"It was difficult," Thomas admitted. [17], On December 22, 2018, veteran reporter Mike Holtzclaw wrote an article for the Daily Press marking Colonial Parkway murders whistleblower Fred Atwell's passing titled: "Former Deputy's Death Leaves Parkway Victim's Families Wondering What He Knew. Fred Atwell: Fred Atwell is the former deputy sheriff that was active during the investigation in 1986. It helps explain how the killer could take control of two people at once. Psychic Pam Coronado felt that the killings were all related but that the locations of the cars were not where the actual violence occurred. The Parkway murders are believed to be the act of an apparent serial killer. S, eries co-host Maureen OConnell, a former FBI special agent, sees telltale signs to support this theory. Their throats had been viciously slashed and they had been strangled to death. All the victims were killed with different methods (stabbing, strangulation, gunshot wound). 26, 2018. Paula and Teri Hailey, Cassandra Haileys sisters, have written letters over the years to the FBI pleading for answers. "[15], On July 23, 2018. They were never found. "That tells me that either they were getting ready because they thought they were, pulled over by a police officer or park ranger. 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. This year she would have turned 48. The Colonial Parkway murders were the slayings of at least eight people apparently by a serial killer along the Colonial Parkway of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia between 1986 and 1989. Finally, one of the most bizarre theories about the murders states that the killers identity was, in fact, a rogue CIA operative. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. While the search for answers continues, theories have emerged. Finally, there was no evidence of sexual assault pre or post mortem; the pair were fully clothed and sexually intact. Find nearby businesses, restaurants and hotels. Now, it is up to the victims siblings to carry the torch. Cassandra Hailey, left, with her sisters Paula Hailey, center, and Teri Hailey, right in December 1986. In the 1980s, the Colonial Parkway was known as a gay lovers lane, according to Spingola. The keys were still in the ignition, the door was open, and the windshield wipers were going. It was the last time they would be seen alive. Steve Spingola, former Milwaukee homicide detective, investigated the murders on behalf of the families. Naval Academy in 1981 as part of its second class to admit women. (Jonathon Gruenke / Daily Press). Why? Virginia's beautiful Colonial Parkway has a dark history of unsolved murders and disappearances. This murder series is the single greatest unsolved murder series in the history of Virginia and it needs attention, Thomas said. For Call-Canada, it is the thing that keeps her going: hope that her brothers remains will be discovered and laid to rest. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. Did The Colonial Parkway Victims Know The Killer? Im sorry we met as a part of this club that no one wants to be invited to join, but they are wonderful, thoughtful people on their own and have done great things to keep their family members memories alive, Thomas said. The thoroughfare is partially maintained by the National Park Service because it's an iconic piece of pavement that connects some of the country's most historic cities. She had a soft side but there was a toughness, too, her brother, Bill Thomas, told the producers of Lovers Lane Murders.. uses fresh interviews with criminologists and victims family members as well as crime-scene reconstructions and analysis to puzzle out the still-unsolved Colonial Parkway murders. For two decades, the crime-scene pictures have been secret, critical evidence in the hunt for a serial murderer. (Oxygen), "She had been very sorry to leave the Navy after five years, but she didnt feel that it was welcoming for her as a gay woman," said Thomas. [22], On February 4, 2021, in advance of their Lover's Lane Murders television series, the Oxygen Network released a series of videos including "Why Would Law Enforcement Not Release All Records On a Case Like the Colonial Parkway Murders? No one has been standing in this line longer than the family members.. [16], On October 26, 2018, Dateline NBC released "Dateline Crime Capsule: The Colonial Parkway Murders" which offered a look into the history of the case. Backtrack and take a look at the whole gruesome spectacle There were either multiple killers or the singular lone wolf was rather adept and elastic, forever changing and molding his M.O. He may have been watching victims, the former profiler theorized, and when the opportunity arose he became a predator.. On October 12, 1986, Columbus Day weekend, their bodies were found inside Thomas's white 1980 Honda Civic at the Cheatham Annex Overlook along the Colonial Parkway in Williamsburg, Virginia. To learn more about the case, watch Lovers Lane Murders" on Oxygen, or stream episodes any time on Oxygen.com. or redistributed. Sean Xu/Shutterstock From 1986 to 1989, a series of murders along Virginia's historic Colonial Parkway claimed the lives of eight people in their teens and twenties. 