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. 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. [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. However, these victims were known to frequent the area on Thursday nights. Beckys wound isnt as deep as Cathys wound, Pettler added. All the victims were killed with different methods (stabbing, strangulation, gunshot wound). 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. Was The Colonial Parkway Killer Pretending To Be Law Enforcement? Hailey, 19, and Call, 20, were both students at Christopher Newport University. Rumors and legends started hitting the headlines. On September 20, 1987, Knoblings truck was found abandoned by the James River Bridge, Richmond.com reported. Edwards had struggled with her mental health and was prone to running away and some reckless behavior. For two decades, the crime-scene pictures have been secret, critical evidence in the hunt for a serial murderer. [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. 10 The First Murders Photo credit: Wild Blue Press Robin Edwards, top row and second to the left, and David Knobling, bottom row and second to the left, were murdered Sept. 23, 1987. Fully researched, completely skeptical, unreservedly on the side of the victims. However, the young couple was struggling financially, so Lauer had agreed to move in with them to help them out with money. The FBI got involved, even asking Russia to view satellite footage of the area, but no one was ever arrested. The Parkway is surrounded by woods and has far fewer entries and exits than a typical highway. The bodies of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowski were found near this location in October of 1986. A typically tranquil area, no one expected the Parkway to be the setting for a gruesome string of murders. The autopsy was inconclusive and could not determine whether a blade had slashed their throats or if they had been strangled to near decapitation. According to the FBI, there are about 1400 murders that remain unsolved.. Wallets found open in the victims vehicles on the floor and on the dashboard respectively inthe first and third homicides add heft to the law enforcement theory, former FBI profiler Jim Clemente told Lovers Lane Murders. They could have been preparing to show their license or registration. 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. Now you flash forward and as painful as the passage of time can be, we now have truly advanced DNA testing available. 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. And a lot of fantastic work has gone into the Colonial Parkway murders. Oxygen's two-night true-crime special Lovers' Lane Murders focuses on the slaying of eight men and women at the Colonial Parkway in Virginia. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. , including one couple whove never been found. Lauer's car, a gold 1972 Chevrolet Nova, was soon found abandoned at the I-64 New Kent rest stop in New Kent County and it was discovered to have been heading in the wrong direction, away from their intended Virginia Beach destination. According to Moore, this new advancement has led to hundreds of arrests across the country. Though both are presumed dead, their bodies have never been found. Easily add multiple stops, see live traffic and road conditions. or redistributed. She worked two jobs while studying, caring for toddlers at a daycare center and at the colleges English department as a clerk, Cassandra Hailey and Richard Keith Call, For more on the Colonial Parkway murders, watch Oxygens new limited series. Located roughly halfway between Richmond and Virginia Beach, the Colonial Parkway spans approximately 22 miles in southeastern Virginia and is an incredibly beautiful drive during . Nonetheless, to me, this is the work of a serial killer, said OConnell, who views variances among the dual homicides as an eerie sort of shapeshifting. Finally, one of the most bizarre theories about the murders states that the killers identity was, in fact, a rogue CIA operative. Step by step directions for your drive or walk. 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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. In 1986, a 23-mile scenic road run by the National Park Service in Virginia became indelibly linked with a series of double homicides that came to be called the Colonial Parkway murders. Sept. 20, 1987: David Knoblings truck was found abandoned in a parking lot with the door open, the radio on and his wallet on the dashboard. to a serial killer. The Colonial Parkway is a scenic, 23-mile stretch in Virginia that links the historic towns of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. The former was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and the latter a senior of Willam & Mary College. This time, their goal is to have DNA in the cases tested. They didnt use that expression much back then, but that was the idea. Chilling and eerie similarities connected the four cases, but no one has ever been arrested for the crimes. Most crime scenes were near the water. Thomas and her girlfriend Rebecca Dowski were both killed in an incident that many believe was the first killing in the Colonial Parkway Murders. The evidence of the crime was kept intact by a fluke of fate when the diesel failed to ignite. Knobling had taken Edwards out with his little brother and cousin that day. Their throats had been viciously slashed and they had been strangled to death. Each had been shot in the head. (Oxygen). Theres always hope that you might find more DNA, finding smaller amounts, with more advanced techniques of detecting DNA, said Moore. Months later, they were found murdered, wrapped in a blanket in the woods. Was The Colonial Parkway Killer Pretending To Be Law Enforcement? IE 11 is not supported. Theory: A Serial Killer Stalked The Parkway, From a macro view of the murders, the fact that they all took place in close proximity bolsters the popular belief that a serial killer stalked the Colonial Parkway. There is a possibility that the murders happened at the hand of a moral enforcer who viewed homosexuality, public sex, or a 20-year-old man with a teenaged girl as punishable acts, according to Clemente. After a deep dive into the four Colonial Parkway murders, Coombs and OConnell reviewed commonalities and dissimilarities in terms of location, treatment of bodies, method of murder, time and date, victims, motive, and crime scene. Psychic Pam Coronado felt that the killings were all related but that the locations of the cars were not where the actual violence occurred. 