. The Parkway is surrounded by woods and has far fewer entries and exits than a typical highway. Sept. 5, 1989: Police found a car abandoned at the westbound Interstate 64 rest stop in New Kent County. Contact Frank Green at (804) 649-6340 or fgreen@timesdispatch.com. The locations of the two sets of murders were just 30 minutes apart, and investigators linked the cases together, but both of them have remained unsolved. Check out the "Lover's Lane Murders" true crime TV Series . The crimes were thoroughly covered as much as is known and each victim became a flesh-and-blood person with much to live for. Three days later, over Columbus Day weekend, their bodies were found bound with rope inside Thomas's white 1980 Honda Civic, which had been pushed down an embankment off of the Colonial Parkwayin Williamsburg. Young couple Julie Williams, 24, and Lollie Winans, 26, were camping in the park over Memorial Day weekend. There's less of a chance that a single victim will get away or fight back. Phelps was dating Lauer's brother at the time. Yes! They had met at an arcade earlier that day, and Robin had snuck out later that night to meet up with David. . You have permission to edit this article. Over 30 years later they remain unsolved. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. She's come unstuck! It was the young couples very first date. 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. But he didn't really know much about the case, or the couples, so he declined to teach the class. Were these crimes the work of one perpetrator, or unrelated slayings that happened to fall close togetherboth chronologically and geographically? The Colonial Parkway is a historic and scenic road that links together the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktow. He says nothing was done about it until WTKR aired its report. The cause of death remains unknown, though forensics suggested that Phelps may have been stabbed. The New York Times bestselling coauthors uncover new information in the Colonial Parkway Murders of 1980s Virginia in this true crime investigation. Both victims had been shot, Robin in the back of the head execution style, and David twice, once in the head and once in the shoulder like he had been running from the killer. Autopsies performed on the bodies found that both women had been bound and strangled before their deaths, and afterward, the car and the bodies had been soaked in diesel fuel. From pull-offs featuring lush foliage, to memorials, tunnels, and bridges charged with centuries of American history, there's a little something for everyone. running on the Oxygen Network . A crime scene photograph showing the roadway leading back into the woods. Despite theories that the crimes may not be connected, many still believe that the Colonial Parkway murders were the work of a serial killer. Most believe that this series of murders took the life of four couples between the years of 1986-1989. One of the stories Bill came across detailed how the FBI had recently lost control of 84 graphic crime scene photos from the Colonial Parkway murders. The First Murders. Her brother's car is in a crime-scene photo never meant to be public. Janzen Robinson is no longer a man torn between two worlds, [More], Punch Stanimirovic insists: "My father, known as Mr. Stan, is the greatest gentleman thief who ever lived-a true genius." At daybreak, a ranger discovered Call's Toyota Celica parked at an overlook along the Colonial Parkway. Thanks, Bill Thomas I often wonder if he knows something he is not telling us, Bill Thomas, the brother of one of the first victims, told the Huffington Post. Cassandra Hailey, a hard-working student at Christopher Newport, Cassandra juggled multiple jobs, gymnastic classes, and many friends. According to the Daily Mail, the District Attorney publicized the gruesome photos a week after they were presented to a jury. Imagine, if you will, sitting in your car, catching your breath after a candle-lit date with your favorite sweetie. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Whats more, he believed that the same killer was responsible for the 1996 murder of Lollie Winans and Julianne Williams, another couple who were killed in a similar fashion while camping in Shenandoah National Park. Home . Cassandra, aka Sandy and Missy was fun loving, vibrant, and energetic. More photos here: Sue White after the attack. His brother's girlfriend was the second half of the murdered pair. I just don't think it's right.". "They said they are going to review the case top to bottom. David never left his car unlockedand with the rain that night, a rendezvous in the marshlands seems unlikely. 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. David's truck at the crime scene. She added:'The fascination depends on the level of publicity.'. Atwell agreed to take a look - and he made copies. Please share on Facebook and in any groups that pertain to the topics covered. It's not illegal. It's unclear what they were doing together. I think we understand where it came from. FBI photograph of the smashed back window of Cathy Thomass Honda Civic. This post examines four murders of young couples along the Colonial Parkway in Virginia during the 1980s, as well as a fifth homicide, which may be related, in 1996. 4 episodes in all. Just to have the pictures floating around like that is very disrespectful.". The Colonial Parkway is a 23 mile (37km) scenic landscape/thoroughfare that links Virginia's Historic Triangle. I also want to get the Early Bird Books newsletter featuring great deals on ebooks. The propriety of releasing the photographs -- which appear to have been an FBI slideshow on the Parkway Murders -- outside of law enforcement or their potential value as evidence in any future trial is unclear. Following the kill, there's the question of cleanup one body is easier than two. In the early hours of March 22, 1989, two friends - career criminals with violent felony convictions - drove around the eastern Kansas City [Read More], Originally released in 2011, New York Times bestselling author Steve Jackson has revised and updated this classic true crime about one of the most monstrous serial killers in American history. According to NBC, the couples weren't friends with the other couples, nor were they related. NYT Bestselling Author Ron Franscell Delivers A Crime Mystery With Shocking Twist: DEAF ROW, GASPING FOR AIR: Book Two In The Big Dogs Series by S.L. Sept. 23, 1987: The bodies of David Knobling, 20, left, of Hampton and Robin Edwards, 14, of Newport News washed ashore on the James River at the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge. A serial killer took the lives of at least eight people near the Colonial Parkway of Virginia in the late '80s. Karl and Judy Knobling with David (the taller youth) and his brother Michael in 1977. On Thursday, the New York District Attorney released crime scene photos showing blood spatter and the knife allegedly used by nanny Yoselyn Ortega to kill two young children in her care. Annamaria Phelps locket as found on the logging trail. What's your biggest turn off? But that isn't the case for this killer. The murderer in the Colonial Parkway killings was never captured, and Steve Spingola, a private detective, believes he knows why. David Knobling at Christmas in 1986, a few month prior to his death. His story is admittedly a bit sketchy: 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 . 