Hair that had been found in Cathys hand and a biological sample found on Robin have never been tested, but with advances in DNA technology and resources like GEDmatch, the families of the victims are hopeful they will finally get answers. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. David never left his car unlockedand with the rain that night, a rendezvous in the marshlands seems unlikely. One of the last photos of Cathy Thomas with her friend Deb Hill. The vision behind the Murder Accountability Project. Joyce Call's brother was one of the victims. We were very skeptical and at some point in the spring he dropped it.". Thomas had also entered a relationship with Dowski, and the two were known to regularly visit the area where they were murdered. Fred Atwell, a former Gloucester sheriff's deputy, says he has learned in the past month that his name is on a list of 130 suspects. The National Park Service Rangers thought the two women might be injured as a result of an accident. For two decades, the crime-scene pictures have been secret, critical evidence in the hunt for a serial murderer. This car, along with their mangled bodies, found at the Cheatham Annex Overlook in Williamsburg, Virginia, had been doused in diesel fuel. Spingola believes that the murders of Cathy and Rebecca are not related to the other murders at all and are, in fact, connected to another double homicide that occurred in Shenandoah National Park in 1996. Gays and lesbians were banned from the Navy at that time, and she had been investigated by nine agents regarding her sexuality, her brother told producers. Annamaria Phelps locket as found on the logging trail. His tenure as the unelected Champion of Cleveland was rough, but it's hard not to catch glimpses of hope as tides of change [More], Copyright 2023 WildBlue Press. It was scary time back in the eighties!! This week Nic from the @TrueCrimeGarage podcast joins Bill and me for a roundtable discussion about the Colonial Parkway Murders. A ransom note was found in the home, but it was hours before her father, John, found her body in the basement. The probable tragedy struck after the party. But this road flips from a gorgeous sun-lit drive to a haunting trek when the night falls, and it's in part because of the troubled past hidden among this road's lanes. to the spots logistics and that particular set of prey. Cassandra Hailey every bit the girl next door 1980s style. From 1986 to 1989, four double homicides occurred on or near the Colonial Parkway. He had a young pregnant girlfriend and was just starting a new career. The young woman had graduated from the U.S. He said they wanted $20,000 to reveal the locations where Keith and Cassandra's bodies could be found. The thoroughfare is partially maintained by the National Park Service because it's an iconic piece of pavement that connects some of the country's most historic cities. You cant exactly finger a suspect and develop a viable culprit on car displacement and fascination with couples. They detail where the knives slashed and the bullets struck. Knobling lived in Hampton while he worked for his fathers landscaping business, and was expecting a baby with his longtime girlfriend. THE COLONIAL PARKWAY MURDERS: A STEP BY STEP REPORT. "They took him and Sandra and they put his clothes back in the car, just tossed them. Annamaria and her boyfriends brother Daniel Lauer came back home for a short visit and so that Daniel could pack to move in with them. As with everything in her life, her career as a stockbroker was a stunning success. Fred Atwell clearly rekindled the efforts of law enforcement on the Colonial Parkway murders with his release of the crime scene photographs to the media. Since I used to travel I 64 between Norfolk and Richmond it would always bother me what would I do if I was pulled over by a cop. The former officer in question, Fred Atwell, had also inserted himself into the investigation several times, according to HuffPost. Over the years, police have questioned 150 suspects in connection to these four cases, but all have been cleared. Still, some investigators are on the fence and dont want to definitively classify their disappearance as part of the serial killers cycle. "Incredibly intrusive. Annamarias purse was found inside the car, once more ruling our robbery as a motive. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. In total, 4 pairs of people were targeted, resulting in eight murders and six bodies found. Even though the cause of death could not be determined, there were what appeared to be stab marks on Annamarias bones, suggesting she had been stabbed to death. On September 20, 1987, Knoblings truck was found abandoned by the James River Bridge, Richmond.com reported. But Atwell died behind bars before his involvement in the killings could be confirmed. As it appears today from the road, this is the lonely trail leading back into the woods where the victims had been taken and killed. Did The Colonial Parkway Victims Know The Killer? Are you sick of watching and reading about the same killers and crimes? well the walls aren't even relatively straight in a lot of them so either she needed to move tf out of where she lived ASAP before it crumbles or she is photoshopping. A couple, romantically involved, was found bound, gagged