Six years after Alan W. Wilmer Sr., 63, passed away in December 2017, Virginia authorities were forced to identify him and collect a DNA sample. On Tuesday, they revealed that the genetic evidence connected him to the 1980s murders of three individuals.
According to Virginia State Police spokesman Corinne Geller, Wilmer’s genetic makeup matched that of the victims of a double shooting in 1987 and a lady who was strangled in the Hampton Roads area in 1989.
“Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. has been declared the person responsible for the (killings) through forensic evidence analyzed and certified by the Virginia Department of Forensic Science,” Geller informed reporters.
The double killings known as the Colonial Parkway Murders included the 20-year-old David L. Knobling and the 14-year-old Robin M. Edwards gunshot deaths that occurred in Isle of Wight County over 37 years ago. However, Geller stated that at this moment, there is no proof connecting those unsolved crimes to the murders connected to Wilmer.
Authorities say that Knobling and Edwards were last seen on September 19, 1987 and that their remains were discovered four days later near the south bank of the James River in Isle of Wight County.
Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, 29, was strangled to death; her death has never been regarded as one of the Colonial Parkway crimes. Less than 12 hours after she was last seen outside a nightclub in Hampton on July 1, 1989, her clothes were discovered by construction workers around 5 miles away, according to the authorities. In a neighboring wood line, her corpse was found.
Authorities said that Howell, who had been sexually abused like Edwards, was found within 15 miles of the locations of Knobling and Edwards’ deaths.
Wilmer, a professional fisherman who occasionally resided on his boat but was also spotted driving a vehicle with a unique license plate, is still the subject of police inquiries. The two instances that were examined on Tuesday, according to Geller, are “resolved but not closed,” and they are still looking into Wilmer’s possible criminal history.
Why they chose to consider Wilmer as a suspect was not disclosed by the authorities on Tuesday. Wilmer’s DNA was not collected while he was living since he had no felony convictions, according to Geller.
“We have lived with the fear of worrying that someone could attack and claim another victim—that someone would kill David and Robin on purpose,” the families of Knobling and Edwards stated in a statement made public by state police. Knowing that he can no longer victimize someone else gives us a feeling of justice and relief.
However, they regretted that Wilmer’s passing would leave them wondering about the killings.
Additionally, Howell’s family issued a statement requesting anonymity.
Nothing will bring Teri back, even though we are thankful for the closure that has been given, the family stated. “Over the years, her absence has left an indescribable void.”
According to a news release from state police, Wilmer was a commercial fisherman in the 1980s who frequently anchored his vessel in Middlesex and Gloucester counties. In addition, he had a tree service and went hunting often.
State police describe Wilmer as being 5 feet, 5 inches tall, strong, and weighing around 165 pounds. They have requested anybody who may have had contact with Wilmer to come forward. According to authorities, Wilmer was the owner of a unique 1966 blue Dodge Fargo pickup truck with the Virginia license plate “EM-RAW” and graffiti on the passenger door.
“To contact the FBI, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or submit an online tip at www.tips.fbi.gov, anyone who may have worked with Alan W. Wilmer Sr., hunted with him, farmed oysters and clams with him, docked next to him at marinas in the Northern Neck, Hampton Roads, or Middle Peninsula areas, or hung out with him is encouraged to do so,” the release stated.
