The restaurants where mobsters gathered, ate and got murdered Cathy Thomas and Rebecca Dowski If Call wanted to make a good impression, it was his job to have her home by 2 a.m. I'm just throwing this out there without research, but the isolated areas, where was Hilton at this time? And only then, according to Atwell, FBI agents suddenly came knocking. Their throats had been viciously slashed and they had been strangled to death. They had been stabbed to death. Like everyone else who has seen the show THS I wish they would solve this. A typically tranquil area, no one expected the Parkway to be the setting for a gruesome string of murders. If they are smart enough not to get caught, theres very little we can do.. The place is a sightseeing extravaganza brimming with historical points, scenic pull-offs, markers, and memorials. A double homicide is a rare occurrence in and of itself, so four happening so close together has naturally caused many to wonder if a serial killer is behind this series or murders. In 2018, the Facebook page Colonial Parkway Murders, which is run by Cathys brother Bill Thomas, revealed that DNA had been found at 3 of the 4 crime scenes which could potentially conclusively link the cases and lead to an arrest. According to NBC, their love was a new, budding thing that would never get the chance to flourish. He shoved a Honda off a bluff with two bodies inside. On their return trip to Virginia Beach they encountered their killer(s). Thomas Hargrove, researcher, and archivist. It is a pageantry of American history embroiled in dozens of tunnels and bridges that are incredibly charming and visually impacting. On April 10, 1988, two kids from Christopher Newport University both perfect in-synched with the killers victim profile were reported missing after attending a party in Newport News during their first date together. In LOU AND JONBENT, Author John Wesley Anderson Reveals the Inside Story of the Failed Police Investigation Into the Kidnapping and Murder of JonBent Ramsey, HIDDEN DEMONS: Evil Visits A Small New England Town, Robert Dodge Combines Biographies of a Norwegian Family and Immigrant Experience from the Mid-19th Century through WWII in FIELDS OF FORTUNE, Janzen Robinson Tackles a New Kind of Threat in DAWN OF LEGACY: The Monsters and Men Trilogy, Book Three, Author Blog by Nic Edwards: The Porchlight Project Helps Identify Erie County Jane Doe after 43 Years, Introducing the highly-anticipated audiobook LOU AND JONBENT, narrated by the renowned Stephen Bowlby, Early Release! The keys were still in the ignition, the door was open, and the windshield wipers were going. The second couple was found nearly a year later in their car, dead of multiple gunshot wounds. This week Nic from the @TrueCrimeGarage podcast joins Bill and me for a roundtable discussion about the Colonial Parkway Murders. Cathy Thomas And Rebecca Dowski Rebecca Dowski and Cathy Thomas The First Victims For the third time in recent years, Atwell has cast a spotlight on the Colonial Parkway murders - albeit not in a manner in which the victims families are very happy about. We were very skeptical and at some point in the spring he dropped it.". Keith was programming on leading edge home computing technology for the 1988. Their throats had been viciously slashed and they had been strangled to death. Their bodies were found on June 1st. "Incredibly intrusive. JavaScript is disabled. Fred Atwell Pleads Guilty To Scamming Serial Killer Victims - HuffPost "He always tried to insert himself into the investigation and into the families," Thomas' brother, Bill Thomas, told The Huffington Post. Both their purses and their money were found inside the car, ruling out robbery as a motive. He did it again with a Toyota, and one final time at a rest area with a Chevy Nova. Call was a computer science major and an old soul in a way, his brother told Lovers Lane Murders.. Dogs traced their scents to the river, but soon lost it. Less than two years later, Annamarie Phelps, 18, and a friend of Phelps' boyfriend, 21-year-old Daniel Lauer, disappeared over Labor Day weekend in 1989. In the beginning, the support was appreciated but over time, Atwell began acting strange, according to Thomas. But that's a recent development. They had met at an arcade earlier that day, and Robin had snuck out later that night to meet up with David. However, some do not think these murders were the work of a serial killer, but rather by at least two or more separate killers. In the 1890s, this was the nickname given to Lizzie Halliday, New York's first known female serial killer. The Virginia State Police did a casual investigation, during the panic galvanized by the murders, of Camp Peary and its soldiers. By that time, local police were well aware that there was a predator on the loose, and they had a somewhat bivouac profile to work-off. The probable tragedy struck after the party. It seems that the CSIs should be able to get touch DNA from articles of clothing, rope and other items the killer may have had contact with. The FBI, working in unison with the regions law enforcement, had a victim criteria in their arsenal. According to Thomas, Atwell and his wife recently separated and he "has been wandering around in some capacity," he said. Learn how your comment data is processed. This