Calls Toyota Celica was later found on the parkway along with several articles of clothing and the car keys. On April 10, 1988, Christopher Newport University students Cassandra Lee Hailey, 18, and Richard Keith Call, 20, were reported missing after attending a party in the University Square area in Newport News during their first date together. "She discovered after graduating from the Naval Academy that she was a lesbian. Keith Call, top row and third to the left, and Cassandra Hailey disappeared April 10, 1988. Many who believe the homicides are connected think the killer presented himself as a police officer or park ranger, or someone with authority. In September 1987, a truck belonging to David Knobling, 20, was found abandoned by the James River Bridge. Months later, they were found murdered, wrapped in a blanket in the woods. He may have been watching victims, the former profiler theorized, and when the opportunity arose he became a predator.. Emily discusses a slew of disappearances and double murders within a four-year period along the Colonial Parkway in Virginia in the late 80's. . Knobling had taken Edwards out with his little brother and cousin that day. They were never found. They all died at night. However, the young couple was struggling financially, so Lauer had agreed to move in with them to help them out with money. These killings, known as the Colonial Parkway murders, remain unsolved. The Colonial Parkway murders were the slayings of at least eight people apparently by a serial killer along the Colonial Parkway of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia (or nearby) between 1986 and 1989. After their parents died, Call-Canada and her brother took up the effort to prod investigators. In 2018, when the news broke that the 45-year-old Golden State Killer cold case had been solved with the arrest of Joseph DeAngelo, many, including Thomas and other families of the Colonial Parkway Murder victims, found a renewed sense of hope with investigative genetic genealogy. Between 1986 and 1989, three young couples were found brutally murdered while one couple is still missing and presumed dead, on or near the Colonial Parkway, a roadway that connects Jamestown,. At first, Thomas said his family suspected Cathy and Dowski were victims of a hate crime. Steve Spingola, former Milwaukee homicide detective, investigated the murders on behalf of the families. This was the first time Thomas had spoken to any of the other victims family members, since his sisters death 20 years prior, but it would not be the last. The Colonial Parkway Murders families have been told by law enforcement (FBI and Virginia State Police) that they may have perpetrator DNA in 3 of the 4 crime scenes in the unsolved Colonial Parkway Murders. David's injuries. The place is a sightseeing extravaganza brimming with historical points, scenic pull-offs, markers, and memorials. After leaving the armed forces, she had transitioned into a successful career as a stockbroker, according to Richmond.com. The couple, investigators hypothesize, might have been romantically involved. The second Annamaria and Daniel were reported missing, the red-flags went up, and the district devolved into a panic. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Edwards family members, meanwhile, grieved the lost opportunity to know the woman the teenager was becoming. Keith Call, top row and third to the left, and Cassandra Hailey disappeared April 10, 1988. And remember, this was the 1980s. Santiago said she had previously been told by Virginia State Police that there was DNA evidence in her sisters case and the possibility of conducting more advanced testing on it, but has not heard anything since, as communication has varied over time as the case is handed down to new people. All of the victims were young, White, and were either a romantic couple or could resemble one to. From a macro view of the murders, the fact that they all took place in close proximity bolsters the popular belief that a serial killer stalked the Colonial Parkway. The FBI got involved, even asking Russia to view satellite footage of the area, but no one was ever arrested. According to Thomas, three out of the four cases have DNA evidence. Their purses and money were found inside the car. This section is going to be macabre, scatological, and disturbing. The remains were too decomposed to reveal the manner of death. As this field continues to advance, Moore said agencies could be waiting to test for better results. The understanding, years later, that his parents had to make three separate phone calls to him and his two brothers; one, in New York at the time, took an entire day to reach. THE COLONIAL PARKWAY MURDERS: A STEP BY STEP REPORT. S, eries co-host Maureen OConnell, a former FBI special agent, sees telltale signs to support this theory. Over the years, things have changed, you know, my dad died and my mom mentally cant handle the stress of dealing with the case, said Santiago. Despite the continued efforts and media frenzy the murders seem to compel, there is little to no traction on the investigation. Stephen. Sept. 20, 1987: David Knoblings truck was found abandoned in a parking lot with the door open, the radio on and his wallet on the dashboard. The Colonial Parkway murders were the slayings of at least eight people apparently by a serial killer along the Colonial Parkway of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia (or nearby) between 1986 and 1989. The series was published again by the paper in 2010. Soon, other victims family members followed with Thomas leading the charge, providing interviews to the media and speaking out about their frustration with the lack of progress on the case. The Colonial Parkway Murders - Revisiting The Crime Scenes Mobile Instinct 370K subscribers Subscribe 10K 264K views 1 year ago Virginia's beautiful Colonial Parkway has a dark history. From 1986 to 1989, four double homicides occurred either on or near the scenic, seemingly safe road. The analyzed DNA can then pinpoint the exact relation between those tested, allowing law enforcement agencies to narrow down their suspect pool and make an arrest. ", "Murder Accountability Project: Tracking America's unsolved homicides", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colonial_Parkway_murders&oldid=1110597999, This page was last edited on 16 September 2022, at 11:09. By all accounts, his truck was his prized possession, so family members knew right away something was terribly wrong when it was found abandoned, the Virginian Pilot reported. LA County Criminal Prosecutor Loni Coombs and former FBI Special Agent Maureen OConnell are seen here speaking with Bill Thomas. A year later in September 1989, the outlet reported Annamarie Phelps, 18, and Daniel Lauer, 21, vanishedfrom a rest stop in New Kent County. The Colonial Parkway is a 23 mile (37km) scenic landscape/thoroughfare that links Virginia's Historic Triangle. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Did The Colonial Parkway Victims Know The Killer? 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 19 talking about this. Or could it be that four separate criminals were executing young people in the area? Within the past three and a half years, genetic genealogy has been responsible for solving approximately 350 cases. On September 20, 1987, Knoblings truck was found abandoned by the James River Bridge, Richmond.com reported. Thomas, who was in Los Angeles at the time, had seen a story on WTKR detailing how sensitive photos in the Colonial Parkway murders were leaked to the public. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! The brutal crimes claimed the lives of eight young people, including one couple who've never been found. Remember, this was over 30 years ago in Virginia, which is a very conservative, military area. The killer has never been caught.Oct. So, who were the Colonial Parkway murder victims? Investigators have spent decades puzzling out the Colonial Parkway murders. (File photos). Find nearby businesses, restaurants and hotels. Coombs and OConnell reviewed commonalities and dissimilarities in terms of location, treatment of bodies, method of murder, time and date, victims, motive, and crime scene. The Colonial Parkway is 23 miles of beautiful Virginia road running between Yorktown and Jamestown, and as such, far from a terrifying, serial killer-y location. On any given day, Thomas can be found behind his desk in his Connecticut home sifting through archives, reaching out to law enforcement and answering calls and emails about his sisters case. It was known, not only by the homosexual community, but by the haters of the homosexual community, he said. "Im very optimistic," he said. They were both in top physical condition. 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. "Cathy was somebody that could more than hold her own in any situation," he said. The car had been pushed down an embankment off the Colonial Parkway. While genetic genealogy offers the family members a new prospect, they have never given up hope that their siblings cases will be solved. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. It's difficult to imagine that a community could be infiltrated in that way, he emphasized. They show how the Colonial Parkway Killer stalk 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays EXCLUSIVE: Bill Thomas is adamant that in his lifetime, hell find out the identity of his sisters murderer. 26, 2018. For the past 15 years Janette Santiago, sister of Robin Edwards, has been the main point of contact for her family. 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