Alan Wade Wilmer Sr., right, then age 33, was named the suspect behind the murders of David Lee Knobling, 20, left, Robin Margaret Edwards, 14, second from left, and Teresa Lynn Howell, third from left. (Photos from Virginia State Police)
A Virginia fisherman and hunter has been identified through genetic DNA evidence as the killer of three people more than 35 years ago in Virginia, authorities said.
Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. was named the killer of David Lee Knobling, 20, Robin Margaret Edwards, 14, and Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, 29.
Wilmer died in 2017 at age 63 at his home in Lancaster County, Virginia, officials said. Prosecutors said had he been alive, they would have charged him in all three cases and say they will continue to seek whether he’s connected to other cold-case killings despite his death.
Officials outlined the cases in a news conference.
Knobling and Edwards were last seen alive on the evening of Sept. 19, 1987. The next day, police found Knobling’s Ford Ranger pickup truck in the Ragged Island Wildlife Management Area parking lot. Days later, authorities found their bodies on the shoreline of Ragged Island, near the south shore of the James River.
Howell was last seen alive on July 1, 1989, at 2:30 a.m. in the city of Hampton outside of the defunct Zodiac Club, then a popular night spot, Hampton Police Capt. Rebecca Warren said. Her body was found near clothing by construction crews later that morning after daylight. She was identified days later through a missing-person report and had been sexually assaulted and strangled.
In a statement, her family thanked investigators.
“Their dedication, relentless efforts and evolving technology have brought us closure that we have sought over the last 34 years,” the statement said. “While we are grateful for the closure that has been provided, nothing will bring Terry back. The void left by her absence over the years is inexpressible. We kindly request privacy as we navigate through a host of new emotions that this brings. We appreciate the support received from family and friends over the course of this time and ask that you continue to keep our family in your thoughts and prayers.”
In a statement, the Knobling and Edwards families said they have lived with the fear of worrying that a person capable of deliberately killing their loved ones could attack and claim a third victim.
“Now we have a sense of relief and justice knowing that he can no longer victimize another,” the statement said. Wilmer’s death, they said, “will not allow us to seek out the answers to countless questions that have haunted us for so long. We also recognize this is a difficult time for the Wilmer family and ask that the public extend the same grace to them as we do.
They extended prayers to Teresa’s family.
“We are now connected through this tragedy and will forever be linked. They are survivors like us, and we will draw from one another’s strength and perseverance.”
Police said investigators linked Wilmer to victims last June through Wilmer’s genetic profile. He had no felonies on his criminal record, and his DNA had not been obtained until after he died. The Virginia Department of Forensic Science issued a certificate of analysis confirming a genetic match between him and evidence collected from the victims, officials said.
The killings of Knobling and Edwards were a part of what was dubbed the “Colonial Parkway Murders.”
Nine people were killed in the area in 1986 and 1988. In that time, in addition to the Knobling and Edwards murders, Cathleen Marian Thomas and Rebecca Ann Dowski were found stabbed and strangled in a vehicle. On April 9, 1988, Richard Keith Call and Cassandra Lee Hailey were on a date when they were killed. Call’s father found his son’s vehicle abandoned near Yorktown, Virginia. Police found their clothes but not their bodies, according to an FBI news release. In another Colonial Parkway case, Daniel Lauer and Ann Marie Phelps were found dead near a rest stop on Sept. 5, 1989.
The FBI has opened investigations to learn whether Wilmer is connected to the cases involving Thomas, Dowski, Call, and Haley. Brian Dugan, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, urged the public to come forward.
“If you had any encounters with him or his vehicle or watercraft, hunted with him, farmed oysters or clams, docked next to him in marinas, spent time with him on a personal basis or at work or even romantically, to some point, we want to hear from you,” he said.
He said investigators want to know where Wilmer worked as a fisherman and tree cutter, where he hunted, and which bars, clubs, or lounges he went to.
He was a fisherman in the 1980s, mainly farming clams and oysters. He also ran a tree service called “Better Tree Service.” He was an avid hunter and belonged to at least one local hunt club, police said. He went by the nickname “Pokey” and was muscular, weighing about 165 pounds. He had sandy brown hair, blue eyes and often had a close-cropped beard.
He drove a blue 1966 Dodge Fargo pickup truck with the Virginia license plate “EM-RAW.” He typically had clamming equipment and a large metal toolbox in the truck bed. Officials said the truck was one of several vehicles he drove in the 1980s and early 1990s. He also had a small 1976 custom commercial fishing boat named “Denni Wade” that he often lived on and docked at marinas in the area.
“A piece of information, no matter how small, could be useful to investigators,” Dugan said. “Even though Mr. Wilmer is deceased, we want to know. We want you to know it’s not too late to come forward.”
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