Former Northern Neck Resident Identified in Connection with Cold Case Homicides

SUFFOLK, Va. – In a significant breakthrough, a former resident of Northern Neck has been identified in connection with two cold case homicides that occurred over 30 years ago. The City of Hampton Division of Police, Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Chesapeake Field Office, and FBI Norfolk Field Office will be holding a press conference today at 1:30 p.m. to provide updates on the progress made in these two cases.

The suspect, Alan Wade Wilmer Sr., passed away on December 15, 2017, at the age of 63, at his home in Lancaster County. The press conference aims to shed light on the connection between Wilmer and the cold case homicides.

One of the cold case homicides is believed to be linked to a series of double murders from the 1980s known as the “Colonial Parkway Murders.” WAVY News 10 has been closely following these cases since they first occurred. The press conference will provide further details on the connection between Wilmer and these unsolved crimes.

The first case, dating back to September 21, 1987, involved the discovery of 20-year-old David Lee Knobling’s truck on Ragged Island by an Isle of Wight County sheriff’s deputy. Two days later, the bodies of Knobling and 14-year-old Robin Margaret Edwards were found along the shoreline. Both victims had been shot in the back of the head, and Edwards had also been sexually assaulted.

Additionally, Alan Wade Wilmer, Sr. has been linked to the July 1989 murder of 29-year-old Teresa Lynn Howell, known to her family as Terry. Howell was last seen alive on July 1 around 2:30 a.m. outside the Zodiac Club on East Mercury Blvd. in Hampton. Later that day, construction crews discovered women’s clothing at a work site on Butler Farm Road. A short distance away, they found Howell’s body in the wood line. She had been sexually assaulted and died from strangulation.

The Hampton Police Division, with assistance from the Virginia State Police and the FBI, has actively investigated this case for the past 34 years. The press conference will provide further insights into the progress made in solving this long-standing mystery.

Multiple platforms, including the Virginia State Police Facebook page, the Hampton Police Facebook page, and the FBI Norfolk’s Twitter page, will live stream the press conference. Stay tuned for more information and updates on these cold case homicides.