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Why? There is this allure of serial killers, said Steve Spingola, former homicide detective and author of Predators on the Parkway, who has spent more than 20 years looking into the murders. ", "We told her upfront and we express concern that going to the Naval Academy was going to be very tough," he continued. 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. Backtrack and take a look at the whole gruesome spectacle There were either multiple killers or the singular lone wolf was rather adept and elastic, forever changing and molding his M.O. "That tells me that either they were getting ready because they thought they were pulled over by a police officer or park ranger or whoever approached them pretended to be a cop -- or was a cop, he said. So it wasnt like Cathy and Becky could live their lives in any kind of open fashion. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! [1] During that time, three couples were murdered and one couple is missing and presumed to be dead. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! If she had not been killed, Bill Thomas is sure she would have gone on to accomplish anything she wanted. "Im very optimistic," he said. Psychic Pam Coronado felt that the killings were all related but that the locations of the cars were not where the actual violence occurred. 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. Rumors and legends started hitting the headlines. There has to be a degree of self-sabotage from a serial killer for an investigation to pan out. Tying them all together helps in a way because, if they put a title to it and people want to put together a show, Paula Hailey said. "In those first classes at the service academies, they were subject to such levels of hatred and harassment. Cathy had graduated from the U.S. Roadway Killers Are Still Active In United States Today, How Behavioral Profiling Works To Catch Killers. A more micro look reveals that victims werent all killed in the same way. Cathleen Thomas was just starting a new chapter after leaving the U.S. Navy, when her life was cut short. William F. Thomas stands under an old oak tree at the Cheatham Annex pull off along the Colonial Parkway near Yorktown Tuesday afternoon, August 16,2016, holding a photo of his sister, Cathleen Thomas, a Naval Academy graduate who with Rebecca Dowski were the first of the murders along the Parkway that became known as the Colonial Parkway Murders. [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". According to Thomas, three out of the four cases have DNA evidence. "It was difficult," Thomas admitted. "She discovered after graduating from the Naval Academy that she was a lesbian. ", EMILIE MORRIS, THE FORMER STUDENT WHO DIED AFTER ACCUSING HER COACH OF ABUSE, BECOMES FOCUS OF TRUE-CRIME DOC. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. It's a roadway and state route, partly manned by the National Park Service, that interlocks Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. 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. Then people are more likely to care, finished Teri Hailey. Bill Thomas, a producer on Oxygen's 'Lovers' Lane Murders' is seen here with a portrait of his sister Cathy Thomas. Many who believe the homicides are connected think the killer presented himself as a police officer or park ranger, or someone with authority. Authorities discovered Cathleen and Rebecca on Columbus Day weekend, 1986, inside a white 1980 Honda Civic. 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. It was the last time they would be seen alive. Calls beloved Toyota Celica was discovered at a York River overlook, just a few miles from where Thomas and Dowski had been murdered two years prior. He and Cassandra Hailey vanished while on their first date in 1988. LA County Criminal Prosecutor Loni Coombs and former FBI Special Agent Maureen OConnell are seen here speaking with Bill Thomas. The Colonial Parkway is a beautiful stretch of highway which cuts through the Colonial National Historical Park in South-East Virginia. A more micro look reveals that victims werent all killed in the same way. The investigations into all eight murders are ongoing and active, the Virginian Pilot reported. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The only thing found was Calls car on the parkway. However, just before her death, she had left the Navy. 2023 Copyright Colonial Ghosts. 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. Remember, this was over 30 years ago in Virginia, which is a very conservative, military area. 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. He said extremely graphic crime scene photos were leaked to the public, fueling the familys anguish. They were both in top physical condition. The odds of four double homicides in as many years are extremely rare, which is why the slayings are often attributed to a serial killer. Or could it be that four separate criminals were executing young people in the area? 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/. From 1986 to 1989, four double homicides occurred either on or near the scenic, seemingly safe road. (Oxygen). 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. [27] In 2010, Spingola published Predators on the Parkway, a 29-page magazine article that detailed his findings.