RICHMOND, Va. – A new development in a decades-old cold case has shed light on three unsolved murders in the Hampton Roads region in the late 1980s. DNA evidence has provided a suspect in the case commonly referred to as the “Colonial Parkway murders.”
Alan W. Wilmer Sr., a waterman with no prior felony record who passed away in 2017, has been linked to the shooting deaths of David L. Knobling, 20, and Robin M. Edwards, 14, as well as the killing of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, 29. The killings took place in various locations in southeastern Virginia during the late 1980s.
Families of the victims expressed gratitude toward law enforcement for their work in cracking the case. They also shared heartfelt statements, hoping for privacy as they continue to mourn their loved ones.
Virginia State Police have indicated that while DNA evidence has been linked to Wilmer in the Hampton and Isle of Wight cases, no connection to the other murders along the Colonial Parkway has been established. The FBI has long been investigating these vunresolved cases, which have been suspected to be the work of a serial killer.
Investigators have been reaching out to the public for further information on Wilmer’s movements and potential involvement in other crimes. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with state and local authorities, are actively seeking more information to piece together the full story behind these heinous crimes from the late 1980s.
This recent development has brought a sense of closure for the families of the victims, and provides hope for the broader community that justice may finally be served in these long-standing cases.