VA VA - The Colonial Parkway Murders, 1986-89

One set of murders - David Knobling and Robin Edwards at Ragged Island - leads me to believe this person was familiar with the area. And, of course, we don't know where Keith Call and Cassandra Hailey were killed because they were never found so that could be an area only locals were familiar with.

The EAR-ONS being the killer. I hadn't thought about that although I have a difficult time believing EAR-ONS stopped. He moved his hunting grounds more than once, he could have again. And since DNA technology was not available like now I wonder if there aren't some unsolved crimes in San Diego, Portland OR or even Seattle that have not been connected. But I don't believe he is involved here - too far away and too different from his MO.

I wish the hair found in Cathleen Thomas' hand could be processed and yield some DNA.

Thanks. We do, too. We cannot seem to get a straight answer from the FBI on the results of the hair testing>


Bill Thomas
 
We are thrilled to announce that our Colonial Parkway Murders expert panel has been selected to be one of the CrimeCon 2018 panels to be streamed. We are live at 6:00 pm CDT (7:00 pm EDT) this Friday, May 4. Details below.

https://www.crimecon.com/livestream

Bill Thomas,
Brother of Cathy Thomas,
Colonial Parkway Murders
 
We are thrilled to announce that our Colonial Parkway Murders expert panel has been selected to be one of the CrimeCon 2018 panels to be streamed. We are live at 6:00 pm CDT (7:00 pm EDT) this Friday, May 4. Details below.

https://www.crimecon.com/livestream

Bill Thomas,
Brother of Cathy Thomas,
Colonial Parkway Murders

This is wonderful news!! Thank heaven that a spotlight is shining on your sister's case again. You have been tirelessly working on her and the other victims' behalves and you have kept this case alive all across the internet. That is excellent that 3 out 4 of the crimes have possible DNA. I believe you will have answers with the help of modern technology and hopefully justice will be served.
 
This is wonderful news!! Thank heaven that a spotlight is shining on your sister's case again. You have been tirelessly working on her and the other victims' behalves and you have kept this case alive all across the internet. That is excellent that 3 out 4 of the crimes have possible DNA. I believe you will have answers with the help of modern technology and hopefully justice will be served.

Thanks so much.


Bill Thomas,
Brother of Cathy Thomas,
Colonial Parkway Murders
 
Thanks so much.


Bill Thomas,
Brother of Cathy Thomas,
Colonial Parkway Murders

Bill - thank you so much for all you do to shed light on this case. I’m actually researching it for a podcast to be aired on it soon, and I have a question for you: why Do you think people do not seem to connect the case of MichaelMargaret and his girlfriend Donna Hall With the colonial Parkway murders? It is an unsolved a slaying of a couple in the same region one and a half years before your sister’s case. There doesn’t seem to be anything indicating the cases are not related, correct? Isn’t it possible that this was the actual first murder by a fledgling serial killer? I guess the real question is, why is this young couple not considered one of the colonial Parkway murder victims?
Thanks for any thoughts or info!!
 
So I just stumbled on this thread, and it has given me chills. Probably a long shot to hear from jca91180, but curious when and what kind of car it was.

In 2007, in my early 20's, I was invited on a business trip to a military conference in Williamsburg. On a slow day, my boss encouraged me to take the rental car to sitesee. I was on my way to check out Jamestown, and I missed the left hand turn onto Colonial Parkway and ended up in a large parking lot to turn around. Had I not made this mistake, I fear this may be a different story. I happened to glance in my rearview mirror, and a beat up red sports car, like a Toyota Celica was close behind with 2 passengers. Didn't think much of it, until I got to the Jamestown entrance, and saw there was a sign for a park entrance fee. I had no cash, so I pulled a U-turn... the red car also U-turned, and this is when I began to panic and realized they were following me. I floored the gas pedal and was flying down Colonial Parkway but could not lose the car. To make matters worse, there was NO ONE on the road, my cell phone (which was pretty clunky back then) had no service, and my gas was running low. Finally I reached a scenic outlook parking area with a couple cars. I pulled in and proceeded to the other side to exit, the red car followed but parked. A lady opened the red car's passenger door and walked to the water with a water bottle, pretending she had a purpose. A man in the driver's seat made eye contact with me and glared while I pulled away... they were both Hispanic, on the thinner side, the woman had a long, thick ponytail. They seemed younger far away, but the man appeared older the closer I got.

As I drove back into town, I found a city building and told them what happened. I was so scared and shaking, but they told me there really wasn't anything they could do since nothing happened. I was pretty upset, and needless to say I will never return to the area because it haunts me to this day.

It's a long shot to say this is connected, and I try to tell myself they were JUST going to rob me. But that is terrifying and isolated road. Not to mention, it really has a heaviness from so much history.

Sending love from Texas, and I truly hope you receive answers to this mystery. I will be following closely.

