LANCASTER COUNTY, VA – Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. passed away in his home in Northern Neck over six years ago, only to be discovered weeks later by a delivery driver who noticed an open door. The discovery in 2017 led to an investigation by the State Medical Examiner’s Office into the cause of death.
After dying of a hardening of the arteries, Wilmer’s post-mortem DNA collection became crucial evidence years later when the FBI and Virginia State Police connected him to the Colonial Parkway murders – a series of killings of four young couples in the late 1980s. Wilmer, who was never convicted of a felony, had his DNA on record from the time of his death, providing a breakthrough in the decades-old cold cases.
In 1987, 20-year-old David Knobling and 14-year-old Robin Edwards were found dead near the shoreline of the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge in Isle of Wight County. Wilmer’s DNA was linked to this case, as well as to the killing of 29-year-old Teresa Lynn Howell in nearby Hampton in 1989.
With these connections established, law enforcement is now looking into other potential links between Wilmer and the remaining unsolved Colonial Parkway murders as well as other homicide or sexual assault cases in the region. The FBI, State Police, and local police are urging the public to come forward with any information about Wilmer’s movements over the years.
Wilmer, at the time of his death, had lived a private life, making it challenging for law enforcement to piece together a comprehensive timeline of his movements. While no direct evidence ties him to any other Colonial Parkway murders, investigators continue to examine his potential involvement in the ongoing case.
Anyone with information about Wilmer’s activities is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips at tips.fbi.gov.