Three days later, over Columbus Day weekend, their bodies were found bound with rope inside Thomas's white 1980 Honda Civic, which had been pushed down an embankment off of the Colonial Parkwayin Williamsburg. The case of the Atlas Vampire became a national sensation on May 4, 1932. On October 12, 1986, a pedestrian saw a car down an embankment on the Colonial Parkway where it was obscured from the view of the road. Apparently, she's also known as "Verna White". Annamarias purse was found inside the car, once more ruling our robbery as a motive. This case, like the others, has gone unsolved, but all four double homicides remain active. Four of the victims were slain or disappeared along the Colonial Parkway, and the case had been dubbed the "Parkway Murders.". The photo was taken in an abandoned Illinois barn, where Rhoades killed Walters after cutting off her hair and making her wear a black dress and heels. The Colonial Parkway is a scenic highway in Virginia that runs through historic areas like Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Jamestown. Atlanta lists 13 code complaints over that same period. Its proximity to where Becky and Cathy were found a year earlier should have been a clue to the park rangers but it was one they chose to ignore. The Colonial Parkway Murders The Colonial Parkway is a historic and scenic road that links together the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. His brother and several others saw it shortly after their disappearance and Keiths father found it the following morning as well. ", Reached by phone this week, Bill Thomas of Los Angeles, the older brother of Cathleen M. Thomas, one of the first victims, said: "We found the FBI's loss of control of the photos shocking, but now . Your email address will not be published. A day later, CallLess's Toyota Celica was found at a York River overlook that was only a few miles away from whereThomas and Dowski had been murdered two years prior. It was encased in plastic garbage bags. In the center of the image is Danny Plott, standing next to Dr. Marcella Fierro of the Virginia State Medical Examiners office. A typically tranquil area, no one expected the Parkway to be the setting for a gruesome string of murders. The pavement itself lacks the usual lane markers, while bridges that cross the road are made of brick and built to look as if they were constructed during the colonial period for which the parkway is named. 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. Rebeccas body was found in the backseat of the car, while Cathys was found stuffed into the hatchback. running on the Oxygen Network . While the route was created to allow visitors to enjoy the regions natural beauty and historic interest, it has since attained a more sinister history of its own. Daniel Lauer was from Amelia County, Virginia. Fred Atwell clearly rekindled the efforts of law enforcement on the Colonial Parkway murders with his release of the crime scene photographs to the media. The Parkway is surrounded by woods and has far fewer entries and exits than a typical highway. Rather, they were the work of multiple killers who coincidentally picked couples in the same area. Unfortunate couple #3 was Cassandra Lee Hailey and Richard Keith Call. Top Posters; Top Donors : Documenting Reality True Crime & Artistic Endeavors True Crime, Cold Cases, & Death Investigations: Colonial Parkway Murders? Young couple Julie Williams, 24, and Lollie Winans, 26, were camping in the park over Memorial Day weekend. Who was responsible, and why? The killer (s) drove Daniel and Annamaria back here in the darkness, killing them and covering their bodies in an electric blanket. From pull-offs featuring lush foliage, to memorials, tunnels, and bridges charged with centuries of American history, there's a little something for everyone. Watch on. Knobling's pickup truck was found at the foot of the James River Bridge. According to NBC, their love was a new, budding thing that would never get the chance to flourish. Each pair was romantically involved in some way, a couple the killer likely saw as a lustful duo. It was left with the door open, the keys turned to accessories, and the radio on. SERIAL KILLER: On The Colonial Parkway (Part 2) Episode Summary In part two, we tell you about the murders of Cassandra Lee Hailey, Richard Keith Call, Annamaria Phelps, and Daniel Lauer. It's been over 30 years, and they're still missing without much of a trace. Are you sick of watching and reading about the same killers and crimes? Fred Atwell, a former deputy from Gloucester, began informing the family members of victims that valuable crime scene photos - containing images of the . On October 12, 1986, a jogger found Cathy Thomas's white Honda Civic pushed down an embankment just off of the Colonial Parkway and called the police. At daybreak, a ranger discovered Call's Toyota Celica parked at an overlook along the Colonial Parkway. It was the young couples very first date. A Virginia State Police photo of the rest area on I-64 where Daniels car was found abandoned. Virginias Colonial Parkway runs a relatively short 23 miles, from Jamestown to Yorkstown, passing through Williamsburg and thereby connecting all of Virginias famous Historic Triangle. Part of the Colonial National Historic Park, the scenic route is designed with sightseeing in mind. The team of experts has reenacted the crime scene down to Thomas's wallet being found open and face down on the floorboard of the driver's side. Photo credit: The Trebuchet. 