First discovery: Thomas and Dowski killed on Parkway (1986)

On October 12, 1986, a morning jogger made a gruesome discovery on the scenic Colonial Parkway in Virginia, USA. Down an embankment at the Cheatham Annex Overlook lay a white Honda Civic, and inside the car, the brutally murdered 27-year-old Cathleen "Cathy" Thomas and 21-year-old Rebecca Dowski were found. Both young women had been murdered, their throats slashed with cuts so deep they were nearly decapitated. This macabre discovery marked the beginning of a series of unsolved double murders that would terrorize the otherwise idyllic area along the Colonial Parkway in the years to come – a picturesque stretch of road in Virginia connecting historic sites like Jamestown and Williamsburg. Between 1986 and 1989, at least four young couples disappeared or were killed under mysterious circumstances, leading investigators to quickly suspect a connection in a horrifying series of crimes – a case that became known as the Colonial Parkway Murders and pointed towards a possible serial killer.

Victims: Strangulation, slashed throats, arson attempt

Cathy Thomas, a U.S. Navy officer, and Rebecca Dowski, a student at the College of William & Mary, were a couple. On October 9, 1986, they had gone to the Colonial Parkway to spend the evening together. Three days later, their car was found seven kilometers east of Williamsburg, partially hidden by dense vegetation. The autopsy revealed that both women had first been strangled with a rope before their throats were cut. The perpetrator had then attempted to set the car on fire using diesel fuel – an attempt that fortunately failed. Over 100 fingerprints were recovered from the crime scene, but none provided an immediate match. One of the most crucial pieces of evidence, a clump of hair that Cathy Thomas had torn from her attacker's head during the struggle, would prove to be central many years later as DNA evidence technology developed.

Killer's pattern: Couples vanish or are killed (1987-89)

The chilling pattern suggesting a serial killer repeated itself in the following years. In April 1988, 20-year-old Keith Call and 18-year-old Cassandra Hailey vanished without a trace after an evening out; their case remains a painful unsolved disappearance. Their car was found abandoned at the York River Overlook with clothes in the trunk, but the couple has never been found. Their families have consistently rejected theories of a voluntary disappearance, pointing out that Keith's wallet containing $50 was untouched. Already in September 1987, the bodies of 20-year-old David Knobling and 14-year-old Robin Edwards had been found at the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge. Both had been victims of shootings, killed by gunshots to the head, and Robin Edwards had been sexually assaulted. The final case in the original series of crimes involved 21-year-old Daniel Lauer and 18-year-old Annamaria Phelps, who were found stabbed to death near a rest stop on Route 64 in Virginia in September 1989. Common to all victims was that they were young, white, and attacked while in or near their vehicles in remote locations, reinforcing the theory of a systematic serial killer.

DNA breakthrough: Wilmer a serial killer suspect (Jan 2024)

After decades of stagnation in this series of unsolved cases, a significant breakthrough occurred in January 2024. The FBI announced that advanced DNA profiling and analysis of biological material had linked DNA evidence from the Knobling/Edwards case, as well as the murder of 29-year-old Teresa Lynn Howell, to Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. Wilmer, a local fisherman and hunter who died in 2017, was thus identified as the prime suspect in at least three of the murders, potentially a serial killer. Known locally by the nickname "Pokey," Wilmer was a short, muscular man who owned a distinctive blue pickup truck. He was active in local hunting clubs and ran a business. Witness testimonies described him as a solitary and eccentric figure who often frequented bars along the Colonial Parkway. The most astonishing element of this discovery was that the FBI had already interviewed Wilmer in 1988 in connection with the disappearance of Keith Call and Cassandra Hailey, but had released him at the time after he passed a polygraph test. Teresa Howell's case, where the single mother was found strangled and killed in a forest near a club in July 1989, was not originally connected to the Colonial Parkway Murders, but the new DNA evidence linking her to Wilmer prompted investigators to reopen the case and consider whether he operated in a larger geographical area in Virginia than previously thought.

Unanswered questions: Was Wilmer alone, released in 1988?

Despite the identification of Wilmer as a possible serial killer, many questions in this complex unsolved case remain unanswered. For example, Cathy Thomas's brother, Bill, points out that Wilmer was a regular at the Yorktown Pub – a bar where his sister and Rebecca Dowski may have been seen the night before their murders. The question of why Wilmer was released in 1988 also haunts the families, including Joyce Call-Canada, sister of Keith Call, whose parents passed away without getting answers about their son's disappearance. For the families of the still-missing Keith Call and Cassandra Hailey, the uncertainty continues. Their cars have never been found, and theories that Wilmer may not have acted alone continue to be discussed in online true crime forums, where many speculate about the unsolved aspects of the Colonial Parkway Murders.

Legacy of murders: Fear and search for truth continues

The wooded stretches along the Colonial Parkway in Virginia, once a symbol of tranquility and natural beauty, were transformed in the 1980s into a symbol of inexplicable violence and the fear of a serial killer. Local authorities installed lights and surveillance cameras, and young couples began to avoid the road at night. For the relatives, the hunt for truth in this unsolved case has been a long and painful process, where every phone call brings hope of new information. In 2024, Wilmer's identification via DNA evidence led to new searches in the York River in the hope of finding missing evidence or victims. But even with a partial answer, the Colonial Parkway Murders remain one of America's most perplexing and heartbreaking serial crime cases. The unresolved details – such as the motive behind the use of diesel fuel in the first double murder, or why Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. allegedly stopped his crimes in 1989 – continue to evoke fascination and frustration. For those left behind, the case is a constant reminder that even as time passes, the wounds of lost trust and unachieved justice can be impossible to fully heal, especially when an unsolved case has spanned decades.

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