Thomas said he is left wondering why Atwell has had such a strong interest in the case. Current day image of where Cathy Thomass car was discovered. "It's an unsolved crime, number one. His investigation came to the startling conclusion that the murders were committed by multiple assailants and arent tied together. Three days later, their bodies washed up onto the beach at Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge. One person is a whole lot easier to kill than two. Almost all of the clothing Cassandra and Richard had been wearing was found inside the car, along with Richards wallet and Cassandras purse, again ruling out robbery as a motive. Her date with Keith Call was their first and only one. Cassandra Hailey, a hard-working student at Christopher Newport, Cassandra juggled multiple jobs, gymnastic classes, and many friends. Months later, they were found murdered, wrapped in a blanket in the woods. There has to be a degree of self-sabotage from a serial killer for an investigation to pan out. Hair that had been found in Cathys hand and a biological sample found on Robin have never been tested, but with advances in DNA technology and resources like GEDmatch, the families of the victims are hopeful they will finally get answers. Seven years after the final fatalities, another case reignited the investigation. Here's a link to an April 19, 2009 article about criminologist Larry McCann researching these violent crimes. According to the Daily Press, Spingola was hired by Annamaria Phelps' family to look into the girl's murder. On Wednesday, police in Gwinnett County, Ga., arrested 62-year-old Fred Atwell. They had both been shot in the head, execution-style. The Colonial Parkway is a historic and scenic road that links together the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktow. During this time, Atwell became a constant figure among them. We have heard that Fred Atwell, the whisteblower in the Colonial Parkway Murders FBI photo leak scandal, died December 16, 2018 in a prison hospital. THE PARKWAY MURDERS Oct. 12, 1986: Cathleen M. Thomas, 28, left, and Rebecca A. Dowski, 21, were found strangled with their throats slit in the back seat of Thomas' car along the Colonial. According to NBC, their love was a new, budding thing that would never get the chance to flourish. Annamaria Phelps, 18, and Daniel Lauer, 21, were not a romantic couple. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. He dropped Edwards off at her home, but later that night she snuck out to meet him. The First Murders. The other two happened in the mid-'90s, and their connection to the originals remains a highly debated topic. About The Book On January 7, 1994, residents of Berkshire [Read More], True crime author, Burl Barer, has always possessed that all-important knack for seeking out hidden truth and finding it. Keith took her for a drive down the Colonial Parkway in his red Toyota Celica. The FBI, working in unison with the regions law enforcement, had a victim criteria in their arsenal. Overlooking the beautiful York River, it is hard to imagine the drama that took place on or near the Colonial Parkway that night. well the walls aren't even relatively straight in a lot of them so either she needed to move tf out of where she lived ASAP before it crumbles or she is photoshopping. Fred Atwell Pleads Guilty To Scamming Serial Killer Victims - HuffPost Three pairs of victims were recovered, and another couple remains missing and presumed murdered. FYI, this happened in Virginia, not Pennsylvania. Naval Academy in 1981, as part of its second class to admit women. Its isolation and lack of patrols by the NPS made it a perfect place for murder or to dispose of a vehicle/bodies. Colonial Parkway Murders: Report - Colonial Ghosts On September 5, 1989, their car was found abandoned at an I-64 rest stop strangely, the rest stop was on the opposite route of their way back to Virginia Beach. Davids car had been discovered in a parking lot by the James River Bridge. As of now, the killer (or killers) remains at large. Everything seemed to be going fine as the pair moved their outing to a local party where they enjoyed themselves until around 1:30 a.m. Hailey was an 18-year-old college student. We're a little less trusting," Phelps said. Regardless, the murders shook the state and instilled an insidious fear during the decade when each killing cropped up within a few years of the others. Over 30 years later they remain unsolved. His brother's girlfriend was the second half of the murdered pair. The investigations into all eight murders are ongoing and active, the Virginian Pilot reported. The Gloucester County whistleblower who last year revealed how the FBI leaked crime-scene photographs