GLOUCESTER, Virginia – Law enforcement officials in Virginia announced on Monday that a small-time fisherman who passed away in 2017 has been linked to three cold-case homicides in the state from the 1980s. This includes two cases that were part of a series of unsolved slayings known as the “Colonial Parkway Murders.”
The suspect, identified as Alan W. Wilmer Sr., would have faced charges if he were alive, according to Virginia State Police. Although details about how Wilmer is tied to the killings are scarce, authorities revealed that they legally obtained his DNA after his death. Wilmer was not a convicted felon, which meant his DNA was not in any law enforcement databases. Two of the three victims were sexually assaulted.
The “Colonial Parkway Murders” involved the deaths of three couples on or near a scenic drive that connects Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown in southeastern Virginia. The victims were killed between 1986 and 1989. In 1987, the bodies of David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14, were found fatally shot near the south bank of the James River in Isle of Wight County. While no forensic or physical evidence currently links that double homicide to the others, the cases remain active.
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 connected to the Colonial Parkway killings.
As investigators continue to reconstruct Wilmer’s movements and encounters with others during his lifetime, they are actively pursuing leads on the other killings and haven’t ruled out anything. They are seeking information from anyone who knew or worked with Wilmer, urging them to contact the FBI.
The families of the victims expressed gratitude for the progress in the case and the closure it provides. With the suspect deceased, they find a sense of relief and justice, although they acknowledge that nothing can bring their loved ones back. The investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement agencies are committed to seeking justice for the victims.