The analyzed DNA can then pinpoint the exact relation between those tested, allowing law enforcement agencies to narrow down their suspect pool and make an arrest. Their purses and money were found inside the car. LA County Criminal Prosecutor Loni Coombs and former FBI Special Agent Maureen OConnell are seen here speaking with Bill Thomas. They didnt use that expression much back then, but that was the idea. Annamarie Phelps, top right, and Daniel Lauer, bottom right, disappeared Sept. 5, 1989. Now, it is up to the victims siblings to carry the torch. The Colonial Parkway Murders A Tale of Two Killers? "That tells me that either they were getting ready because they thought they were, pulled over by a police officer or park ranger. "She had martial arts training from the Naval Academy and she was incredibly athletic. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Victims were in cars and all were young and killed in pairs. (File photos). It's a roadway and state route, partly manned by the National Park Service, that interlocks Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. The Colonial Parkway murders were a series of four double homicides from 1986-89. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. David's injuries. There was nobody she wasnt going to be a friend too [] She was very generous with everything, Joanne Hailey, her mother, told Lovers Lane Murders.. Sept. 5, 1989: Annamaria Phelps, 18 and Daniel Lauer, 21, disappeared from an Interstate 64 rest stop in New Kent County. However, just before her death, she had left the Navy. LA County Criminal Prosecutor Loni Coombs and former FBI Special Agent Maureen OConnell are seen here speaking with Bill Thomas. Stoking this belief is the fact that victims car windows were found rolled down at crime scenes, according to Irvin Wells, retired FBI special agent. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Robin Edwards, top row and second to the left, and David Knobling, bottom row and second to the left, were murdered Sept. 23, 1987. The tone of his parents voice signaling something was wrong. In total, 4 pairs of people were targeted, resulting in eight murders and six bodies found. Dateline Crime Capsule: The Colonial Parkway Murders, SpaceX launches international crew to space station, At least 2 dead after exposure to unknown substance at N.Y. senior facility, Clark Atlanta University students mourn loss of athlete fatally shot near campus, Iranian government to investigate series of poisonings, Pennsylvania man accused of trying to bring explosive on plane, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle asked to leave Frogmore Cottage. Now, a team of former FBI special agents led by former FBI Profiler Jim Clemente intends . A typically tranquil area, no one expected the Parkway to be the setting for a gruesome string of murders. Three days later, the two bodies were discovered by Knobling's father and a search party along the water's edge of the James River. Survivor. [14], On June 25, 2018, editors at Listverse released a new article, "Ten Disturbing Facts About the Colonial Parkway Murders. All the victims were killed with different methods (stabbing, strangulation, gunshot wound). I think the offender was targeting Cathy, Dr. Laura Pettler, a forensic criminologist, told Lovers Lane Murders. He dealt with the body with a lot more contempt.. "So people knew you could go there and basically be left alone, especially at night. The following episode continues to examine the initial Colonial Parkway homicide, but the case is still unsolved when a new double murder takes place less than a year later. This question of serial killer or coincidence is explored in Oxygens new limited series. Inside The Unsolved Cases", "Inside the Maddening Search for Virginia's Colonial Parkway Serial Killer", "New Investigator Looking into the Colonial Parkway Murders", "New details published in Colonial Parkway murders", "Is note a break in Colonial Parkway murders? "Yes, this is a tragedy, but hope never dies," he shares. [16], On October 26, 2018, Dateline NBC released "Dateline Crime Capsule: The Colonial Parkway Murders" which offered a look into the history of the case. The cases are now the subject of a new four-part true-crime docu-series on Oxygen titled "Lovers Lane Murders." Cathy Thomas, 27, and Rebecca Dowski, 21, had been dating for several months when they went out for food on October 9, 1986. Each homicide occurred somewhere along the Colonial Parkway, hence the colloquial name. 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. who has spent more than 20 years looking into the murders. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Nonetheless, to me, this is the work of a serial killer, said OConnell, who views variances among the dual homicides as an eerie sort of shapeshifting. Since then, 62-year-old Fred had numerous encounters with the law, including a larceny charge; 100 dollars. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Spingola proposed that the murders are the work of different killers, especially the slayings of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowski. The Colonial Parkway. In the 35 years since she passed, when I see all these amazing women running for president and vice president, Congress, senators, ambassadors, CEOs, Cathy Thomas would have been one of those amazing women, her brother said. Nonetheless, to me, this is the work of a serial killer, said OConnell, who views variances among the dual homicides as an eerie sort of shapeshifting. Three days later, their bodies washed up onto the beach at Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The 22-mile-long stretch running between Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown, Virginia, known as Colonial Parkway, is one such road. Paula and Teri Hailey, Cassandra Haileys sisters, have written letters over the years to the FBI pleading for answers. I see the killer evolving, she said, not just in his methods but in his motives., Theory: A Serial Killer Was (Or Posed As) Law Enforcement, Stoking this belief is the fact that victims car windows were found rolled down at crime scenes, according to. ", JONBENET RAMSEYS HALF BROTHER STILL WANTS TO FIND HER KILLER: THIS CASE CAN BE SOLVED, Part 1 and 2 of Oxygen's 'Lovers Lane Murders' airs Thursday night. Authorities discovered Cathleen and Rebecca on Columbus Day weekend, 1986, inside a white 1980 Honda Civic. It also happens to be ground zero for one of the nation's most brutal crime sprees, which remains clouded in doubt and tragedy more than three decades later The killer has never been caught.Oct. The evidence of the crime was kept intact by a fluke of fate when the diesel failed to ignite. Four cases link families, scenic parkway; Dateline NBC Crime Capsule "The Killer Could Still be out There": 30 years later, still no answers in the Colonial Parkway Murders; Investigation Discovery Crimefeed; Family: New DNA testing could crack Colonial Parkway Murders; Virginia Pilot - 3 part series Part 1 - Agent stalks dark path of . After speaking for hours with Call-Canada about their family members cases, the pair began planning their efforts to pressure law enforcement. On September 5, 1989, just after Labor Day weekend, Annamaria Phelps, 18, and Daniel Lauer, 21, vanished while en route to Virginia Beach. On September 5, 1989, their car was found abandoned at an I-64 rest stop strangely, the rest stop was on the opposite route of their way back to Virginia Beach. [23] and "Was the Colonial Parkway Killer Pretending to be Law Enforcement? Multiple reports alleged Edwards had snuck out to meet Knobling before they were killed. Weve got amazing investigators working on our case. Six weeks later their bodies were found by hunters. 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. It is a pageantry of American history embroiled in dozens of tunnels and bridges that are incredibly charming and visually impacting. The eeriest part,. Since October 1986, 10 On Your Side has covered what are now known as the "Colonial Parkway murders." There were four double homicides. The Parkway is surrounded by woods and has far fewer entries and exits than a typical highway. So it wasnt like Cathy and Becky could live their lives in any kind of open fashion. Becky was collateral damage.. Their throats had been viciously slashed and they had been strangled to death. 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. , including one couple whove never been found. All of these factors are critical to understanding the mystique that the murders still hold over the national narrative. By all accounts, his truck was his prized possession, so family members knew right away something was terribly wrong when it was found abandoned, the Virginian Pilot reported. On April 10, 1988, two kids from Christopher Newport University both perfect in-synched with the killers victim profile were reported missing after attending a party in Newport News during their first date together. Murders all occurred, she said, within a 30-mile radius and all on a weekend or holiday.. Although it is compelling and plausible, there is no evidence that it was law enforcement, said former prosecutor and series co-host Loni Coombs. Im the older brother of Cathy Thomas who together with her girlfriend Rebecca Dowski were the first two victims in the so-called Colonial Parkway Murders, he wrote. Theyre very, very different in force and intensity. Finally, there was no evidence of sexual assault pre or post mortem; the pair were fully clothed and sexually intact. IE 11 is not supported. That kind of opens up the window for somebody else to come along and pick on them.. Irvin Wells, retired FBI special agent. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. It connects Virginia's historic triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. Both women were found with rope burns on their neck and wrist with signs of strangulation. Still, some investigators are on the fence and dont want to definitively classify their disappearance as part of the serial killers cycle. The remains were too decomposed to reveal the manner of death. She was determined She was also a Russian scholar. Thursday night was theirs a time when they could be alone together despite living so far apart, despite living in such an unwelcoming world every Thursday night, they were able to live as they wanted. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Theory: A Serial Killer Stalked The Parkway, From a macro view of the murders, the fact that they all took place in close proximity bolsters the popular belief that a serial killer stalked the Colonial Parkway. Fred was considered something of a hero when he uncovered a slew of photographs leaked from the FBIs office in Norfolk. The sightseeing is prime. They were both in top physical condition. All of the victims were young, white, and either a romantic couple or could resemble one to an outsider. We understand that were not going to be at the front of the line, but to hear that evidence hasnt been tested in over a year is unacceptable, Thomas said. "[18], On April 25, 2019, The New York Times published a story on the use of DNA in the Golden State Killer case, the Colonial Parkway murders and other unsolved homicides titled Sooner or Later, Your Cousin's DNA is Going to Solve a Murder. 