from the Colonial Parkway killings now says he's a suspect in the murder investigation. Investigators do not yet know how much money, if any, Atwell pocketed from the raffle but they say he cashed a check for $270 that was supposed to go for Department of Motor Vehicle fees related to the nonexistent cars. But this road flips from a gorgeous sun-lit drive to a haunting trek when the night falls, and it's in part because of the troubled past hidden among this road's lanes. Authorities have yet to confirm whether the call took place. Some aspects of the killings fly in the face of the patterns of other serial killers, and some of the facts don't quite add up. The Disturbing Facts About the Unsolved Colonial Parkway Murders State police and local agencies are investigating the murders of Knobling, Edwards, Lauer, and Phelps. So, who were the Colonial Parkway murder victims? The killer has never been identified and the case remains UNSOLVED!Construction stretched over twenty-six years through the Depression, World . Last month, Atwell was arrested in connection with an alleged phony car raffle, in which all of the proceeds were to go to "The Colonial Parkway Victims Fund." I was in disbelief for a while. Show Who Killed. Like everyone else who has seen the show THS I wish they would solve this. He was shy at first, but once you got to know him he opened up, he said. 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. Just three days later, they were found murdered inside Thomas 1980 Honda Civic, Richmond.com reported in 2016. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. This question of serial killer or coincidence is explored in Oxygens new limited series. The crimes were thoroughly covered as much as is known and each victim became a flesh-and-blood person with much to live for. None of the victims were robbed, and sexual assault did not appear to be a motive in any of the cases. The National Park Service Rangers thought the two women might be injured as a result of an accident. Cassandra Hailey every bit the girl next door 1980s style. Atwell says a friend of his, a security-company owner, asked him last year to teach a class about the killings. The Colonial Parkway is a 23 mile (37km) scenic landscape/thoroughfare that links Virginias Historic Triangle. I saw that over the weekend, too. They also ruled out robbery as a motive, since both womens purses were still there, and no money or jewelry had been taken. Last year, criminal profiler Pat Brown shared her own theory with AOL News -- a theory that centers on the fact that in some of the cases, the victims' driver's window had been rolled down. On October 12, 1986, a jogger found Cathy Thomas's white Honda Civic pushed down an embankment just off of the Colonial Parkway and called the police. The two-decade-old puzzle of the Colonial Parkway murders had pretty much fizzled out at the time the photos were uncovered. Spingola believes that the two sets of murders were hate crimes committed by the same perpetrator. FBI photograph of Cathys car, barely visible having been pushed off the embankment. The sightseeing is prime. Thomas and Dowskis were a hate crime motivated by the couples lesbian relationship. Its isolation and lack of patrols by the NPS made it a perfect place for murder or to dispose of a vehicle/bodies. The vision behind the Murder Accountability Project. Controversial Figure In Colonial Parkway Murders Arrested "These were human beings. Filed Under: A SPECIAL KIND OF EVIL, Blaine Pardoe, Blog, True Crime Tagged With: A SPECIAL KIND OF EVIL, best true crime books, Blaine Pardoe, Colonial Parkway, historical true crime, Serial Killer, serial killer books, serial murder, True Crime Authors, true crime book, true crimes, True-crime, truecrime, Victoria HesterJuly 9, 2017 By Ashley Butler 5 Comments, Excellent read. 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. The only couples that had anything in common seemed to be the first pair and the (potentially connected) final couple, Lollie Winans and Julianne Williams, both of which Historic Mysteries says were lesbian couples, but the others were perceived to be straight couples. Gays and lesbians were banned from the Navy at that time, and she had been investigated by nine agents regarding her sexuality, her brother told producers. For at least a year, and maybe for many years, these pictures have circulated among civilians. And with Stealing Manhattan, a book that details, as the author proclaims, a "mega-heist" that involved the taking of [More], On an unseasonably warm April evening in 2001, the headless body of a tiny girl was found discarded in a makeshift dump site in the woods on the southeast side of Kansas City, Missouri. 