A smalltime fisherman who passed away in 2017 has been connected to three unsolved homicides in Virginia from the 1980s, including two that were part of a series known as the “Colonial Parkway Murders,” law enforcement officials revealed on Monday.

The suspect, identified as Alan W. Wilmer Sr. by Virginia State Police, is believed to be linked to the killings that occurred in 1987 and 1989. However, details about the nature of the connection or when he became a suspect were not disclosed. Authorities stated that if Wilmer were alive, he would face charges related to the crimes.

During a news conference, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller emphasized the exhaustive nature of cold case investigations. She stated, “Part of the cold case philosophy is to go back over and start re-looking and going back through all the witness statements, all the evidence. And it’s a very time-consuming, very complex, but a very effective way.”

Investigators obtained Wilmer’s DNA legally after his death. As Wilmer had no criminal record, his DNA was not present in any law enforcement databases. Notably, two of the three victims were sexually assaulted.

The “Colonial Parkway Murders” involved a series of killings that targeted three couples, with a suspected fourth couple whose bodies were never found. These crimes took place between 1986 and 1989 in the vicinity of the scenic Colonial Parkway, connecting Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown in southeastern Virginia.

In 1987, David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14, were discovered shot to death near the south bank of the James River in Isle of Wight County.

Virginia State Police spokeswoman Geller clarified that there is currently no forensic or physical evidence connecting this particular double homicide to the other cases, although the investigations into the other incidents are still active.

During the news conference, Geller read a joint statement from the families of Knobling and Edwards, expressing gratitude towards the law enforcement agencies involved. The statement said, “For 36 years, our families have lived in a vacuum of the unknown… His death will not allow us to seek out the answers to countless questions that have haunted us for so long.”