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. Its still unclear what David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14, were doing together the night of their murders in 1987. The tone of his parents voice signaling something was wrong. "The families are determined to see this through. Thomas said Cathy was "very upbeat and excited." 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. In total, 4 pairs of people were targeted, resulting in eight murders and six bodies found. The outlet noted that there were no clear signs of robbery or rape for any of these cases. The Colonial Parkway murders were the slayings of at least eight people apparently by a serial killer along the Colonial Parkway of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia (or nearby) between 1986 and 1989. They didnt use that expression much back then, but that was the idea. In the late 1980s, one possible serial killer in Virginia claimed at least eight lives along a certain stretch of road connecting the two historically important cities of Jamestown and Yorktown. Cathy had graduated from the U.S. Annamarie Phelps, top right, and Daniel Lauer, bottom right, disappeared Sept. 5, 1989. Now you flash forward and as painful as the passage of time can be, we now have truly advanced DNA testing available. While genetic genealogy offers the family members a new prospect, they have never given up hope that their siblings cases will be solved. Cathleen Thomas was just starting a new chapter after leaving the U.S. Navy, when her life was cut short. The former was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and the latter a senior of Willam & Mary College. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Now, a team of former FBI special agents led by former FBI Profiler Jim Clemente intends . There is a pattern that OConnell said she cannot ignore.. The Colonial Parkway is a historic and scenic road that links together the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. Here are prominent theories that have been put forth over the years. Series co-host Maureen OConnell, a former FBI special agent, sees telltale signs to support this theory. Bill Thomas, a producer on Oxygen's 'Lovers' Lane Murders' is seen here with a portrait of his sister Cathy Thomas. 19 talking about this. [Thomas] could hold their own from day one. [1] During that time, three couples were murdered and one couple is missing and presumed to be dead. She enjoyed going to the Gap and dressing well, whatever the trend was. In the late 1980s, the murders spanning three years brought eight families together through the shared grief, frustration and denial that only they could understand. And its still certainly a possibility. For the families of the eight victims, it is yet another year spent searching for answers. Robin Edwards, top row and second to the left, and David Knobling, bottom row and second to the left, were murdered Sept. 23, 1987. (Photo by Scott Neville/ For The Washington Post via Getty Images). State police and local agencies are investigating the murders of Knobling, Edwards, Lauer, and Phelps. The killer could have been lying in wait specifically for them. [3][4][5], In 1996, the unsolved case of the Colonial Parkway murders was presented on national television on the program Real Stories of the Highway Patrol, a series that aired from 19931999. We have forensic genealogy available.". Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The car had been pushed down an embankment off the Colonial Parkway. However, the string of murders that followed their deaths made them wonder whether a serial killer was involved. ", EMILIE MORRIS, THE FORMER STUDENT WHO DIED AFTER ACCUSING HER COACH OF ABUSE, BECOMES FOCUS OF TRUE-CRIME DOC. Remember, this was over 30 years ago in Virginia, which is a very conservative, military area. Both their purses and their money were found inside the car, ruling out robbery as a motive. For over three years beginning in the fall of 1986, a 23-mile stretch of road in Virginia that connects Jamestown to Yorktown became the eerie epicenter of a string of grisly double homicides. This month marks the 35th anniversary of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowskis murder, the first homicides in what would later be called the Colonial Parkway Murders, which resulted in the deaths of three couples and the disappearance of another. