It's difficult to imagine something as gruesome and shocking as a string of murders occurring on this seemingly safe road but that's exactly what happened decades ago. 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. The place is a sightseeing extravaganza brimming with historical points, scenic pull-offs, markers, and memorials. I was pleased that the victims were truly brought to life and we were able to learn more about them very well done! Ready to uncover the truth behind Hollywood's elite? I am from this area born and raised. It is unclear whether Annamaria and David pulled over and were killed at the rest stop or if they were killed elsewhere and the killer moved their car. Almost immediately, the FBI announced it was conducting a top-to-bottom review of the cases in its jurisdiction. One of the many scenic overpasses on the Colonial Parkway as it appears now. Larry needed a smoking gun. It may not display this or other websites correctly. He knew most of his victims, some through his job at Taco Bell, [More], On February 13, 2017, two Indiana teenagers, Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, went for a walk in the woods near the abandoned Monon High Bridge. Thank you for writing this book. Another man, David Rice, was acquitted after circumstantial evidence, including a pair of restraints and location history, put him on trial for the Winans-Williams murder, according to Historic Mysteries. Over the years, police have questioned 150 suspects in connection to these four cases, but all have been cleared. Wake up to the day's most important news. Spingola believes that the murders of Cathy and Rebecca are not related to the other murders at all and are, in fact, connected to another double homicide that occurred in Shenandoah National Park in 1996. I have to wonder if they were all committed by the same person. Murderers tend to target solo victims. "He was always washing it, his sister, Joyce Call-Canada, told The Virginian Pilot. Controversial Figure In Colonial Parkway Murders Arrested Here is the story of perhaps the most infamous unsolved case in Virginia's history. The Colonial Parkway Murders - Revisiting The Crime Scenes I just don't think it's right.". All of the victims were young, white, and either a romantic couple or could resemble one to an outsider. Someone has leaked graphic crime-scene photographs of the most notorious serial killings in Virginia history, the Colonial Parkway murders. They were never seen again after that night. I have followed these murders since they happened. All of thatmeans the Colonial Parkway killer had their work cut out for them, since they're believed to have killed, as Colonial Ghosts points out, between four and five couples. Atwell reportedly took less than $100 and told the victim he had been living in the woods and was hungry. Who Killed?: The Colonial Parkway Murders: Part - Apple Podcasts Their trip home on Labor Day weekend was only for a fewhours. Cathy Thomas at the Naval Academy Cathy Thomas in civilian life I live near the peninsula and lived in Richmond, Virginia because my father lived in Norfolk, Virginia and my mother and stepfather lived in Richmond. "They were people and they were loved. This car, along with their mangled bodies, found at the Cheatham Annex Overlook in Williamsburg, Virginia, had been doused in diesel fuel. The interior of Daniels car. The Colonial Parkway is a beautiful stretch of highway which cuts through the Colonial National Historical Park in South-East Virginia. Its isolation and lack of patrols by the NPS made it a perfect place for murder or to dispose of a vehicle/bodies. Their bodies were so decomposed, investigators were unable to determine a cause of death. For the second time in a month, authorities in Virginia are investigating a former deputy sheriff who has ties to the Colonial Parkway murders -- a series of unsolved homicides that began in 1986 along the scenic 23-mile route between Jamestown and Yorktown -- in Virginia. The Colonial Parkway is a beautiful stretch of highway which cuts through the Colonial National Historical Park in South-East Virginia. Richard Keith Call Keith to his friends and family. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. #LoversLaneMurders #ColonialParkwayMurders #truecrime #FBI #DNA You must log in or register to reply here. It is easy to see how the vehicle was overlooked for so long. What were the Colonial Parkway Murders? Crime scene photograph of David Knoblings coveted Ford pickup at Ragged Island. It's been over 30 years, and they're still missing without much of a trace. In the center of the image is Danny Plott, standing next to Dr. Marcella Fierro of the Virginia State Medical Examiners office. There were little signs of struggle. It was the young couples very first date. I hope I can catch this show at some point. The two bodies were David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14, who had been missing since September 19th. We're a little less trusting," Phelps said. 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. It's hard to say for certain, but one detective believed they figured out the cause back in 2010. A round dusk on Oct. 12, 1986, a passerby happened upon a white Honda Civic leaning nose-first over the edge of a 15-foot embankment just off Virginia's picturesque Colonial Parkway. 