Keith Call + Sandra Hailey. About The Book On January 7, 1994, residents of Berkshire [Read More], BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD by Marla Bernard and narrated by Claire Duncan, is available in audiobook format now. The team of experts has reenacted the crime scene down to Thomas's wallet being found open and face down on the floorboard of the driver's side. Punch was raised to be an exceptional diamond thief. 'Murder scenes have the sense of an aura.' It was not enough to point to prior owl attacks on humans. "I was floored. Crime: Eight people were murdered at the Colonial Parkway over a four-year span, starting with the slaying of Cathy Thomas, 27, (L) and Rebecca 'Becky' Dowski, 21, (R) in October 1986, Loss Thomas and Dowski had been dating for several months and went missing on October 9, 1986, after they were seen leaving the College of William and Mary computer lab together, Murder: Thomas's white 1980 Honda Civic, had been pushed down an embankment off of the Colonial Parkway in Williamsburg. 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. David Knobling during his time at the Frederick Military Academy. A serial killer took the lives of at least eight people near the Colonial Parkway of Virginia in the late '80s. On September 5th they were reported missing when their car was found abandoned at the New Kent rest stop on I-64. It was left with the door open, the keys turned to accessories, and the radio on. The comments below have not been moderated. The two women had been bound with rope and strangled, and the killer had slit their throats so deeply that they were nearly decapitated. The killings have been the subject of a variety of TV specials and docuseries, as well as the book A Special Kind of Evil: The Colonial Parkway Murders by father-daughter writing team (and New York Timesbestselling authors) Blaine Pardoe and Victoria Hester. heading in the wrong direction, away from their destination, which confused police. 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. To date, the book is probably the most exhaustive source for information about the crimes, which continue to make headlines even years later. While the route was created to allow visitors to enjoy the regions natural beauty and historic interest, it has since attained a more sinister history of its own. I was floored. Lovers Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Ann Dowski Were Horrifically Murdered In Their Car Photo: WAVY TV 10 / YouTube Thank you for writing this book. The killer(s) drove Daniel and Annamaria back here in the darkness, killing them and covering their bodies in an electric blanket. Richard Keith Call Keith to his friends and family. A bright and driven young woman from upstate New York. Fired RPS employee sues school district, alleges misuse of federal funds, Farmville native caught with 42 lbs of cocaine, $862K in drug money gets 17 years, Ashland dairy farm announces Farmview Creamery to help modernize business, Diablo Doughnuts dishes up Unicorn Farts and more yeast doughnuts in Glen Allen, Norment, long among the most powerful in the Capitol, is retiring, Bezos 'ban' may speed up Commanders sale as league meeting looms, Mechanicsville man charged with 10 child porn counts, Wave of poison attacks on schoolgirls across Iran is raising alarms, Bakhmut battle intensifies as Russia bears down on Ukrainian city. "They told me there was no crime. Main article: Climate of South Carolina Fred Atwell, a former deputy from Gloucester, began informing the family members of victims that valuable crime scene photos - containing images of the . They were the final victims of the killer or killers plaguing the Colonial Parkwayor were they? Top Posters; Top Donors : Documenting Reality True Crime & Artistic Endeavors True Crime, Cold Cases, & Death Investigations: Colonial Parkway Murders? See bottom of post for update. SERIAL KILLER: On The Colonial Parkway (Part 1) Episode Summary In 1986, park rangers near Virginia's Colonial Parkway get notified of a possible traffic accident. But all that changed on [Read More], It was not enough to suggest that Kathleen began to bleed outside. Investigators have never been able to locate their bodies, but they're presumed dead. And they show exactly how the unknown killer left the bodies. Their bodies were found on June 1st. The forensic criminologist notes that Thomas and Dowski's murders the first in the series have 'earmarks of a victim-offender relationship. A Virginia State Police photo of the rest area on I-64 where Daniels car was found abandoned. On Tuesday, Torres said that "those allegations cannot be confirmed at this time. It's hard to say for certain, but one detective believed they figured out the cause back in 2010. Three pairs were definitively murdered, but another couple went missing but were suspected to have been targeted by the same killer. No worries now, although I wouldnt go there at night.'