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. Interest in the two-decade-old puzzle of the Colonial Parkway murders had pretty much fizzled out when the photos were uncovered. It is easy to see how the vehicle was overlooked for so long. Just three days later, they were found murdered inside Thomas 1980 Honda Civic. Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. And, as if that bit of info wasnt hair-raising enough, another independent study conducted by Dr. Mike Aamodt at Radford University actually confirmed Hargroves data and concluded that he might have lowballed the number. Further, not all experts believe these final victims were connected to others, due to timing and other factors. 1. I was acutally born at old Riverside Hospital in Newport News. Richard Keith Call Keith to his friends and family. The Colonial Parkway Murders, 1986-89 | Page 2 - Websleuths This contemporary photograph shows part of the boardwalk from the Ragged Island parking area to the beach area near where the bodies of David and Robin were found. The car had been pushed down an embankment off the Colonial Parkway. "To me, this is the work of a serial killer. Everybody loves the scenic views of a beautiful road. Their trip home on Labor Day weekend was only for a fewhours. Atwell was arrested in connection with an alleged phony car raffle. "His crimes gave him this feeling: He was able to surprise, control and punish 'wrongdoers.'". It may not display this or other websites correctly. As with everything in her life, her career as a stockbroker was a stunning success. I am almost finished with this book after watching the Oxygen documentary special recently I became very intrigued and wanted more information. Who Killed?: The Colonial Parkway Murders: Part - Apple Podcasts It was the last time they would be seen alive. The Colonial Parkway Murders first victims were Cathy Thomas (L) and Rebecca Dowski (R). The body of Carmine Galante is taken out of Joe and Mary's Italian Restaurant. Some don't believe this pair can be counted in the Colonial Parkway murders because we don't know what happened to the victims, whereas others believe the case bears a convincing resemblance to the others. Annamaria and her boyfriends brother Daniel Lauer came back home for a short visit and so that Daniel could pack to move in with them. Finally, one of the most bizarre theories about the murders states that the killers identity was, in fact, a rogue CIA operative. Colonial Parkway murders - Wikipedia Following the kill, there's the question of cleanup one body is easier than two. Here is the story of perhaps the most infamous unsolved case in Virginia's history. Daniels plan was to move in with his brother Clinton and Clintons girlfriend, Annamaria Phelps. But Atwell died behind bars before his involvement in the killings could be confirmed. If they are smart enough not to get caught, theres very little we can do.. Daniel Lauer and Annamaria Phelps Bushwick July 12, 1979. Just after Labor Day weekend 1989, Annamaria Phelps, 18, and Daniel Later, 21, vanished while en route to Virginia Beach. All the victims were killed with different methods (stabbing, strangulation, gunshot wound). The Parkway is surrounded by woods and has far fewer entries and exits than a typical highway. A former police officer was arrested after an FBI profiler noticed the victims' windows had been left partially open, suggesting a deadly traffic stop. r/UnresolvedMysteries - The Colonial Parkway Murders - The "He always tried to insert himself into the investigation and into the families," Thomas' brother, Bill Thomas, told The Huffington Post. Two Christopher Newport University students on their first date were the next victims on the list in 1988, and the fourth set of victims included Daniel Lauer, who was in the process of moving in with his brother. 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. He said they wanted $20,000 to reveal the locations where Keith and Cassandra's bodies could be found. Young couple Julie Williams, 24, and Lollie Winans, 26, were camping in the park over Memorial Day weekend. Atwell's discovery of the 84 graphic photographs brought a lot of much-needed media attention back to the unsolved homicides. One long night turned into four long years for [Read More], Famous Rock Stars, TV Celebrities, Stone Cold Conmen, A Daring Rescue of Kidnapped Kids, And More! Building awareness of the Colonial Parkway Murders, in which 8 young people were killed in a series of 4 homicides of couples in lovers' lanes in and See more 14,768 people like this 15,897 people follow this https://colonialparkwaymurders.com/ colonialparkwaymurders@gmail.com Community @BillThomas56 @MurderOver Colonial Parkway Murders Photos It's