Young couple Julie Williams, 24, and Lollie Winans, 26, were camping in the park over Memorial Day weekend. What happened to them after that remained a mystery until three days later, when a jogger running along the York River by the Colonial Parkway spotted Thomas' white Honda Civic on the edge of an embankment. Both women were found with rope burns on their neck and wrist with signs of strangulation. It was not enough to point to prior owl attacks on humans. Over the years, police have questioned 150 suspects in connection to these four cases, but all have been cleared. Seven years after the final fatalities, another case reignited the investigation. The couple, investigators hypothesize, might have been romantically involved. We have heard that Fred Atwell, the whisteblower in the Colonial Parkway Murders FBI photo leak scandal, died December 16, 2018 in a prison hospital. The first known victims there could very well have been others before that havent been uncovered or linked to the case were Cathleen Thomas, 27, and Rebecca Ann Dowski, 21. Edwards family members, meanwhile, grieved the lost opportunity to know the woman the teenager was becoming. Send that DNA to Parabon and get this case solved so the families can have some peace. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Ryan Noah Yawel Criminal Psychologist. Finally, one of the most bizarre theories about the murders states that the killers identity was, in fact, a rogue CIA operative. Atwell says they asked for his copies, and seized photographs from the school, too. They unloaded their belongings alongside the other stacks labeled, AMERICA, MINNESOTA, ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN, NEW YORK CITY, CHICAGO [More], It was not enough to suggest that Kathleen began to bleed outside. The murders had not happened on the Colonial Parkway, but police linked the cases due to the fact that both sets of victims were couples who had been killed at or around lovers lane areas, and the two locations were only about a 30-minute drive apart. Dowski was younger and still a student at the College of William and Mary. On Wednesday, police in Gwinnett County, Ga., arrested 62-year-old Fred Atwell. You must log in or register to reply here. A crime scene photograph showing the roadway leading back into the woods. The last few years have not been kind to Janzen Robinson. It is a pageantry of American history embroiled in dozens of tunnels and bridges that are incredibly charming and visually impacting. Despite theories that the crimes may not be connected, many still believe that the Colonial Parkway murders were the work of a serial killer. Less than two years later, Annamarie Phelps, 18, and a friend of Phelps' boyfriend, 21-year-old Daniel Lauer, disappeared over Labor Day weekend in 1989. The police investigated exhaustively, but eventually the case went cold. Months later, they were found murdered, wrapped in a blanket in the woods. The Colonial Parkway is a historic and scenic road that links together the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. He had a young pregnant girlfriend and was just starting a new career. After that cycle, the killings abruptly stopped.. However, on their way back to Virginia Beach to start a new chapter in their lives, they vanished. It was not enough to point to prior owl attacks on humans. The rest of the leaked images depict more than can be shown on television. We select them regularly, so sign up NOW! 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. Atwell agreed to take a look - and he made copies. All of the victims were young, White, and were either a romantic couple or could resemble one to. Wake up to the day's most important news. The vehicle should have been in the east bound rest area, but was found in the west bound area where the killer(s) had left it. The police attribute these eight murders to the same killer because of similarities in each case. 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. Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. I was pleased that the victims were truly brought to life and we were able to learn more about them very well done! But this road flips from a gorgeous sun-lit drive to a haunting trek when the night falls, and it's in part because of the troubled past hidden among this road's lanes. Rather, they were the work of multiple killers who coincidentally picked couples in the same area. For at least a year, and maybe for many years, these pictures have circulated among civilians. "He always tried to insert himself into the investigation and into the families," Thomas' brother, Bill Thomas, told The Huffington Post. And, he says, he was ignored. Spingola's investigation revitalized the cold case, causing a few suspects to surface. "These were human beings. But that isn't the case for this killer. 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 were never seen again after that night. If they are smart enough not to get caught, theres very little we can do.. Everything seemed to be going fine as the pair moved their outing to a local party where they enjoyed themselves until around 1:30 a.m. Hailey was an 18-year-old college student. The real question that lingerswere Keith and Cassandra ever on the Colonial Parkway that night, or was Keiths car simply staged and abandoned there? 