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. They show how the Colonial Parkway Killer stalked couples in cars, stabbed some and shot others, and then discarded their bodies. biggest unsolved murders in alaska | February 26 / 2023 | alastair atchison pilotalastair atchison pilot According to Oxygen, the Colonial Parkway killer changed things up from victim to victim. The two women in the car were identified as Cathleen "Cathy" Thomas, a 27 . On September 5, 1989, Annamarie Phelps and Daniel Lauer were driving to Virginia Beach when they disappeared. April 8, 1988: Keith Call, 20, left, left his family's house in Gloucester County to pick up his date, Cassandra Hailey. By Blaine L. Pardoe and Victoria R. Hester, 12 Dark and Disturbing Nonfiction Books to Satisfy Your Morbid Curiosity. 'As a forensic criminologist, we take everything we know and we reconstruct the scene, each piece of evidence, breaking it apart, analyzing everyone individually, and then reassembling them into the mosaic that is the crime,' Pettler explains. "I don't know what they're going to tell us," she said. . A year and a half later, Daniel Lauer, 21, and Annamaria Phelps, 18, went missing on September 5, 1989, following Labor Day Weekend. The early success of Factory band New Order, particularly with their 1983 dance hit "Blue . 'That would give the offender the opportunity to actually get them out of the car, lean them against the car, maybe handcuff them. It's been over 30 years, and they're still missing without much of a trace. This case, like the others, has gone unsolved, but all four double homicides remain active. Cathy in the US Navy one of the first females to serve as Surface Warfare Officers. Their removal was part of the control that the murderer(s) exerted on the victims. A crime blog referencing unsolved criminal cases. Emily discusses a slew of disappearances and double murders within a four-year period along the Colonial Parkway in Virginia in the late 80's. . -William [Read More], In early 2022, life in the port city of Mariupol, Ukraine was safe and predictable for Adoriana Marik. The comments below have not been moderated. Biden honors 20 years of the Homeland Security Dept. The team of experts has reenacted the crime scene down to Thomas's wallet being found open and face down on the floorboard of the driver's side. 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. Despite extensive searches, their bodies were never found, and the couple was presumed dead. The Haienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England, which became famous during the Madchester years of the 1980s and early 1990s. See bottom of post for update. The deaths of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowski. There has been no word on the fate of the couple. They all died at night. The Strangest True Crime Cases in States Across the Country, It was nearly a year later when the second slaying took place along the Colonial Parkway. There were two pairs of underwear, shoes, and Davids wallet found in the car, which ruled robbery out as a probable motive. Hair that had been found in Cathys hand and a biological sample found on Robin have never been tested, but with advances in DNA technology and resources like GEDmatch, the families of the victims are hopeful they will finally get answers. Deputies in Davidson County rushed to help a 69-year-old man they'd found unresponsive in his house following a welfare check. Overlooking the beautiful York River, it is hard to imagine the drama that took place on or near the Colonial Parkway that night. Keith Call's brother Chris is upset. They had been dating for several months and went missing on October 9, 1986, after they were seen leaving the College of William and Mary computer lab together. They unloaded their belongings alongside the other stacks labeled, AMERICA, MINNESOTA, ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN, NEW YORK CITY, [More], Copyright 2023 WildBlue Press. Crime scene photos were leaked from these cases. Atwell says a friend of his, a security-company owner, asked him last year to teach a class about the killings. A former FBI photographer had taken them when he left, and was using the photos in classes he taught at a local law enforcement training school. Cathy Thomas, a 27-year-old graduate of the Naval Academy, and Rebecca 'Becky' Dowski, a 21-year-old student at the College of William and Mary, were the first two known victims in the homicides that have been dubbed the Colonial Parkway murders. Thomas's wallet was found open and face down on the floorboard of the driver's side, Horrific: Their bodies were found bound with rope inside the vehicle. Do you hate foreplay? A day later, Richards car was found at the York River Outlook off the Colonial Parkway, about 2 miles from where Cathy and Rebecca had been discovered. Diesel fuel had been poured over the bodies and their car, but it failed to ignite. 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. The rest of the leaked images depict more than can be shown on television. The other two happened in the mid-'90s, and their connection to the originals remains a highly debated topic. A ransom note was found in the home, but it was hours before her father, John, found her body in the basement. Virginias Colonial Parkway runs a relatively short 23 miles, from Jamestown to Yorkstown, passing through Williamsburg and thereby connecting all of Virginias famous Historic Triangle. Part of the Colonial National Historic Park, the scenic route is designed with sightseeing in mind. Into the colonial parkway murders crime scene photos second half of the Colonial Parkway that night to meet up with david the! Frank Green at ( 804 ) 649-6340 or fgreen @ timesdispatch.com as Cathleen & quot ; Thomas, ranger! The topics covered met at an overlook along the Colonial Parkway scenic that. And the couple in cars, stabbed some and shot others, and many.. Just to have the pictures floating around like that is n't the case top to bottom Interstate. 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colonial parkway murders crime scene photos

colonial parkway murders crime scene photos