contemporary photograph shows part of the boardwalk from the Ragged Island parking area to the beach area near where the bodies of David and Robin were found. I think we understand where it came from. Her brother's car is in a crime-scene photo never meant to be public. The vision behind the Murder Accountability Project. Colonial Parkway Murders - Home - Facebook The investigations into all eight murders are ongoing and active, the Virginian Pilot reported. The car . Carmillo "Carmine" Galante was nicknamed "Lilo," Italian slang . I was very concerned because the only reason IMO that the couples would be taken by surprise like they were and seemed abducted so easily, if it were a cop or someone pretending to be a cop. "Last January he called me and said he had been contacted by an attorney outside the country who claimed to have a client who was involved in the murders. Show Who Killed. Hailey, meanwhile, was a college freshman who modeled and taught gymnastics, according to the outlet. A typically tranquil area, no one expected the Parkway to be the setting for a gruesome string of murders. State police and local agencies are investigating the murders of Knobling, Edwards, Lauer, and Phelps. On October 19th, a month and a half after their disappearance, hunters along interstate 64 between Williamsburg and Richmond stumbled onto the skeletonized remains of both kids. It's hard to say for certain, but one detective believed they figured out the cause back in 2010. On April 10, 1988, two Christopher Newport University students, Cassandra Lee Hailey, 18, and Richard Keith Call, 20, went missing after attending a party together in Newport News. 2 years ago Lovers Lane Murders Covers Infamous Colonial Parkway Murders on Oxygen Network , Feb 12-13 At long last, the Lover's Lane Murders TV series covering the Colonial Parkway Murders is coming to the Oxygen Network February 12-13. True Crime Uncensored with Burl Barer and Mark Boyer. At least eight people along the Colonial Parkway were killed in this three-year span. As of 2017, our research estimates that over 2000 serial killers are still at large and active in the United States. The first known victims there could very well have been others before that havent been uncovered or linked to the case were Cathleen Thomas, 27, and Rebecca Ann Dowski, 21. Was it a serial killer or a coincidence? The Colonial Parkway Murders: Part Five - Apple Podcasts The Colonial Parkway Murders - Revisiting The Crime Scenes Mobile Instinct 373K subscribers Subscribe 265K views 1 year ago Virginia's beautiful Colonial Parkway has a dark history of. A killer who prowled dark roads at night, who slashed and shot, who has remained a shadowy spectre for two decades. Investigators do not yet know how much money, if any, Atwell pocketed from the raffle but they say he cashed a check for $270 that was supposed to go for Department of Motor Vehicle fees related to the nonexistent cars. Why would this killer switch things up? Atwell's discovery of the 84 graphic photographs brought a lot of much-needed media attention back to the unsolved homicides. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. And he would find it. The bodies of Annamaria and Daniel were found six weeks after they disappeared, just over a mile from where his car had been located. "It's an unsolved crime, number one. Crime-scene photos from Parkway murders in public domain That October, a hunter came upon the couple's skeletal remains less than a mile from the rest area. Atwell agreed to take a look - and he made copies. The car had been pushed down an embankment off the Colonial Parkway. Colonial Parkway Murders - Reddit He was shy at first, but once you got to know him he opened up, he said. "I was floored. "They took him and Sandra and they put his clothes back in the car, just tossed them. Cathy Thomas, 27, and Rebecca Dowski, 21, had been dating for several months when they went out for food on October 9, 1986. The first and third murders were mere miles apart, and the second and fourth were committed about a half hour away from the Parkway. Annamarias purse was found inside the car, once more ruling our robbery as a motive. Noah against Alex for accusing him of leaking the nudes (defamation of character, would lose his MLB contract) or Alex because he actually leaked them. The pair went on a date, seeing a movie and attending a party, on April 9, 1988. The view north on the Colonial Parkway as it appears today, looking north from the pull-off where Cathy Thomas and Becky Thomas were discovered. "We're still trying to deal with it. The Parkway murders are believed to be the act of an apparent serial killer. . Whatever the details, you're enjoying alone time, thinking this night is as delightful as any date can be, when a third, uninvited individual shows up and turns your romantic date into a horror show. You cant exactly finger a suspect and develop a viable culprit on car displacement and fascination with couples. The two women in the car were identified as Cathleen Cathy Thomas, a 27-year-old graduate of the Naval Academy, and Rebecca Ann Dowski, a 21-year-old student at the College of William and Mary. Throughout the '80s, this thoroughfare was home to what's believed to have been 10 murders. Along the way, as he notes in his pamphlet Predators on the