One of the many scenic overpasses on the Colonial Parkway as it appears now. There are few access points to the park, especially after hours. Its isolation and lack of patrols by the NPS made it a perfect place for murder or to dispose of a vehicle/bodies.
The view north on the Colonial Parkway as it appears today, looking north from the pull-off where Cathy Thomas and Becky Thomas were discovered.
Cathy Thomas at the Naval Academy
Cathy in the US Navy – one of the first females to serve as Surface Warfare Officers.
Cathy Thomas in civilian life
One of the last photos of Cathy Thomas with her friend Deb Hill. As with everything in her life, her career as a stockbroker was a stunning success.
Becky Dowski near the time of her murder. A bright and driven young woman from upstate New York.
FBI photograph of Cathy’s car, barely visible having been pushed off the embankment. It is easy to see how the vehicle was overlooked for so long.
FBI photograph of the smashed back window of Cathy Thomas’s Honda Civic. The National Park Service Rangers thought the two women might be injured as a result of an accident.
Current day image of where Cathy Thomas’s car was discovered. There’s no hint of the horror that took place here...from the brutal murders to the attempts to burn then submerge her car.
Overlooking the beautiful York River, it is hard to imagine the drama that took place on or near the Colonial Parkway that night. The killers were there for a while, soaking the interior of the vehicle with diesel, trying to light it, then pushing the car over the embankment. Yet no one has come forward and said they saw them.
David Knobling during his time at the Frederick Military Academy.
Karl and Judy Knobling with David (the taller youth) and his brother Michael in 1977.
David Knobling at Christmas in 1986, a few month prior to his death.
One of the last photos of David Knobling. He had a young pregnant girlfriend and was just starting a new career.
Robin Edwards, a spitfire youngster who was more mature than her physical years.
Crime scene photograph of David Knobling’s coveted Ford pickup at Ragged Island. It was left with the door open, the keys turned to accessories, and the radio on. David never left his car unlocked...and with the rain that night, a rendezvous in the marshlands seems unlikely.
FBI photograph of David Knobling’s truck. David always backed his vehicle in, never left it unlocked, and it didn’t require the keys turned to accessories to play the radio...all signs that his vehicle was staged for theft – the calling card of the Colonial Parkway murderer.
FBI photo of Ragged Island. This image shows the James River Bridge and the roadway leading from the parking area to the river. The wooded isolation here is not dissimilar to that of the Colonial Parkway.
On the floor of David’s truck you can see the shoes of the victim. Their removal was part of the control that the murderer(s) exerted on the victims.
This crime scene photo shows Robin Edward’s shoe that she had doodled on, laying on the floor of David’s truck.
These crime scene photographs show the area where the remains of David Knobling and Robin Edwards were found three days after their disappearance.
These crime scene photographs show the area where the remains of David Knobling and Robin Edwards were found three days after their disappearance.
This recent image shows the only marker at Ragged Island, a gunshot sign. The refuge still has a reputation for being a place for a romantic spot and drug deals.
At Ragged Island (as it appears today) this is the end of the roadway leading from the parking lot to the river’s edge. Logically, this is the most easily accessible place at Ragged Island for the two young victims to have reached the water.
This contemporary photograph shows part of the boardwalk from the Ragged Island parking area to the beach area near where the bodies of David and Robin were found. This pathway has been rebuilt and moved, but in 1987 it was more isolated with even more tree and shrub growth along the sides. Were David and Robin marched down this walkway for a mile to the beach only to be killed there?
Richard Keith Call – Keith to his friends and family. A bright young man studying computer science at Christopher Newport.
Keith Call in High School.
Keith was programming on leading edge home computing technology for the 1988.
Cassandra Hailey, a hard-working student at Christopher Newport, Cassandra juggled multiple jobs, gymnastic classes, and many friends.
Cassandra Hailey – every bit the girl next door – 1980’s style.
Cassandra, aka Sandy and Missy was fun loving, vibrant, and energetic. Her date with Keith Call was their first and only one.
