Becky was collateral damage.. In the 1980s, the Colonial Parkway was known as a gay lovers lane, according to Spingola. [30], Last edited on 16 September 2022, at 11:09, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of fugitives from justice who disappeared, List of serial killers in the United States, "Colonial Parkway Murders Remain Unsolved", "Fred Atwell, Controversial Figure In Colonial Parkway Murders, Arrested In Georgia", "Part 1 | Agent stalks dark path of serial killer", "Part 2 | Serial Killer's Trademark: Colonial Parkway Murders", "Part 3 | Scores of suspects but no serial killer", "Sensitive FBI photos from Colonial Parkway murders leaked to the public", "FBI takes new approach in hunt for Colonial Parkway killer", "A cold case heats up: The Colonial Parkway murders", "The Colonial Parkway Murders | Dark Minds", "After 30 years, relatives of victims in Parkway Murders hope for break in cases", "Colonial Parkway Murders: Help Find a Killer", "10 Disturbing Facts About The Colonial Parkway Murders", "Authorities have 'potential perpetrator DNA' in Colonial Parkway murders, family says", "Dateline Crime Capsule: The Colonial Parkway Murders", "Former deputy's death leaves Parkway victims' families wondering what he knew", "Sooner or Later Your Cousin's DNA Is Going to Solve a Murder", "Victims, Families and America's Thirst for True-Crime Stories", "Lovers' Lane Murders Sets Out to Solve the Infamous Colonial Parkway Murders", "Why Would Law Enforcement Not Release All Records On A Case Like The Colonial Parkway Murders? But is it possible they are tragic, separate events? Joyce Call-Canada, Richard Calls sister, hyphenates her last name so that people recognize it while one of her brothers still keeps their familys home phone number. Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com. [16], On October 26, 2018, Dateline NBC released "Dateline Crime Capsule: The Colonial Parkway Murders" which offered a look into the history of the case. The Virginia State Police did a casual investigation, during the panic galvanized by the murders, of Camp Peary and its soldiers. According to Thomas, three out of the four cases have DNA evidence. "The families are determined to see this through. From about October 1986 to September 1989, 8 people are presumed to have been murdered near Colonial Parkway in Eastern Virginia. Finally, there was no evidence of sexual assault pre or post mortem; the pair were fully clothed and sexually intact. That kind of opens up the window for somebody else to come along and pick on them.. [26], In June 2010, the victims' families requested the assistance of a retired Milwaukee Police Department homicide detective Steve Spingola. Four double homicides occurred on or near the Colonial Parkway in Virginia during the 1980s. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Mainly because no bodies have ever been uncovered. Phelps had been stabbed, but Lauers body was too decomposed to determine cause of death. Dogs traced their scents to the river, but soon lost it. The Colonial Parkway murders were a series of four double homicides from 1986-89. "I hope people will understand that the loss that weve suffered has not prevented us as families from continuing to focus on seeing some degree of justice done," Thomas, who serves as one of the shows producers, told Fox News. April 10, 1988: Keith Call, 20, and Cassandra Hailey, 18, went missing after a college party. [Thomas] could hold their own from day one. They also eventually helped organize some of the families. Thomas and her girlfriend Rebecca Dowski were both killed in an incident that many believe was the first killing in the Colonial Parkway Murders. Knobling's black Ford Ranger pickup truck was found at the refuge parking area next to the James River Bridge with the wipers and radio on and some articles of clothing inside. Stephen's bedroom crime scene. (ill Tiernan). According to Parabon NanoLabs Genetic Genealogist CeCe Moore, genetic genealogy involves linking DNA of unidentified bodies and/or potential suspects to relatives who have uploaded their DNA to genealogy sites that allow police to access their genetic information. This section is going to be macabre, scatological, and disturbing. We had a good and long conversation about everything and started asking, What do we do and how do we get the word out? Call-Canada said. Green jumper the killer wore. He was shy at first, but once you got to know him he opened up, he said. Sept. 20, 1987: David Knoblings truck was found abandoned in a parking lot with the door open, the radio on and his wallet on the dashboard. She worked two jobs while studying, caring for toddlers at a daycare center and at the colleges English department as a clerk, the Virginian Pilot reported in 2016. The place is a sightseeing extravaganza brimming with historical points, scenic pull-offs, markers, and memorials. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. So as long as theres something left to analyze, theres always hope that it will be solved through genetic genealogy.. All the victims were from different backgrounds and demographics, making a profile an incredibly difficult task. 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. Their bodies uncovered in Virginias Shenandoah National Park. On any given day, Thomas can be found behind his desk in his Connecticut home sifting through archives, reaching out to law enforcement and answering calls and emails about his sisters case. Thursday night was theirs a time when they could be alone together despite living so far apart, despite living in such an unwelcoming world every Thursday night, they were able to live as they wanted. They are both presumed dead, and evidence points to the same madman or madwoman responsible for the other killings. You saw Dr. Pettler in the four part true crime TV series, "Lovers Lane The following episode continues to examine the initial Colonial Parkway homicide, but the case is still unsolved when a new double murder takes place less than a year later. All of the victims were young, white, and either a romantic couple or could resemble one to an outsider. [11], On October 8, 2016, the Richmond Times Dispatch ran an in-depth article on the 30th anniversary of the Colonial Parkway murders case: After 30 Years, Relatives in Parkway Murders Hope for a Break in Cases[12], On October 8, 2016, the Virginian-Pilot published in-depth story, "The Killer Could Still be Out There: 30 Years Later, Still No Answers in the Colonial Parkway Murders"[13], On May 4, 2018, the Colonial Parkway murders were covered in featured panel discussion at the annual "CrimeCon" true crime convention in Nashville. Many who believe the homicides are connected think the killer presented himself as a police officer or park ranger, or someone with authority. 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. 