Wilmer Sr.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
That's the suspicious fisherman who passed a polygraph test back in 1989, the one who went by Pokey. Because the DNA test was ordered by the state, they kept Wilmer's sample on file. So that's how the FBI was able to use a dead man's DNA to investigate him for a crime that happened 35 years before and resolve the case.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
A test done in June 2023 confirmed that Alan Wade Wilmer's DNA matched the DNA found on Robin Edwards and Teresa Spa Howell. For the FBI, this proved his connection to their murders and in the murder of David Nobling, who was killed alongside Robin.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
It is wild that we know this, because if Alan Wilmer had died surrounded by loved ones, or his body had been found sooner, there wouldn't have been a DNA test to identify his remains, and this case would still be cold. But like many serial killers, Wilmer was antisocial. Around town, he was known as a loner. He didn't maintain close relationships with anyone, not even his two adult children.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
He stayed under the radar, which is what eventually linked him to the crimes, but it's also what makes this case more complicated. You see, Wilmer was never charged with a felony in his lifetime, which is why his DNA couldn't be tested sooner. And in America, dead people can't be charged with crimes posthumously. So technically, the police can't close the case.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
This episode includes discussions of murder, harm against minors, homophobia, and suicidal ideation. Consider this when deciding how and when you'll listen. To get help on mental health and LGBTQ issues, visit Spotify.com slash resources.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
The most they can say is that it's, quote, resolved, and that if Wilmer were alive, he'd be arrested and facing murder charges. In fact, the Virginia Department of Forensic Science issued a formal certificate of analysis saying as much. And don't get me wrong, this is incredible resolution for the Edwards, Nobling, and Howell families. After 35 years, they finally got answers.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
But it's harder for the other victims' families. You see, in America in 2025, if you're charged with a felony, the state can take your DNA sample and put it in a computer system called CODIS, which stands for Combined DNA Index System. CODIS is pretty impressive. It compares a given DNA sample to all DNA samples taken from crime scenes at once.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
It can link together a serial killer's crimes very quickly. It also helps identify John Doe's. But because Wilmer was never charged with a felony, his DNA legally cannot be entered into CODIS, even though we know he's guilty of three murders and Virginia police suspect he's guilty of more. But they still have to follow the ethical protocol, even when it's a technicality.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
There is a workaround, but it's much slower. Individual police departments can request Wilmer's DNA to test against specific cold cases that fit his profile. Since summer 2024, they've been doing that. So there is hope that this chance find can lead to even more closure. At least in cases where there's DNA involved. As you'll recall, not every crime scene had DNA evidence.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Like Keith Call and Cassandra Haley, they're still missing, and the evidence inside the abandoned car was compromised. And this is hard because their case is where Wilmer was initially brought up as a suspect. Knowing Wilmer is guilty of another Colonial Parkway murder is a link, but it's not strong enough to solve the case.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
The discovery also links Wilmer to the murders of Anna Maria Phelps and Daniel Lauer. Their bodies were dumped in the woods, just like Teresa Spa Howell's. And remember how Wilmer was harassing couples in cars?