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. The wooded isolation here is not dissimilar to that of the Colonial Parkway. Someone has leaked graphic crime-scene photographs of the most notorious serial killings in Virginia history, the Colonial Parkway murders. I have to wonder if they were all committed by the same person. 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. She had a soft side but there was a toughness, too, her brother, Bill Thomas, told the producers of Lovers Lane Murders.. Annamaria Phelps came from a hard-working family in Amelia County, Virginia. According to Oxygen, the Colonial Parkway killer changed things up from victim to victim. Fred Atwell, a former Gloucester sheriff's deputy, says he has learned in the past month that his name is on a list of 130 suspects. A former police officer was arrested after an FBI profiler noticed the victims' windows had been left partially open, suggesting a deadly traffic stop. Davids car had been discovered in a parking lot by the James River Bridge. To change his mind, Atwell's friend told him he had crime-scene photos from the Parkway Murders. How they got out is now the core of an FBI investigation, and source of disgust for the families who lost loved ones. Call was a computer science major and an old soul in a way, his brother told Lovers Lane Murders.. They never returned home. 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. For two decades, the crime-scene pictures have. 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. She enjoyed going to the Gap and dressing well, whatever the trend was. 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? well the walls aren't even relatively straight in a lot of them so either she needed to move tf out of where she lived ASAP before it crumbles or she is photoshopping. For two decades, the crime-scene pictures have been secret, critical evidence in the hunt for a serial murderer. "I took them to the FBI and the state police, and nobody has done nothing.". Their bodies were discovered on [Read 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. Everybody loves the scenic views of a beautiful road. The 22-mile-long stretch running between Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown, Virginia, known as Colonial Parkway, is one such road. From 1986 to 1989 at least 8 people were murdered along the Colonial Parkway in Virginia and their killer was never caught. 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. Hope there is resolution. #LoversLaneMurders #ColonialParkwayMurders #truecrime #FBI #DNA A critical future was the way the perpetrator might have approached them. While many of us felt that Atwell knew more about the case than he let on-- all of Fred's stories with mixed in with a healthy serving of BS-- we wish he could have told us, and law enforcement, more. Despite the continued efforts and media frenzy the murders seem to compel, there is little to no traction on the investigation. It doesn't seem as if they knew each other in the slightest. The Colonial Parkway Murders were a series of homicides that occurred between October 1986 and September 1989. -from DEATH BY TALONS by Tiddy Smith On December 9, 2001, Kathleen [More], Henry Louis Wallace terrorized Charlotte, North Carolina, from May 1992 to March 1994. Someone has leaked graphic crime-scene photographs of the most notorious serial killings in Virginia history, the Colonial Parkway murders. "They took him and Sandra and they put his clothes back in the car, just tossed them. On September 5, 1989, their car was found abandoned at an I-64 rest stop strangely, the rest stop was on the opposite route of their way back to Virginia Beach. Atwell was arrested in connection with an alleged phony car raffle. On the evening of Oct. 9, 1986, Thomas and Dowski had been hanging out with two friends at a computer lab when they left to spend some time together. There was no evidence of sexual assault. And as of today, all of the murders remain unsolved. And he would find it. Building awareness of the Colonial Parkway Murders, in which 8 young people were killed in a series of 4 homicides of couples in lovers' lanes in and See more 14,768 people like this 15,897 people follow this https://colonialparkwaymurders.com/ colonialparkwaymurders@gmail.com Community @BillThomas56 @MurderOver Colonial Parkway Murders Photos According to the Daily Press, Spingola was hired by Annamaria Phelps' family to look into the girl's murder. The car was found on the westbound side of the highway, the opposite direction of their destination, which confused police. A typically tranquil area, no one expected the Parkway to be the setting for a gruesome string of murders. I had never heard it before. Theres no hint of the horror that took place herefrom the brutal murders to the attempts to burn then submerge her car. Since I used to travel I 64 between Norfolk and Richmond it would always bother me what would I do if I was pulled over by a cop. The two women had been bound with rope and strangled, and the killer had slit their throats so deeply that they were nearly decapitated. In the 1890s, this was the nickname given to Lizzie Halliday, New York's first known female serial killer. