A small-scale fisherman who died in 2017 has been linked to three unsolved homicides in Virginia in the 1980s, adding two that were from a series of unsolved couple murders known as the “Colonial Parkway murders,” authorities said Monday.
Virginia State Police knew the suspect as Alan W. Wilmer Sr. , but provided few details about how he is related to the murders that occurred in 1987 and 1989, or when he is a suspect. However, the government said Wilmer would be charged if he were alive.
“Part of the philosophy of a bloodless case is to return, re-examine and review all witness statements, all evidence,” Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said at a news conference. “And it’s a time-consuming, very complex process and very effective method. “
DNA evidence identifies a former Northern Neck man as a suspect in bloodless cases from the 1980s in the town of Hampton and the Isle of Wight. . .
Investigators said they legally received Wilmer’s DNA after his death. Wilmer was not a convicted felon, which meant his DNA was not in any police database. Two of the three victims were sexually assaulted.
The “Colonial Parkway Murders” resulted in the deaths of three couples and the presumed deaths of a fourth couple whose bodies have never been found. The murders took place between 1986 and 1989 on or near a scenic highway connecting Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown in southeastern Virginia.
In 1987, 20-year-old David Knobling and 14-year-old Robin Edwards were discovered shot dead near the south bank of the James River on the Isle of Wight.
Geller said no forensic or physical evidence currently links that double homicide to the others, although the other cases remain active.
“Although the similarities in these series of double homicides that spanned a three-year period cannot be ignored, at this time, there is no forensic nor physical evidence to link the Isle of Wight County homicides to those other double murders,” said Geller, who added the other cases remain active.
In 2009, CBS partner WTKR-TV reported that dozens of graphic crime scene photographs of victims of the “Colonial Parkway murders” had been leaked to the public. They were used to teach elegance to a former retired FBI photographer, the station reported at the time.
Geller read aloud a joint statement from the Knobling and Edwards families, which thanked the investigating law enforcement agencies.
“For 36 years, our families have lived in a vacuum of the unknown,” the statement said. “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. His death will not allow us to seek out the answers to countless questions that have haunted us for so long.”
Wilmer was also identified as the suspect in the 1989 slaying of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, 29, in the city of Hampton. Her strangulation death is not linked to the Colonial Parkway killings.
Howell’s body was discovered at the site of a structure about 100 miles (18 miles) from where Knobling and Edwards had been discovered just two years earlier. Howell last saw a popular nightclub outdoors.
Hampton Police Capt. Rebecca Warren read aloud a statement from Howell’s circle of family members that also thanked investigators.
“Their dedication, tireless efforts and generation evolution have allowed us to achieve the conclusion we have been seeking for more than 34 years,” he said. “While we are grateful for the closure that has been granted, Nada will bring Terry back. The void left by their absence over the years is inexpressible. “
Wilmer died at the age of 63. Geller said investigators were actively looking for clues about the other killings and had not ruled anything out, adding Wilmer’s possible involvement. Researchers are still looking to reconstruct his movements and encounters with other people throughout his life.
Wilmer was 5’5″ tall, muscular and weighed about 165 pounds, police said. He had sandy brown hair, blue eyes, and a clean-shaven beard.
Wilmer’s name was “Pokey” and he was driving a blue 1966 Dodge Fargo pickup truck with the license plate “EM-RAW,” police said.
He owned a small fishing boat called the “Denni Wade,” which he lived off when moored in marinas along the many canals of southeastern Virginia. He made a living fishing for clams and oysters, but he also ran a small business called the Better Tree Service. “
Brian Dugan, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Norfolk box office, asked someone who knew Wilmer for help.
“We recognize that relationships and loyalties change over time,” Dugan said. “Just like the other people and their views. There are times when other people who could have possibly known about an incident didn’t feel comfortable disclosing this information in the past, however, we need them to know that it’s not too late for them to come forward. “
Anyone who has known or worked with Wilmer is encouraged to contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or filing a report at www. tips. fbi. gov.