[28]. Paula and Teri Hailey, Cassandra Haileys sisters, have written letters over the years to the FBI pleading for answers. 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. Inside The Unsolved Cases", "Inside the Maddening Search for Virginia's Colonial Parkway Serial Killer", "New Investigator Looking into the Colonial Parkway Murders", "New details published in Colonial Parkway murders", "Is note a break in Colonial Parkway murders? In the 35 years since she passed, when I see all these amazing women running for president and vice president, Congress, senators, ambassadors, CEOs, Cathy Thomas would have been one of those amazing women, her brother said. "In 1986, DNA was barely out of the lab and it wasnt really used commonly in law enforcement applications. Now, a team of former FBI special agents led by former FBI Profiler Jim Clemente intends . Stephen. [10], In October 2016, there was extensive coverage of the 30th anniversary of the Colonial Parkway murders, including an eight-part multimedia presentation by the Daily Press newspaper. Fred was considered something of a hero when he uncovered a slew of photographs leaked from the FBIs office in Norfolk. Legal Statement. It is a pageantry of American history embroiled in dozens of tunnels and bridges that are incredibly charming and visually impacting. 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. Between 1986 and 1989, three young couples were found brutally murdered while one couple is still missing and presumed dead, on or near the Colonial Parkway, a roadway that connects Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown, the nations Historic Triangle. Just like those 1400 unsolved murders, Hargrove conducted his studies on, theres a huge likelihood that the Colonial Parkway Murders will remain a cold case and that the devil behind it will never be brought to justice just like Jack The Ripper Just like the Zodiac Killer Just like the Alphabet Killer The Barnaul Maniac Charlie Chop-off and the 85 other serial killers. The Parkway murders are believed to be the act of an apparent serial killer. Since then, 62-year-old Fred had numerous encounters with the law, including a larceny charge; 100 dollars. Investigators have spent decades puzzling out the Colonial Parkway murders. Once more, there were no signs of sexual assault or robbery. Williams and Winans were also a hate crime, no doubt perpetrated by the same killer. It also fuels a theory about a possible copycat killer who used the 1986 Colonial Parkway slaying as a way to misdirect investigations into the 1988 double homicide. "She had martial arts training from the Naval Academy and she was incredibly athletic. 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. Will mock murderers with glee. Both women were fully clothed and there was no evidence of robbery or sexual assault. On October 12, 1986, Columbus Day weekend, their bodies were found inside Thomas's white 1980 Honda Civic at the Cheatham Annex Overlook along the Colonial Parkway in Williamsburg, Virginia. 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. They had been strangled with their throats cut. It was the first of several gruesome murders. Their bodies have never been found, but both are presumed dead. Knobling lived in Hampton while he worked for his fathers landscaping business, and was expecting a baby with his longtime girlfriend. The Colonial Parkway Murders - Revisiting The Crime Scenes Mobile Instinct 370K subscribers Subscribe 10K 264K views 1 year ago Virginia's beautiful Colonial Parkway has a dark history. What the investigators uncovered was a horrid tableau of deprivation. Just three days later, they were found murdered inside Thomas 1980 Honda Civic, Richmond.com reported in 2016. For over three years beginning in the fall of 1986, a 23-mile stretch of road in Virginia that connects Jamestown to Yorktown became the eerie epicenter of a string of grisly double homicides. They also eventually helped organize some of the families. Beckys wound isnt as deep as Cathys wound, Pettler added. Within the last five years, he has turned over dozens of tips. "Some longtime law enforcement people have said to me that it was like the wild West out there at night because it was only patrolled every few hours," said Thomas. Seven years after the final fatalities, another case reignited the investigation. Virginia's Colonial Parkway. This is an ongoing criminal investigation, we are not in a position to discuss what evidence we are working with as part of the case, said Corrine Geller, public relations director for VSP. 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. All rights reserved. Annamaria Phelps, 18, and Daniel Lauer, 21, were not a romantic couple. Cassandra Hailey, left, with her sisters Paula Hailey, center, and Teri Hailey, right in December 1986. or redistributed. There were little signs of struggle. Three days later, their bodies washed up onto the beach at Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge. This question of serial killer or coincidence is explored in Oxygens new limited series, Lovers Lane Murders, airing Thursday, February 11, and Friday, February 12 at 9/8c and 10/9c. This month marks the 35th anniversary of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowskis murder, the first homicides in what would later be called the Colonial Parkway Murders, which resulted in the deaths of three couples and the disappearance of another. Most crime scenes were near the water. A few key facts primarily that Davids black Ford Ranger pick-up truck was discovered with the side window partially rolled down that made investigators question whether the killer had ties to lay-enforcement or was posing as a police officer. ", "Murder Accountability Project: Tracking America's unsolved homicides", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colonial_Parkway_murders&oldid=1110597999, This page was last edited on 16 September 2022, at 11:09. 