and their throats slit almost 200 miles from the initial hunting grounds. JavaScript is disabled. A few key facts primarily that Davids black Ford Ranger pick-up truck was discovered with the side window partially rolled down that made investigators question whether the killer had ties to lay-enforcement or was posing as a police officer. You are using an out of date browser. One of the many scenic overpasses on the Colonial Parkway as it appears now. About The Book On January 7, 1994, residents of Berkshire [Read More], True crime author, Burl Barer, has always possessed that all-important knack for seeking out hidden truth and finding it. The Colonial Parkway is a beautiful stretch of highway which cuts through the Colonial National Historical Park in South-East Virginia. He did it again with a Toyota, and one final time at a rest area with a Chevy Nova. The two-decade-old puzzle of the Colonial Parkway murders had pretty much fizzled out at the time the photos were uncovered. I am from this area born and raised. Their bodies were found by hunters that came across the bodies weeks after they disappeared. Wallace preyed on lower economic class Black women between 17 and 35 years old. ?, Ep The Colonial Parkway Murders: Part Two - Sep 5, 2019 But [Read More], In 1971 and 1972, a deadly predator stalked the streets of the nations capital. This crime scene photo shows tent erected over their remains as investigators work in the rain to recover every clue. A typically tranquil area, no one expected the Parkway to be the setting for a gruesome string of murders. Their removal was part of the control that the murderer(s) exerted on the victims. It was left with the door open, the keys turned to accessories, and the radio on. Both had been shot in the back of the head. None of the victims were robbed, and sexual assault did not appear to be a motive in any of the cases. Virginia's Colonial Parkway runs a relatively short 23 miles, from Jamestown to Yorkstown, passing through Williamsburg and thereby connecting all of Virginia's famous "Historic Triangle." Part of the Colonial National Historic Park, the scenic route is designed with sightseeing in mind. I just don't think it's right.". Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Maybe you're reminiscing about sparks that flew during a chemistry-laden conversation, maybe your cheeks are feeling flushed from the back-and-forth banter that lifted you to the clouds, or maybe you're prepping to fog up the windows a little bit. It is a pageantry of American history embroiled in dozens of tunnels and bridges that are incredibly charming and visually impacting. Atwell's discovery of the 84 graphic photographs brought a lot of much-needed media attention back to the unsolved homicides. The Colonial Parkway Murders have been viewed as the work of a serial killer by many investigators. How they got out is now the core of an FBI investigation, and source of disgust for the families who lost loved ones. Daniel Lauer and Annamaria Phelps He was shy at first, but once you got to know him he opened up, he said. Here's a link to an April 19, 2009 article about criminologist Larry McCann researching these violent crimes. Website design by Denver Local SEO Marketing CompanyA SPECIAL KIND OF EVIL Photo Gallery. I was pleased that the victims were truly brought to life and we were able to learn more about them very well done! Call loved going to the beach and was especially fond of his car. Dogs traced their scents to the river, but soon lost it. After that cycle, the killings abruptly stopped.. Why would this killer switch things up? Authorities discovered Cathleen and Rebecca on Columbus Day weekend, 1986, inside a white 1980 Honda Civic. The murders had not happened on the Colonial Parkway, but police linked the cases due to the fact that both sets of victims were couples who had been killed at or around lovers lane areas, and the two locations were only about a 30-minute drive apart. Author Tiddy Smith Explores Owl Theory and North Carolinas Infamous Staircase Murder in DEATH BY TALONS: Did An Owl Murder Kathleen Peterson? CRIMES Serial Killers VA VA - The Colonial Parkway Murders, 1986-89 littlehorn Sep 16, 2008 New Posts G Madeleine McCann: German Prisoner Identified as Suspect, #33 Latest: G-Unit 2 minutes ago Madeleine McCann UK - Nurse Lucy Letby, Faces 22 Charges - 7 Murder/15 Attempted Murder of Babies #18 Latest: LadyEdgeworth 4 minutes ago Trials N . She worked two jobs while studying, caring for toddlers at a daycare center and at the colleges English department as a clerk, the Virginian Pilot reported in 2016. Her brother Keith was killed on a first date with Cassandra Hailey. The Colonial Parkway is a historic and scenic road that links together the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktow. National Park Service . The Colonial Parkway is a beautiful stretch of highway which cuts through the Colonial National Historical Park in South-East Virginia. She was young, and she had a curfew. The two women had been bound with rope and strangled, and the killer had slit their throats so deeply that they were nearly decapitated. His targets, young girls who he kidnapped, raped, and left their remains along busy roadways in plain view. "It's an unsolved crime, number one. The autopsy