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. Steve Spingola, former Milwaukee homicide detective, investigated the murders on behalf of the families. 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. What the investigators uncovered was a horrid tableau of deprivation. Why not just tell us that our case will never be a priority? The pair went on a date, seeing a movie and attending a party, on April 9, 1988. We feellike we could be just as close to start to solve these cases. A couple, romantically involved, was found bound, gagged and their throats slit almost 200 miles from the initial hunting grounds. 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. Sept. 5, 1989: Annamaria Phelps, 18 and Daniel Lauer, 21, disappeared from an Interstate 64 rest stop in New Kent County. This murder series is the single greatest unsolved murder series in the history of Virginia and it needs attention, Thomas said. ", EMILIE MORRIS, THE FORMER STUDENT WHO DIED AFTER ACCUSING HER COACH OF ABUSE, BECOMES FOCUS OF TRUE-CRIME DOC. The tone of his parents voice signaling something was wrong. He and Cassandra Hailey vanished while on their first date in 1988. 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. The remains were too decomposed to reveal the manner of death. 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. 19 talking about this. From 1986 to 1989, four double homicides occurred on or near the Colonial Parkway. Their bodies were so decomposed, investigators were unable to determine a cause of death. . Throughout the years, it was usually the victims parents who spearheaded efforts to find justice, renew interest and pressure law enforcement to pursue their cases. Three days later, the two bodies were discovered by Knobling's father and a search party along the water's edge of the James River. I see the killer evolving, she said, not just in his methods but in his motives., Theory: A Serial Killer Was (Or Posed As) Law Enforcement, Stoking this belief is the fact that victims car windows were found rolled down at crime scenes, according to. However, these victims were known to frequent the area on Thursday nights. 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. Get extra footage on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/mobileinstinctMy T-Shirts \u0026 Sweatshirts available here - https://shop.spreadshirt.com/mobileinstinct/ If you want to buy me a beer - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/mobileinstinctAll of my videos are organized by state on my website https://www.TheMobileInstinct.com More videos on My Second Channel - https://www.youtube.com/mobileinstinct2INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/mobileinstinct New FACEBOOK page - Lets be friends - https://www.facebook.com/mobileinstinct*CHECK OUT these cool videos! On April 10, 1988, two kids from Christopher Newport University both perfect in-synched with the killers victim profile were reported missing after attending a party in Newport News during their first date together. The Colonial Parkway Murders The Colonial Parkway is a historic and scenic road that links together the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. Oxygen's two-night true-crime special Lovers' Lane Murders focuses on the slaying of eight men and women at the Colonial Parkway in Virginia. All rights reserved. The autopsy was inconclusive and could not determine whether a blade had slashed their throats or if they had been strangled to near decapitation. Welcome to "Mind Over Murder." In this episode, co-hosts Kristin Dilley and Bill Thomas kick off an in-depth discussion of the Colonial Parkway Murders with criminologist and crime scene reconstruction expert Dr. Laura Pettler. 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. . 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. "So people knew you could go there and basically be left alone, especially at night. The sun begins to set Tuesday evening September 27, 2016 near an overlook along the Colonial Parkway. Cassandra Lee Hailey, 18, and Richard Keith Call, 20, dropped off the face of the Earth on that Spring evening. From 1986 to 1989, four double homicides occurred either on or near the scenic, seemingly safe road. Unburieda true-crime blog with no illusions in the police, the privileged, or the powerful. Survivor. All rights reserved. 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. The killer has never been caught. Now, more than 10 years later, the families are pushing for another meeting. Actor Steve Altes portrayed the killer. During that time, three couples were murdered and one couple is missing and presumed to be dead. The car had been pushed down an embankment off the Colonial Parkway. The Colonial Parkway is a scenic, 23-mile stretch in Virginia that links the historic towns of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. Then, the little ideas turned into big ideas and that was the start of our connection.. There's too many differences.". 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. Thomas had also entered a relationship with Dowski, and the two were known to regularly visit the area where they were murdered. 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. They show how the Colonial Parkway Killer stalk 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. A small caveat before we spring forth into the latest horror room, the third couples link to the Parkway Murders is somewhat debatable. Speaking Russian was very important because they were, at the time, probably our top adversary in the world.". Lauer needed to go back home to get his belongings, and Phelps decided to accompany him for the drive to see her own family in their hometown. They were never found. However, the young couple was struggling financially, so Lauer had agreed to move in with them to help them out with money. On April 10, 1988, Christopher Newport University students Cassandra Lee Hailey, 18, and Richard Keith Call, 20, were reported missing after attending a party in the University Square area in Newport News during their first date together. The understanding, years later, that his parents had to make three separate phone calls to him and his two brothers; one, in New York at the time, took an entire day to reach. If he receives what he believes to be a credible tip, he will then turn it over to the FBI. At least one of the badly decomposed bodies appears to have suffered knife wounds. 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. They plan to write another soon. Julia Williams, 24, and Lollie Winans, 26, displayed a wealth of similarities to the Parkway case. Im the older brother of Cathy Thomas who together with her girlfriend Rebecca Dowski were the first two victims in the so-called Colonial Parkway Murders, he wrote. "She had martial arts training from the Naval Academy and she was incredibly athletic. 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