From about October 1986 to September 1989, 8 people are presumed to have been murdered near Colonial Parkway in Eastern Virginia. 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. What's your biggest turn off? Between 1986 and 1989 though, a crime spree took place that left three pairs of . Yes! David Knobling during his time at the Frederick Military Academy. The grim finale came just five months later. The Haienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England, which became famous during the Madchester years of the 1980s and early 1990s. Lauer's gold 1972 Chevrolet Nova was found abandonedat the I-64 New Kent rest stop in New Kent County. At daybreak, a ranger discovered Call's Toyota Celica parked at an overlook along the Colonial Parkway. Both victims had been shot, Robin in the back of the head execution style, and David twice, once in the head and once in the shoulder like he had been running from the killer. Colonial Parkway murder victims (Oxygen) Thomas said that over the years, there have been moments where he was frustrated with the investigation of his sister's murder. It's unclear what they were doing together. Thomas was a navy veteran turned stockbroker. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The whistleblower who broke the story was a former deputy by the name of Fred Atwell. Gruesome: Thomas and Dowskihad been strangled and their throats were slashed, though there was no evidence of sexual assault, Crime scene: Pettler questioned if the women knew their killer, noting that Thomas's throat wound was far more severe than Dowski's. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. This is one of the crime scene photos from the attack on Sue White by Gerald Arthur Lee on 11/05/06 in Cherokee County, GA. For more than 20 years, the Colonial Parkway Serial Killer has kept his secrets. As it appears today from the road, this is the lonely trail leading back into the woods where the victims had been taken and killed. Over 30 years later they remain unsolved. That means he's in charge of the Colonial Parkway cases. Colonial Parkway Murders? His story is admittedly a bit sketchy: While the FBI and the Virginia State Police looked into the Colonial Parkway cases, the families of the victims joined together to support each other and conduct their own investigation into the cases . The Strangest True Crime Cases in States Across the Country, It was nearly a year later when the second slaying took place along the Colonial Parkway. "They said they are going to review the case top to bottom. One of the more interesting aspects of this case is that the murders were not very . A day later, Richards car was found at the York River Outlook off the Colonial Parkway, about 2 miles from where Cathy and Rebecca had been discovered. Cathy Thomas and Rebecca Dowski The first of the killings, that of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Ann Dowski, he said, was a hate crime, committed by someone who targeted lesbian couples. 4 episodes in all. Yet no one has come forward and said they saw them. There's less of a chance that a single victim will get away or fight back. Each pair was romantically involved in some way, a couple the killer likely saw as a lustful duo. The Sept. 21 story included an interview with Special Agent Brian Hanlon at the FBI's Peninsula office. FBI photograph of David Knoblings truck. It's a roadway and state route, partly manned by the National Park Service, that interlocks Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. . A new documentary is exploring a string of unsolved double homicides that occurred at a 'lovers' lane' in Virginia more than three decades ago, as experts try to figure out if the murders were the work of a serial killer or just a gruesome coincidence. He snatched a couple from their truck, leaving their clothes inside. Once again, despite the best investigative efforts of the police, the case went cold. FBI starts to respond to media . The propriety of releasing the photographs -- which appear to have been an FBI slideshow on the Parkway Murders -- outside of law enforcement or their potential value as evidence in any future trial is unclear. On Memorial Day weekend 1989, Daniel Lauer, 21, was driving to his brothers house in Virginia Beach with his brothers girlfriend, Annamaria Phelps, 18. The killer(s) drove Daniel and Annamaria back here in the darkness, killing them and covering their bodies in an electric blanket. Sept. 5, 1989: Police found a car abandoned at the westbound Interstate 64 rest stop in New Kent County. The view north on the Colonial Parkway as it appears today, looking north from the pull-off where Cathy Thomas and Becky Thomas were discovered. April 8, 1988: Keith Call, 20, left, left his family's house in Gloucester County to pick up his date, Cassandra Hailey. "These were human beings. After he dropped her off that night, she snuck out to meet him. Records show 31 crimes from 2017-2021, including four aggravated assaults and three rapes. This HBO limited series reimagines the investigation into the 2017 murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall . 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The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Throughout the '80s, this thoroughfare was home to what's believed to have been 10 murders. Cassandra Hailey every bit the girl next door 1980s style. The early success of Factory band New Order, particularly with their 1983 dance hit "Blue . Karl and Judy Knobling with David (the taller youth) and his brother Michael in 1977. David's truck at the crime scene. Fred Atwell, the whistleblower who spent a year trying to convince the FBI someone had leaked secret crime-scene photos from the Colonial Parkway murders, says his name is on the. A former police officer was arrested after an FBI profiler noticed the victims' windows had been left partially open, suggesting a deadly traffic stop. "They were people and they were loved. In this case, the victims were 20-year-old David Knobling and, 14-year-old Robin Edwards. Park Vista Apartments, 1940 Fisher Road SE. A bright and driven young woman from upstate New York. Former NFL star Chad Johnson says he saved money by living inside Cincinnati Bengals stadium for 2 years. A bright young man studying computer science at Christopher Newport. Maybe you're reminiscing about sparks that flew during a chemistry-laden conversation, maybe your cheeks are feeling flushed from the back-and-forth banter that lifted you to the clouds, or maybe you're prepping to fog up the windows a little bit. Cassandra Hailey, a hard-working student at Christopher Newport, Cassandra juggled multiple jobs, gymnastic classes, and many friends. . The back seat of Daniels car, filled with his hastily packed personal belongings for his move to the beach. None of these murders have been solved, and the photographs are out in the public. ', Still missing: Christopher Newport University students Richard CallLess, 20, (L) and Cassandra Hailey, 18, (R) vanished in April 1988 after attending a party together, Last: In September 1989, Daniel Lauer, 21, (L) and Annamaria Phelps, 18, (R) went missing on their way to Virginia Beach, but their bodies weren't found until a month late. Every Thursday night they stole away and parked in the same pull-off along the Parkway. In preview clips for the Lovers' Lane Murders special, forensic criminologistLaura Pettler andformer FBI profiler Jim Clemente are among the team of experts who are tearing apart the cases, looking for clues. But I can tell you that everything is being investigated, and because of the sensitivity of this case we have decided not to make any comments.". Oxygen's two-night true-crime special Lovers' Lane Murders focuses on the slaying of eight men and women at the Colonial Parkway in Virginia The double homicides took play over a four-year. The pair is thought to have been murdered, though there's no way we can say that for sure since their bodies, as Colonial Ghosts notes, have never been found. They called a highway patrolman who arrived on scene to make the gruesome discovery of the bodies of two young women in the car. Or could there be four killers roaming free? running on the Oxygen Network . 'That tells me that either they were getting ready because they thought they were pulled over by a police officer or a park ranger, or whoever approached them pretended to be a cop or was a cop,'Clemente suggests. Like Thomas and Dowski, Winans and Williams were bound and had their throats slit nearly to the point of decapitation. According to the Daily Press, Spingola was hired by Annamaria Phelps' family to look into the girl's murder. The interior of Daniels car. Strictly by chance, Bill Thomas (me) discovers the stories in a Google search a few weeks later . They were couples in cars. I don't know the law, but I hope it does not, in any way, jeopardize the case if they do find somebody.". The level of violence was extreme. 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. Most believe that this series of murders took the life of four couples between the years of 1986-1989. The wooded isolation here is not dissimilar to that of the Colonial Parkway. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. However, some do not think these murders were the work of a serial killer, but rather by at least two or more separate killers. Three pairs were definitively murdered, but another couple went missing but were suspected to have been targeted by the same killer. According to NBC, the couples weren't friends with the other couples, nor were they related. This recent image shows the only marker at Ragged Island, a gunshot sign. Keith was programming on leading edge home computing technology for the 1988. Rather, they were the work of multiple killers who coincidentally picked couples in the same area. Spingola's investigation revitalized the cold case, causing a few suspects to surface. Follow along as detectives, journalists and deep water divers search for answers to. A serial killer took the lives of at least eight people near the Colonial Parkway of Virginia in the late '80s. 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. The National Park Service Rangers thought the two women might be injured as a result of an accident. 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