I've been on WS for awhile and randomly decided to see if there's a thread here for these horrible murders. I grew up right off (and when I say right off I mean near the rest area) 64 in Virginia, near Williamsburg, not far from the logging road where a couple of the bodies were found. My mother told a story of driving home on Route 60 (which runs parallel to Interstate 64) late at night. She says there was a woman on the side of the road, waving down cars and maybe 30 feet behind this woman was a man walking behind her in front of his parked car with the lights on. Mom says she felt weird about the situation, so she pulled over and just cracked her window. The woman is pounding on the window and pulling on the door handle saying "Please let me in, he's going to get me, he's my boyfriend" etc. etc. All this time the guy is continuing to walk towards the car. Mom tells the woman she will go to the next house and call 911 and asks the woman for her parents' phone number to call them (happened in 80s before cell phones). Mom drives off, turns onto the next road off of 60 and stops at the first house. She calls the police and calls the number the woman gave her and the folks who answer say they don't know anyone by that name and police said people were gone. I suppose the lady could have given her the wrong number in her panic, but my mother swears something was off about this entire situation. I'm not necessarily saying what happened to my mom is connected to these murders, but how many women do you know would stop to help a woman trying to get away from a man? My mom also says not long after that she was in an old local convenience store and there was a man in front of her in line that she says had the deadest eyes she has ever seen and his looking at her gave her chills. She STILL talks about that night and this man in the convenience store.

I hope they find the people responsible for all of these beautiful lives lost. Many prayers for all of the families and I will definitely read "A Special Kind of Evil" when it comes out.
 
So I just stumbled on this thread, and it has given me chills. Probably a long shot to hear from jca91180, but curious when and what kind of car it was.

In 2007, in my early 20's, I was invited on a business trip to a military conference in Williamsburg. On a slow day, my boss encouraged me to take the rental car to sitesee. I was on my way to check out Jamestown, and I missed the left hand turn onto Colonial Parkway and ended up in a large parking lot to turn around. Had I not made this mistake, I fear this may be a different story. I happened to glance in my rearview mirror, and a beat up red sports car, like a Toyota Celica was close behind with 2 passengers. Didn't think much of it, until I got to the Jamestown entrance, and saw there was a sign for a park entrance fee. I had no cash, so I pulled a U-turn... the red car also U-turned, and this is when I began to panic and realized they were following me. I floored the gas pedal and was flying down Colonial Parkway but could not lose the car. To make matters worse, there was NO ONE on the road, my cell phone (which was pretty clunky back then) had no service, and my gas was running low. Finally I reached a scenic outlook parking area with a couple cars. I pulled in and proceeded to the other side to exit, the red car followed but parked. A lady opened the red car's passenger door and walked to the water with a water bottle, pretending she had a purpose. A man in the driver's seat made eye contact with me and glared while I pulled away... they were both Hispanic, on the thinner side, the woman had a long, thick ponytail. They seemed younger far away, but the man appeared older the closer I got.

As I drove back into town, I found a city building and told them what happened. I was so scared and shaking, but they told me there really wasn't anything they could do since nothing happened. I was pretty upset, and needless to say I will never return to the area because it haunts me to this day.

It's a long shot to say this is connected, and I try to tell myself they were JUST going to rob me. But that is terrifying and isolated road. Not to mention, it really has a heaviness from so much history.

Sending love from Texas, and I truly hope you receive answers to this mystery. I will be following closely.


Oh wow. I totally understand your fear with what happened to you, but am happy you were safe. It could have been a lot worse.

I was looking at photos of the Colonial Parkway, not only does it look isolated with its 23 mile stretch but also forbidding. Not a road I would drive on, no matter how scenic.

And, there are no white lines down the center of the road? I wonder why the road construction was meant to be like that?
 
So I just stumbled on this thread, and it has given me chills. Probably a long shot to hear from jca91180, but curious when and what kind of car it was.

In 2007, in my early 20's, I was invited on a business trip to a military conference in Williamsburg. On a slow day, my boss encouraged me to take the rental car to sitesee. I was on my way to check out Jamestown, and I missed the left hand turn onto Colonial Parkway and ended up in a large parking lot to turn around. Had I not made this mistake, I fear this may be a different story. I happened to glance in my rearview mirror, and a beat up red sports car, like a Toyota Celica was close behind with 2 passengers. Didn't think much of it, until I got to the Jamestown entrance, and saw there was a sign for a park entrance fee. I had no cash, so I pulled a U-turn... the red car also U-turned, and this is when I began to panic and realized they were following me. I floored the gas pedal and was flying down Colonial Parkway but could not lose the car. To make matters worse, there was NO ONE on the road, my cell phone (which was pretty clunky back then) had no service, and my gas was running low. Finally I reached a scenic outlook parking area with a couple cars. I pulled in and proceeded to the other side to exit, the red car followed but parked. A lady opened the red car's passenger door and walked to the water with a water bottle, pretending she had a purpose. A man in the driver's seat made eye contact with me and glared while I pulled away... they were both Hispanic, on the thinner side, the woman had a long, thick ponytail. They seemed younger far away, but the man appeared older the closer I got.

As I drove back into town, I found a city building and told them what happened. I was so scared and shaking, but they told me there really wasn't anything they could do since nothing happened. I was pretty upset, and needless to say I will never return to the area because it haunts me to this day.

