In the late 1980s, a seemingly ordinary Virginia fisherman, Alan W. Wilmer Sr., was leading a double life.
While running a small business, he was also committing heinous crimes, murdering at least three individuals. His secrets, however, were not revealed until after his death.
Wilmer was linked to the 1987 murders of David Knobling, aged 20, and Robin M. Edwards, aged 14, in Isle of Wight, as well as the 1989 murder of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, aged 29, in Hampton, Virginia. These crimes were collectively referred to as the "Colonial Parkway Murders," a chilling true-crime tale that remained shrouded in mystery and speculation for decades.
This week, however, the Virginia State Police announced a significant breakthrough. Advanced DNA technology had conclusively tied Wilmer to all three homicides. The revelation came too late for justice to be served in a court of law; Wilmer had passed away nearly seven years ago, in December 2017, at the age of 63.
Wilmer had lived a low-profile life, spending much of his time fishing for clams and oysters on his custom-built wooden boat, often docked at marinas in Gloucester and Middlesex counties. He resided in Lancaster County, Virginia, approximately two and a half hours north of the murder scenes. He had no criminal record and ran a business named Better Tree Service. He was also known as an enthusiastic hunter.
Despite his death, the Isle of Wight County and City of Hampton Commonwealths attorneys confirmed that, had Wilmer been alive, charges would have been filed against him in connection with the three homicides.
The bodies of Knobling and Edwards were discovered on September 23, 1987, along the shoreline of the Ragged Island Wildlife Management and Refuge Area on the south bank of the James River. They had been last seen alive together on the night of September 19, 1987. Edwards, a teenager, had been sexually assaulted.
Two years later, on July 1, 1989, Howell left the Zodiac Club around 2:30 a.m. Her clothes were found by a construction crew about eight hours later, and her body was discovered in a nearby wooded area. She was identified after a missing person report was filed in York County on July 4, 1989.
As of now, Wilmer Sr. is connected to these three murders, but investigators are continuing to probe other potential crimes he may have committed. Brian Dugan, FBI Norfolk Special Agent in Charge, has urged the public to provide any tips or potential leads.
Lt. Col. Tim Lyon, director of the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, expressed gratitude to the victims' families for their patience and offered his condolences. He stated, "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 ones life in such a violent and cruel way."
Wilmer was described as 5-foot-5, muscular, weighing about 165 pounds, with sandy brown hair, blue eyes, and a close-cropped beard. He drove a distinctive blue 1966 Dodge Fargo pickup with the Virginia license plate EM-RAW, one of several pickups he was known to drive in the 1980s and early 1990s.
The FBI is encouraging anyone who may have worked with, hunted with, farmed oysters and clams with, docked next to, or hung out with Alan W. Wilmer Sr. to contact them at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Anonymous tips can be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov. Information can also be provided to the Virginia State Police at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the Peninsula Crime Line.
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