NORFOLK, Va. — The FBI says it has solved a decades-old double murder that's part of a series of killings that terrorized Virginia in the 1980s, known as the Colonial Parkway Murders.
Investigators now say Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. killed Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowski in 1986. Wilmer is connected to at least six murders and disappearances of young people between 1986 and 1989. Wilmer died in 2017 at age 63 at his home in Lancaster County, Virginia.
Thomas and Dowski were last seen together back in Oct. 1986. Their bodies were found inside their vehicle on Colonial Parkway.
The FBI says advances in DNA technology finally cracked the case after nearly four decades.
Watch related coverage: Dead suspect linked to another local cold case murder after decades-long investigation
"Right now it's just my head is kind of spinning, it's kind of hard to absorb it all," said Bill Thomas, the brother of Cathleen. "I'll admit I was surprised. We've had 150 persons of interest in this case and I was still surprised it was Wilmer. I always knew that was a possibility but other suspects had sounded more likely somehow."
Family members of Keith Call say they've also been told Wilmer is connected to that case, which is the third Colonial Parkway Murder case. Call and Cassandra Hailey, two Christopher Newport University students, disappeared in 1988 and were never found. Call's empty car was discovered along the Colonial Parkway.
Blaine Pardoe, author of a book about the Colonial Parkway murders, said Wilmer was actually a suspect in the Call and Hailey disappearance but was cleared when he passed a polygraph test.
"Wilmer was a known person at that time during the first pair of murders who frequented the Colonial Parkway," Pardoe said. "So in a lot of respects Wilmer was on their radar from the very beginning. Now looking back in retrospect with hindsight you can say wow, it was pretty clear they knew all along."
With Wilmer officially linked to two of the four Colonial Parkway cases, Thomas remains hopeful the remaining cases will be solved.
"We still have four murders to solve," he said.
In recent years, Wilmer has also been tied to other cases.
At a press conference in Nov. 2025, Virginia State Police shared they believe Wilmer is responsible for the 1988 stabbing death of 18-year-old Laurie Ann Powell from Gloucester County. Powell's family was present and visibly emotional at times as investigators explained how they cracked the case.
In Jan. 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.
Watch previous coverage: One year after development in Colonial Parkway Murders, where do things stand?
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:
- 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. The case remains unsolved, although Call's family says they've been told Wilmer is connected to the case. - 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 case remains unsolved.
"While today represents an important milestone, the work is not finished. Investigators continue to actively pursue unsolved cases related to the Colonial Parkway murders. The FBI remains dedicated to seeking justice for all victims," FBI Norfolk said in a press release Tuesday.