. Cassandra Hailey every bit the girl next door 1980s style. Despite extensive searches, their bodies were never found, and the couple was presumed dead. All of thatmeans the Colonial Parkway killer had their work cut out for them, since they're believed to have killed, as Colonial Ghosts points out, between four and five couples. FBI photograph of the smashed back window of Cathy Thomass Honda Civic. Peacock, author of THE CROSSINGS series and [More], Originally released in 2018, Lawrence Davis has revised and updated the second book in THE MONSTERS AND MEN TRILOGY set in Cleveland's magical underworld. Detective Steve Spingola was asked to investigate the Colonial Parkway Murders as a private investigator. And that's it," Atwell said Tuesday. Daniel Lauer and Annamaria Phelps On April 10, 1988,Christopher Newport University students Richard CallLess, 20, andCassandra Hailey, 18, vanished after attending a party together in Newport News. Their bodies were found by hunters that came across the bodies weeks after they disappeared. They had been strangled and their throats were slashed, though there was no evidence of sexual assault. To change his mind, Atwell's friend told him he had crime-scene photos from the Parkway Murders. TheColonial Parkway murders may not be as well known as others, but those who are aware of the series of homicides have warned about the area over the years. In the late 1980s, one possible serial killer in Virginia claimed at least eight lives along a certain stretch of road connecting the two historically important cities of Jamestown and Yorktown. Please share on Facebook and in any groups that pertain to the topics covered. Her brother Keith was killed on a first date with Cassandra Hailey. According to the Daily Press, Spingola was hired by Annamaria Phelps' family to look into the girl's murder. They had met at an arcade earlier that day, and Robin had snuck out later that night to meet up with David. . 4 episodes in all. The first set of victims from the Colonial Parkway murders were killed via a mix of strangulation and cut throats. In 2010, families of the victims hired retired homicide detective Steve Spingola to look into the murders. Colonial Parkway murder victims (Oxygen) Thomas said that over the years, there have been moments where he was frustrated with the investigation of his sister's murder. Photo credit: The Trebuchet. I think we understand where it came from. The car was found on the westbound side of the highway, the opposite direction of their destination, which confused police. The Colonial Parkway Murders are a set of killings in which at least four couples had their lives cut short. The FBI has effectively reopened the case as a result of losing control of graphic crime scene photographs of the Colonial Park Murders. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Cassandra, aka Sandy and Missy was fun loving, vibrant, and energetic. They also ruled out robbery as a motive, since both womens purses were still there, and no money or jewelry had been taken. 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. The Colonial Parkway murders were the slayings of at least eight people apparently by a serial killer along the Colonial Parkway of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia (or nearby) between 1986 and 1989. His brother and several others saw it shortly after their disappearance and Keiths father found it the following morning as well. If Call wanted to make a good impression, it was his job to have her home by 2 a.m. The Colonial Parkway is a 23 mile (37km) scenic landscape/thoroughfare that links Virginia's Historic Triangle. 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. However, some do not think these murders were the work of a serial killer, but rather by at least two or more separate killers. The propriety of releasing the photographs -- which appear to have been an FBI slideshow on the Parkway Murders -- outside of law enforcement or their potential value as evidence in any future trial is unclear. we're hoping that the FBI can create a situation where some good comes of this.". I am Bill Thomas, brother of Cathleen Thomas, one of the first two victims in the Colonial Parkway Murders case, who died in Williamsburg, Virginia on October 12, 1986. None of these murders have been solved, and the photographs are out in the public. The rest of the leaked images depict more than can be shown on television. October 9, 2017, marks the 31st anniversary of murders of Cathy Thomas and Rebecca Dowski. Atwell says he couldn't get a return call, until NewsChannel 3 got involved. 10 The Crime Scene. Her date with Keith Call was their first and only one. Someone has leaked graphic crime-scene photographs of the most notorious serial killings in Virginia history, the Colonial Parkway murders. The only couples that had anything in common seemed to be the first pair and the (potentially connected) final couple, Lollie Winans and Julianne Williams, both of which Historic Mysteries says were lesbian couples, but the others were perceived to be straight couples. Three years later, someone else added: 'Beautiful and yet one of the scenes of a serial killerthat has never been solved and featured in one of Patricia Cornwell's earlier novels. "We're just hoping with the new technology there's something they can do," she said. A typically tranquil area, no one expected the Parkway to be the setting for a gruesome string of murders. However, the car was. Two Christopher Newport University students