Despite the continued efforts and media frenzy the murders seem to compel, there is little to no traction on the investigation. Their bodies uncovered in Virginias Shenandoah National Park. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Thomas had also entered a relationship with Dowski, and the two were known to regularly visit the area where they were murdered. [citation needed]. The Colonial Parkway Murders - Revisiting The Crime Scenes Mobile Instinct 370K subscribers Subscribe 10K 264K views 1 year ago Virginia's beautiful Colonial Parkway has a dark history. According to Moore, this new advancement has led to hundreds of arrests across the country. Knoblings father and the local constabulary spearheaded the manhunt. Its very important to do these interviews, and to let your readers, and the viewers of the television series, even listening to the podcast, and whatever, know why this is still important, Thomas said. (Oxygen). In Spingolas eyes, there was no serial killer. Theyre very, very different in force and intensity. [1] During that time, three couples were murdered and one couple is missing and presumed to be dead. Legal Statement. [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. They all died at night. Why? . Actor Steve Altes portrayed the killer. Each had been shot in the head. The Colonial Parkway is a scenic, 23-mile stretch in Virginia that links the historic towns of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. They could be related, he said, adding that he doesnt see links among all four. Find nearby businesses, restaurants and hotels. Thomas was nearly decapitated. The Colonial Parkway murders were a series of four double homicides from 1986-89. If they are smart enough not to get caught, theres very little we can do.. 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. The murders associated with the series span from the area around the Colonial Parkway around Williamsburg, to New Kent . The Colonial Parkway murders began here in Hampton Roads nearly 35 years ago. Despite the moniker the Colonial Parkway Murders, the time frame and proximity of the deaths, law enforcement has never conclusively linked the cases, leaving many, including the family members, to believe that some or all of the cases are connected or none at all. This time, their goal is to have DNA in the cases tested. Six weeks later, hunters found their remains. The women were bound with rope and strangled. Joyce Call-Canada is the older sister of Keith Call. It's difficult to imagine that a community could be infiltrated in that way, he emphasized. This section is going to be macabre, scatological, and disturbing. A more micro look reveals that victims werent all killed in the same way. Its difficult to imagine something as gruesome and shocking as a string of murders occurring on this seemingly safe road but thats exactly what happened decades ago. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. "Cathy was somebody that could more than hold her own in any situation," he said. The killer could have been lying in wait specifically for them. Entertainment Television presented a full-length documentary, THS Investigates Serial Killers on the Loose, which features a segment on the Colonial Parkway murders. They show how the Colonial Parkway Killer stalk 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays Phelps, who family members described to Lovers Lane Murders producers as having a very sharp wit, was dating Lauers younger brother, whom she lived with in Virginia Beach. 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. Virginia's beautiful Colonial Parkway has a dark history of unsolved murders and disappearances. We have forensic genealogy available.". There's too many differences.". A typically tranquil area, no one expected the Parkway to be the setting for a gruesome string of murders. Though both are presumed dead, their bodies have never been found. [23] and "Was the Colonial Parkway Killer Pretending to be Law Enforcement? The series made its debut on February 1112, 2021. This murder series is the single greatest unsolved murder series in the history of Virginia and it needs attention, Thomas said. ", EMILIE MORRIS, THE FORMER STUDENT WHO DIED AFTER ACCUSING HER COACH OF ABUSE, BECOMES FOCUS OF TRUE-CRIME DOC. In the case of the Golden State Killer, DeAngelo was identified through third cousins. Then, the little ideas turned into big ideas and that was the start of our connection.. Here are prominent theories that have been put forth over the years. 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.. That kind of opens up the window for somebody else to come along and pick on them.. Unlike OConnell, Coombs doesnt see the work of a serial killer. The evidence of the crime was kept intact by a fluke of fate when the diesel failed to ignite. He explained it might be easier to wrap ones mind around one killer, not four or even more different ones. The series was published again by the paper in 2010. She enjoyed going to the Gap and dressing well, whatever the trend was. No one has been standing in this line longer than the family members.. From about October 1986 to September 1989, 8 people are presumed to have been murdered near Colonial Parkway in Eastern Virginia. There is this allure of serial killers, said, Steve Spingola, former homicide detective and author of. Chilling and eerie similarities connected the four cases, but no one has ever been arrested for the crimes. Every couple weeks, he hears from someone new. The second night airs Friday at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. "[15], On July 23, 2018. There were little signs of struggle. [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. The car had been pushed down an embankment off the Colonial Parkway In Virginia. Lovers Lane Murders, a new four-part Oxygen series, 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. For the families of the eight victims, it is yet another year spent searching for answers. But when the other crimes started taking place, year after year, youre just shocked This person may have a law enforcement background or at least understand how law enforcement works.". Cathy Thomas, 27, and Rebecca Dowski, 21, were strangled and had their throats cut in 1986; David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14, were shot in 1987; Keith Call, 20, and Cassandra Hailey, 19, disappeared after a college party in 1988 and are still missing; and the remains of Annamaria Phelps, 18, and Daniel Lauer, 21, were found by hunters in 1989. And unfortunately . We feellike we could be just as close to start to solve these cases. 