HAMPTON, Virginia – A long-standing mystery surrounding a series of unsolved murders that haunted the state of Virginia in the late 1980s has taken a step toward resolution with the naming of a suspect in the infamous Colonial Parkway murders.
After more than 30 years, authorities have identified a deceased fisherman, Alan W Wilmer, as a suspect in three murders, two of which were connected to the notorious Colonial Parkway killings. Wilmer has been linked to the deaths of David Knobling and Robin Edwards in Isle of Wight County in 1987, as well as the killing of Teresa Lynn Howell in Hampton in 1989. Investigators were led to Wilmer after a tip pointed to the fisherman, prompting a DNA request.
Despite his passing in 2017 at the age of 63, authorities have stated that charges would have been filed against Wilmer if he were still alive. Family members of the victims, who have long awaited answers regarding their loved ones’ deaths, were present at the announcement.
The case of Knobling and Edwards, who were found fatally shot on the shore of the Ragged Island Wildlife Management and Refuge Area, was initially believed to be part of the Colonial Parkway Murders. However, authorities have now stated that there is no forensic or physical evidence to link their murders to the other homicides in the series.
Wilmer’s connections to the victims, including Howell, who was last spotted alive outside the Zodiac Club in Hampton before being found dead due to strangulation, have shed new light on these long-standing cold cases. The police are urging anyone with information about Wilmer to come forward to aid in their investigation.
With the identification of Wilmer as a suspect, there is renewed hope for closure and justice for the families of the victims. And as the investigation progresses, authorities are working tirelessly to piece together the events of the past and bring peace to the loved ones left behind by these senseless tragedies.