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
According to author Blaine Pardoe, during the initial investigation, one couple told police that Wilmer came up to their car on a lover's lane and mocked them for being lesbians, only to back off when he realized one was a man with long hair. Is it possible he also harassed Kathy Thomas and Rebecca Dowski and didn't back off? The connections keep coming.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
On October 12th, 1986, a jogger went running along the Colonial Parkway in Virginia. Trees covered the winding road and wood stretched out on either side. Overlooks and pull-offs allowed travelers to soak in their surroundings. In the early morning hours, it was peaceful for the jogger. As they moved along, they noticed a Honda Civic on an overlook.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Kathy's brother Bill Thomas told local Norfolk news network Wavy that, quote, We had unconfirmed reports that Kathy and Becky were seen at the Yorktown pub. Now we understand that Wilmer was a regular at the Yorktown pub. It's a possibility that if they stopped there, they might have been followed from the Yorktown pub to a location along the Colonial Parkway.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
All these possible links are on investigators' minds. An FBI spokesperson has stated that the FBI is seeking connections between Alan Wilmer and the other six Colonial Parkway murders. In early 2024, searches were performed at Wilmer's former properties and along the area's waterways. No findings were made public.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
But it's incredible that after 35 years, these cold cases have active investigation. There's still reason to hope for answers. As Bill Thomas put it to the Virginian pilot, authorities, quote, "...told me over and over again that this is a solvable case. It just takes time, attention, and resources.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
And the FBI wasn't putting in the time, attention, and resources until the families started ratcheting up the pressure." As of this recording, the resources are there again. The FBI and Virginia State Police have opened investigations into the Colonial Parkway murders. They're asking for tips, especially related to Alan W. Wilmer.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
This is a case where spreading awareness did make a difference and did catch a serial killer. And as long as people are pushing for answers, there is always the hope that justice will be served. If you know anything, you can contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at www.tips.fbi.gov.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Or you can contact the Virginia State Police by emailing questions at vsp.virginia.gov or calling the Peninsula Crime Line at 888-LOCK-THE-LETTER-U-UP. Tips can be left anonymously. Thanks for tuning in to Serial Killers. We're here with a new episode every Monday. Be sure to check us out on Instagram at Serial Killers Podcast, and we'd love to hear from you.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
So if you're tuning in on the Spotify app, swipe up and give us your thoughts. For more information on the Colonial Parkway murders, amongst the many sources we used, we found Oxygen's docuseries Lovers Lane Murders extremely helpful to our research. Stay safe out there.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
This episode was written by Alex Burns, edited by Sarah Batchelor, Kate Murdoch, and Maggie Admire, fact-checked by Katherine Barner and Laurie Siegel, researched by Mickey Taylor, video edited by Spencer Howard, and sound designed by Kelly Gary. I'm your host, Janice Morgan.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
The Colonial Parkway is a 23-mile stretch of road in Virginia that connects Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown, otherwise known as America's Historic Triangle. The highway serves as a link between the three places. In much the same way, that's what investigators searched for in today's case, a link.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
It looked like it was pushed off an embankment into the brush. The car seemed abandoned, the owner nowhere in sight. Concerned, the jogger called the police. When officers arrived to check out the car, they realized it wasn't abandoned. Two young women were in the car, one in the back seat and one in the hatchback. Both throats slashed, blood everywhere.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
The car was doused in diesel fluid but not burned. Authorities presumed the suspect tried to set it on fire but didn't realize diesel is less flammable than standard gasoline. State investigators quickly identified the victims thanks to a wallet on the driver's seat floor. The woman in the trunk was 27-year-old Kathy Thomas. The woman in the back seat was 21-year-old Rebecca Dowski.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
The authorities contacted Kathy's parents, who shared the heartbreaking news with her three brothers. Eventually, the family gave investigators some insight into Kathy and Rebecca. Kathy had just left her service in the U.S. Navy and was working as a stockbroker. She was thinking about going to graduate school.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Rebecca was a business administration major at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg. She worked in the English department and at a nearby daycare. The two women were dating, though it's not clear whether Kathy's family told investigators this at the time. The Thomases were supportive, but the women had largely kept their relationship a secret.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