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Required fields are marked *. Larry needed a smoking gun. "They were people and they were loved. Joyce says she found out about the leaked photos in a phone call, not from the FBI, but from a family friend. SECRETS OF A HOLLYWOOD PRIVATE EYE is your ultimate source for the juiciest stories, scandals, and [Read More], It was not enough to suggest that Kathleen began to bleed outside. And got away with it. And only then, according to Atwell, FBI agents suddenly came knocking. Cassandra Hailey and Richard Call Fred Atwell says this investigation into the leaked photos shouldn't be hard. The killer(s) drove Daniel and Annamaria back here in the darkness, killing them and covering their bodies in an electric blanket. Almost all of the clothing Cassandra and Richard had been wearing was found inside the car, along with Richards wallet and Cassandras purse, again ruling out robbery as a motive. 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. He did it again with a Toyota, and one final time at a rest area with a Chevy Nova. One person is a whole lot easier to kill than two. Robert Kalfus. The place is a sightseeing extravaganza brimming with historical points, scenic pull-offs, markers, and memorials. Virginia's Colonial Parkway runs a relatively short 23 miles, from Jamestown to Yorkstown, passing through Williamsburg and thereby connecting all of Virginia's famous "Historic Triangle." Part of the Colonial National Historic Park, the scenic route is designed with sightseeing in mind. 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. The Colonial Parkway murders were the murders of at least eight people along the Colonial Parkway in South-East Virginia between 1986 and 1989. According to the FBI, there are about 1400 murders that remain unsolved.. Was it a serial killer or a coincidence? However, the young couple was struggling financially, so Lauer had agreed to move in with them to help them out with money. "Well, we looked into it. To the Call family, the FBI did not do enough to protect the families from this indignity, and protect the evidence of such terrible crimes. Their bodies uncovered in Virginias Shenandoah National Park. A number of people saw this on the parkway after the party, including his brother Chris. Call loved going to the beach and was especially fond of his car. Atwell's discovery of the 84 graphic photographs brought a lot of much-needed media attention back to the unsolved homicides. As with everything in her life, her career as a stockbroker was a stunning success. Last month, Atwell was arrested in connection with an alleged phony car raffle, in which all of the proceeds were to go to "The Colonial Parkway Victims Fund." 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. David Knobling during his time at the Frederick Military Academy. Nic is extremely knowledgable about the case and he has great insight into the possible scenarios.Guest: Nic @TrueCrimeGarage, www.truecrimegarage.comGuest: Bill Thomas, brother of victim Cathy . The car had been pushed down an embankment off the Colonial Parkway. Cathy in the US Navy one of the first females to serve as Surface Warfare Officers. Her brother's car is in a crime-scene photo never meant to be public. When they did not return home, they were reported missing. She worked two jobs while studying, caring for toddlers at a daycare center and at the colleges English department as a clerk, the Virginian Pilot reported in 2016. Their bodies were found by hunters that came across the bodies weeks after they disappeared. But that's a recent development. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. It may not display this or other websites correctly. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Here is the story of perhaps the most infamous unsolved case in Virginia's history. to the spots logistics and that particular set of prey. 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. The Colonial Parkway Murders: Part OneGuest: Bill Thomas, brother of victim Cathy ThomasConstruction stretched over twenty-six years through the Depression, World War II, and funding shortages.The Parkway allows for a stress-free drive from Yorktown to Jamestown that avoids the regular trafficThe parkway is made of stone pavement to give the feel Joyce Call's brother was one of the victims. It was the young couples very first date. Let's check it out. The first pair of victims, Cathy Thomas and Rebecca Dowski, were a romantic couple who were last seen alive going out to dinner in 1986, as Oxygen points out. As it appears today from the road, this is the lonely trail leading back into the woods where the victims had been taken and killed. The police believed that the murders had happened elsewhere, and the bodies had been dumped in the car since there was not much blood in the car itself. So much time has passed the families have just about given up hope for any resolution. Why would this killer switch things up? Keith took her for a drive down the Colonial Parkway in his red Toyota Celica. Fred was considered something of a hero when he uncovered a slew of photographs leaked from the FBIs office in Norfolk. There's less of a chance that a single victim will get away or fight back. This crime scene photo shows tent erected over their remains as investigators work in the rain to recover every clue. Daniel Lauer and Annamaria Phelps The bodies were covered in a blanket from Daniels car and were badly decomposed, which made it impossible to determine either the cause of death or whether there had been sexual assault. The first and third murders were mere miles apart, and the second and fourth were committed about a half hour away from the Parkway. Murderers tend to target solo victims. Just three days later, they were found murdered inside Thomas 1980 Honda Civic, Richmond.com reported in 2016. 