The Colonial Parkway Murders

In the early autumn of 1986, an idyllic stretch of roadway known as the Colonial Parkway—winding through Virginia’s Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown—became the backdrop for a chilling series of crimes. What appeared to be a tranquil lovers’ lane quickly revealed its darkest possibilities when two young women—Cathleen Marian “Cathy” Thomas and Rebecca Ann “Becky” Dowski—were discovered brutally murdered inside a car off an embankment. These killings marked only the beginning of a string of unsolved double homicides that would haunt investigators and families for decades. This documentary seeks to explore the known facts of the case, tracing the trail of victims, the evolution of the investigation, and the shifts in forensic breakthroughs that have, at last, brought partial closure to some.

The Colonial Parkway is a remote, scenic 22‑mile thoroughfare through the Colonial National Historical Park, featuring few streetlights and a striking colonial-era aesthetic that belies its isolation. Across the late 1980s—from 1986 to 1989—a series of murders occurred involving young couples in isolated vehicles or lovers’ lane environs along or near this corridor. At least three pairs of victims were recovered; a fourth couple vanished without a trace and is presumed dead. These crimes became known collectively as the "Colonial Parkway Murders."

On October 9, 1986, Cathy Thomas, age 27, and Becky Dowski, age 21, were last seen leaving a computer lab at William & Mary. Their vehicle—a white 1980 Honda Civic—was found three days later, on October 12, at the Cheatham Annex Overlook. Inside, the two women had been bound, strangled, and almost decapitated, with rope burns around their necks and wrists; diesel fuel had been scattered across the car and bodies, though not ignited. Both women were fully clothed, with no signs of sexual assault or robbery. On September 19, 1987, 20-year-old David Knobling and his 14-year-old cousin Robin Edwards were reportedly heading to a movie when they disappeared. Knobling’s truck was discovered two days later, parked with its engine running at the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge. On September 23 their bodies washed ashore along the James River; both had been shot—Edwards execution-style in the head, Knobling twice, in the head and shoulder. Partial clothing and behavior suggesting possible sexual assault were noted. Next, on April 10, 1988, 18-year-old Cassandra Hailey and 20-year-old Keith Call were reported missing after a university party. Call’s red 1982 Toyota Celica was found along the Colonial Parkway – keys in ignition, personal items on the dashboard, and clothing strewn inside—yet the pair was gone. Finally, over the 1989 Labor Day weekend—September 5—21-year-old Daniel Lauer and 18-year-old Annamaria Phelps disappeared while traveling toward Virginia Beach. Their car was discovered at a rest stop near Interstate 64, facing west though they had been heading east; their bodies were not recovered, and decomposition obscured cause-of-death details. Other individual cases—such as the disappearance of Laurie Ann Powell in March 1988 and the death of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell in 1989—have been linked by investigators, though their inclusion in the core “Colonial Parkway Murders” remains subject to cautious consideration.

From the outset, investigators noted the unusual staging of crime scenes. In the first case, the Civic had been driven off-road, bodies left inside, and diesel slathered over the scene but not ignited. Fingerprints were present in abundance—but did not match known records. In the Knobling/Edwards case, detectives observed that Knobling’s truck appeared to have been reconfigured by someone familiar with its wiring; the engine was running, doors open, and radio playing—clues inconsistent with Knobling’s known habits. Over the years, multiple theories emerged. Some law enforcement profilers posited that the killer might have been impersonating authorities, given the staging of vehicles—keys in ignitions, etc.. The presence of nautical rope, diesel, and hair fibers suggested a possible fisherman, leading to suspicions centered on that community. Speculation also arose around a small local security firm, Liberty Security Services, whose employees and associates connected victims across several cases—but the FBI officially denied involvement of its proprietor Ronald Little as a suspect. Later, behavioral experts offered that perhaps more than one offender was involved, noting the varying methods of control and violence. Decades passed with no arrests. The FBI, Virginia State Police, Suffolk PD, and Hampton PD maintained active interest, repeatedly reviewing evidence, interviewing witnesses, and re-testing forensic material as new technology became available.

Forensic evidence—especially DNA—gradually came to the fore. In January 2024, authorities identified Alan Wade Wilmer Sr., a local fisherman who died in 2017, as a suspect in two of the murders—the original Dowski‑Thomas double homicide in 1986 and the Knobling‑Edwards killings in 1987—based on DNA analysis obtained posthumously. On January 20, 2026, the FBI Norfolk Field Office announced the resolution of the 1986 Thomas‑Dowski cold case, conclusively identifying Wilmer as the murderer after breakthroughs in forensic science and DNA technology. Shortly thereafter, Wilmer was tied via DNA to additional cases—most notably the 1988 murder of Laurie Ann Powell, and the 1989 homicide of Teresa Lynn Howell—although the latter was not officially part of the Colonial Parkway victims. Importantly, because Wilmer was not a convicted felon, his DNA was not on record in law enforcement databases such as CODIS. Only through investigative persistence and new postmortem forensic techniques was his genetic material legally obtained and analyzed—leading to the breakthrough in these cold cases.

Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. passed away in December 2017 at the age of 63. As he was deceased, no criminal charges were filed posthumously. Investigators have stated that had he been alive, he would have been charged in connection with at least the two confirmed Colonial Parkway murders, and potentially the additional linked homicides. The resolution of the Thomas‑Dowski murders in early 2026 represents a rare and significant development in one of Virginia’s longest-standing cold case serial homicide investigations.

For decades, the families of the victims endured the uncertainty and anguish of unanswered questions. In the case of Knobling and Edwards, family statements revealed how the long shadow of fear and not knowing left them living with a persistent dread that the killer might strike again—but the identification of Wilmer has now brought them a measure of relief and a pathway to closure. The Thomas family, including Cathy’s brother Bill Thomas, had been vocal advocates for renewed investigation, including organizing public pressure and participating in true-crime advocacy efforts. For them, the confirmation of the perpetrator, even decades later, symbolizes the power of persistence and the promise of eventual justice.

The Colonial Parkway Murders stand as a haunting chapter in Virginia’s criminal history. They reveal a pattern of calculated violence—targeting young couples under cover of isolation—and a community’s protracted struggle to understand and bring resolution to acts that seemed to defy the very notion of safety. The eventual forensic identification of Alan Wade Wilmer Sr., working in the shadows long after the crimes, speaks to both the limitations and the enduring potential of investigative science. Though Wilmer can no longer face trial, the truth of what happened to Cathy Thomas, Becky Dowski, David Knobling, Robin Edwards, and other victims has finally been acknowledged. Their stories—silent for too long—are now part of a narrative of forensic triumph and hard-won closure. Still unresolved remain parts of this painful tale: Cassandra Hailey and Keith Call, Daniel Lauer and Annamaria Phelps, and others who remain missing or unlinked. For them, the arc of justice remains unfinished—and perhaps, in time, DNA and determination will again be the guide toward answers. In the end, this is the story of victims and investigators, of families who refused to let memory fade, and of science catching up to silence—proving that even after decades, justice need not be confined by time.