SUFFOLK, Va. – Today, Jan. 8, 2024, the City of Hampton Police Division, City of Hampton Commonwealth’s Attorney, Isle of Wight County Commonwealth’s Attorney, Virginia State Police and FBI Norfolk Field Office announced a significant breakthrough in three unsolved homicides that occurred in the late 1980s in Isle of Wight County and the City of Hampton. In addition to resolving the 1987 Isle of Wight County murders of David L. Knobling, 20, and Robin M. Edwards, 14, DNA evidence also confirms the same suspect was responsible for the 1989 murder of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, 29, in the City of Hampton.
The suspect, Alan W. Wilmer Sr. died in December 2017 in Lancaster County, Va., at the age of 63. Both the Isle of Wight County and City of Hampton Commonwealth’s Attorneys confirm that if not for Wilmer’s death, charges would be filed against him in connection with the three homicides.
Wilmer had no felonies on his criminal record, so his DNA had never been obtained until it was necessary for identification purposes following his death. The Virginia Department of Forensic Science in 2023 issued a “Certificate of Analysis” confirming a genetic match to Wilmer based on evidence collected from the Isle of Wight County and City of Hampton homicide victims.
“I want to thank the Edwards, Knobling and Howell families for their patience and understanding over the years,” said Lt. Col. Tim Lyon, Director of the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. “Only those who have suffered the loss of a child in this way can truly understand the depth of their sorrow; and the frustration over not knowing who was responsible for taking their loved one’s life in such a violent and cruel way. I do hope the identification of the killer brings some sense of closure and peace for them. Moving forward, we continue our work to ensure other families have their day, too, and a chance at closure and justice.”
“I would like to thank the FBI and the Virginia State Police for their partnership as we resolve this 34-year- old case,” said City of Hampton Police Chief Jimmie Wideman. “I commend the dedicated and coordinated work of each investigator involved, past and present, who worked diligently to bring closure the Howell family. This truly was a collaborative effort and underscores the effectiveness of teamwork, shared resources, and a unified commitment to justice.”
“As investigators look toward solving other crimes the suspect may have committed, we’re asking the public to come forward and share information about any encounters they may have had with him,” said FBI Norfolk Special Agent in Charge Brian Dugan. “We recognize relationships and loyalties change over time, as do people and their perspectives. There are occasions where people who may have had knowledge of an incident didn’t feel comfortable coming forward with that information in the past, but we want them to know it’s not too late for them to step forward.”
Wilmer was 5’5 in height, muscular and weighed approximately 165 pounds. He had sandy-brown hair, blue eyes and would sport a close-cropped beard. Wilmer drove a distinctive, blue 1966 Dodge Fargo pickup truck with the Virginia license plate “EM-RAW.” The Dodge was just one of several pickup trucks Wilmer was known to drive in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Wilmer also had a small commercial fishing boat, named the Denni Wade. It was a 1976 custom-built, wooden boat. He would dock at marinas in the counties of Gloucester and Middlesex, and around the Northern Neck. His trade during the 1980s was as a fisherman, farming mainly clams and oysters. He also ran a business called Better Tree Service. He was an avid hunter and belonged to at least one hunt club located in the Middle Peninsula region.
Anyone who may have worked with Alan W. Wilmer Sr. or 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 contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip online at www.tips.fbi.gov. Anyone with information can also reach out to the Virginia State Police by email at questions@vsp.virginia.gov or the Peninsula Crime Line. Anonymous tips are welcome.
1987 Isle of Wight County Case Background
Knobling, 20, and Edwards, 14, were found shot to death on Sept. 23, 1987, along the shoreline of the Ragged Island Wildlife Management and Refuge Area on the south bank of the James River in Isle of Wight County. Edwards had been sexually assaulted. The two were last seen alive together the night of Sept. 19, 1987. The next day, Sept. 20, 1987, Knobling’s pickup truck was found abandoned in the Ragged Island parking lot. Over time, the Isle of Wight County double homicide became known as one of four separate double homicides that spanned from 1986 through 1989 and were coined the “Colonial Parkway Murders.”
1989 City of Hampton Case Background
Howell was last seen alive on July 1, 1989, at approximately 2:30 a.m. in the City of Hampton outside of the Zodiac Club at 207 E. Mercury Boulevard. Later that same day, at approximately 10:10 a.m., a construction crew working in the 500 block of Butler Farm Road discovered women’s clothing near their work site. An unidentified woman was found dead shortly afterwards in the nearby wood line. On July 4, 1989, a missing person report was filed in York County, leading to the identification of the female victim as Teresa Lynn Howell, 29, of Hampton, Va. Howell had been sexually assaulted and died as a result of strangulation. (The Zodiac Club is no longer in existence today.)
