Between 1986 and 1987, two young couples vanished or were found murdered along one of Virginia’s most scenic and historic roadways. What initially appeared to be isolated tragedies would later become the opening chapter of one of the most chilling and enduring unsolved serial murder cases in American history.
In Part One, we examine the first two confirmed crime scenes connected to the Colonial Parkway Murders — cases that set a disturbing pattern investigators are still trying to understand decades later.
Case One: Cathy Thomas & Rebecca Dowski (1986)
Cathy Thomas and Rebecca Dowski were a young couple spending a night together near the Colonial Parkway. When they failed to return home, concern quickly turned into fear. Their car and bodies were eventually found.
Case Two: David Knobling & Robin Edwards (1987)
Less than a year later, David Knobling and Robin Edwards disappeared after an evening together near the James River. Their car was found parked near the water, keys still inside. What followed was a discovery that would escalate fear across the region — both had been brutally murdered, shot at close range.
The similarities between the two cases were impossible to ignore. Couples. Secluded locations. A killer who appeared calm, deliberate, and confident.
In This Episode
- The early timeline of the Colonial Parkway Murders
- Detailed breakdowns of the first two crime scenes
- Behavioral patterns emerging from the earliest attacks
- Initial law enforcement theories — and early missteps
These cases would mark the beginning of a terror that stretched over years, jurisdictions, and generations of unanswered questions.
In Part Two, we’ll examine the next murders attributed to the Colonial Parkway killer — and how the case began to unravel under mounting pressure, conflicting theories, and devastating loss.
Resources
A Special Kind of Evil: The Colonial Parkway Killings by Blaine Pardoe and Victoria Hester
Lovers Lane: The Colonial Parkway Murders by Matt Stokes
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Feb 12 202624 mins