Colonial Parkway Murders Part 1 w/ Bill Thomas

Who Killed...?

With the news of a break in the Colonial Parkway Murders, I wanted to re-release an interview I conducted with Bill Thomas, brother of victim Cathy Thomas, where we discussed the case, which was at a standstill in 2019. Some essential facts about the Colonial Parkway are if you have never had the pleasure of driving it or experiencing it on a class trip.

According to the National Park Service https://www.nps.gov/colo/parkway.htm

• The Colonial Parkway is a twenty-three mile scenic roadway stretching from the York River at Yorktown to the James River at Jamestown.
• The road does it best to remind drivers of days past as the parkway does not allow semi trucks and is toll-free.
• As you meander though the parkway you are graced with beautiful views of the James and York rivers that run along the parkway.
• According to Triple A "redbuds and dogwoods decorate the roadway in spring, while fall brings an explosion of autumn colors”
• From an article in the Daily Press in 1990, the parkway is no place to be after dark ”At night, the mood changes. The trees form a tunnel of blackness, broken only if the moon is shining. There are no streetlights, no call boxes and no fast-food restaurants or convenience stores where a driver might find refuge in case of a breakdown”.
• The parkway is under the rangers' jurisdiction because it is federal land owned by the National Park Service
• When a serious crime is committed, the York County Sheriff's Department, the Williamsburg or James City police departments are called to assist, Neprash said.
• The parkway is federal land, the FBI may also become involved in investigations.
• Crimemuseum.org says, "police have questioned 150 suspects in connection to these four cases, but all have been cleared.
• The police attribute these eight murders to the same killer because of similarities in each case.
• All of the victims were killed at or near their car, the first three being found at known lover’s lane areas.
• None of the victims were robbed, and sexual assault did not appear to be a motive in any of the cases.
• The first and third murders were mere miles apart, and the second and fourth were committed about a half hour away from the Parkway.
• In 2018, the Facebook page Colonial Parkway Murders, which is run by Cathy’s brother Bill Thomas, and today's guest revealed that DNA had been found at 3 of the 4 crime scenes which could potentially conclusively link the cases and lead to an arrest. Hair that had been found in Cathy’s hand and a biological sample found on Robin have never been tested
• The First couple to fall victim Cathy Thomas and Rebecca Dowski

Cathleen Thomas, 27, Class of 1981 graduate United States Naval Academy and College of William & Mary senior Rebecca Ann Dowski, 21. On October 12, 1986, Columbus Day weekend, their bodies were found inside Thomas' white 1980 Honda Civic at the Cheatham Annex Overlook

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