The Colonial Parkway murders, also referred to as the Peninsula murders, remain unsolved to this day. Between 1986 and 1989, at least four couples were murdered along a Virginia scenic route known as the Colonial Parkway. All four cases involve the slaying or disappearance of young people who were traveling by car in isolated areas. Two people are missing or presumed dead.
The first two victims were Rebecca Ann Dowski, 21 and Cathleen Marian Thomas, 27. Their bodies were discovered on October 12, 1986, inside their car. The vehicle had been pushed down an embankment. An autopsy found rope burns on their necks and wrists, signs of strangulation, and their throats had been slashed. Their purses and money were found inside the car. Both women were found fully clothed and there was no evidence of sexual assault.
In September of 1987 the bodies of David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14, were discovered in the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge. They had been murdered. The area they were found was on the south shore of the James River in Isle of Wight County, near Smithfield, Virginia. They were discovered about a mile down the river bank. Knobling’s truck was parked at the Refuge several days prior to discovery of the bodies.
On April 9, 1988, Cassandra Lee Hailey and Richard Keith Call were reported missing after going on a first date together. Call’s 1982 red Toyota Celica was found, abandoned on the Colonial Parkway in Yorktown, Virginia the following day. Neither body has ever been found, but both are presumed to be dead.
In October 19, 1989, the bodies of Annamaria Phelps, 18, and Daniel Lauer, 21, were found in New Kent County by a hunter in the woods near a rest area on Interstate 64 between Williamsburg and Richmond. They were found covered with a blanket. They had been missing since the previous month.
While the above victims are commonly recognized as the Colonial Parkway murders, there may be even more victims.
Brian Craig Pettinger was reported missing in December 1987. Pettinger was last seen at a Hampton dance club. His body was found in February in a marshy area of the James River in Suffolk.
Eighteen-year-old Laurie Ann Powell was last seen on March 8, 1988, walking down Route Powell 614 in Gloucester County. Her body was found in the lower James River on April 2, 1988. She had been stabbed several times in the back.
CrimeShadows News has good reason to believe these two crimes may be connected to the others –or at least, to some of them. It has also been suggested that some of the murders may not even be related –having been committed by separate suspects.
Now, after so many years have passed, investigators are delving back into the case with new tools. Today’s forensic technology just might hold the key to finding how who is responsible for these horrible events.
Investigators are also interested in the recent murders of two Blacksburg college students, to see if there is any connection to the Parkway cases. in the Jefferson National Forest.
On August 27, the bodies of 19-year-old David Lee Metzler of Lynchburg, Virginia and 18-year-old Heidi Lynn Childs of Forest,Virginia were found shot to death. The bodies were discovered in the parking area of the Caldwell Fields campground.
Keith Call’s sister, Joyce, has set up a Facebook page to generate and maintain interest in the case. You can join the group here.
Also, be sure to check out this story on the irresponsible leak of crime scene photos in the Parkway case.
Related posts:
