Often stayed on his workboat; sometimes docked in Middlesex
A deceased Lancaster County man has been identified as the suspect in three decades-old homicides in the Hampton Roads region.
Alan W. Wilmer Sr., who was 63 when he died at his Ottoman home in December 2017, is the man authorities say is responsible for the deaths of David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14, in Isle of Wight County and the death of Teresa Spaw Howell, 29, in Hampton. The three homicides took place in the 1980s and despite being cold cases were still being actively investigated, according to Virginia State Police (VSP) Public Relations Director Corinne Geller.
If Wilmer were alive today, “he would be charged in all three of these homicides,” she said.
The announcement came on Monday, Jan. 8, during a press conference at the VSP office in Suffolk. The FBI had executed a search warrant on Jan. 4 at the former home of the suspect. The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office assisted the FBI with the onsite investigation.
The City of Hampton Division of Police, VSP Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Chesapeake Field Office and FBI Norfolk Field Office conducted the joint press conference.
Geller said forensic evidence proved Wilmer was the person responsible for the September 1987 double homicide of Knobling and Edwards and the July 1989 homicide of Howell. Both Howell and Edwards were also sexually assaulted. The Knobling and Edwards murders have generally been grouped with a series of double homicides which came to be known nationally as the Colonial Parkway Murders. At this time, there is no forensic or physical evidence to link the Isle of Wight murders with the other double homicides, said Geller.
The Colonial Parkway Murders involved the deaths of three couples and the disappearance of a fourth couple whose bodies were never recovered. The killings occurred between 1986 and 1989 on or near the scenic byway connecting Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown. The other cases remain under active investigation, she said.
On Sept. 3, 1987, Knobling and Edwards were found shot to death on a James River shoreline at the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge. Knobling’s car had been found two days earlier in a nearby parking area.
Howell was last seen alive around 2:30 a.m. July 1, 1989, outside of a club in Hampton. Just after 10 a.m. that same day, construction crews working on Butler Farm Road spotted women’s clothing and a short time later, her body was discovered. She died from strangulation.
Wilmer had never been convicted of a felony, which meant his DNA was never in the database. “There was no hit. So we had a common suspect. He just had not been identified,” said Geller.
His DNA profile was only able to be legally obtained after his death. Wilmer died alone at home and his body was not discovered for about three weeks, according to Lancaster County First Sgt. Brian O’Bier. Due to the level of decomposition of the body, an autopsy and DNA analysis were performed for identification.
O’Bier was the investigator who worked the scene of Wilmer’s death. He was contacted about two years ago by a federal agent at the Norfolk field office requesting the release of Wilmer’s DNA profile from the medical examiner’s office.
Wilmer was positively linked to the three homicides by the Virginia Department of Forensics Science in June 2023 when it confirmed a genetic match to evidence collected from the homicide scenes, according to Geller.
Geller said she could not elaborate on the tip that connected the dots that pointed to Wilmer; however, she did say that “he was developed as a particular suspect and someone to evaluate,” which prompted investigators to follow up on his DNA profile once they found out he was deceased.
During the press conference, statements were read from the Knobling and Edwards families as well as the Howell family. Both thanked investigators for their diligence in solving the cases and both asked for privacy at this time as they continue to grieve.
The Wilmer family also has released a statement.
“The news of Alan Wilmer Sr.’s crimes has come as a complete and horrific shock to our family. We are learning about this news nearly the same time as everyone else. The man who committed these crimes was not someone we knew. The revelation of what he’s done has deeply impacted our family as we are forced to reconcile who we believed him to be with the unimaginable things he has done.
“We deeply mourn with the victim’s families and the community and have them in our prayers. We can’t imagine what they’ve gone through for all these years. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement and are asking for privacy during this extremely difficult time.”
Wilmer was an avid hunter, worked during the 1980s as a waterman and later owned his own business, Better Tree Service.
Although there is no physical evidence matching Wilmer to the other Colonial Parkway murders at this time, investigators have not ruled him out as a suspect in other cold cases.
For that reason, the FBI and VSP are seeking the public’s help and have set up multiple tip lines.
“With this new information, we are revisiting our cold cases in Lancaster County to see if there is a link [to Wilmer],” said O’Bier.
During the 1980s, Wilmer drove a distinctive blue 1966 Ford Fargo pickup truck with lettering on the side and the license plate EM-RAW. He also had a white pickup truck, a van and a silver 1989 Ford F-150. He often stayed on his workboat, which he docked at various locations in Middlesex, Gloucester and Northern Neck counties.
The FBI is asking for any tips and leads, no matter how small, from the public regarding Wilmer’s actions and whereabouts.
To report information, contact investigators by calling the FBI tip line: 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip online at tip.fbi.gov. Anyone with information can also reach out to the Virginia State Police by email at questions@vsp.virginia.gov.
Both the Isle of Wight and Hampton murder cases are now closed.