26, 2018. Dowski was younger and still a student at the College of William and Mary. There is this allure of serial killers, said, Steve Spingola, former homicide detective and author of. Every couple weeks, he hears from someone new. They were couples in cars. Virginia's beautiful Colonial Parkway has a dark history of unsolved murders and disappearances. uses fresh interviews with criminologists and victims family members as well as crime-scene reconstructions and analysis to puzzle out the still-unsolved Colonial Parkway murders. 2023 Copyright Colonial Ghosts. Nonetheless, inconclusive MRI scans appear to show that at least one of the bodies might have suffered knife wounds. Or could it be that four separate criminals were executing young people in the area? ", "Was The Colonial Parkway Killer Pretending To Be Law Enforcement? All the victims were from different backgrounds and demographics, making a profile an incredibly difficult task. They also eventually helped organize some of the families. It also fuels a theory about a possible copycat killer who used the 1986 Colonial Parkway slaying as a way to misdirect investigations into the 1988 double homicide. Emily discusses a slew of disappearances and double murders within a four-year period along the Colonial Parkway in Virginia in the late 80's. . The car had been pushed down an embankment off the Colonial Parkway In Virginia. Several clothing items were found in the vehicle, as were the car keys. Find nearby businesses, restaurants and hotels. A more micro look reveals that victims werent all killed in the same way. "I look around now and there are all of these amazing women in the United States and around the world doing incredible things," said Thomas. Though both are presumed dead, their bodies have never been found. Still, he cant help but wonder what might have been. There is a pattern that OConnell said she cannot ignore.. The keys were still in the ignition, the door was open, and the windshield wipers were going. Naval Academy in 1981 as part of its second class to admit women. The four episodes were to feature former FBI profiler Jim Clemente, as well as investigators including former FBI Agent Maureen O'Connell and former prosecutor Loni Coombs, together with crime scene reconstruction expert Dr. Laura Pettler. The Colonial Parkway murders were the slayings of at least eight people apparently by a serial killer along the Colonial Parkway of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia (or nearby) between 1986 and 1989. He explained it might be easier to wrap ones mind around one killer, not four or even more different ones. Rumors and legends started hitting the headlines. However, the string of murders that followed their deaths made them wonder whether a serial killer was involved. Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com. The linking of the four crimes is circumstantial, and no suspects have ever been publicly identified. We dont need the reminder that these are cold cases.. He said extremely graphic crime scene photos were leaked to the public, fueling the familys anguish. My theory is that David saw something he wasnt supposed to see, Karl Knobling told Lovers Lane Murders. OConnells response: Wrong place, wrong time. Knoblings theory points to why innocent people become victims all too often. Oct. 12, 1986: The bodies of Cathleen Thomas, 27 and Rebecca Dowski, 21, were found at a pull-off on the parkway in Thomas Honda Civic, which had been pushed over an embankment. Keith Call, top row and third to the left, and Cassandra Hailey disappeared April 10, 1988. On October 12, 1986, Columbus Day weekend, their bodies were found inside Thomas's white 1980 Honda Civic at the Cheatham Annex Overlook along the Colonial Parkway in Williamsburg, Virginia. Many who believe the homicides are connected think the killer presented himself as a police officer or park ranger, or someone with authority. This time, their goal is to have DNA in the cases tested. Knobling had taken Edwards out with his little brother and cousin that day. It was known, not only by the homosexual community, but by the haters of the homosexual community, he said. The pair went on a date, seeing a movie and attending a party, on April 9, 1988. "Im very optimistic," he said. [7], In 2010, the Daily Virginian-Pilot ran a photo essay on the case entitled "A Cold Case Heats Up: The Colonial Parkway Murders"[8], In 2011, author Michelle McNamara, author of I'll Be Gone in the Dark, on the Golden State Killer, later an HBO series, published a two-part exploration of the Colonial Parkway murders in her True Crime Diary. [9], In 2013, the Colonial Parkway murders were profiled in the Investigation Discovery television series Dark Minds, with host and true crime author M. William Phelps. The realization that his sister, Cathleen Thomas, was murdered on a scenic Virginia roadway. or redistributed. In the late 1980s, the murders spanning three years brought eight families together through the shared grief, frustration and denial that only they could understand. Annamarie Phelps, top right, and Daniel Lauer, bottom right, disappeared Sept. 5, 1989. According to Thomas, three out of the four cases have DNA evidence. 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