A now-deceased Virginia fisherman has been linked to a series of brutal murders in the 1980s through DNA evidence, bringing a sense of closure for the families of the victims after decades of uncertainty. Alan W. Wilmer, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 63 in Lancaster County, had no prior felonies, making it impossible for investigators to collect his DNA during his lifetime.
The alleged killing spree began in September 1987, when Wilmer is believed to have murdered David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14 at the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge. The bodies of the young couple were found along the shoreline days after their pickup truck was abandoned at the nature preserve. Investigators determined that both had been shot to death, and it appeared that Edwards had also been sexually assaulted.
Wilmer is suspected of at least four couples’ killings between 1986 and 1989, in what became known as the “Colonial Parkway Murders.” Each of these murders took place near a scenic highway that connects several historical towns.
In 1989, Wilmer is also suspected of murdering Teresa Lynn Howell, 29, in Hampton, about 30 miles outside of Virginia Beach. Police determined that Howell had been sexually assaulted, then strangled. Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said there wasn’t any physical evidence linking Wilmer to these unsolved homicides, which have since become the subject of multiple documentaries, news programs, and investigative articles. They continue to investigate whether Wilmer is responsible for any other crimes and urge anyone with information about him to step forward.
With the current evidence, Wilmer could have been charged with homicide had he been alive today. “I want to thank the Edwards, Knobling and Howell families for their patience and understanding over the years,” said Lt. Col. Tim Lyon, director of the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. “Only those who have suffered the loss of a child in this way can truly understand the depth of their sorrow; and the frustration over not knowing who was responsible for taking their loved one’s life in such a violent and cruel way.”
The case serves as a reminder of the painstaking work and advancements in forensic technology that have helped bring closure to cold cases from decades ago. It also highlights the importance of perseverance in investigating unsolved crimes and the impact it has on the families of the victims.