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. Keiths red Toyota. October 9, 2017, marks the 31st anniversary of murders of Cathy Thomas and Rebecca Dowski. Man died Wednesday. The killers were there for a while, soaking the interior of the vehicle with diesel, trying to light it, then pushing the car over the embankment. The killer taunted authorities by hanging his feathered roach clip on the half-opened drivers side window. Things seemed to return to normal until September 22, 1987, when the bodies of another young couple were found along the bank of the James River in Virginia. Diesel fuel had been poured over the bodies and their car, but it failed to ignite. Becky Dowski near the time of her murder. The car was found on the westbound side of the highway, the opposite direction of their destination, which confused police. Cathy Thomas, a 27-year-old graduate of the Naval Academy, and Rebecca 'Becky' Dowski, a 21-year-old student at the College of William and Mary, were the first two known victims in the homicides that have been dubbed the Colonial Parkway murders. 'Murder scenes have the sense of an aura.' Current topics are Colonial Parkway Murders, Liberty German and Abigail Williams (aka Libby & Abby) from Delphi, Child Neglect, Abuse and Guardians Who Kill. Becky's wound isn't as deep as Cathy's wound. Whether this additional double homicide, which took place some seven years after the last of the Colonial Parkway murders, is actually the work of the same killer or notor whether there was more than one, unrelated killer involved in the slayings along the Colonial Parkwayare questions that may never be answered. Queen Letizia of Spain cut an elegant figure in a matching pink skirt and top as she Who Were The Colonial Parkway Murder Victims? "We're just hoping with the new technology there's something they can do," she said. The 22-mile-long stretch running between Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown, Virginia, known as Colonial Parkway, is one such road. The Untold Truth Of The Colonial Parkway Murders, Predators on the Parkway: A Former Homicide Detective Explores the Colonial Parkway Murders. The murderer in the Colonial Parkway killings was never captured, and Steve Spingola, a private detective, believes he knows why. Call, who lives in Gloucester County, believes there was more than one killer because the victims were all fairly young and healthy. Joyce says she found out about the leaked photos in a phone call, not from the FBI, but from a family friend. It doesn't seem as if they knew each other in the slightest. I can tell you that we recovered all the copies from the folks that we've contacted that had them. 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. I am Bill Thomas, brother of Cathleen Thomas, one of the first two victims in the Colonial Parkway Murders case, who died in Williamsburg, Virginia on October 12, 1986. Someone has leaked graphic crime-scene photographs of the most notorious serial killings in Virginia history, the Colonial Parkway murders. The Colonial Parkway Murders were a series of homicides that occurred between October 1986 and September 1989. Contact Frank Green at (804) 649-6340 or [email protected]. 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,. Bill contacts the other Colonial Parkway Murders families for the first time. Last month, television station WTKR in Norfolk first reported the photographs were being used publicly as the 23rd anniversary of the first slayings, in October 1986, approached. Just like the other three cases, the case eventually went cold, and the killer was never brought to justice. Premiering on February 11,Oxygen's two-night true-crime special Lovers' Lane Murdersfocuses on the slaying of eight men and women at the Colonial Parkway, a 23-mile stretch that linksthe historic towns of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. Over 30 years later they remain unsolved. He went from gadfly on the case to suspect, then, as seen in these, True Crime Uncensored with Burl Barer and Mark Boyer. Thank you for writing this book. Knobling had taken Edwards out with his younger brother and cousin that day. I can only hope these murders, like other recent cases from decades back, can still be solved and the victims loved ones can get some answers (especially the Call and Hailey families, who dont even have the remains). "They told me there was no crime. Tragic, but important story and one not heard of before ( west coast reader). But [Read More], In 1971 and 1972, a deadly predator stalked the streets of the nations capital. Biden honors 20 years of the Homeland Security Dept. I very much and highly recommend this book. One of the many scenic overpasses on the Colonial Parkway as it appears now. FBI photograph of Cathys car, barely visible having been pushed off the embankment. So much time has passed the families have just about given up hope for any resolution. In total, 4 pairs of people were targeted, resulting in eight murders and six bodies found. The 10 Scariest Serial Killers You Havent Heard Of, TANTAMOUNT Dives Into Washington DCs Oldest Unsolved Serial Killing Spree, A SPECIAL KIND OF EVIL Sheds Light On the Horrific Colonial Parkway Serial Killings, In LOU AND JONBENT, Author John Wesley Anderson Reveals the Inside Story of the Failed Police Investigation Into the Kidnapping and Murder of JonBent Ramsey, New From Burl Barer with Punch StanmirovicSTEALING MANHATTAN: The Untold Story of Americas Billion Dollar Gem Heist Masterminds, PRECIOUS FEW CLUES: The True Crime Investigation Of Kansas Citys Precious Doe Murder, HIDDEN DEMONS: Evil Visits A Small New England Town, Audiobook Narrator Claire Duncan brings Marla Bernards BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD to Listeners, Steve Jacksons Classic True