Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"Similarities in this series of double homicides that spanned a three-year period cannot be ignored." — Corrine Geller
"For 36 years, our families have lived in a vacuum of the unknown. We have lived in the fear of worrying that a person capable of deliberately killing Robin and David could attack and kill another victim. Now we have a sense of relief and justice, knowing that he can no longer victimize another." — Corrine Geller (on behalf of the Nobling and Edwards families)
"You would have a five times greater chance of winning the Virginia lottery than finding these crimes are not related." — Expert on the statistical likelihood of the Colonial Parkway murders being unrelated.
This episode details the ongoing investigation into the Colonial Parkway murders, a series of unsolved double homicides that occurred between 1986 and 1989 in southeastern Virginia. A significant update is presented regarding the case of David Nobling and Robin Edwards, with authorities naming Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. as a suspect. Wilmer Sr. died in 2017, thus preventing his prosecution, but DNA evidence from his body, originally identified in 2017, has now been used to link him to this case. Investigators are also exploring his potential connection to a separate murder case involving Teresa Howell, highlighting his potential involvement in at least three homicides.
The report revisits the initial victims, Kathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowsky, found murdered in their car in 1986, an incident marked by extreme violence and attempted cover-up. Subsequent cases include David Nobling and Robin Edwards in 1987, Cassandra Hailey and Richard Calls in 1988 (whose bodies remain missing), and Annamarie Phelps and Daniel Lauer in 1989. Despite differing methods and locations, a pattern of brutal killings targeting couples has led investigators and the public to suspect a serial perpetrator.
Authorities are actively seeking public assistance to reconstruct Wilmer Sr.'s movements and identify any further connections to unsolved cases. Information is requested regarding his physical appearance, his business "Better Tree Service," his distinctive blue 1966 Dodge Fargo pickup truck, and his commercial fishing boat, the "Denny Wade." The episode emphasizes the long-standing impact on the victims' families and the ongoing efforts to bring closure to these complex and deeply troubling cases.