After that cycle, the killings abruptly stopped.. Everybody loves the scenic views of a beautiful road. Some of his victims he held captive for days, [Read More], Get a closer look at the photos from Blaine Pardoe and Victoria Hester's new true crime TANTAMOUNT [Read More], For four years a killer, or killers, stalked Virginias Tidewater region, carefully selecting victims, sending waves of terror into the local community. According to NBC, their love was a new, budding thing that would never get the chance to flourish. His tenure as the unelected Champion of Cleveland was rough, but it's hard not to catch glimpses of hope as tides of change [More], Copyright 2023 WildBlue Press. "I often wonder if he knows something he is not telling us," Thomas said. Each pair was romantically involved in some way, a couple the killer likely saw as a lustful duo. Their trip home on Labor Day weekend was only for a fewhours. These crime scene photographs show the area where the remains of David Knobling and Robin Edwards were found three days after their disappearance. Or could it be that four separate criminals were executing young people in the area? Investigators do not yet know how much money, if any, Atwell pocketed from the raffle but they say he cashed a check for $270 that was supposed to go for Department of Motor Vehicle fees related to the nonexistent cars. The murderer in the Colonial Parkway killings was never captured, and Steve Spingola, a private detective, believes he knows why. A double homicide is a rare occurrence in and of itself, so four happening so close together has naturally caused many to wonder if a serial killer is behind this series or murders. Four double homicides occurred on or near the Colonial Parkway in Virginia during the 1980s. Wallace preyed on lower economic class Black women between 17 and 35 years old. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. On their return trip to Virginia Beach they encountered their killer(s). I was very concerned because the only reason IMO that the couples would be taken by surprise like they were and seemed abducted so easily, if it were a cop or someone pretending to be a cop. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! David Knobling and Robin Edward Here is the story of perhaps the most infamous unsolved case in Virginia's history. Website design by Denver Local SEO Marketing CompanyA SPECIAL KIND OF EVIL Photo Gallery. One of the last photos of Cathy Thomas with her friend Deb Hill. The Colonial Parkway is a beautiful stretch of highway which cuts through the Colonial National Historical Park in South-East Virginia. There were only two things the Colonial Parkway murder victims had in common: They were killed near Colonial Parkway, and they were killed in couples. On October 12, 1986, a pedestrian saw a car down an embankment on the Colonial Parkway where it was obscured from the view of the road. This book has been very informative and I learned things that were not covered by the documentary. The Colonial Parkway Murders first victims were Cathy Thomas (L) and Rebecca Dowski (R). It's been over 30 years, and they're still missing without much of a trace. The car was found on the westbound side of the highway, the opposite direction of their destination, which confused police. They called a highway patrolman who arrived on scene to make the gruesome discovery of the bodies of two young women in the car. Brown also said the perpetrator could be involved in law enforcement or, more likely, "wished he were. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. The 22-mile-long stretch running between Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown, Virginia, known as Colonial Parkway, is one such road. In total, 4 pairs of people were targeted, resulting in eight murders and six bodies found. This recent image shows the only marker at Ragged Island, a gunshot sign. And with Stealing Manhattan, a book that details, as the author proclaims, a "mega-heist" that involved the taking of [More], On an unseasonably warm April evening in 2001, the headless body of a tiny girl was found discarded in a makeshift dump site in the woods on the southeast side of Kansas City, Missouri. Daniel Lauer was from Amelia County, Virginia. 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. This pathway has been rebuilt and moved, but in 1987 it was more isolated with even more tree and shrub growth along the sides. The view north on the Colonial Parkway as it appears today, looking north from the pull-off where Cathy Thomas and Becky Thomas were discovered. The differences in killing methods is something that is often pointed at, as Cathy and Rebecca were strangled and then had their throats slit, David and Robin were shot, and Annamaria and Daniel were presumably stabbed. I think we understand where it came from. She had a soft side but there was a toughness, too, her brother, Bill Thomas, told the producers of Lovers Lane Murders.. The first set of victims from the Colonial Parkway murders were killed via a mix of strangulation and cut throats. Brian Hanlon supervises the Peninsula FBI office. They didn't make it. Its isolation and lack of patrols by the NPS made it a perfect place for murder or to dispose of a vehicle/bodies. While the FBI and the Virginia State Police looked into the Colonial Parkway cases, the families of the victims joined together to support each other and conduct their own investigation into the cases. We were very skeptical and at some point in the spring he dropped it.". Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Another man, David Rice, was acquitted after circumstantial evidence, including a pair of restraints and location history, put him on trial for the Winans-Williams murder, according to Historic Mysteries. ?, Ep The Colonial Parkway Murders: Part Three - Sep 12, 2019 Though this case has appeared in the media several times over the past 30+ years, it's still as mysterious as it is unique. For the second time in a month, authorities in Virginia are investigating a former deputy sheriff who has ties to the Colonial Parkway murders -- a series of unsolved homicides that began in 1986 along the scenic 23-mile route between Jamestown and Yorktown -- in Virginia. Both victims had been shot, Robin in the back of the head execution style, and David twice, once in the head and once in the shoulder like he had been running from the killer. This unwholesome section is grisly and malignant Youve been warned. Davids car had been discovered in a parking lot by the James River Bridge. The Colonial Parkway murders were the murders of at least eight people along the Colonial Parkway in South-East Virginia between 1986 and 1989. He had a young pregnant girlfriend and was just starting a new career. The Colonial Parkway is a scenic, 23-mile stretch in Virginia that links the historic towns of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. The tale got more fantastic as it went on. As of now, the killer (or killers) remains at large. Robin Edwards, a spitfire youngster who was more mature than her physical years. We select them regularly, so sign up NOW! Steve Spingola, former Milwaukee homicide detective, investigated the murders on behalf of the families. The refuge still has a reputation for being a place for a romantic spot and drug deals. The Colonial Parkway Murdersthe name given eight murders that took place in the Tidewater [Read More], True crime author, Burl Barer, has always possessed that all-important knack for seeking out hidden truth and finding it. As the agent at the beginning of this diabolical coverage said: What made these murders stand out was the complexity of them.. He shoved a Honda off a bluff with two bodies inside. The Parkway is surrounded by woods and has far fewer entries and exits than a typical highway. The sightseeing is prime. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Cathy in the US Navy one of the first females to serve as Surface Warfare Officers. A round dusk on Oct. 12, 1986, a passerby happened upon a white Honda Civic leaning nose-first over the edge of a 15-foot embankment just off Virginia's picturesque Colonial Parkway. The investigations into all eight murders are ongoing and active, the Virginian Pilot reported. The Parkway is surrounded by woods and has far fewer entries and exits than a typical highway. "This would indicate someone approached the vehicle and was likely thought to be a police officer," she said. Just three days later, they were found murdered inside Thomas 1980 Honda Civic. At least eight of these killings comprise the Colonial Parkway murders. They were brothers, sisters, sons, daughters,' says Joyce Call. Your email address will not be published. Still, some investigators are on the fence and dont want to definitively classify their disappearance as part of the serial killers cycle. Listen to Nic Edwards Chilling Account of THE DELPHI MURDERS with the Audiobook Narrated by Kevin Pierce, Meet Internationally Renowned True Crime Author Ron Chepesiuk, Meet Author Nic Edwards, Acclaimed Podcast Host of True Crime Garage. Both their purses and their money were found inside the car, ruling out robbery as a motive. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_Accountability_Project, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Aamodt, https://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/features/murder-woods-shenandoah-national-park/. The police investigated exhaustively, but eventually the case went cold. She had been strangled with a [Read More], A father, his daughter, and a brave young girl thwarted criminals whose escalating hidden demons led them to bolder and more risky acts of violence in Margery Metzger's Debut True Crime. She was young, and she had a curfew. Things seemed to return to normal until September 22, 1987, when the bodies of another young couple were found along the bank of the James River in Virginia. One long night turned into four long years for [Read More], Famous Rock Stars, TV Celebrities, Stone Cold Conmen, A Daring Rescue