CrimeAbout A Monstrous American Serial KillerLOVE ME TO DEATH Has Been Revised and Updated, Adoriana Mariks ESCAPE FROM MARIUPOL, Told to Anne K. Howard, Exposes the Realities of War And Gives Readers Hope. Her date with Keith Call was their first and only one. Imagine, if you will, sitting in your car, catching your breath after a candle-lit date with your favorite sweetie. Sure, you know all about Ted Bundy, The Zodiac Killer, and The Golden State Killer. About The Book On January 7, 1994, residents of Berkshire [Read More], BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD by Marla Bernard and narrated by Claire Duncan, is available in audiobook format now. Hanlon declined to explain what happened between Atwell's first complaints, and this recent scramble to retrieve the photographs. Was this a breadcrumb she had dropped, was it cut off during her struggle, or was it some sort of symbol that the killer left behind for investigators? By Blaine L. Pardoe and Victoria R. Hester, 12 Dark and Disturbing Nonfiction Books to Satisfy Your Morbid Curiosity. The Colonial Parkway is a beautiful stretch of highway which cuts through the Colonial National Historical Park in South-East Virginia. Throughout the '80s, this thoroughfare was home to what's believed to have been 10 murders. The wooded isolation here is not dissimilar to that of the Colonial Parkway. But he says he says the FBI did take this breach seriously, even if they didn't take action until a few days ago. Where most serial killers murder a single victim at a time, the Colonial Parkway murderer killed two for the price of one. The Colonial Parkway Murders-the name given eight murders that took place in the Tidewater region in the late 1980's, two of which were on the historic Colonial Parkway, the nation's narrowest National Park. And, he says, he was ignored. This contemporary photograph shows part of the boardwalk from the Ragged Island parking area to the beach area near where the bodies of David and Robin were found. Over the years, police have questioned 150 suspects in connection to these four cases, but all have been cleared. David never left his car unlockedand with the rain that night, a rendezvous in the marshlands seems unlikely. Queen Letizia of Spain is polished in a recycled Reiss skirt as she joins King Felipe VI at Behind-the-scenes at fashion week with the Spencers! New Book Shines a Light on the Mysterious Colonial Parkway Murders by Written By: Don Harrison | Aug 31, 2018 America's narrowest national park, the Colonial Parkway, connects the southern edge of Jamestown to Yorktown via a winding 23-mile route that cuts through Williamsburg. Could all four of the murders be connected? The two women in the car were identified as Cathleen "Cathy" Thomas, a 27 . She's come unstuck! Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. From about October 1986 to September 1989, 8 people are presumed to have been murdered near Colonial Parkway in Eastern Virginia. Just to have the pictures floating around like that is very disrespectful.". He said extremely. These contemporary photographs show the parking area where Keiths car was discovered. Another man, David Rice, was acquitted after circumstantial evidence, including a pair of restraints and location history, put him on trial for the Winans-Williams murder, according to Historic Mysteries. we're hoping that the FBI can create a situation where some good comes of this.". Can you control your erections? She had moved to Virginia Beach with her boyfriend, Clinton Lauer and was struggling to get by but living the American dream. At Ragged Island (as it appears today) this is the end of the roadway leading from the parking lot to the rivers edge. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. This is one of the most fascinating unsolved murder sprees ever recorded, and the Colonial Parkway Killer is truly one of the most frightening serial killers who was never caught. As he tried to ingratiate himself with the families of the victims of the Colonial Parkway murders, he instead left them wondering if he had some ulterior motive. I am almost finished with this book after watching the Oxygen documentary special recently I became very intrigued and wanted more information. The place is a sightseeing extravaganza brimming with historical points, scenic pull-offs, markers . When rangers arrive, they are confronted with the violent scene. None of these murders have been solved, and the photographs are out in the public. This blog contains theories and speculation from the writer. The Colonial Parkway Murders are a set of killings in which at least four couples had their lives cut short. 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. The 31-year-old tattoo artist loved walking her dog by the seaside and meeting friends at cafes and public gardens. The two women had been bound with rope and strangled, and the killer had slit their throats so deeply that they were nearly decapitated. The photographer focused on a few key details, like a tilted painting on the wall, disheveled . This site uses cookies to improve user experience. Dogs followed scents, nets dragged the York River and . But couldn't find them in a search here. The Virginia State Police said the agency is not investigating the matter and referred questions to the FBI. 1 ranking in country. There was no sign of sexual assault, and the womens purses were still in the car, with all their money still inside. The second couple was found nearly a year later in their car, dead of multiple gunshot wounds. And they show exactly how the unknown killer left the bodies. 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