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. There is a pattern that OConnell said she cannot ignore.. They could be related, he said, adding that he doesnt see links among all four. However, her sister, Janette Santiago, told Lovers Lane Murders that Edwards, who she described as full of energy and not afraid of anything, had entered therapy and made remarkable progress in the months before her death. Cathys throat was slit so deepthat she was nearly decapitated. Thomas described the Colonial Parkway as a popular spot to travel along the river. Cathy Thomas would drive up from Virginia Beach to visit her girlfriend, Becky Dowski, at the College of William and Mary on Thursday nights. Market data provided by Factset. 8:00 a.m . Part 1 and 2 of Oxygen's 'Lovers Lane Murders' airs Thursday night. That kind of opens up the window for somebody else to come along and pick on them.. The cases are now the subject of a new four-part true-crime docu-series on Oxygen titled "Lovers Lane Murders." The realization that his sister, Cathleen Thomas, was murdered on a scenic Virginia roadway. She was determined She was also a Russian scholar. 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. 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. Unlike OConnell, Coombs doesnt see the work of a serial killer. Thomas said the families were devastated by the sudden, brutal deaths. Three days later, Robin Edwards and Knoblings bodies were discovered in the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge in Isle of Wight County, shot to death. The odds of four double homicides in as many years are extremely rare, which is why the slayings are. 10 The First Murders Photo credit: Wild Blue Press 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. 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. A critical future was the way the perpetrator might have approached them. Fun Fact: Tunnel was built in 1942 and is 1,190 feet long. The note, which was undated and purportedly written by Phelps, indicated that she was to meet someone in a blue van at a rest stop. Here are prominent theories that have been put forth over the years. He became a well-known whistleblower, and thanks to his action, the FBI was put under the proverbial microscope. There is this allure of serial killers, said, Steve Spingola, former homicide detective and author of. Karl Knoblings theory behind the murder of his son David and Robin Edwards in 1987 doesnt have sinister overtones -- and its all the more chilling because of that. The young woman had graduated from the U.S. State police and local agencies are investigating the murders of Knobling, Edwards, Lauer, and Phelps. She enjoyed going to the Gap and dressing well, whatever the trend was. What really made these murders stand out was their complexity that fact that couples and not individuals were the targets; their setting a brazen attack done in an area steeped in our Nations history, which made them even more morbid and profane to the collective subconscious; their wild and oftentimes misleading media coverage the murders are still prime fodder for all sorts of sensational series, books, and podcasts; and finally, the disquieting realization that the killer was never identified and that he or she will most likely escape any justice. Irvin Wells, retired FBI special agent. Still, he cant help but wonder what might have been. The violence suggests, Pettler said, that the killer may have been someone who knew Thomas. The brutal crimes claimed the lives of eight young people, including one couple who've never been found. To truly understand what happened, we need to embrace and dissect some of the more vivid, abhorrent, and gruesome aspects of the case. Santiago said she had previously been told by Virginia State Police that there was DNA evidence in her sisters case and the possibility of conducting more advanced testing on it, but has not heard anything since, as communication has varied over time as the case is handed down to new people. They had both been shot in the head, execution-style. Between 1986 and 1989, at least eight people were murdered near or along Virginias Colonial Parkway by an apparent serial killer. Naval Academy in 1981, as part of its second class to admit women. Keith Call, top row and third to the left, and Cassandra Hailey disappeared April 10, 1988. Joyce Call-Canada is the older sister of Keith Call. Lauer and Phelps might have been a settlement of scores and was carried out by a professional, while Knobling and Edward were murdered following a robbery. The car had been pushed down an embankment off the Colonial Parkway. 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