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Decades-Old Colonial Parkway Murders See New Breakthrough, Suspect Identified in Additional Cases
NORFOLK, VA – After decades of relentless investigation, authorities have officially linked Alan Wade Wilmer to two more of the infamous “Colonial Parkway murders,” a series of brutal killings that terrorized Virginia in the late 1980s. The FBI’s announcement on Tuesday brings a significant development to one of the state’s most enduring cold cases.
Wilmer, a resident of Lancaster County who passed away in 2017 at the age of 63, has been identified as the perpetrator in the 1986 deaths of Cathleen Thomas, 27, and Rebecca Dowski, 21. The two women were found deceased inside their vehicle along the scenic Colonial Parkway. This grim discovery marked the beginning of a chilling period during which at least eight young people were murdered or disappeared in the parkway area between 1986 and 1989.
This latest connection expands on previous findings from 2024, when Wilmer was named a suspect in the 1987 fatal shootings of David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14. He was also linked to the unrelated 1989 strangulation death of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, 29. Modern forensic testing has been instrumental in these breakthroughs, allowing investigators to connect Wilmer to at least six of the victims over the three-year period.
Had Wilmer been alive today, authorities state he would have faced prosecution for the murders of Thomas, Dowski, Knobling, Edwards, and Howell.
Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk field office, acknowledged the dedication of countless investigators over the years. In a video statement, Evans affirmed that the FBI will continue to actively pursue other cases related to the Colonial Parkway murders, emphasizing that “we will not stop, we will not forget, and we will seek justice no matter how long it takes.”
The FBI encourages anyone with information pertinent to the remaining unsolved cases to contact law enforcement.