was inconclusive and could not determine whether a blade had slashed their throats or if they had been strangled to near decapitation. As of now, the killer (or killers) remains at large. Robins pants were partially rolled down, but police were unsure if there had been sexual assault since it was presumed that Robin and David had had some sort of sexual relationship. It may not display this or other websites correctly. I was very concerned because the only reason IMO that the couples would be taken by surprise like they were and seemed abducted so easily, if it were a cop or someone pretending to be a cop. Fred died in 2018, and whatever secrets he had died with him. All of the victims were young, White, and were either a romantic couple or could resemble one to. What happened to them after that remained a mystery until three days later, when a jogger running along the York River by the Colonial Parkway spotted Thomas' white Honda Civic on the edge of an embankment. Cassandra, aka Sandy and Missy was fun loving, vibrant, and energetic. The investigations into all eight murders are ongoing and active, the Virginian Pilot reported. 2023 Copyright Colonial Ghosts. The view north on the Colonial Parkway as it appears today, looking north from the pull-off where Cathy Thomas and Becky Thomas were discovered. Were David and Robin marched down this walkway for a mile to the beach only to be killed there? Fred was considered something of a hero when he uncovered a slew of photographs leaked from the FBIs office in Norfolk. The Gloucester County whistleblower who last year revealed how the FBI leaked crime-scene photographs from the Colonial Parkway killings now says he's a suspect in the murder investigation. Of course, these are Spingola's musings, and they have yet to be proven. I live in Norfolk now but I still am scared to travel that stretch of road, especially where the couple's car was found at the rest stop going in the other direction in which they were headed. Rebeccas body was found in the backseat of the car, while Cathys was found stuffed into the hatchback. The couple had been missing since the evening of October 9th after they had been seen leaving a computer lab. Fred Atwell: Fred Atwell is the former deputy sheriff that was active during the investigation in 1986. Lauer needed to go back home to get his belongings, and Phelps decided to accompany him for the drive to see her own family in their hometown. The Parkway is surrounded by woods and has far fewer entries and exits than a typical highway. If that was who was pertrating these crimes. By joining our list you will be entered into a contest for a free eBook, audio book or paperback of your choice! Multiple searches were conducted for Call and Hailey, but no other trace of them has ever been found. Someone has leaked graphic crime-scene photographs of the most notorious serial killings in Virginia history, the Colonial Parkway murders. The first set of victims from the Colonial Parkway murders were killed via a mix of strangulation and cut throats. After Atwell spoke to NewsChannel 3, we called the FBI. On September 20, 1987, David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14, were shot at point-blank range in the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge, near the south shore of James River in Smithfield, Virginia. These crime scene photographs show the area where the remains of David Knobling and Robin Edwards were found three days after their disappearance. By that time, local police were well aware that there was a predator on the loose, and they had a somewhat bivouac profile to work-off. Their bodies were found on June 1st. In the center of the image is Danny Plott, standing next to Dr. Marcella Fierro of the Virginia State Medical Examiners office. He called the authorities, who discovered that it wasn't a drunk driver at all. "Well, we looked into it. State police and local agencies are investigating the murders of Knobling, Edwards, Lauer, and Phelps. The keys were still in the ignition, the door was open, and the windshield wipers were going. One long night turned into four long years for [More], Available Now About the Book In the spring of 1853, a family of eight drove their wagon to the wharf in Bergen, Norway. Imagine, if you will, sitting in your car, catching your breath after a candle-lit date with your favorite sweetie. I have to wonder if they were all committed by the same person. Whatever the details, you're enjoying alone time, thinking this night is as delightful as any date can be, when a third, uninvited individual shows up and turns your romantic date into a horror show. Or could it be that four separate criminals were executing young people in the area? The murders of all four couples occurred within a 30-mile radius, at night, on weekends or holidays, in areas that resemble lover's lanes, in cars, and in all instances, there were two victims. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Atwell says he couldn't get a return call, until NewsChannel 3 got involved. In 2009, Atwell was considered something of a hero when he discovered a number of crime scene photographs regarding the Colonial Parkway homicides had been inappropriately taken from the FBI's Norfolk office.
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