Colonial Parkway is a 23-mile (37 km) scenic parkway linking the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown.It is part of the National Park Service's Colonial National Historical Park.Virginia's official state classification for the parkway is State Route 90003. 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. By all accounts, his truck was his prized possession, so family members knew right away something was terribly wrong when it was found abandoned, the Virginian Pilot reported. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_Accountability_Project, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Aamodt, https://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/features/murder-woods-shenandoah-national-park/. [29] While the Virginia State Police claim the information in this note was previously examined, one of the state police investigators working during the 1989 PhelpsLauer murders told a television reporter from WAVY-TV that he was "unaware of the existence of the note". They were never found. Why? They were both in top physical condition. According to the special, gays and lesbians were banned from the Navy at the time and she had reportedly been investigated by nine agents. If they are smart enough not to get caught, theres very little we can do.. Still, he cant help but wonder what might have been. Virginia's Colonial Parkway runs a relatively short 23 miles, from Jamestown to Yorkstown, passing through Williamsburg and thereby connecting all of Virginia's famous "Historic Triangle." Part of the Colonial National Historic Park, the scenic route is designed with sightseeing in mind. And remember, this was the 1980s. Lovers Lane Murders, a new four-part Oxygen series, 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. Remember, this was over 30 years ago in Virginia, which is a very conservative, military area. The Colonial Parkway is a scenic, 23-mile stretch in Virginia that links the historic towns of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. The analyzed DNA can then pinpoint the exact relation between those tested, allowing law enforcement agencies to narrow down their suspect pool and make an arrest. 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. Regardless, some of the remaining family members have formed a united front, choosing to work alongside each other to find answers, keeping in contact with each other on a regular basis. 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. Cathy had graduated from the U.S. This year she would have turned 48. Authorities discovered Cathleen and Rebecca on Columbus Day weekend, 1986, inside a white 1980 Honda Civic. Thomas said he had been notified by the FBI a year ago that DNA in his sisters case was being sent for testing at Quantico. Legal Statement. After that cycle, the killings abruptly stopped.. Joyce Call-Canada is the older sister of Keith Call. Becky was collateral damage.. 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. And in these 34 years, she would have done amazing things.". And a lot of fantastic work has gone into the Colonial Parkway murders. He dropped Edwards off at her home, but later that night she snuck out to meet him. Now, a team of former FBI special agents led by former FBI Profiler Jim Clemente intends . It was the last time they would be seen alive. to the spots logistics and that particular set of prey. Bill Thomas shudders at the thought to this day. The remains were too decomposed to reveal the manner of death. There has to be a degree of self-sabotage from a serial killer for an investigation to pan out. Psychic Pam Coronado felt that the killings were all related but that the locations of the cars were not where the actual violence occurred. Here are prominent theories that have been put forth over the years. Its still unclear what David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14, were doing together the night of their murders in 1987. In 2010, a note was discovered in a box taken years earlier from Annamaria Phelps's apartment. That kind of opens up the window for somebody else to come along and pick on them.. According to the FBI, there are about 1400 murders that remain unsolved.. "That tells me that either they were getting ready because they thought they were, pulled over by a police officer or park ranger. This section is going to be macabre, scatological, and disturbing. 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. In total, 4 pairs of people were targeted, resulting in eight murders and six bodies found. During this time, a serial killer had struck multiple times, mostly attacking couples, along the Colonial Parkway in and around Williamsburg, Virginia. Phelps had been stabbed, but Lauers body was too decomposed to determine cause of death. On September 5, 1989, just after Labor Day weekend, Annamaria Phelps, 18, and Daniel Lauer, 21, vanished while en route to Virginia Beach. "[15], On July 23, 2018. In 2018, when the news broke that the 45-year-old Golden State Killer cold case had been solved with the arrest of Joseph DeAngelo, many, including Thomas and other families of the Colonial Parkway Murder victims, found a renewed sense of hope with investigative genetic genealogy. Virginia's Colonial Parkway, a dark and isolated lovers' lane, was the scene of four brutal double murders between 1986 and 1990, with a new young couple meeting their untimely death each year. The bodies of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowski were found near this location in October of 1986. 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. And Becky was also extremely athletic. The keys were still in the ignition, the door was open, and the windshield wipers were going. who has spent more than 20 years looking into the murders. Between 1986 and 1989, at least eight people were murdered near or along Virginia's Colonial Parkway by an apparent serial killer. All of the victims were young, white, and either a romantic couple or could resemble one to an outsider. The Colonial Parkway murders began here in Hampton Roads nearly 35 years ago. [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. All of the slayings, known as "The Colonial Parkway Murders," are stillunsolved. They were never found. The first known victims there could very well have been others before that havent been uncovered or linked to the case were Cathleen Thomas, 27, and Rebecca Ann Dowski, 21. Cathy Thomas (left) andRebecca Ann Dowski were dating at the time of their murders. IE 11 is not supported. (Bill Tiernan). The Virginia State Police did a casual investigation, during the panic galvanized by the murders, of Camp Peary and its soldiers. From 1986 to 1989, four double homicides occurred on or near the Colonial Parkway. Robin Edwards, top row and second to the left, and David Knobling, bottom row and second to the left, were murdered Sept. 23, 1987. Annamaria Phelps, 18, and Daniel Lauer, 21, were not a romantic couple. They also eventually helped organize some of the families. The bodies of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowski were found near this location in October of 1986. . 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. David's injuries. However, Thomas claimed new tips come in "every week or two," giving hope that these cold cases can be solved today. *Going Inside an Ice Cavehttps://youtu.be/FHo1aXnMjdw1930's Baseball Stadium Abandoned in the Woods https://youtu.be/4Sy7NUlFGtYAbandoned LA ZOO https://youtu.be/jgepM4f9HI4 Border wall at an Abandoned Beach https://youtu.be/VtmKJw7J6lo Market data provided by Factset. But when the other crimes started taking place, year after year, youre just shocked This person may have a law enforcement background or at least understand how law enforcement works.". Cathy Thomas would drive up from Virginia Beach to visit her girlfriend, Becky Dowski, at the College of William and Mary on Thursday nights. Oct. 26, 2018. Federal Bureau of Investigations Public Affairs Specialist Christina Pullen would not confirm the presence of DNA, whether it has been tested or any specifics on the ongoing case. For the the other half, the parents who have died, they will never see justice for their childrens deaths. Unlike OConnell, Coombs doesnt see the work of a serial killer. Theyre very, very different in force and intensity. Finally, one of the most bizarre theories about the murders states that the killers identity was, in fact, a rogue CIA operative. "[21], On January 15, 2021, the Oxygen Network announced that a four-part true crime series, Lovers Lane Murders would cover the Colonial Parkway murders. A typically tranquil area, no one expected the Parkway to be the setting for a gruesome string of murders. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! But youre always reminded, in little ways, who is here and who is not., Em Holter, emily.holter@virginiamedia.com, 757-256-6657, @EmHolterNews, Abigail Adcox, abigail.adcox@virginiamedia.com, 757-264-8149, @abigailadcox. 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