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. who has spent more than 20 years looking into the murders. The killer tried unsuccessfully to set it on fire. As of 2017, our research estimates that over 2000 serial killers are still at large and active in the United States. The investigations into all eight murders are ongoing and active, the Virginian Pilot reported. The car had been pushed down an embankment off the Colonial Parkway. 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. Finally, there was no evidence of sexual assault pre or post mortem; the pair were fully clothed and sexually intact. She had a soft side but there was a toughness, too, her brother, Bill Thomas, told the producers of Lovers Lane Murders.. In total, 4 pairs of people were targeted, resulting in eight murders and six bodies found. Santiago said she had previously been told by Virginia State Police that there was DNA evidence in her sisters case and the possibility of conducting more advanced testing on it, but has not heard anything since, as communication has varied over time as the case is handed down to new people. In September 1987, a truck belonging to David Knobling, 20, was found abandoned by the James River Bridge. Its a roadway and state route, partly manned by the National Park Service, that interlocks Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. [25], On July 23, 2021, The Daily Beast published an article about the Colonial Parkway murders, primarily focusing on the murder of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowski, the first known victims of the Colonial Parkway killer. From 1986 to 1989, four double homicides occurred on or near the Colonial Parkway. When did it happen, and whos the culprit? 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. [2] Thomas was working as a stockbroker at the time of the murder. LA County Criminal Prosecutor Loni Coombs and former FBI Special Agent Maureen OConnell are seen here speaking with Bill Thomas. In 2008, E! The Parkway murders are believed to be the act of an apparent serial killer. The eeriest part,. The violence suggests, Pettler said, that the killer may have been someone who knew Thomas. Sean Xu/Shutterstock From 1986 to 1989, a series of murders along Virginia's historic Colonial Parkway claimed the lives of eight people in their teens and twenties. An autopsy found rope burns on their necks and wrists, signs of strangulation, their throats had been slashed, and diesel fuel was poured over the bodies and the car but the car failed to ignite. However, Thomas claimed new tips come in "every week or two," giving hope that these cold cases can be solved today. [6] Former WTKR investigative reporter Mike Mather found that much of the evidence, stored for over two decades, had yet to be tested for DNA and other trace evidence. For Thomas, who has dedicated years of his life searching for answers, it is the hope that after three decades, his sisters cold case will be finally closed. 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. A couple, romantically involved, was found bound, gagged and their throats slit almost 200 miles from the initial hunting grounds. Fully researched, completely skeptical, unreservedly on the side of the victims. He dropped Edwards off at her home, but later that night she snuck out to meet him. They plan to write another soon. Hailey, meanwhile, was a college freshman who modeled and taught gymnastics, according to the outlet. What the investigators uncovered was a horrid tableau of deprivation. The Colonial Parkway is a 23 mile (37km) scenic landscape/thoroughfare that links Virginia's Historic Triangle. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Authorities discovered Cathleen and Rebecca on Columbus Day weekend, 1986, inside a white 1980 Honda Civic. However, these victims were known to frequent the area on Thursday nights. Lauer's car, a gold 1972 Chevrolet Nova, was soon found abandoned at the I-64 New Kent rest stop in New Kent County and it was discovered to have been heading in the wrong direction, away from their intended Virginia Beach destination. 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. That kind of opens up the window for somebody else to come along and pick on them., Theory: A Moral Enforcer Became A Deadly Predator, Theory: Victims Were In The Wrong Place At The Wrong Time, To learn more about the case, watch Lovers Lane Murders". Hailey, 19, and Call, 20, were both students at Christopher Newport University. And in these 34 years, she would have done amazing things.". 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. He told Lovers Lane Murders that there may be links between the first and third murders, which are firmly tied to the Colonial Parkway. Located roughly halfway between Richmond and Virginia Beach, the Colonial Parkway spans approximately 22 miles in southeastern Virginia and is an incredibly beautiful drive during . But is it possible they are tragic, separate events? The couple, investigators hypothesize, might have been romantically involved. According to Thomas, three out of the four cases have DNA evidence. Joyce Call-Canada is the older sister of Keith Call. Although it is compelling and plausible, there is no evidence that it was law enforcement, said former prosecutor and series co-host Loni Coombs. 