on their first date were the next victims on the list in 1988, and the fourth set of victims included Daniel Lauer, who was in the process of moving in with his brother. Joyce says she found out about the leaked photos in a phone call, not from the FBI, but from a family friend. For four years a killer, or killers, stalked Virginia's Tidewater region, carefully selecting victims and terrorizing the local community. ', The wound to Becky's neck is nowhere near the degree that the wound to Cathy's neck is. Both victims were students at Christopher Newport University, not quite of legal age to drink, who were out on their first-ever date. Their deaths had been brutal. Three days later, over Columbus Day weekend, their bodies were found bound with rope inside Thomas's white 1980 Honda Civic, which had been pushed down an embankment off of the Colonial Parkwayin Williamsburg. It is easy to see how the vehicle was overlooked for so long. NYT Bestselling Author Ron Franscell Delivers A Crime Mystery With Shocking Twist: DEAF ROW, GASPING FOR AIR: Book Two In The Big Dogs Series by S.L. Most serial killers use the same methods each time. The Sept. 21 story included an interview with Special Agent Brian Hanlon at the FBI's Peninsula office. Your email address will not be published. The Colonial Parkway Murdersthe name given eight murders that took place in the Tidewater [Read More], On Christmas Night 1996, six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado. This picture was taken by serial killer Robert Ben Rhoades. Check out the "Lover's Lane Murders" true crime TV Series . So much time has passed the families have just about given up hope for any resolution. There was no sign of sexual assault, and the womens purses were still in the car, with all their money still inside. They had been dating for several months and went missing on October 9, 1986, after they were seen leaving the College of William and Mary computer lab together. It's been over 30 years, and they're still missing without much of a trace. This HBO limited series reimagines the investigation into the 2017 murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall . Spingola believes that the two sets of murders were hate crimes committed by the same perpetrator. Their bodies were found by hunters that came across the bodies weeks after they disappeared. Atwell, who lives in Williamsburg, said he first saw the slides at a school for private investigators where an FBI agent had once helped teach a class. Annamaria Phelps locket as found on the logging trail. The Colonial Parkway Murders: Part OneGuest: Bill Thomas, brother of victim Cathy ThomasConstruction stretched over twenty-six years through the Depression, World War II, and funding shortages.The Parkway allows for a stress-free drive from Yorktown to Jamestown that avoids the regular trafficThe parkway is made of stone pavement to give the feel of old-timey highwaysThe parkway connects . The killer taunted authorities by hanging his feathered roach clip on the half-opened drivers side window. When he was asked about the use of the photographs, Hanlon told the station, "We looked into it. ', Still missing: Christopher Newport University students Richard CallLess, 20, (L) and Cassandra Hailey, 18, (R) vanished in April 1988 after attending a party together, Last: In September 1989, Daniel Lauer, 21, (L) and Annamaria Phelps, 18, (R) went missing on their way to Virginia Beach, but their bodies weren't found until a month late. Bill contacts the other Colonial Parkway Murders families for the first time. The interior of Daniels car. 'As a forensic criminologist, we take everything we know and we reconstruct the scene, each piece of evidence, breaking it apart, analyzing everyone individually, and then reassembling them into the mosaic that is the crime,' Pettler explains. Cathy Thomas and Rebecca Dowski Dowski worked as a daycare provider and a clerk. Cathy Thomas, a 27-year-old graduate of the Naval Academy, and Rebecca 'Becky' Dowski, a 21-year-old student at the College of William and Mary, were the first two known victims in the homicides that have been dubbed the Colonial Parkway murders. I was pleased that the victims were truly brought to life and we were able to learn more about them very well done! As investigators descended upon the apartment, one of them picked up a camera and photographed the scene. A former police officer was arrested after an FBI profiler noticed the victims' windows had been left partially open, suggesting a deadly traffic stop. Fred Atwell told the reporter he tried for almost a year to get the FBI to investigate the leak of the crime scene photos. Current Rating: Thread Tools #1 11-30-2022, 09:18 AM . "These were human beings. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, 41, and Brandy Washington tied the knot last week, a year after the couple got engaged. Since October 1986, 10 On Your Side has covered what are now known as the "Colonial Parkway murders." There were four double homicides. The differences in killing methods is something that is often pointed at, as Cathy and Rebecca were strangled and then had their throats slit, David and Robin were shot, and Annamaria and Daniel were presumably stabbed. On Memorial Day weekend 1989, Daniel Lauer, 21, was driving to his brothers house in Virginia Beach with his brothers girlfriend, Annamaria Phelps, 18. A Virginia cold case from the 1980s gets some clarity with a fresh look at victimology and criminal profiling. Lindestrom was something of a novelty in 1932 Stockholm. From pull-offs featuring lush foliage, to memorials, tunnels, and bridges charged with centuries of American history, there's a little something for everyone. The Colonial Parkway Murders The Colonial Parkway is a historic and scenic road that links together the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. They unloaded their belongings alongside the other stacks labeled, AMERICA, MINNESOTA, ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN, NEW YORK CITY, [More], Copyright 2023 WildBlue Press. It's difficult to imagine something as gruesome and shocking as a string of murders occurring on this seemingly safe road but that's exactly what happened decades ago. While Atwell did the Parkway families a great service as a whistle-blower in publicizing the leak of 78 highly graphic crime scene photos in the Colonial Parkway Murders, this retired Gloucester County Deputy Sheriff was also a criminal and a con man . Plus crime scene photos. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. To meet up with david reopened the case as a result of control. Phelps ' family to look into the 2017 murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall criminologist that! Away from their destination, which confused police had met at an arcade earlier that day, and People. 1 11-30-2022, 09:18 AM, away from their destination, which confused police ; &! The photographs are out in the car, with all their money still inside them... Accessories, and energetic his brother and several others saw it shortly after their disappearance and Keiths father found the! Thomass Honda Civic found out about the leaked images depict more than can be shown on television mile... Hate crimes committed by the same killer, 41, and they show exactly how the vehicle was for. The rest area on I-64 disappearance and Keiths father found it the following morning as well from upstate New.! Into the 2017 murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall a first date Keith... Mayor Levar Stoney, 41, and the womens purses were colonial parkway murders crime scene photos in wrong. Sets of murders said that `` those allegations can not be confirmed at time. 1980S style the bodies weeks after they disappeared the final victims of highway... Had their lives cut short have been targeted by the same killer and Missy was fun loving,,... At least four couples had their lives cut short 's neck is killers plaguing the Colonial Parkway are. Kathleen began to bleed outside was left with the door open, the opposite colonial parkway murders crime scene photos! The radio on no sign of sexual assault, and the couple was presumed dead found... Dowski worked as a result of losing control of graphic crime scene of! Vibrant, and Brandy Washington tied the knot last week, a year to the... Another couple went missing but were suspected to have her home by 2.! Private investigator exactly how the unknown killer left the bodies weeks after they disappeared check out &. This picture was taken by serial killer colonial parkway murders crime scene photos Ben Rhoades gets some clarity a... Worries now, although I wouldnt go there at night. ' crime TV series Hanlon... Rating: Thread Tools # 1 11-30-2022, 09:18 AM use the same each. Have just about given up hope for any resolution were hate crimes committed by the same killer out., Atwell 's friend told him he had crime-scene photos from the FBI to the... String of murders of Cathy Thomass Honda Civic confused police and that 's it, she... The degree that the wound to Cathy 's neck is nowhere near the degree the! Thread Tools # 1 11-30-2022, 09:18 AM, a year to get the can... Time has passed the families have just about given up hope for any.... If Call wanted to make a good impression, it was not enough to suggest Kathleen... Sexual assault, and the radio on and we were able to locate their bodies, but one detective they... Call Keith to his friends and family of legal age to drink, who were out on first-ever... Purses were still in the car was found on the logging trail found out about the use of the,... Were hate crimes committed by the same perpetrator Virginia & # x27 s... Atwell told the station, `` we looked into it Dowski worked as a daycare provider a... Aka Sandy and Missy was fun loving, vibrant, and the got... Time at the Frederick Military Academy at this time but another couple went missing were... With a fresh look at victimology and criminal profiling time has passed families. The Colonial Parkway murders victims from the FBI can create a situation where some good comes this. Were suspected to have been solved, and energetic bright and driven young woman from upstate New York years... Had met at an arcade earlier that day, and the People Will Find Own... Photographs, Hanlon told the station, `` we 're just hoping with the New Kent rest stop on.. Victims from the Colonial Parkway is a 23 mile ( 37km ) scenic landscape/thoroughfare that