possible they just hadn't found the right fit for acting out on their illness, or that the killer was growing, evolving, branching out their system to better sate dark desires and lessen the possibility of being caught. This crime scene photo shows tent erected over their remains as investigators work in the rain to recover every clue. The back seat of Daniels car, filled with his hastily packed personal belongings for his move to the beach. All rights reserved. Rather, they were the work of multiple killers who coincidentally picked couples in the same area. After Lauers, car a gold 1972 Chevrolet Nova, was found abandoned on the I-64 New Kent rest stop, investigators combed the countryside looking for what was no doubt a fresh crime scene. Still, some investigators are on the fence and dont want to definitively classify their disappearance as part of the serial killers cycle. The Colonial Parkway Murders - YouTube The two women in the car were identified as Cathleen Cathy Thomas, a 27-year-old graduate of the Naval Academy, and Rebecca Ann Dowski, a 21-year-old student at the College of William and Mary. He called the authorities, who discovered that it wasn't a drunk driver at all. I had never heard it before. On the floor of Davids truck you can see the shoes of the victim. Lauer's car was found abandoned at a rest area on the westbound side of I-64. The killer taunted authorities by hanging his feathered roach clip on the half-opened drivers side window. The Colonial Parkway is a beautiful stretch of highway which cuts through the Colonial National Historical Park in South-East Virginia. "They were people and they were loved. The two bodies were David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14, who had been missing since September 19th. I live in Norfolk now but I still am scared to travel that stretch of road, especially where the couple's car was found at the rest stop going in the other direction in which they were headed. This image shows the James River Bridge and the roadway leading from the parking area to the river. Colonial Parkway Murders - Home - Facebook Cathy Thomas at the Naval Academy Cathy Thomas in civilian life "He called [a] suicide hotline and said that he is suicidal, a suspect in a serial murder [investigation] and wanted to commit suicide by cop," Thomas said. The couple had been missing since the evening of October 9th after they had been seen leaving a computer lab. Throughout the '80s, this thoroughfare was home to what's believed to have been 10 murders. "We're a little less likely to accept outside help. I was very concerned because the only reason IMO that the couples would be taken by surprise like they were and seemed abducted so easily, if it were a cop or someone pretending to be a cop. Knobling lived in Hampton while he worked for his fathers landscaping business, and was expecting a baby with his longtime girlfriend. It is unclear whether Annamaria and David pulled over and were killed at the rest stop or if they were killed elsewhere and the killer moved their car. Atwell says he couldn't get a return call, until NewsChannel 3 got involved. Alex Cooper's 'leaked' nudes : r/CallHerDaddySnark - Reddit Julia Williams, 24, and Lollie Winans, 26, displayed a wealth of similarities to the Parkway case. 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. Someone has leaked graphic crime-scene photographs of the most notorious serial killings in Virginia history, the Colonial Parkway murders. You know, all his belongings.". A typically tranquil area, no one expected the Parkway to be the setting for a gruesome string of murders. The differences in killing methods is something that is often pointed at, as Cathy and Rebecca were strangled and then had their throats slit, David and Robin were shot, and Annamaria and Daniel were presumably stabbed. Robins pants were partially rolled down, but police were unsure if there had been sexual assault since it was presumed that Robin and David had had some sort of sexual relationship. But that's a recent development. Larry needed a smoking gun. But he says he says the FBI did take this breach seriously, even if they didn't take action until a few days ago. Four double homicides occurred on or near the Colonial Parkway in Virginia during the 1980s. The interior of Daniels car. A Virginia State Police photo of the rest area on I-64 where Daniels car was found abandoned. One of the two died with her bra around her neck, suggesting she may have been strangled as well. They had been bound and gagged, similarly to Cathy and Rebecca, and their throats had also been slit. It's been over 30 years, and they're still missing without much of a trace.

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