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. Since October 1986, 10 On Your Side has covered what are now known as the "Colonial Parkway murders." There were four double homicides. The killer could have been lying in wait specifically for them. And it pains me to think that 34 years have gone by now. Throughout the years, it was usually the victims parents who spearheaded efforts to find justice, renew interest and pressure law enforcement to pursue their cases. Author of Unburied: True Crime Shorts https://www.amazon.com/Unburied-Crime-Shorts-Quinn-Zane-ebook/dp/B0BK5BGSYY, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60693940, https://www.amazon.com/Unburied-Crime-Shorts-Quinn-Zane-ebook/dp/B0BK5BGSYY. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. For Call-Canada, it is the thing that keeps her going: hope that her brothers remains will be discovered and laid to rest. The Colonial Parkway is a 23 mile (37km) scenic landscape/thoroughfare that links Virginias Historic Triangle. A year later in September 1989, the outlet reported Annamarie Phelps, 18, and Daniel Lauer, 21, vanishedfrom a rest stop in New Kent County. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Justice is found here. After their parents died, Call-Canada and her brother took up the effort to prod investigators. Finally, the killers scope and the geographical stretch of his spree make it near impossible to set up a proliferation point from which to work from, a range to actively stake-out. "Yes, this is a tragedy, but hope never dies," he shares. Thursday night was theirs a time when they could be alone together despite living so far apart, despite living in such an unwelcoming world every Thursday night, they were able to live as they wanted. Rebecca Dowski, top left, and Cathleen Thomas, bottom left, were killed Oct. 12, 1986. Murders all occurred, she said, within a 30-mile radius and all on a weekend or holiday., Moreover, the slayings occurred at night, and mostly in areas that look like lovers lanes. Three days later, Robin Edwards and Knoblings bodies were discovered in the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge in Isle of Wight County, shot to death. That kind of opens up the window for somebody else to come along and pick on them.. He was shy at first, but once you got to know him he opened up, he said. After a deep dive into the four Colonial Parkway murders. Within the past three and a half years, genetic genealogy has been responsible for solving approximately 350 cases. Call was a computer science major and an old soul in a way, his brother told Lovers Lane Murders.. David + Robin. At night its dark and isolated,making it an ideal spot for couples to be romantic discreetly. In a way, the fact that such murders and foul deeds took place in that spot was nothing short of sacrilegious and a scar on the Parkways patriotic nature and what it represents. However, Cathy was unafraid to try things that no one else had done before. 19 talking about this. Though two slayings took place on the actual parkway and two were in nearby areas, all four are tied together by the name, the Colonial Parkway Murders. 26, 2018. It was considered a double murder. [11], On October 8, 2016, the Richmond Times Dispatch ran an in-depth article on the 30th anniversary of the Colonial Parkway murders case: After 30 Years, Relatives in Parkway Murders Hope for a Break in Cases[12], On October 8, 2016, the Virginian-Pilot published in-depth story, "The Killer Could Still be Out There: 30 Years Later, Still No Answers in the Colonial Parkway Murders"[13], On May 4, 2018, the Colonial Parkway murders were covered in featured panel discussion at the annual "CrimeCon" true crime convention in Nashville. She was brilliant, beautiful and well-educated, but she was also thoughtful, modest and a deep thinker. The sun begins to set Tuesday evening September 27, 2016 near an overlook along the Colonial Parkway. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! April 10, 1988: Keith Call, 20, and Cassandra Hailey, 18, went missing after a college party. In 1991, the Virginian Pilot ran a three-part series on the Colonial Parkway murders by reporter Greg Schneider, who was permitted special access to FBI lead investigator Robert Meadows. The eeriest part,. The car had been pushed down an embankment off the Colonial Parkway. We understand that were not going to be at the front of the line, but to hear that evidence hasnt been tested in over a year is unacceptable, Thomas said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. The sightseeing is prime. Despite the fact that there have been no public updates on the case for nearly 11 years, some of the families have found renewed hope through genetic genealogy and a resurgence in public awareness. They could be related, he said, adding that he doesnt see links among all four. "She had martial arts training from the Naval Academy and she was incredibly athletic. Their bodies were so decomposed, investigators were unable to determine a cause of death. They all died at night. The remains were too decomposed to reveal the manner of death. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. S, eries co-host Maureen OConnell, a former FBI special agent, sees telltale signs to support this theory. The couple, investigators hypothesize, might have been romantically involved. Then, the little ideas turned into big ideas and that was the start of our connection.. Speaking Russian was very important because they were, at the time, probably our top adversary in the world.". Knobling lived in Hampton while he worked for his fathers landscaping business, and was expecting a baby with his longtime girlfriend. As the agent at the beginning of this diabolical coverage said: What made these murders stand out was the complexity of them.. The series was published again by the paper in 2010. Bill Thomas, a producer on Oxygen's 'Lovers' Lane Murders' is seen here with a portrait of his sister Cathy Thomas. All the investigation had to go by is circumstantial DNA evidence, a few forensic strands from a period where that whole branch was getting its wings, and a few similarities that dont help out; the proverbial needle in the haystack. Their bodies were uncovered after an exhaustive three-day search party. Im proud to know them. (Photo by Scott Neville/ For The Washington Post via Getty Images). His investigation came to the startling conclusion that the murders were committed by multiple assailants and arent tied together. A small caveat before we spring forth into the latest horror room, the third couples link to the Parkway Murders is somewhat debatable. Robin Edwards, top row and second to the left, and David Knobling, bottom row and second to the left, were murdered Sept. 23, 1987. "[15], On July 23, 2018. ", EMILIE MORRIS, THE FORMER STUDENT WHO DIED AFTER ACCUSING HER COACH OF ABUSE, BECOMES FOCUS OF TRUE-CRIME DOC. 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. Naval Academy in 1981 as part of its second class to admit women. 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