the Colonial parkway murders: 39 years

The Colonial Parkway Murders involve the brutal murders of 4 young couples who were killed in lover's lanes in and around beautiful Williamsburg, Virginia from 1986 to  1989.  The cases remain partially solved. Bill Thomas and Kristin Dilley, together with the families of the Colonial Parkway Murders victims remain committed to seeing justice done in this and related cases.

The Thomas/Dowski and Call/Hailey incidents 1 and 3 are handled by the FBI Norfolk/Newport News office,and Edwards/Knobling and Phelps Lauer incidents 2 and 4 are handled b y the Virginia State Police. (Photo: courtesy of The Virginian Pilot) 

Although the media dubbed them "Colonial Parkway Murders" years ago, only two of the cases happened in the 23 mile long Colonial Parkway National Park and two more double homicides happened outside the park.  It is about a 

30 minute drive from the center point of the Colonial Parkway to the 

Ragged Island site to the south and to the New Kent County site to the north. 

Bill Thomas and Kristin Dilley's advocacy has led to a national true crime television series, "Lovers Lane Murders" (Oxygen Network), as well as feature stories in the Washington Post, the Daily Press, HuffPo, Daily News, Medium, the Daily Beast, Norfolk Now, and Williamsburg Daily, extensive quotes in the New York Times , appearances on Access Hollywood, Doctor Oz, Fox News, Dateline NBC online, Public Radio's 1A, multiple live appearances at CrimeCon, and scores of other appearances on true crime podcasts.

Sunset along the York River on the Colonial Parkway. Families of the Colonial Parkway Murders victims have been waiting for answers for 39 years.

Bill Thomas is pictured here along the Colonial Parkway holding a photo of 

his sister, Cathy Thomas, United States Naval Academy Class of 1981. 

Cathy and her girlfriend Rebecca Dowski, a senior at William and Mary were the first victims in the unsolved Colonial Parkway Murders in October, 1986.