It's a long shot to say this is connected, and I try to tell myself they were JUST going to rob me. But that is terrifying and isolated road. Not to mention, it really has a heaviness from so much history.

Sending love from Texas, and I truly hope you receive answers to this mystery. I will be following closely.

Welcome to Websleuths!. Great first post!
 
With the arrest of the EAR/ONS rapist/killer and the arrest of one of the killers of Bible and Freeman in OK I'm hoping something breaks here soon. If LE states they have DNA in 3 of the 4 murders maybe there can be an arrest soon. In the case of EAR/ONS, many thought he was dead or in prison, but he was still alive. He just quit and so far we don't know why. That could well be the same here and they just have to track him down. Or them, if it is to be believed that there were 2 killers.

Another question in my mind with regard to the DNA. There are some in LE that believe these 4 cases are NOT the work of one killer or team of killers, but separate. If LE has DNA from 3 of 4, I wondering which theory that supports?
 
I think you may easily be onto something here.

If these were cases of a murderous police or park ranger, it would make sense that handcuffs would be used as the couple was being detained for marijuana use. The couples would have no idea that the incident would lead to their death. There would likely be no struggle, and an individual could easily carry off the murder single-handedly, without the need for an accomplice. The hand cuffs would be the first trick that leads to their inability to fight for their lives. Makes perfect sense. I don't know why, but many avenues seem to lead back to the original idea that it was law enforcement or an impersonator. The roach clip was the killers ironic sense of humor being thrown in the face of investigators. The other weird thing is how the FBI seem to never want to do the DNA test. Do they not want to find out the truth? Is it someone high ranking? Just questions I have. So strange how this case, nor many of the others in Virginia are never solved. Something seems rotten.

Mama I have always believed Ralph Jackson is the Colonial Parkway Killer and also the Route 29 Stalker.
 
Mama I have always believed Ralph Jackson is the Colonial Parkway Killer and also the Route 29 Stalker.

But then I do not really know a lot because for my sins I also believe he killed JonBenet Ramsey.
 
Mama I have always believed Ralph Jackson is the Colonial Parkway Killer and also the Route 29 Stalker.
Ralph Jackson. There is a name I haven't heard in some time. Possible candidate. But after his confrontation with Christina Floyd, the 2nd person he attacked and failed to kill, I don't see him taking on Cathleen Thomas with another woman present.
 
Ralph Jackson. There is a name I haven't heard in some time. Possible candidate. But after his confrontation with Christina Floyd, the 2nd person he attacked and failed to kill, I don't see him taking on Cathleen Thomas with another woman present.

Thanks for replying to my post. I know he is a 'blast from the past' but I believe he is a Serial Killer. You might be right but I would say his last attack was a 'botched' one because he was getting older. When the attack took place in 2010 people in Virginia thought he might be the Colonial Parkway Killer. I am from the UK and found him slightly afterwards when searching for another killer. When I say 'botched' the 2010 attack was horrible and resulted in the loss of a young mans life.
 
JnRyan:

Law enforcement (FBI and Virginia State Police) have told the Colonial Parkway Murders that we have possible perpetrator DNA in 3 of the 4 crime scenes in the Colonial Parkway Murders. No word from FBI or Virginia State Police if they plan to run similar tests via the GEDMatch website as was done in the Golden State Killer case, but there may be hope:

DNA Data From 100 Crime Scenes Has Been Uploaded To A Genealogy Website — Just Like The Golden State Killer


Thanks.


Bill Thomas, Brother of Cathy Thomas, Colonial Parkway Murders
 
Here is another good article on next steps for DNA testing.

Bill Thomas, Brother of Cathy Thomas, Colonial Parkway Murders

WIRED: The Key to Cracking Cold Cases Might Be Genealogy Sites
https://t.co/DD2J6X8udQ
The Key to Cracking Cold Cases Might Be Genealogy Sites via @wired

#FBI
#VirginiaStatePolice #DNA #Parabon #ColonialParkwayMurders

Hello Bill
Just want to say I have prayed they will find your sister's murderer for years now and I stay hopeful that we can get answers for you and your family someday soon.

I have followed your case and the Colonial Parkway case since when Morgan Harrington went missing and I learned about your case. I will continue with my prayers for you.

You have my deepest respect for your continued mission.
 
Here is another good article on next steps for DNA testing.

Bill Thomas, Brother of Cathy Thomas, Colonial Parkway Murders

WIRED: The Key to Cracking Cold Cases Might Be Genealogy Sites
https://t.co/DD2J6X8udQ
The Key to Cracking Cold Cases Might Be Genealogy Sites via @wired

#FBI
#VirginiaStatePolice #DNA #Parabon #ColonialParkwayMurders

Bill,

I do not mean to wind you up as such but I always think of your sister as being much more intelligent than I am. Rightly or wrongly I believe I know who killed her. I believe these DNA techniques used by Paul Holes have accused an innocent person of being the Golden State Killer.
 

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