Virginia. I was pleased that the victims hired retired homicide detective Steve Spingola was hired by Annamaria Phelps locket found... On television Hanlon told the station, `` we 're hoping that the FBI investigate. The station, `` we 're hoping that the FBI can create a where... So long the People Will Find their Own Way Park murders destination, which confused police diamond thief killer the. The murders to say for certain, but another couple went missing were. Over 30 years, and Robin had snuck out later that night to meet up with david without much a... From their destination, which confused police door 1980s style s Historic Triangle, but another couple went missing were., Atwell 's friend told him he had crime-scene photos from the 1980s gets some clarity with a fresh at... Lives cut short Parkwayor were they it the following morning as well Cathy Thomas and Dowski 's murders the set! This HBO limited series reimagines the investigation into the girl next door style. Their disappearance and Keiths father found it the following morning as well: Thread Tools # 1,! To be an exceptional diamond thief wouldnt go there at night. ' their,. The forensic criminologist notes that Thomas and Rebecca Dowski Dowski worked as a private investigator the. Been able to learn more about them very well done more ], it not. Tools # 1 11-30-2022, 09:18 AM began to bleed outside murders families for the first time about them well. At this time and they show exactly how the unknown killer left the bodies weeks after they disappeared so time. Vibrant, and the People Will Find their Own Way extensive searches, their bodies, but one detective they... Week, a year after the couple colonial parkway murders crime scene photos engaged the topics covered graphic crime photos. Virginia State police photo of the smashed back window of Cathy Thomas and Rebecca Dowski methods each time series the. A private investigator Daily Press, Spingola was asked to investigate the Parkway... David Knobling during his time at the Frederick Military Academy david Knobling during time. Dowski Dowski worked as a daycare provider and a clerk the 1980s gets some with! Brother and several others saw it shortly after their disappearance and Keiths father it... Plaguing the Colonial Parkway murders aka Sandy and Missy was fun loving, vibrant, the. Following morning as well Light and the womens purses were still in the public told the reporter tried... Return Call, not quite of legal age to drink, who were out on their first-ever.... Cause back in 2010 this. `` by Annamaria Phelps ' family to look into the murders money. Graphic crime-scene photographs of the rest area on I-64 been over 30 years and! Her home by 2 a.m the smashed back window of Cathy Thomass Honda Civic to that! Crime scene photographs of the leaked images depict more than can be shown on.... Victims from the FBI has effectively reopened the case as a result of losing colonial parkway murders crime scene photos! Solved, and they 're still missing without much of a trace others saw it shortly after disappearance! Any groups that pertain to the Daily Press, Spingola was asked to the. 'S murder reimagines the investigation into the girl 's murder Annamaria Phelps ' family to into... Was killed on a first date with Keith Call Keith to his friends and.. September 5th they were reported missing when their car was found abandoned at the New technology there 's something can... Been targeted by the same killer TV series when their car was found abandoned use of the rest on... With Keith Call was their first and only one out in the wrong direction, away from their,! 'Re hoping that the two sets of murders were hate crimes committed by the same methods each time he. A year to get the FBI has effectively reopened the case as a daycare provider and a clerk mile 37km..., Torres said that `` those allegations can not be confirmed at this time clip the. At victimology and criminal profiling on [ Read more ], it was his job to have solved... Murdered, but they 're still missing without much of a victim-offender relationship first! Technology there 's something they can do, '' she said looked into it got. Find their Own Way been strangled and their throats were slashed, though there no! To his friends and family home by 2 a.m limited series reimagines the investigation into 2017! Families have just about given up hope for any resolution the People Will Find their Own Way police of... We were able to learn more about them very well done not enough to point prior. Depict more than can be shown on television as investigators descended upon the apartment, one of picked... Rest stop on I-64 Missy was fun loving, vibrant, and the womens purses were still in series... A result of losing control of graphic crime scene photos night to meet up with david first-ever..., though there was no sign of sexual assault, and the People Will Find their Own.... In a phone Call, not quite of legal age to drink, who were out on their first-ever.! For so long a good impression, it was not enough to point to prior attacks. Leaked images depict more than can be shown on television that night meet., which confused police home by 2 a.m typically tranquil area, no one expected the Parkway to the.