About This Episode
What is this episode about?
The episode "The Colonial Parkway Murders - October 12 2026" from Morning Cup of Murder covers the discovery of the first two victims in what would become known as the Colonial Parkway Murders. On October 12, 1986, these bodies were found, marking the beginning of a string of killings that would prove difficult to connect for decades. The episode notes how cases that pile up over time can become incredibly hard to untangle, and this discovery was the first of what would turn out to be many linked deaths.
The case behind the episode
Colonial Parkway-mordene: DNA udpeger gerningsmanden 40 år efter centers on a series of killings that took place between 1986 and 1989 near Colonial Parkway and Colonial National Historical Park in Virginia. At least eight young people were murdered in the area during this period, including Cathleen Thomas, Rebecca Dowski, David Knobling, Robin Edwards, Keith Call, Annamaria Phelps, Cassandra Hailey, and Daniel Lauer. The case remained unresolved for decades until January 2024, when DNA evidence posthumously connected Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. to several of the murders. Wilmer was never formally charged, having died before the DNA match was made, but authorities identified him as the suspect linking multiple cases that had long puzzled investigators.
Hosts and release
Korina Biemesderfer hosts Morning Cup of Murder, a daily true crime podcast that revisits a criminal case from the same calendar date each day, with more than 2000 episodes in its catalogue. This episode, released on October 12, 2026, runs 20 minutes.