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. On April 10, 1988, two Christopher Newport University students, Cassandra Lee Hailey, 18, and Richard Keith Call, 20, went missing after attending a party together in Newport News. Cassandra Hailey, a hard-working student at Christopher Newport, Cassandra juggled multiple jobs, gymnastic classes, and many friends. Brian Hanlon supervises the Peninsula FBI office. A bright young man studying computer science at Christopher Newport. His brother and several others saw it shortly after their disappearance and Keiths father found it the following morning as well. On October 12, 1986, a pedestrian saw a car down an embankment on the Colonial Parkway where it was obscured from the view of the road. Maybe you're reminiscing about sparks that flew during a chemistry-laden conversation, maybe your cheeks are feeling flushed from the back-and-forth banter that lifted you to the clouds, or maybe you're prepping to fog up the windows a little bit. Full Description. As the agent at the beginning of this diabolical coverage said: What made these murders stand out was the complexity of them.. All the victims were from different backgrounds and demographics, making a profile an incredibly difficult task. He had some legal problems involving a marriage to an underage girl but was preparing to move on with his life. There were only two things the Colonial Parkway murder victims had in common: They were killed near Colonial Parkway, and they were killed in couples. THE PARKWAY MURDERS Oct. 12, 1986: Cathleen M. Thomas, 28, left, and Rebecca A. Dowski, 21, were found strangled with their throats slit in the back seat of Thomas' car along the Colonial. However, just before her death, she had left the Navy. 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. Though this case has appeared in the media several times over the past 30+ years, it's still as mysterious as it is unique. FBI photograph of Cathys car, barely visible having been pushed off the embankment. "Well, we looked into it. The murders of all four couples occurred within a 30-mile radius, at night, on weekends or holidays, in areas that resemble lover's lanes, in cars, and in all instances, there were two victims. "To me, this is the work of a serial killer. The investigations into all eight murders are ongoing and active, the Virginian Pilot reported. Dowski worked as a daycare provider and a clerk. After leaving the armed forces, she had transitioned into a successful career as a stockbroker, according to Richmond.com. If Call wanted to make a good impression, it was his job to have her home by 2 a.m. "These were human beings. Since then, 62-year-old Fred had numerous encounters with the law, including a larceny charge; 100 dollars. 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. 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. 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. The Virginia State Police did a casual investigation, during the panic galvanized by the murders, of Camp Peary and its soldiers. According to NBC, their love was a new, budding thing that would never get the chance to flourish. Why are they still a hot button topic? The Colonial Parkway is a historic and scenic road that links together the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. 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. 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. None had been robbed or sexually molested, stumping investigators as to what the possible motive that galvanized the murders might have been. The rest of the leaked images depict more than can be shown on television. 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. One of the two died with her bra around her neck, suggesting she may have been strangled as well. And he would find it. The vision behind the Murder Accountability Project. The FBI, working in unison with the regions law enforcement, had a victim criteria in their arsenal. On Wednesday, police in Gwinnett County, Ga., arrested 62-year-old Fred Atwell. They called a highway patrolman who arrived on scene to make the gruesome discovery of the bodies of two young women in the car. According to the FBI, there are about 1400 murders that remain unsolved.. A critical future was the way the perpetrator might have approached them. But he says he says the FBI did take this breach seriously, even if they didn't take action until a few days ago. 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. Here's a link to an April 19, 2009 article about criminologist Larry McCann researching these violent crimes. The Untold Truth Of The Colonial Parkway Murders, Predators on the Parkway: A Former Homicide Detective Explores the Colonial Parkway Murders. But the murders have all remained unsolved. Young couple Julie Williams, 24, and Lollie Winans, 26, were camping in the park over Memorial Day weekend. "His crimes gave him this feeling: He was able to surprise, control and punish 'wrongdoers.'". Knoblings father and the local constabulary spearheaded the manhunt. Fred Atwell: Fred Atwell is the former deputy sheriff that was active during the investigation in 1986. This unwholesome section is grisly and malignant Youve been warned. The second pair of victims, David Knobling and Robin Edwards, had just met before heading out to a local makeout spot, where they were attacked, according to NBC. At Ragged Island (as it appears today) this is the end of the roadway leading from the parking lot to the rivers edge. Let's check it out. Other than that, it seems the victims didn't have much in common at all. UK - Nurse Lucy Letby, Faces 22 Charges - 7 Murder/15 Attempted Murder of Babies #19, Madeleine McCann: German Prisoner Identified as Suspect, #33, http://labyrinth13.com/mirror/VirginiaMurders/index.htm, http://journalismclass.wmblogs.net/2009/04/19/the-colonial-parkway-murders-cold-case/, http://journalismclass.wmblogs.net/2009/05/19/the-colonial-parkway-murders%E2%80%94not-dead-yet/, http://www.geocities.com/misjoy464/colonialparkwaymurders.html, http://www.mcall.com/topic/dp-pway-16_psychologist_062292,0,7570108.story, http://www.dailypress.com/news/virginia/dp-va--parkwayslayings1009oct09,0,4042814.story, http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_parkway_1010oct10,0,6674314.story?track=rss, http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/call_richard.html, http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-colonial-update,0,66658.story, http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-colonial-parkway-family-meeting,0,75217.story.