GLOUCESTER COUNTY, Va. — A deceased man who's been linked to two local cold cases — one of the infamous Colonial Parkway double murders in 1987 and a strangulation death in 1989 — has now been tied to yet another long-unsolved case.
At a press conference on Friday, Virginia State Police shared they believe Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. is responsible for the 1988 stabbing death of 18-year-old Laurie Ann Powell in Gloucester County. Powell's family was present and visibly emotional at times as investigators explained how they cracked the case.
Powell was last seen alive on March 8, 1988, walking on Route 614 in Gloucester County. On April 2, her body was found in the Elizabeth River near Carney Island. Investigators determined she'd been stabbed multiple times.
Wilmer died in 2017 at age 63 at his home in Lancaster County, Virginia. While he can't be charged, investigators have concluded that he's responsible for Powell's death. They stressed that if he was alive, he'd certainly face criminal charges.
State police say multiple agencies worked together to link Wilmer to Powell's death with advanced forensic evidence.
Since he had no felonies, Wilmer's DNA wasn't in the database, investigators previously told News 3. It wasn't until his death when DNA was collected from him and compared to crime scenes.
Watch related: One year after development in Colonial Parkway Murders, where do things stand?
In January of 2024 — about seven years after his death — Wilmer was first linked to local cold-case murders due to forensic findings. Authorities announced Wilmer as the suspect in the following two cases:
The 1989 strangulation death of 29-year-old Teresa Lynn Howell in Hampton. She was last seen outside a bar, the Zodiac Club, around 2:30 a.m. on July 1. Around 10 a.m., articles of clothing were found along a treeline by a construction crew. A short time later, a woman's remains were located along the same treeline.
Teresa was sexually assaulted and strangled to death, according to the Virginia State Police.
- The 1987 double homicide of a young couple in Isle of Wight. David L. Knobling, 20, and Robin M. Edwards, 14, were last seen together on Sep. 19. The next day, Knobling's truck was found in the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge parking lot. On Sep. 23, both Knobling's and Edwards' remains were found along the shoreline of the refuge.
The killings of Knobling and Edwards is one of the Colonial Parkway murder cases: four double murders committed in the 1980s. The victims were young couples who were in their vehicles on the 22-mile Colonial Parkway:
October 1986: Cathy Thomas and Becky Dowski
The couple's car was found at the edge of the York River near a pull-off area. It appears someone tried to set their car on fire, but failed. "They were strangled with rope. Their throats were cut from beyond ear to ear," Cathy's brother told News 3.
September 1987: David Knobling and Robin Edwards
Edwards' family says one night, it appears she snuck out of the house and met up with David. The next day, no one heard from the two. It was later discovered that someone shot and killed Edwards and Knobling in the back of the head at Ragged Island at the edge of the James River, about 30 miles away from the Colonial Parkway.
April 1988: Keith Call and Cassandra Hailey
The two Christopher Newport University students went on a date on April 9. The next day, Keith's car was found along the Colonial Parkway, but their bodies were not located and remain missing to this day.
September 1989: Annamaria Phelps and Daniel Lauer
The couple left Amelia County to Virginia Beach. At a rest area in New Kent County, police found Lauer's car in the westbound lanes facing the wrong way. Weeks later, they found the bodies.
The string of cold cases drew attention as theories arose that the murders could be the work of a serial killer, although investigators have not uncovered evidence linking any of the double murders.
The cases all remained unsolved for decades until investigators cracked the Knobling-Edwards case. The other three cases still haven't been solved.
Investigators stressed that their efforts to determine if Wilmer is responsible for more crimes is not over.
