Virginia fisherman identified in ‘Colonial Parkway Murders’ that haunted community for years

A Virginia fisherman ran a small business while he murdered at least three people in the late ’80s, and he took his secrets to the grave.

Alan W. Wilmer Sr. was tied to the 1987 murders of David Knobling, 20, and Robin M. Edwards, 14, in the Isle of Wight, and the 1989 homicide of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, 29, in Hampton, Virginia. 

The case was called the “Colonial Parkway Murders,” which became a sinister true-crime story whose ending was replaced by decades of theories.

That suddenly changed with a major breakthrough earlier this week, when Virginia State Police said DNA advances tied Wilmer to all three homicides. But he died nearly seven years ago.

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Wilmer was 63 when he died in December 2017. 

He lived his life under the radar and spent most of his time fishing for clams and oysters on his custom-built wooden boat that was often docked at marinas in the counties of Gloucester and Middlesex, according to police. 

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He lived in Lancaster County, Virginia, about 2½ hours north of the murders, and didn’t have a criminal record. He also ran a business called Better Tree Service and was known as an avid hunter. 

Wilmer took his deadly secrets to the grave, but the Isle of Wight County and City of Hampton Commonwealth’s attorneys “confirm that if not for Wilmer’s death, charges would be filed against him in connection with the three homicides,” the Virginia State Police said in a statement. 

The bodies of Knobling and Edwards were found with bullet holes Sept. 23, 1987, along the shoreline of the Ragged Island Wildlife Management and Refuge Area on the south bank of the James River. 

They were last seen alive together the night of Sept. 19, 1987. Police said Edwards, only a teenager, was sexually assaulted.

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Two years later, on July 1, 1989, Howell left the Zodiac Club around 2:30 a.m. 

A construction crew found her clothes about eight hours later, and her body was found as a “Jane Doe” in a nearby wooded area. 

She was identified after a July 4, 1989, missing person report was filed in York County.

As of today, Wilmer Sr. is tied to these three murders, but investigators continue to look into other potential crimes he may have committed, FBI Norfolk Special Agent in Charge Brian Dugan said. 

He asked the public to come forward with any tips or potential leads. 

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“We recognize relationships and loyalties change over time, as do people and their perspectives,” Dugan said in a statement. 

“There are occasions where people who may have had knowledge of an incident didn’t feel comfortable coming forward with that information in the past, but we want them to know it’s not too late for them to step forward.” 

Lt. Col. Tim Lyon, director of the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, thanked the victims’ families for their patience in a statement after announcing DNA tied Wilmer to the murders.

“Only those who have suffered the loss of a child in this way can truly understand the depth of their sorrow and the frustration over not knowing who was responsible for taking their loved one’s life in such a violent and cruel way,” Lt. Lyon said. 

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“I do hope the identification of the killer brings some sense of closure and peace for them. Moving forward, we continue our work to ensure other families have their day, too, and a chance at closure and justice.” 

Wilmer was 5-foot-5, muscular and weighed about 165 pounds. He had sandy brown hair, blue eyes and would sport a close-cropped beard. 

He drove a distinctive, blue 1966 Dodge Fargo pickup with the Virginia license plate EM-RAW. The Dodge was just one of several pickups Wilmer was known to drive in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Anyone who may have worked with Alan W. Wilmer Sr. or hunted with him, farmed oysters and clams with him, docked next to him at marinas in the Northern Neck, Hampton Roads or Middle Peninsula areas or hung out with him is encouraged to contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. 

Anonymous tips can be sent online at tips.fbi.gov. Anyone with information can also reach out to the Virginia State Police by email at questions@vsp.virginia.gov or the Peninsula Crime Line.