That's because, up until recently, Kathy had been enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and in 1986, it was illegal to be openly gay in the Navy. Even outside of the military, lesbian couples weren't welcome everywhere. It was a possible motive for the double homicide, but by all means, not the only motive. The FBI would find that out as they combed over the crime scene.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Now, the FBI's involvement may feel like a big escalation, but it was actually due to the crime's location. The Colonial Parkway travels through the Colonial National Historical Park, which is federal land, so this crime fell under their purview. Not long after the bodies were found, FBI Special Assistant Irvin Wells was briefed on the murders.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
He learned the cause of death was strangulation, which means the women's throats were cut after they were killed. To Wells, that meant these murders were overkill, which is when an attacker is more violent than necessary to kill their victim. This overkill led Wells to wonder if the killer knew the women and whether their deaths were personal.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
He examined the crime scene himself and noticed rope burns on the women's hands and necks. It suggested the killer subdued them somehow. Kathy and Rebecca were two young, smart, athletic women, so Wells believed they would have fought back, And yet, they were subdued.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Then he clocked the rolled-down driver's seat window and the glove box dangling open, as though Kathy had been reaching for her license and registration. Is it possible the killer impersonated a police officer to catch his victims off guard? Or perhaps worse, were they actually a law enforcement agent? This became the prevailing theory.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Between 1986 and 1989, six people were killed and two others went missing, all surrounding the Colonial Parkway, all in sets of two. It feels like they'd be connected, as clear as the line down the center of the parkway. But the harder you look, the fuzzier the connection gets. There are similarities between the cases, but nothing definitive. It's possible the location is just a coincidence.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Wells and his fellow investigators believed that the killer posed as an officer in order to render the women compliant right from the jump. He probably also approached the car at night with a flashlight to obstruct their vision. However, it wasn't the only theory. Investigators also drew a line between three items used in the murders.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Forensics showed that the knife used in the murder was curved, like one you'd use to shuck an oyster. The rope was the kind used for fishing, and diesel is commonly used to fuel boats. Together, they painted the portrait of a fisherman. Along the eastern seaboard, that was just as likely as law enforcement. we should also note that investigators immediately assumed the killer was male.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
A few studies support this theory, like a 2019 Penn State study that points out that male serial killers tend to hunt their victims, who are often strangers. On the contrary, female serial killers usually target people they know. And yes, they're already talking about serial killers here too. From the get-go, the FBI profiled this culprit in the same way they analyze serial killers.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
They seemed to suspect the other shoe would drop eventually. A year later, it did. In September 1987, 20-year-old David Knobling and 14-year-old Robin Edwards were reported missing. We don't know the exact nature of their relationship, only that earlier that day, Robin went on a date with David's younger cousin, which David and his brother chaperoned.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Later that night, Robin and David headed to an overlook on the Colonial Parkway. The next day, a sheriff's deputy discovered a pickup truck in a parking lot near the James River. A door was left open, the keys still in the ignition, radio on, and the wipers running. The deputy also noticed a wallet left on the dashboard. He grabbed it and checked the license. David Knobling.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Authorities reached out to David's family. According to them, the truck was David's prized possession. He would never leave it abandoned. Investigators also reached out to Robin's family. They showed her mom photos of a pair of shoes left in the truck. Robin's mom immediately recognized them as her daughters because of the way they were colored all over with markers.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Officers surmised that David and Robin must be together somewhere, hopefully alive. Three days later, those hopes were dashed. Amid an intensive search for the couple, Robin's body was found near the riverbank. And then, David's own father found his son nearby. Both were shot in the back of the head, execution style. Robin had been sexually assaulted.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Notably, out of the four victims so far, only Robin's body showed evidence of assault. She was also the youngest victim at just 14. Investigators took samples of the evidence, hopeful it could catch her killer. But solving the case got complicated quickly. These murders occurred about 30 miles away from the area on the Colonial Parkway where Kathy and Rebecca were killed a year earlier.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
But they were on state land, not federal. So Virginia's state investigators handled the case. Right away, the similarities to the previous double homicide were hard to ignore. Both couples were killed in vehicles, presumably at night, right off the parkway in areas known as Lover's Lanes. One notable difference was the method of killing. David and Robin were shot, not strangled.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
But authorities still suspected one thing. They had a serial killer on their hands. They moved forward with their investigation confident in this theory. But they didn't make much progress before tragedy struck again. In April 1988, seven months after the second Colonial Parkway attack, 20-year-old Keith Call and 18-year-old Cassandra Haley left a college party.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