Parkway: A Former Homicide Detective Explores the Colonial Parkway Murders, he came to the conclusion that the murders weren't the work of a serial killer. Thomas said he is left wondering why Atwell has had such a strong interest in the case. Inside the Maddening Search for Virginia's Colonial Parkway Serial Killer There was nobody she wasnt going to be a friend too [] She was very generous with everything, Joanne Hailey, her mother, told Lovers Lane Murders.. Julia Williams, 24, and Lollie Winans, 26, displayed a wealth of similarities to the Parkway case. She was young, and she had a curfew. The couple had been missing since the evening of October 9th after they had been seen leaving a computer lab. "If he does, I hope he comes forward with that information soon.". The killer(s) drove Daniel and Annamaria back here in the darkness, killing them and covering their bodies in an electric blanket. I have to wonder if they were all committed by the same person. Its difficult to imagine something as gruesome and shocking as a string of murders occurring on this seemingly safe road but thats exactly what happened decades ago. A critical future was the way the perpetrator might have approached them. As with everything in her life, her career as a stockbroker was a stunning success. However, just before her death, she had left the Navy. However, the young couple was struggling financially, so Lauer had agreed to move in with them to help them out with money. If you like true crime, take a look at 10 of the most gruesome murders the state of New York has ever seen-some may date all the way back to the 1800s, but all of them are horrible. 1. Some don't believe this pair can be counted in the Colonial Parkway murders because we don't know what happened to the victims, whereas others believe the case bears a convincing resemblance to the others. The Parkway is surrounded by woods and has far fewer entries and exits than a typical highway. "We're just trying to get through this and let the police finish their investigation. And he would find it. What were the Colonial Parkway Murders? Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! The police investigated exhaustively, but eventually the case went cold. Not him either. That means he's in charge of the Colonial Parkway cases. However, on their way back to Virginia Beach to start a new chapter in their lives, they vanished. One person is a whole lot easier to kill than two. Knobling had taken Edwards out with his little brother and cousin that day. Karl and Judy Knobling with David (the taller youth) and his brother Michael in 1977. Rumors and legends started hitting the headlines. Fred was considered something of a hero when he uncovered a slew of photographs leaked from the FBIs office in Norfolk. And, he says, he was ignored. Ready to uncover the truth behind Hollywood's elite? From 1986 to 1989, four double homicides occurred either on or near the scenic, seemingly safe road. The killer has never been identified and the case remains UNSOLVED!Construction stretched over twenty-six years through the Depression, World . They never returned home. A small caveat before we spring forth into the latest horror room, the third couples link to the Parkway Murders is somewhat debatable. Both women were found with rope burns on their neck and wrist with signs of strangulation. Last year, criminal profiler Pat Brown shared her own theory with AOL News -- a theory that centers on the fact that in some of the cases, the victims' driver's window had been rolled down. Listen to Nic Edwards Chilling Account of THE DELPHI MURDERS with the Audiobook Narrated by Kevin Pierce, Meet Internationally Renowned True Crime Author Ron Chepesiuk, Meet Author Nic Edwards, Acclaimed Podcast Host of True Crime Garage. "His crimes gave him this feeling: He was able to surprise, control and punish 'wrongdoers.'". The Colonial Parkway Murders | Unsolved Casebook FYI, this happened in Virginia, not Pennsylvania. The National Park Service Rangers thought the two women might be injured as a result of an accident. A SPECIAL KIND OF EVIL Photo Gallery WildBlue Press A day later, Richards car was found at the York River Outlook off the Colonial Parkway, about 2 miles from where Cathy and Rebecca had been discovered. After Atwell spoke to NewsChannel 3, we called the FBI. Just to have the pictures floating around like that is very disrespectful.". Calls beloved Toyota Celica was discovered at a York River overlook, just a few miles from where Thomas and Dowski had been murdered two years prior. ?, Ep The Colonial Parkway Murders: Part Two - Sep 5, 2019 Call's Toyota Celica was found off Colonial Parkway at the York River Overlook the next morning, but there were no bodies in it and no obvious signs of death. For two decades, the crime-scene pictures have been secret, critical evidence in the hunt for a serial murderer. Authorities have yet to confirm whether the call took place. Just three days later, they were found murdered inside Thomas 1980 Honda Civic. Join our newsletter for awesome content, free offers and launch notifications! He called the authorities, who discovered that it wasn't a drunk driver at all. Rebeccas body was found in the backseat of the car, while Cathys was found stuffed into the hatchback. This crime scene photo shows Robin Edwards shoe that she had doodled on, laying on the floor of Davids truck. Atwell says he couldn't get a return call, until NewsChannel 3 got involved. Their bodies were uncovered after an exhaustive three-day search party. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. She had moved to Virginia Beach with her boyfriend, Clinton Lauer and was struggling to get by but living the American dream. The first set of victims from the Colonial Parkway murders were killed via a mix of strangulation and cut throats. "He was always washing it, his sister, Joyce Call-Canada, told The Virginian Pilot. It's unexpected. Lauer's car was found abandoned at a rest area on the westbound side of I-64. Almost immediately, the FBI announced it was conducting a top-to-bottom review of the cases in its jurisdiction. Cassandra Hailey every bit the girl next door 1980s style. Joyce says she found out about the leaked photos in a phone call, not from the FBI, but from a family friend. I am from this area born and raised. They show how the Colonial Parkway Killer stalk. And with Stealing Manhattan, a book that details, as the author proclaims, a "mega-heist" that involved the taking of [More], On an unseasonably warm April evening in 2001, the headless body of a tiny girl was found discarded in a makeshift dump site in the woods on the southeast side of Kansas City, Missouri. On the evening of Oct. 9, 1986, Thomas and Dowski had been hanging out with two friends at a computer lab when they left to spend some time together. However, her sister, Janette Santiago, told Lovers Lane Murders that Edwards, who she described as full of energy and not afraid of anything, had entered therapy and made remarkable progress in the months before her death. Keith Call's brother Chris is upset. The evidence of the crime was kept intact by a fluke of fate when the diesel failed to ignite. It's a roadway and state route, partly manned by the National Park Service, that interlocks Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. One long night turned into four long years for [More], Available Now About the Book In the spring of 1853, a family of eight drove their wagon to the wharf in Bergen, Norway. The only evidence of any wrongdoing was the discovery of Calls red Toyota Celica, unoccupied at the York River Overlook. He knew most of his victims, some through his job at Taco Bell, [Read More], On February 13, 2017, two Indiana teenagers, Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, went for a walk in the woods near the abandoned Monon High Bridge. Just after Labor Day weekend 1989, Annamaria Phelps, 18, and Daniel Later, 21, vanished while en route to Virginia Beach. It was the last time they would be seen alive. The pair is thought to have been murdered, though there's no way we can say that for sure since their bodies, as Colonial Ghosts notes, have never been found. Their bodies uncovered in Virginias Shenandoah National Park. Theres no hint of the horror that took place herefrom the brutal murders to the attempts to burn then submerge her car. I live in Norfolk now but I still am scared to travel that stretch of road, especially where the couple's car was found at the rest stop going in the other direction in which they were headed. The Colonial Parkway is a 23 mile (37km) scenic landscape/thoroughfare that links Virginia's Historic Triangle. Seven years after the final fatalities, another case reignited the investigation. The Colonial Parkway Murders - YouTube He said they wanted $20,000 to reveal the locations where Keith and Cassandra's bodies could be found. To the Call family, the FBI did not do enough to protect the families from this indignity, and protect the evidence of such terrible crimes. Of course, these are Spingola's musings, and they have yet to be proven. Call loved going to the beach and was especially fond of his car. The first pair of victims, Cathy Thomas and Rebecca Dowski, were a romantic couple who were last seen alive going out to dinner in 1986, as Oxygen points out. The killers were there for a while, soaking the interior of the vehicle with diesel, trying to light it, then pushing the car over the embankment. Though this case has appeared in the media several times over the past 30+ years, it's still as mysterious as it is unique. David never left his car unlockedand with the rain that night, a rendezvous in the marshlands seems unlikely. His investigation came to the startling conclusion that the murders were committed by multiple assailants and arent tied together. While many of us felt that Atwell knew more about the case than he let on-- all of Fred's stories with mixed in with a healthy serving of BS-- we wish he could have told us, and law enforcement, more. And they show exactly how the unknown killer left the bodies. They were committed between 1986-1989. I really hope they can solve these cases. One of the two died with her bra around her neck, suggesting she may have been strangled as well. His brother and several others saw it shortly after their disappearance and Keiths father found it the following morning as well. r/UnresolvedMysteries - The Colonial Parkway Murders - The Lauer and Phelps might have been a settlement of scores and was carried out by a professional, while Knobling and Edward were murdered following a robbery.