A fisherman who died more than six years ago was named this week as the prime suspect in three murders in Virginia – including a pair once linked to the notorious murders known as the “Colonial Parkway Murders.”
Alan W. Wilmer Sr. has been linked through DNA evidence to the 1987 shooting deaths of David L. Knobling and Robin M. Edwards, as well as the 1989 strangulation of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, Virginia State Police announced Monday.
Wilmer died in December 2017 at the age of 63, state police said.
“Wilmer had no crimes on his criminal record, so his DNA was never obtained until it was needed for identification purposes after his death,” the statement said.
“The Virginia Department of Forensic Sciences in 2023 issued a ‘Certificate of Analysis’ confirming a genetic match to Wilmer based on evidence gathered from [1987 shooting] and [1989 strangling] victims,” added the official.
Alan W. Wilmer Sr. died in December 2017. Virginia State Police
If Wilmer were alive today, “charges would be filed against him in connection with the three murders,” Virginia State Police confirmed.
The bodies of Knobling, 20, and Edwards, 14, were found on the south bank of the James River in Isle of Wight County on Sept. 23, 1987, authorities said.
Both victims had been shot to death, and Edwards had been sexually assaulted.
Police announced the discovery at a press conference on Monday. Virginia State Police
The double murder eventually became known as part of the “Colonial Parkway Murders,” the unsolved murders of four couples around the scenic highway between Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown between 1986 and 1989, CBS News explained.
Now that the murders of Knobling and Edwards are considered solved, there is no forensic or physical evidence to suggest their murders are connected to the other Colonial Parkway cases — and the investigation remains active, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said at a news conference Monday.
State police also shared a joint statement from the families of Knobling and Edwards.
Robin M. Edwards, 14, was found shot to death in September 1987. Facebook / Colonial Parkway Murders
“For 36 years, our family has lived in an unknown vacuum. We have lived in fear of worrying that someone capable of deliberately killing Robin and David could attack and claim other victims,” the emotional confession said.
“Now we feel relief and justice knowing that he can no longer harm others. His death will not allow us to find answers to the many questions that have haunted us for so long.”
Wilmer’s DNA also tied him to the slaying of 29-year-old Howell, who was last seen outside a popular nightclub in Hampton in the early morning hours of July 1, 1989, police said.
David L. Knobling was murdered along with Robin Edwards over 35 years ago. The Facebook/Colonial Parkway murder
Around 10 a.m. that day, his body was found at a construction site about 11 miles from where Knobling and Edwards were found.
Howell was strangled and sexually assaulted, authorities said. His killing was not linked to the Colonial Parkway deaths.
“[Law enforcement’s] dedication, relentless effort and evolving technology have brought us the closure we have sought for the past 34 years,” the Howell family said in a statement shared by Hampton Police Capt. Rebecca Warren.
Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell was found strangled and sexually assaulted in July 1989. Virginia State Police
“While we are grateful for the closure that has been provided, nothing will bring Terry back. The void left by his absence is indescribable,” he concluded.
Police have not said how Wilmer – who went by the nickname “Pokey” – died.
The suspect is 5-foot-5 and weighs about 165 pounds, state police added.
He has sandy hair, blue eyes and a close-cropped beard.
Family members of Robin Edward wipe their eyes during a press conference Monday. AP
Around the time of the murder, Wilmer was driving several pickup trucks, including a blue 1966 Dodge Fargo with the Virginia license plate “EM-RAW,” authorities said.
Wilmer makes his living mostly from clam and oyster farming, but also has a tree service business called Better Tree Service.
He sometimes lives on his commercial fishing boat, the Denni Wade, which he docks at local marinas and shipyards.
Wilmer was driving a “lonely” blue truck, state police said. Virginia State Police
He is an experienced hunter and belongs to at least one hunting club in the area.
Police are looking into Wilmer’s possible connection to additional cases, and are appealing to the public for any information they may have.
“We recognize relationships and loyalties change over time. So are people and their perspectives. There are times when people who may have knowledge of an incident have not felt comfortable coming forward with that information in the past, but we want them to know that it’s never too late to step forward,” Brian Dugan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Norfolk field office, said. said to the newspaper.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