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. I saw that over the weekend, too. I'm just throwing this out there without research, but the isolated areas, where was Hilton at this time? These contemporary photographs show the parking area where Keiths car was discovered. FBI aerial photograph of the pull-over spot where Keith Calls car was found the day after their date. The young woman had graduated from the U.S. In LOU AND JONBENT, Author John Wesley Anderson Reveals the Inside Story of the Failed Police Investigation Into the Kidnapping and Murder of JonBent Ramsey, HIDDEN DEMONS: Evil Visits A Small New England Town, Robert Dodge Combines Biographies of a Norwegian Family and Immigrant Experience from the Mid-19th Century through WWII in FIELDS OF FORTUNE, Janzen Robinson Tackles a New Kind of Threat in DAWN OF LEGACY: The Monsters and Men Trilogy, Book Three, Author Blog by Nic Edwards: The Porchlight Project Helps Identify Erie County Jane Doe after 43 Years, Introducing the highly-anticipated audiobook LOU AND JONBENT, narrated by the renowned Stephen Bowlby, Early Release! A ransom note was found in the home, but it was hours before her father, John, found her body in the basement. The Colonial Parkway Murders first victims were Cathy Thomas (L) and Rebecca Dowski (R). They were brothers, sisters, sons, daughters,' says Joyce Call. The photographs were being used as a training tool for a security company, and a number of the images had been leaked to the media. The interior of Daniels car. The probable tragedy struck after the party. This car, along with their mangled bodies, found at the Cheatham Annex Overlook in Williamsburg, Virginia, had been doused in diesel fuel. The car . The killer taunted authorities by hanging his feathered roach clip on the half-opened drivers side window. And they show exactly how the unknown killer left the bodies. "He called [a] suicide hotline and said that he is suicidal, a suspect in a serial murder [investigation] and wanted to commit suicide by cop," Thomas said. The vision behind the Murder Accountability Project. The two women in the car were identified as Cathleen Cathy Thomas, a 27-year-old graduate of the Naval Academy, and Rebecca Ann Dowski, a 21-year-old student at the College of William and Mary. Along the way, as he notes in his pamphlet Predators on the Parkway: A Former Homicide Detective Explores the Colonial Parkway Murders, he came to the conclusion that the murders weren't the work of a serial killer. The Colonial Parkway is a 23 mile (37km) scenic landscape/thoroughfare that links Virginias Historic Triangle. Show Who Killed. If that was who was pertrating these crimes. I was in disbelief for a while. Just like those 1400 unsolved murders, Hargrove conducted his studies on, theres a huge likelihood that the Colonial Parkway Murders will remain a cold case and that the devil behind it will never be brought to justice just like Jack The Ripper Just like the Zodiac Killer Just like the Alphabet Killer The Barnaul Maniac Charlie Chop-off and the 85 other serial killers. The Untold Truth Of The Colonial Parkway Murders, Predators on the Parkway: A Former Homicide Detective Explores the Colonial Parkway Murders. The Colonial Parkway is a beautiful stretch of highway which cuts through the Colonial National Historical Park in South-East Virginia. 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. They show how the Colonial Parkway Killer stalk. They didn't make it. And with Stealing Manhattan, a book that details, as the author proclaims, a "mega-heist" that involved the taking of [Read More], Henry Louis Wallace terrorized Charlotte, North Carolina, from May 1992 to March 1994. ", "He wanted authority and probably did not have it," she said. Just like the other three cases, the case eventually went cold, and the killer was never brought to justice. The pair went on a date, seeing a movie and attending a party, on April 9, 1988. But [Read More], In 1971 and 1972, a deadly predator stalked the streets of the nations capital. Since then, 62-year-old Fred had numerous encounters with the law, including a larceny charge; 100 dollars. Fred died in 2018, and whatever secrets he had died with him. 1. Hanlon declined to explain what happened between Atwell's first complaints, and this recent scramble to retrieve the photographs. Part of HuffPost Crime. The Parkway is surrounded by woods and has far fewer entries and exits than a typical highway. For two decades, the crime-scene pictures have been secret, critical evidence in the hunt for a serial murderer. This is a weird one: Saw a thing on THS over the weekend about this. CRIMES Serial Killers VA VA - The Colonial Parkway Murders, 1986-89 littlehorn Sep 16, 2008 New Posts G Madeleine McCann: German Prisoner Identified as Suspect, #33 Latest: G-Unit 2 minutes ago Madeleine McCann UK - Nurse Lucy Letby, Faces 22 Charges - 7 Murder/15 Attempted Murder of Babies #18 Latest: LadyEdgeworth 4 minutes ago Trials N Your email address will not be published. The couple had been missing since the evening of October 9th after they had been seen leaving a computer lab. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. These two were the only victims whose bodies were never found but thought to be victims: Eight people crossed paths with a serial killer in the late 1980s. Spingola believes that the two sets of murders were hate crimes committed by the same perpetrator. In the center of the image is Danny Plott, standing next to Dr. Marcella Fierro of the Virginia State Medical Examiners office. The Colonial Parkway is a beautiful stretch of highway which cuts through the Colonial National Historical Park in South-East Virginia. Knoblings father and the local constabulary spearheaded the manhunt. That means he's in charge of the Colonial Parkway cases. Lauer's car was found abandoned at a rest area on the westbound side of I-64. He dropped Edwards off at her home, but later that night she snuck out to meet him. Daniel Lauer was from Amelia County, Virginia. State police and local agencies are investigating the murders of Knobling, Edwards, Lauer, and Phelps. David Knobling at Christmas in 1986, a few month prior to his death. The first set of victims from the Colonial Parkway murders were killed via a mix of strangulation and cut throats. If Call wanted to make a good impression, it was his job to have her home by 2 a.m. One of the last photos of Cathy Thomas with her friend Deb Hill. I am from this area born and raised. The drivers side window was partially rolled down causing police to believe that the perpetrator had possibly been posing as or was some sort of uniformed officer. Mainly because no bodies have ever been uncovered. From 1986 to 1989, four double homicides occurred either on or near the scenic, seemingly safe road. I was floored. None of these murders have been solved, and the photographs are out in the public. Annamarias purse was found inside the car, once more ruling our robbery as a motive. Wallace preyed on lower economic class Black women between 17 and 35 years old. On September 5th they were reported missing when their car was found abandoned at the New Kent rest stop on I-64. A Virginia State Police photograph showing the isolated logging trail from the air when the bodies were discovered. 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/. That October, a hunter came upon the couple's skeletal remains less than a mile from the rest area. 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. Here's a link to an April 19, 2009 article about criminologist Larry McCann researching these violent crimes. David always backed his vehicle in, never left it unlocked, and it didnt require the keys turned to accessories to play the radioall signs that his vehicle was staged for theft the calling card of the Colonial Parkway murderer. The killers were there for a while, soaking the interior of the vehicle with diesel, trying to light it, then pushing the car over the embankment. JavaScript is disabled. After Atwell spoke to NewsChannel 3, we called the FBI. The sightseeing is prime. THE COLONIAL PARKWAY MURDERS: A STEP BY STEP REPORT. The two-decade-old puzzle of the Colonial Parkway murders had pretty much fizzled out at the time the photos were uncovered. It is easy to see how the vehicle was overlooked for so long. Someone has leaked graphic crime-scene photographs of the most notorious serial killings in Virginia history, the Colonial Parkway murders. On their return trip to Virginia Beach they encountered their killer(s). Her brother Keith was killed on a first date with Cassandra Hailey. Thomas had also entered a relationship with Dowski, and the two were known to regularly visit the area where they were murdered. For the first time in years, the family of one of the victims in the Colonial Parkway serial murders is meeting with the FBI. The murderer in the Colonial Parkway killings was never captured, and Steve Spingola, a private detective, believes he knows why. The second couple was found nearly a year later in their car, dead of multiple gunshot wounds. Knobling lived in Hampton while he worked for his fathers landscaping business, and was expecting a baby with his longtime girlfriend. FBI photo of Ragged Island. Rebeccas body was found in the backseat of the car, while Cathys was found stuffed into the hatchback. "He was always washing it, his sister, Joyce Call-Canada, told The Virginian Pilot. Or could it be that four separate criminals were executing young people in the area? The only couples that had anything in common seemed to be the first pair and the (potentially connected) final couple, Lollie Winans and Julianne Williams, both of which Historic Mysteries says were lesbian couples, but the others were perceived to be straight couples.