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. Thomas said the families were devastated by the sudden, brutal deaths. (Oxygen). Months later, they were found murdered, wrapped in a blanket in the woods. Thomas said Cathy was "very upbeat and excited." You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 26, 2018. LA County Criminal Prosecutor Loni Coombs and former FBI Special Agent Maureen OConnell are seen here speaking with Bill Thomas. In 2010, a note was discovered in a box taken years earlier from Annamaria Phelps's apartment. Cassandra Lee Hailey, 18, and Richard Keith Call, 20, dropped off the face of the Earth on that Spring evening. The 22-mile-long stretch running between Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown, Virginia, known as Colonial Parkway, is one such road. A critical future was the way the perpetrator might have approached them. "Colonial Parkway Murders" is a bit of a misnomer in that only 2 sets of the murders happened along the Colonial Parkway in Virginia, with . On October 19th, a month and a half after their disappearance, hunters along interstate 64 between Williamsburg and Richmond stumbled onto the skeletonized remains of both kids. Despite the fact that there have been no public updates on the case for nearly 11 years, some of the families have found renewed hope through genetic genealogy and a resurgence in public awareness. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. While genetic genealogy offers the family members a new prospect, they have never given up hope that their siblings cases will be solved. This, in turn, ratcheted up the media when they got a hold of the fact that Camp Peary is a training facility for the Central Intelligence Agency. Was it a serial killer or a coincidence? Murders all occurred, she said, within a 30-mile radius and all on a weekend or holiday., Moreover, the slayings occurred at night, and mostly in areas that look like lovers lanes. But youre always reminded, in little ways, who is here and who is not., Em Holter, emily.holter@virginiamedia.com, 757-256-6657, @EmHolterNews, Abigail Adcox, abigail.adcox@virginiamedia.com, 757-264-8149, @abigailadcox. Thomas said that over the years, there have been moments where he was frustrated with the investigation of his sisters murder. Edwards family members, meanwhile, grieved the lost opportunity to know the woman the teenager was becoming. Most crime scenes were near the water. This year, he would have been 53. The burden gets a little easier, but in such a small incremental way that you dont realize it at first, Thomas said. Roadway Killers Are Still Active In United States Today, How Behavioral Profiling Works To Catch Killers. And remember, this was the 1980s. Then people are more likely to care, finished Teri Hailey. For more on the Colonial Parkway murders, watch Oxygens new limited series Lovers Lane Murders, airing Thursday, February 11 and Friday, February 12 at 9/8c and 10/9c. The Colonial Parkway Murders may be linked with other cases in Virginia around that time frame, including the 1996 murder of Alicia Showalter Reynolds in the Route 29 Stalker case, and the murder of hikers Julie Williams and Lollie Winans in the Shenadoah National Park . He told Lovers Lane Murders that it suggests the driver was responding to authority. Once more, there were no signs of sexual assault or robbery. Calls beloved Toyota Celica was discovered at a York River overlook, just a few miles from where Thomas and Dowski had been murdered two years prior. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. [11], On October 8, 2016, the Richmond Times Dispatch ran an in-depth article on the 30th anniversary of the Colonial Parkway murders case: After 30 Years, Relatives in Parkway Murders Hope for a Break in Cases[12], On October 8, 2016, the Virginian-Pilot published in-depth story, "The Killer Could Still be Out There: 30 Years Later, Still No Answers in the Colonial Parkway Murders"[13], On May 4, 2018, the Colonial Parkway murders were covered in featured panel discussion at the annual "CrimeCon" true crime convention in Nashville. Finally, the killers scope and the geographical stretch of his spree make it near impossible to set up a proliferation point from which to work from, a range to actively stake-out. Ryan Noah Yawel Criminal Psychologist. At the time of her death, Cathy was dating Dowski, a student at the College of William and Mary. "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. The former was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and the latter a senior of Willam & Mary College. (Jonathon Gruenke / Daily Press). Coombs and OConnell reviewed commonalities and dissimilarities in terms of location, treatment of bodies, method of murder, time and date, victims, motive, and crime scene. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Robin Edwards, top row and second to the left, and David Knobling, bottom row and second to the left, were murdered Sept. 23, 1987. Get extra footage on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/mobileinstinctMy T-Shirts \u0026 Sweatshirts available here - https://shop.spreadshirt.com/mobileinstinct/ If you want to buy me a beer - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/mobileinstinctAll of my videos are organized by state on my website https://www.TheMobileInstinct.com More videos on My Second Channel - https://www.youtube.com/mobileinstinct2INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/mobileinstinct New FACEBOOK page - Lets be friends - https://www.facebook.com/mobileinstinct*CHECK OUT these cool videos! But is it possible they are tragic, separate events? 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 . 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