Was the Colonial Parkway serial killer found? DNA results provide a break in the case

In the late 1980s, at least four different couples were found dead near the Colonial Parkway in southeastern Virginia. Those cases were never solved. But in 2024, DNA evidence linked a man to three of those murders, and some thought the Colonial Parkway killer had been identified.

Rebecca Dowski and Cathy Thomas — two women in their 20s who were in a romantic relationship — were the first two victims of the suspected Colonial Parkway serial killer. From there, three more couples were found dead in the area between 1986 and 1989, collectively known as the Colonial Parkway murders, according to NBC News.

Some victims — like Dowski and Thomas — had their throats cut, while others were shot. Many of the victims were recovered in “lover’s lane” settings, and sexual assault was involved in some cases.

A DNA match

In Jan. 2024, Virginia State Police and the Virginia Department of Forensic Science say they were able to link Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. to three of the murders thought to be the work of the Colonial Parkway killer. Wilmer Sr., a fisherman by trade who had no criminal record, died at his home in 2017 at the age of 63.

Authorities say that Wilmer Sr. was linked to the murders through forensic DNA evidence gathered at the time but reexamined through modern DNA testing technology. The New York Times says Wilmer Sr. became a suspect in the case based on historical witness testimony, and DNA evidence was legally gathered after Wilmer Sr.’s death.

The investigation into other Colonial Parkway murders is ongoing

When the results were announced, Virginia State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller said at a press conference that if Wilmer Sr. were still alive, there was sufficient evidence to charge him with the murders of Edwards, Knobling, and Spaw.

According to FBI agent Brian Dugan, it was too soon to tell if Wilmer Sr. was responsible for all the Colonial Parkway murders, but those investigations were ongoing. ” … [W]e are still pursuing justice for these victims and will investigate all options,” Dugan said.

In response to the news, the victim’s families said in a statement:

“For 36 years, our families have lived in a vacuum of the unknown. We have lived with the fear of worrying that a person capable of deliberately killing Robin and David could attack and claim another victim … Now we have a sense of relief and justice knowing that he can no longer victimize another.”

via The New York Times

The three victims Wilmer Sr. is suspected of killing are David L. Knobling, Robin M. Edwards, and Teresa Lynn Spaw, who were between the ages of 14 and 29 when they were murdered. Knobling and Edwards were killed in 1987. Spaw died in 1989. Meanwhile, Virginia police have asked anyone who may have further information about Wilmer Sr. to come forward.