VIRGINIA – The FBI announced it has finally cracked one of Virginia’s most haunting cold cases, identifying the man responsible for the Colonial Parkway murders that terrorized young couples in the late 1980s.
Alan Wade Wilmer of Lancaster County has been identified as the killer behind at least six deaths and disappearances that occurred along the scenic parkway between 1986 and 1989.
There’s just one catch: Wilmer died in 2017 at age 63, meaning he’ll never face prosecution for his alleged crimes.
The breakthrough came through modern forensic testing that linked Wilmer to evidence collected decades ago. Investigators were able to confirm his involvement in multiple cases that had gone unsolved for nearly four decades.
Among the victims now connected to Wilmer are Cathleen Thomas, 27, and Rebecca Dowski, 21, whose bodies were found in their vehicle along the Colonial Parkway in October 1986. David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14, were fatally shot in 1987.
Investigators also linked Wilmer to the 1989 strangulation death of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, 29, in what officials described as a related case.
“This represents one of the most complex and enduring cold case investigations in Virginia history,” the FBI said in announcing the findings.
Dominique Evans, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Norfolk field office, made clear that investigators never gave up. “We will not stop, we will not forget, and we will seek justice,” Evans said, noting that work continues on the remaining unsolved cases from that era.
The original crime series involved at least eight murders and disappearances of young people along or near the scenic parkway connecting Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown.