of Kidnapped Kids, And More! For more than 20 years, the Colonial Parkway Serial Killer has kept his secrets. Fred Atwell says this investigation into the leaked photos shouldn't be hard. These contemporary photographs show the parking area where Keiths car was discovered. Its proximity to where Becky and Cathy were found a year earlier should have been a clue to the park rangers but it was one they chose to ignore. On September 20, 1987, David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14, were shot at point-blank range in the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge, near the south shore of James River in Smithfield, Virginia. One of the last photos of David Knobling. Richard Keith Call Keith to his friends and family. After Atwell spoke to NewsChannel 3, we called the FBI. Hair that had been found in Cathys hand and a biological sample found on Robin have never been tested, but with advances in DNA technology and resources like GEDmatch, the families of the victims are hopeful they will finally get answers. Lauer and Phelps might have been a settlement of scores and was carried out by a professional, while Knobling and Edward were murdered following a robbery. The Colonial Parkway Murders - Revisiting The Crime Scenes Mobile Instinct 373K subscribers Subscribe 265K views 1 year ago Virginia's beautiful Colonial Parkway has a dark history of. I'm just throwing this out there without research, but the isolated areas, where was Hilton at this time? One of the many scenic overpasses on the Colonial Parkway as it appears now. But Atwell died behind bars before his involvement in the killings could be confirmed. Some don't believe this pair can be counted in the Colonial Parkway murders because we don't know what happened to the victims, whereas others believe the case bears a convincing resemblance to the others. Despite theories that the crimes may not be connected, many still believe that the Colonial Parkway murders were the work of a serial killer. Authorities discovered Cathleen and Rebecca on Columbus Day weekend, 1986, inside a white 1980 Honda Civic. The two women had been bound with rope and strangled, and the killer had slit their throats so deeply that they were nearly decapitated. Annamarias purse was found inside the car, once more ruling our robbery as a motive. The Untold Truth Of The Colonial Parkway Murders, Predators on the Parkway: A Former Homicide Detective Explores the Colonial Parkway Murders. I live in Norfolk now but I still am scared to travel that stretch of road, especially where the couple's car was found at the rest stop going in the other direction in which they were headed. Keith was programming on leading edge home computing technology for the 1988. Thomas Hargrove, researcher, and archivist. They also ruled out robbery as a motive, since both womens purses were still there, and no money or jewelry had been taken. The interior of Daniels car. Its still unclear what David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14, were doing together the night of their murders in 1987. I have followed these murders since they happened. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Was this a breadcrumb she had dropped, was it cut off during her struggle, or was it some sort of symbol that the killer left behind for investigators? Crime scene photograph of David Knoblings coveted Ford pickup at Ragged Island. According to the Daily Press, Spingola was hired by Annamaria Phelps' family to look into the girl's murder. I had never heard it before. Three days later, their bodies washed up onto the beach at Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge. In Spingolas eyes, there was no serial killer. What were the Colonial Parkway Murders? "Incredibly intrusive. He's a former Gloucester deputy, who, almost a year ago, says he told authorities who leaked the pictures, how they got out, and who has them. They show how the Colonial Parkway Killer stalked couples in cars, stabbed some and shot others, and then discarded their bodies. A number of people saw this on the parkway after the party, including his brother Chris. Filed Under: A SPECIAL KIND OF EVIL, Blaine Pardoe, Blog, True Crime Tagged With: A SPECIAL KIND OF EVIL, best true crime books, Blaine Pardoe, Colonial Parkway, historical true crime, Serial Killer, serial killer books, serial murder, True Crime Authors, true crime book, true crimes, True-crime, truecrime, Victoria HesterJuly 9, 2017 By Ashley Butler 5 Comments, Excellent read. Their throats had been viciously slashed and they had been strangled to death. There has to be a degree of self-sabotage from a serial killer for an investigation to pan out. None of the victims were robbed, and sexual assault did not appear to be a motive in any of the cases. I am from this area born and raised. They never returned home. Last year, criminal profiler Pat Brown shared her own theory with AOL News -- a theory that centers on the fact that in some of the cases, the victims' driver's window had been rolled down.
