'A sense of relief:' Victims' families get justice as police identify VA. man in 80s slayings

DNA evidence has linked a dead Virginia fisherman to three murders that have been unsolved in the state since the 1980s, including the sexual assault and slaying of a 14-year-old girl.

Virginia State Police identified the suspect Monday as Alan W. Wilmer Sr., who died in 2017 at 63 years old. It was unclear when Wilmer became a suspect in the homicides, which occurred in 1987 and 1989, but prosecutors said Wilmer would be charged if he were alive.

Because Wilmer had no felonies on his criminal record, his DNA was unable to be legally collected and tested until his death, authorities said in a news release. Forensic investigators confirmed in 2023 that genetic evidence linked Wilmer to two homicide scenes in Hampton, Virginia and the Isle of Wight County.

One of the cold cases involved the murder of two people whose deaths were among a series of unsolved homicides of couples known as the “Colonial Parkway Murders” in southeastern Virginia.

“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," Virginia State Police Lt. Col. Tim Lyon said in a statement. "I do hope the identification of the killer brings some sense of closure and peace for them."

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What were the 'Colonial Parkway Murders' and other homicide Wilmer is suspected in?

In 1987, David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14 were found shot dead along the shoreline on the south bank of the James River in Isle of Wight County. Investigators determined that Edwards had been sexually assaulted, Virginia police said.

The day after the two were last seen alive together, Knobling's pickup truck was discovered abandoned in the parking lot of the Ragged Island Wildlife Management and Refuge Area.

Over time, the murders of Knobling and Edwards became one of three separate double homicides between 1986 and 1989 that became known as the “Colonial Parkway Murders.” The killing spree also includes the suspected death of a fourth couple whose bodies were never recovered, police said.

Wilmer was also identified as the suspect in the 1989 slaying of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, 29, in the city of Hampton.

Howell, whose death is not part of the "Colonial Parkway Murders," was found dead in a wooded area not far from a since-shuttered night club. A construction crew had found discarded women's clothing near their work site, which led investigators to discover Howell, who had been sexually assaulted before she was strangled to death, Virginia police said.

'A vacuum of the unknown:' Victims' family relieved to have answers

During a Monday news conference, Corinne Geller, a Virginia State Police spokeswoman read aloud a joint statement from the Knobling and Edwards families thanking invetigators.

“For 36 years, our families have lived in a vacuum of the unknown,” the statement said. “We have lived with the fear of worrying that a person capable of deliberately killing Robin and David could attack and claim another victim. Now we have a sense of relief and justice knowing that he can no longer victimize another. His death will not allow us to seek out the answers to countless questions that have haunted us for so long.”

Hampton Police Captain Rebecca Warren read aloud another similar statement from Howell’s family that expressed gratitude for law enforcement.

“Their dedication, relentless efforts and evolving technology have brought us closure that we have sought over the last 34 years,” the statement said. “While we are grateful for the closure that has been provided, nothing will bring Terry back. The void left by her absence over the years is inexpressible.”

Who was Wilmer? FBI hopes to tie him to other crimes

Wilmer remains a person of interest in other cold cases, and investigators continue to pursue leads and reconstruct his movements that may link me to other killings, Geller said.

Before his death, Wilmer owned a small wooden commercial fishing boat named the Denni Wade that he built himself to farm clams and oysters.

Wilmer, who also ran a business called Better Tree Service, was known to dock at marinas in the Virginia counties of Gloucester and Middlesex. He also frequented the area around the Northern Neck, the northernmost of three peninsulas on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay.

An avid hunter, Wilmer belonged to at least one hunt club located in the Middle Peninsula region, according to the FBI. He drove a distinctive blue 1966 Dodge Fargo pickup truck with the Virginia license plate “EM-RAW, which was one of several Wilmer was known to drive in the 1980s and early 1990s.

“We recognize relationships and loyalties change over time, as do people and their perspectives," FBI Norfolk Special Agent in Charge Brian 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.”

Anyone with information can call the FBI's anonymous tip line at 1-800-2255-324 or submit a tip online at www.tips.fbi.gov. People can also contact the Virginia State Police by email at [email protected].

Contributing: The Associated Press

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]