Executive Summary
- The FBI has identified Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. as the killer of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowski in 1986.
- Wilmer, who died in 2017, was linked to the crimes through newly available DNA analysis and forensic evidence.
- Authorities state Wilmer is connected to at least six other murders and disappearances in Virginia between 1986 and 1989.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed evidence would have supported federal prosecution if the suspect were alive.
The FBI Norfolk Field Office announced on Wednesday that investigators have identified the individual responsible for the 1986 murders of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowski, resolving a significant component of the long-standing Colonial Parkway murders investigation. According to federal authorities, new forensic evidence has conclusively linked Alan Wade Wilmer Sr., a Lancaster County resident who died in 2017, to the double homicide.
Thomas, 27, and Dowski, 21, were last seen together in October 1986. Their bodies were subsequently discovered inside their vehicle along Virginia’s Colonial Parkway. For decades, the case remained one of Virginia’s most perplexing cold cases. The FBI stated that breakthroughs in forensic science and DNA analysis—technologies unavailable at the time of the killings—were critical in identifying Wilmer as the perpetrator. Investigators also conducted a comprehensive review of evidence gathered over nearly 40 years.
According to the FBI, Wilmer has been linked to a series of at least six murders and disappearances involving young people in Virginia between 1986 and 1989. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia confirmed that the evidence developed during the investigation would have been sufficient to support a federal prosecution had Wilmer been alive today.
Dominique Evans, special agent in charge of the FBI Norfolk Field Office, commended the “tenacity and commitment to justice” displayed by the investigative team. Evans credited the resolution of the case to close collaboration between the FBI, Virginia State Police, Hampton Police Division, and the Suffolk Police Department. Additional forensic testing was funded through the Virginia Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.
While this development resolves the Thomas and Dowski murders, officials emphasized that the broader Colonial Parkway investigation continues regarding other unsolved cases connected to the series. The FBI affirmed that investigators remain actively committed to pursuing justice for all remaining victims.
Investigative Outlook
The resolution of the Thomas and Dowski murders highlights the transformative impact of modern DNA profiling on cold case investigations, allowing law enforcement to bridge decades-long evidentiary gaps. By leveraging genetic genealogy and advanced forensics, authorities can now identify perpetrators who have long evaded justice, even posthumously. However, the identification of Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. raises immediate questions regarding his potential involvement in other unsolved crimes in the region during the late 1980s. Law enforcement’s focus will likely shift to cross-referencing Wilmer’s movements and biological data against other open cases to determine the full extent of his criminal activity. It is important to note that while federal authorities have identified Wilmer as the perpetrator based on forensic evidence, he died before he could be formally charged or tried in a court of law, where the presumption of innocence applies.
