LANCASTER COUNTY, Virginia – A deceased fisherman has been identified as the suspect in three cold-case homicides in Virginia from the 1980s, including two infamous cases that once stoked fears in the area.
Forensic evidence has now linked Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. to the 1987 double murder of David L. Knobling, 20, and Robin M. Edwards, 14, in Isle of Wight County, as well as the 1989 murder of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, 29, in the city of Hampton. Virginia State Police announced the identification on Monday.
Wilmer passed away in December 2017, leaving behind a mystery that haunted the families and authorities for years. If Wilmer were still alive, prosecutors for Isle of Wight County and the city of Hampton stated that charges would be filed against him in connection with the three deaths.
The breakthrough in the case came when the Virginia Department of Forensic Science positively linked Wilmer to the slayings based on genetic evidence found on the victims. This discovery was a pivotal moment in a decades-long investigation that finally shed light on the unsolved crimes.
The deaths of Knobling and Edwards were part of a string of double homicides known as the Colonial Parkway Murders that occurred near or along the area from 1986 to 1989. Despite the similarities in these cases, authorities have not found any forensic or physical evidence linking the Isle of Wight homicides to the other double murders.
Wilmer was also identified as a suspect in the death of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, who was last seen alive on July 1, 1989, outside a nightclub in Hampton. Her remains were discovered several days later, and the subsequent investigation led to a dead end until the recent breakthrough.
The new evidence in this cold case has reignited interest in the possibility that Wilmer may be linked to other cases in the region, and authorities are urging the public to come forward with any information about Wilmer. Despite Wilmer’s death, the investigation into the Colonial Parkway Murders and other related cases is ongoing, as law enforcement seeks to bring closure to the families of the victims.