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Authorities discovered Cathleen and Rebecca on Columbus Day weekend, 1986, inside a white 1980 Honda Civic. Speaking Russian was very important because they were, at the time, probably our top adversary in the world.". The sun begins to set Tuesday evening September 27, 2016 near an overlook along the Colonial Parkway. A small caveat before we spring forth into the latest horror room, the third couples link to the Parkway Murders is somewhat debatable. The understanding, years later, that his parents had to make three separate phone calls to him and his two brothers; one, in New York at the time, took an entire day to reach. The Colonial Parkway is a beautiful stretch of highway which cuts through the Colonial National Historical Park in South-East Virginia. [30], Last edited on 16 September 2022, at 11:09, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of fugitives from justice who disappeared, List of serial killers in the United States, "Colonial Parkway Murders Remain Unsolved", "Fred Atwell, Controversial Figure In Colonial Parkway Murders, Arrested In Georgia", "Part 1 | Agent stalks dark path of serial killer", "Part 2 | Serial Killer's Trademark: Colonial Parkway Murders", "Part 3 | Scores of suspects but no serial killer", "Sensitive FBI photos from Colonial Parkway murders leaked to the public", "FBI takes new approach in hunt for Colonial Parkway killer", "A cold case heats up: The Colonial Parkway murders", "The Colonial Parkway Murders | Dark Minds", "After 30 years, relatives of victims in Parkway Murders hope for break in cases", "Colonial Parkway Murders: Help Find a Killer", "10 Disturbing Facts About The Colonial Parkway Murders", "Authorities have 'potential perpetrator DNA' in Colonial Parkway murders, family says", "Dateline Crime Capsule: The Colonial Parkway Murders", "Former deputy's death leaves Parkway victims' families wondering what he knew", "Sooner or Later Your Cousin's DNA Is Going to Solve a Murder", "Victims, Families and America's Thirst for True-Crime Stories", "Lovers' Lane Murders Sets Out to Solve the Infamous Colonial Parkway Murders", "Why Would Law Enforcement Not Release All Records On A Case Like The Colonial Parkway Murders? My theory is that David saw something he wasnt supposed to see, Karl Knobling told Lovers Lane Murders. OConnells response: Wrong place, wrong time. Knoblings theory points to why innocent people become victims all too often. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! And remember, this was the 1980s. Three days later, Robin Edwards and Knoblings bodies were discovered in the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge in Isle of Wight County, shot to death. After Lauers, car a gold 1972 Chevrolet Nova, was found abandoned on the I-64 New Kent rest stop, investigators combed the countryside looking for what was no doubt a fresh crime scene. In 2007, the disappearance and presumed murder of Cassandra Hailey and Keith Call was featured in the Investigation Discovery program Sensing Murder, whereby investigators brought in psychics Pam Coronado and Laurie Campbell to gain new insights into the crimes. Their bodies have never been found, but both are presumed dead. They were never found. The second night airs Friday at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. What really made these murders stand out was their complexity that fact that couples and not individuals were the targets; their setting a brazen attack done in an area steeped in our Nations history, which made them even more morbid and profane to the collective subconscious; their wild and oftentimes misleading media coverage the murders are still prime fodder for all sorts of sensational series, books, and podcasts; and finally, the disquieting realization that the killer was never identified and that he or she will most likely escape any justice. The hunters discovered the bodies on a logging road about a quarter-of-a-mile from Courthouse Road, a location about a mile from the I-64 New Kent rest stop where Lauer's car was found. He told Lovers Lane Murders that there may be links between the first and third murders, which are firmly tied to the Colonial Parkway. PETER NYGARD ACCUSER EXPLAINS WHY SHE'S SPEAKING OUT IN NEW SHOCKING DOC: 'I HAVE NEVER BEEN QUIET ABOUT THIS', Bill Thomas, a producer on Oxygen's 'Lovers' Lane Murders' is seen here with a portrait of his sister Cathy Thomas. Theres always hope that you might find more DNA, finding smaller amounts, with more advanced techniques of detecting DNA, said Moore. Shes remained in Gloucester most of her life, just in case. All rights reserved. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Unburieda true-crime blog with no illusions in the police, the privileged, or the powerful. I feel like for my husband and my sister-in-laws sake well, really the whole family just wants to know what happened to their loved one, Jennifer Phelps, Annamaria Phelps sister-in-law, told Richmond.com. This unwholesome section is grisly and malignant Youve been warned. Thomas, who was in Los Angeles at the time, had seen a story on WTKR detailing how sensitive photos in the Colonial Parkway murders were leaked to the public. A typically tranquil area, no one expected the Parkway to be the setting for a gruesome string of murders. Was The Colonial Parkway Killer Pretending To Be Law Enforcement? It was considered a double murder. All of the victims were young, White, and were either a romantic couple or could resemble one to. He became a well-known whistleblower, and thanks to his action, the FBI was put under the proverbial microscope. Easily add multiple stops, see live traffic and road conditions. Getty Images ) take control of two people at once Cathy had graduated from the U.S. Navy when. Academy and the latter a senior of Willam & Mary College ' entertainment coverage, right in inbox. 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