FBI aerial photograph of the pull-over spot where Keith Call’s car was found the day after their date. Its proximity to where Becky and Cathy were found a year earlier should have been a clue to the park rangers – but it was one they chose to ignore.
These contemporary photographs show the parking area where Keith’s car was discovered. His brother and several others saw it shortly after their disappearance and Keith’s father found it the following morning as well. The real question that lingers...were Keith and Cassandra ever on the Colonial Parkway that night, or was Keith’s car simply staged and abandoned there?
Keith’s red Toyota. A number of people saw this on the parkway after the party, including his brother Chris.
Annamaria Phelps came from a hard-working family in Amelia County, Virginia. She had moved to Virginia Beach with her boyfriend, Clinton Lauer and was struggling to get by but living the American dream.
Annamaria and her boyfriend’s brother Daniel Lauer came back home for a short visit and so that Daniel could pack to move in with them.
Daniel Lauer was from Amelia County, Virginia. He had some legal problems involving a marriage to an underage girl but was preparing to move on with his life.
Daniel’s plan was to move in with his brother Clinton and Clinton’s girlfriend, Annamaria Phelps. Their trip home on Labor Day weekend was only for a fewhours. On their return trip to Virginia Beach they encountered their killer(s).
A Virginia State Police photograph showing the isolated logging trail from the air when the bodies were discovered.
Annamaria Phelp’s locket as found on the logging trail. Was this a breadcrumb she had dropped, was it cut off during her struggle, or was it some sort of symbol that the killer left behind for investigators?
Daniel’s Chevy Nova. The vehicle should have been in the east bound rest area, but was found in the west bound area where the killer(s) had left it.
The interior of Daniel’s car. The killer taunted authorities by hanging his feathered roach clip on the half-opened driver’s side window.
The back seat of Daniel’s car, filled with his hastily packed personal belongings for his move to the beach.
A Virginia State Police photo of the rest area on I-64 where Daniel’s car was found abandoned.
A crime scene photograph showing the roadway leading back into the woods. The killer(s) drove Daniel and Annamaria back here in the darkness, killing them and covering their bodies in an electric blanket. Their bodies were found by hunters that came across the bodies weeks after they disappeared.
As it appears today from the road, this is the lonely trail leading back into the woods where the victims had been taken and killed.
The bodies of Annamaria and Daniel were found six weeks after they disappeared, just over a mile from where his car had been located. This crime scene photo shows tent erected over their remains as investigators work in the rain to recover every clue.
A crime scene photograph of some of the investigator at the recovery site. In the center of the image is Danny Plott, standing next to Dr. Marcella Fierro of the Virginia State Medical Examiner’s office.
Overlooking the beautiful York River, it is hard to imagine the drama that took place on or near the Colonial Parkway that night. The killers were there for a while, soaking the interior of the vehicle with diesel, trying to light it, then pushing the car over the embankment. Yet no one has come forward and said they saw them.
Fred Atwell clearly rekindled the efforts of law enforcement on the Colonial Parkway murders with his release of the crime scene photographs to the media. He went from gadfly on the case to suspect, then, as seen in these
Excellent read. Tragic, but important story and one not heard of before ( west coast reader).
Hope there is resolution
So very sad
I am almost finished with this book… after watching the Oxygen documentary special recently I became very intrigued and wanted more information. This book has been very informative and I learned things that were not covered by the documentary. I was pleased that the victims were truly brought to life and we were able to learn more about them… very well done!
Thank you for writing this book. The crimes were thoroughly covered — as much as is known — and each victim became a flesh-and-blood person with much to live for. I can only hope these murders, like other recent cases from decades back, can still be solved and the victims’ loved ones can get some answers (especially the Call and Hailey families, who don’t even have the remains).
I have followed these murders since they happened. I thought for sure they would’ve been solved by now. Why did it take so long before authorities were willing to admit there was a possible serial killer? It seems that the CSIs should be able to get touch DNA from articles of clothing, rope and other items the killer may have had contact with. Send that DNA to Parabon and get this case solved so the families can have some peace.