SUFFOLK, Va. — DNA evidence has linked the man authorities believe is responsible for the infamous Colonial murders to a fourth homicide in the 1980s, Virginia State Police announced on Friday.
Troopers said Alan W. Wilmer Sr. killed Laurie Ann Powell in 1988. The 18-year-old woman was last seen alive on March 8 of that year, walking to a party along Hickory Fork Road toward Route 17 in rural Gloucester County. Her body was discovered on April 2 in the Elizabeth River. She had been stabbed multiple times.
Last year, the deceased Northern Neck resident was named the suspect in the murders of 14-year-old Robin Edwards and 20-year-old David Knobling in Isle of Wight in 1987, and Terri Howell in Hampton in 1989. Knobling and Edwards' deaths are part of what is commonly known as the Colonial Parkway Murders.
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Capt. Timothy Reibel, the commander of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Chesapeake field office, acknowledged that nothing can erase the families' pain.
"Today we find comfort knowing that the truth has come to light and that accountability has finally been achieved," Reibel said. "We hope this resolution brings a measure of peace to everyone who loved her and all the families still waiting for justice and unsolved cases."
Cindy Kirchner, who waited 37 years to learn who killed her sister, said on Friday that her family finally has answers.
"Being her sister for 18 years was a privilege," Kirchner said. "She filled her life and ours with more joy and love than some people find in a lifetime."
Kirchner remembered her sister as a "true firecracker" who was "bold, brave, spontaneous, full of life, witty, smart and beautifully herself."
"She spoke her mind, followed her heart and never apologized for being herself," Kirchner continued. "She wasn't afraid to take chances or make mistakes. She believed in living every moment as if it mattered, because to her, it did."
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Police said their investigation into Wilmer, who died in 2017 at the age of 63 in Lancaster County before being linked to the crimes, is not over.
"We are not ruling anything out when we examine other cases," Capt. Timothy Reibel, the commander of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Chesapeake field office, said. "Today's announcement also does not conclude our agency's investigative efforts to determine if Alan Wilmer St. was responsible for additional crimes."
Wilmer, who was known by the nickname "Pokey," drove a distinctive blue 1966 Dodge Fargo pickup truck with Virginia license plates EM-RAW. He had a large metal toolbox in the truck bed and typically carried clamming equipment.
The commercial fisherman, who lived on his custom-built, wooden boat called the Denny Wade, moved between marinas throughout the region, according to officials.
"He often lived on it during this period, and he would dock in marinas in Gloucester and Middlesex as well as Northern Neck and Hampton Roads," Reibel said.
Wilmer's 1976 custom-built wooden boat, named the Denny Wade, allowed him to travel waterways undetected. His victims were found near water, including Lori Ann Powell, whose body was discovered in the Elizabeth River.
Wilmer also operated Better Tree Services and belonged to local hunt clubs.
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Investigators said the breakthrough in the Powell case came through collaborative efforts between Virginia State Police, FBI, and Hampton Police Department, utilizing funding from the Virginia Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.
"What Lori Ann's case and other resolved cold cases demonstrates is that our agents and analysts continually and diligently investigate to seek justice," Reibel said.
Troopers urged anyone with information — no matter how seemingly insignificant — about the deceased serial killer's activities to come forward.
Reibel said that "any tip could be useful" in solving other cold cases and that investigators "will go where the evidence takes us."
"Even though Alan Wilmer Sr. is deceased, it is not too late to come forward," Virginia State Police Public Relations Director Robin Lawson said.
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Wilmer's family released the following statement:
"The Wilmer family continues to be deeply impacted by the revelations of Alan W. Wilmer, Sr.’s previous crimes. Learning that another crime has been connected to him is devastating. While this is a difficult time for us, our first thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends on the tragic loss of their loved one, Miss Powell. Thirty-seven years is far too long to not have answers, and we cannot begin to fathom what they have had to endure all this time. As a family we would like to commend the Virginia State Police on their endless diligence in resolving these crimes and continue to cooperate with them. We are asking for privacy at this time for all involved.”
Investigators urged anyone with information about the cases to come forward and send tips anonymously by emailing questions@vsp.virginia.gov.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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