It was at Christopher Newport University, about 20 miles south of Williamsburg. Eyewitnesses said they took off together around 1.30 or 2 a.m. They were never heard from again. The next morning, park rangers discovered Keith's car. It was abandoned at an overlook by the York River, only a few miles away from where Kathy and Rebecca were killed in their car.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Or is it? That's the frustrating back and forth that investigators, victims' family members, and residents along the Colonial Parkway have endured for decades. It only got fuzzier in 2024 when two of the murders were solved. They were confirmed to be victims of a local serial killer.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
But this time, there were no bodies inside. The rangers called in the abandoned car to the police. Meanwhile, they searched the vehicle to figure out who it belonged to. They found a woman's shoe on the passenger seat floor and men and women's clothing in the back seat. Their best guess, Keith and Cassandra stripped and ran into the river for a late-night swim.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Except Cassandra's family swore Cassandra would never do that. She was scared of the water, not to mention it would have been freezing at that time of year. Keith's family was equally confused. The parkway was out of the way from both the party and where Cassandra lived. And Keith knew about the previous murders. He thought going out there was dangerous.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
It made Keith's family think someone forced him and Cassandra to go there, or someone hurt the couple somewhere else, then dumped the car there. Due to the location, this case went to the FBI, who immediately began an extensive search. Helicopters looked from the skies. Police dragged the river. Bloodhounds on boats sniffed over the water.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
You might be thinking, wait, doesn't water throw dogs off a scent? What about the books and movies where people run through creeks to escape bloodhounds? You wouldn't be alone. Some members of law enforcement were also skeptical. But it turns out there's a big difference between tracking someone who's alive and recovering someone who's dead.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
Decomposing bodies underwater actually emit gases, body oils, and tissue that all make their way up to the surface. So a bloodhound can detect underwater victims. But this would only work if Keith and Cassandra were dead. In their search, the dogs didn't pick up a scent, which meant there was still hope of finding the pair alive. So the FBI homed in on suspects and made a critical mistake.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
In 1988, the FBI sought any and all information related to the disappearances of Keith Call and Cassandra Haley. One tip led them to a man who was spotted driving a unique blue pickup truck along Colonial Parkway. Apparently, he'd stopped the car and approached a few couples. They recalled his memorable vanity plate, E-M-R-A-W, MRAW. The car was registered to Alan Wade Wilmer Sr., a.k.a. Pokey.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
That's his chosen nickname, not ours. Wilmer was in his late 20s, white, fairly short, but muscular and strong from his work fishing. Wilmer farmed and sold oysters and clams. This explained the vanity plate, E.M. Raw, as in eat them raw. Wilmer also drove his own custom commercial fishing boat, the Denny Wade. He loved to hunt and was a winner in at least one local archery contest.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
As of this recording, police and the FBI are still seeking a link between that killer and the victims who remain missing. they're also exploring another chilling theory, that there was more than one serial killer along the Colonial Parkway. Welcome to Serial Killers, a Spotify podcast. I'm Janice Morgan.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
So they had a man who fit their fisherman profile, had excellent aim, owned a fishing knife, was strong enough to overpower someone, and was known to approach random couples on the parkway. Naturally, the FBI questioned Wilmer. He admitted he'd been on the Colonial Parkway the night Keith and Cassandra disappeared, right near where Keith's abandoned car was found.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
He did not admit to anything else. Still, the FBI kept an eye on him. They saw Wilmer clean and repaint his truck, as if he was getting rid of evidence. Quickly, agents put together a search warrant for Wilmer's home. When they got there, they found a pair of handcuffs and a gun, but nothing conclusive. The FBI had one more trick up their sleeves, a polygraph.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
As we've mentioned on this show before, polygraphs are not very reliable. But in 1988, they were trusted for detecting lies. So the FBI gave Wilmer a polygraph test that he passed. the FBI had no choice but to let him go, despite their lingering suspicions. With no confession and no bodies, they were back to square one, Keith's abandoned car. Except that evidence was compromised.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
When the park rangers first searched the car, they didn't realize it was a potential murder scene. So they didn't use gloves. They even removed some of the clothing they found. And apparently, when they realized the situation was more serious than an abandoned car, they tried to put it all back together the way they'd found it. But it was too late. The damage was done. There weren't other leads.
Serial Killers
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders
And as weeks turned into months, Keith and Cassandra remained missing. About a year and a half later, in September 1989, another abandoned car turned up. This time, on the side of a rest stop, just off an interstate highway that connects to the Colonial Parkway. Like the other cases, the keys were still in the ignition. Unlike the other cases, there was no sign of a struggle.