DNA Solves Colonial Parkway Murders 40 Years Later

Decades after young people vanished along Virginia's Colonial Parkway, advanced DNA analysis has posthumously identified a commercial fisherman as the perpetrator of at least four brutal murders. Alan Wade Wilmer Sr., who died in 2017 at age 63, is now linked to crimes that baffled investigators for nearly 40 years.

The breakthrough began in November 2025 when Virginia State Police announced that Wilmer's DNA matched evidence from Laurie Ann Powell, an 18-year-old whose stabbed body was discovered in the Elizabeth River on April 2, 1988. Powell had been missing since March 8 that year. The connection came through a combination of forensic DNA analysis and genetic genealogy—tools that didn't exist when the murders occurred.

The case expanded dramatically in January 2026 when the FBI Norfolk Field Office revealed that Wilmer was also responsible for the 1986 double homicide of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowski, among the earliest and most notorious crimes in the series. Further investigation linked him to David Knobling and Robin Edwards, a 20-year-old and 14-year-old whose deaths occurred during the broader 1986-1989 period. DNA evidence also connected him to Theresa Howell, a 29-year-old homicide victim.

Wilmer left few traces during his lifetime. A commercial fisherman from Lancaster County, he drove a blue 1966 Dodge Fargo pickup truck bearing Virginia plates EM-RAW, equipped with a large metal toolbox and clamming equipment. More significantly, he lived aboard a custom-built wooden boat named "Denny Wade," which he docked at marinas throughout the region—Gloucester, Middlesex, the Northern Neck, and Hampton Roads. This waterborne lifestyle provided him undetected access to the network of waterways where victims were found.

The lack of a prior criminal record proved crucial to the investigation. Because Wilmer had no arrests, his DNA was not in any law enforcement database during his lifetime. His death in 2017 paradoxically enabled authorities to obtain his genetic material, which could then be compared against evidence preserved from decades-old crime scenes.

"The truth has come to light; justice has finally been achieved," Powell's family stated following the announcement.

The FBI emphasized that the breakthrough reflects advances in DNA technology and collaborative investigation. "This investigation demonstrates partnership and shows how advances in DNA provided answers to families who have waited decades for closure," the bureau said.

Yet the Colonial Parkway case remains partially unsolved. Between 1986 and 1989, at least eight young people were murdered or disappeared in connection with the area and surrounding regions. While Wilmer has been connected to at least four of these deaths through DNA evidence, investigators have not concluded their work. Virginia State Police Sergeant Reibel stated that authorities are "not concluding efforts to check additional cases," suggesting that Wilmer may be responsible for other unsolved deaths from the period.

Had Wilmer been alive, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia indicated that the DNA evidence would have been sufficient for federal prosecution. His death means no trial will occur, but the identifications provide families with answers that seemed permanently beyond reach.

The case underscores both the power of modern forensic science and the persistence of cold case investigators. For families of the victims—many of whom waited four decades for answers—the identifications mark an end to decades of uncertainty, even as questions remain about Wilmer's full victim count.

Investigations involving the FBI Norfolk Field Office, Virginia State Police, Hampton Police Division, Suffolk Police Department, and the Isle of Wight County Attorney remain ongoing.

Sources

https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/alan-wilmer-fourth-unsolved-murder-nov-13-2025

https://www.forensicmag.com/3594-All-News/623740-FBI-Solves-1986-Colonial-Parkway-Murders/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPSiB9CLEPs

https://www.wtkr.com/news/podcasts/true-crime-757/colonial-parkway-double-murder-tied-to-alan-wade-wilmer-40-years-later-true-crime-757