2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. [3] There were 150 partial latent prints found on and in the car, in addition to full prints but they matched to no one in the records, however. We're starting with a distant relative and trying to work back toward our unknown sample.". "It's really fantastic technology and it's going to solve a lot of cold cases," Singer said. It was the first high-profile case to be cracked with genetic genealogy. I wasnt sure how they were going to react when I come to them saying, Hey your dads a suspect in this case, but they were great to work with, he said. High school classmates David Faraday and Betty Lou Jenson had stopped on Lake Herman Road, a popular spot for "parking" at the time. After the killings, he left the area and was seen living in two other Montana towns before moving to Alton, Mo., in 1967. [1] In each incident, a young couple sitting in a vehicle was targeted and both were killed. Now you flash forward and as painful as the passage of time can be, we now have truly advanced DNA testing available. Becky's wound isn't as deep as Cathy's wound. Gruesome: Thomas and Dowskihad been strangled and their throats were slashed, though there was no evidence of sexual assault, Crime scene: Pettler questioned if the women knew their killer, noting that Thomas's throat wound was far more severe than Dowski's. In this case, "Our genealogists, what they're going to do is independently build a family tree from this cousin's profile," Andrew Singer, an executive with Bode Technology, told NPR. Both had Demerol, a narcotic sedative in their systems. The canvas top of the jeep had been rolled up and pinned back even though it had rained over the weekend. Clippings from the Great Falls Tribune were part of the Cascade County Sheriff's Office investigative file into the 1956 murders of Patricia Kalitzke and Lloyd Duane Bogle. During Kalitzke's autopsy in 1956, coroners had taken a vaginal swab, which had been preserved on a microscopic slide in the years since, according to the Great Falls Tribune report. Over the next half century, detectives investigated about 35 potential suspects, including James (Whitey) Bulger, the notorious South Boston mobster who was convicted in 2013 of participating in 11 murders. [15] Former WTKR investigative reporter Mike Mather found that much of the evidence, stored for over two decades, had yet to be tested for DNA and other trace evidence. Both driver and passenger side doors were unlocked with the keys still in the ignition. How to look regal by the experts the royals rely on:Tinned mackerel for youthful skin, walking through a Want better sleep? hide caption. Dowski, 21, was found in the backseat of the car while Cathy, 27, was stuffed into the hatchback. The Colonial Parkway murders were the murders of at least eight people along the Colonial Parkway in South-East Virginia between 1986 and 1989. The victims were. Crime: Eight people were murdered at the Colonial Parkway over a four-year span, starting with the slaying of Cathy Thomas, 27, (L) and Rebecca 'Becky' Dowski, 21, (R) in October 1986, Loss Thomas and Dowski had been dating for several months and went missing on October 9, 1986, after they were seen leaving the College of William and Mary computer lab together, Murder: Thomas's white 1980 Honda Civic, had been pushed down an embankment off of the Colonial Parkway in Williamsburg. They constructed a reverse family tree from a cousins profile. Police dogs tracked the two students scent to the York River shoreline. Remember, this was over 30 years ago in Virginia, which is a very conservative, military area. First he digitized the entire case file, which took months. "Cathy was somebody that could more than hold her own in any situation," he said. And Becky was also extremely athletic. Ski and Lloyd waited sixty years for justice: a time they could have spent building a whole lifetime together. Thomas said Cathy was "very upbeat and excited." Traci Rosenbaum/USA Today Network via Reuters Co. Kalitzkes parents had their answer: their daughter hadnt eloped. They were never seen alive again. The investigation involved painstaking research into a long-ago crime that had once generated national media attention. Lovers' Lane Murders - NBC.com There were two pairs of underwear, shoes, and Knobling's wallet were found in the car, which ruled robbery out as a probable motive. They had also been shot to death. We put Why I've ditched a lifetime of possessions and downsized at 70 for my children. The only thing found was Calls car on the parkway. Three days later, the bodies of Knobling and Robin Edwards, 14, washed ashore on the James River at the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge. He would have been 29 years old when he committed the lovers lane murders. ", 16 things to know about the brutal 1984 murder of a West End couple, People sharing tips about 1984 murder of young couple in West End woods. "In 1986, DNA was barely out of the lab and it wasnt really used commonly in law enforcement applications. DOOMSDAY MOM LORI VALLOW IS AN EVIL MONSTER WHO OBSESSED OVER END OF TIMES BEFORE CHILDREN'S DEATHS: DOC. Thats when we really started looking at what evidence we had, and if we could potentially do the same thing, Sergeant Kadner said. Adventure Princess! Although there are suspects, the murders remain unsolved. [6], Three days later, a retired dentist who was walking his dog in the woods behind Kings Crossing Apartments located behind Castille Court discovered Mikes Jeep backed into a depression off the trail with the passenger door open, keys in the ignition, and ashtray open. Fortunately, Kadner had something to work with. Actor Steve Altes portrayed the killer. A few hours later, police located both their abandoned car and their bodies, brutalized and discarded near the local lovers' lane. Colonial Parkway Murders: Why Lovers' Lanes Inspire Urban Legends For decades, the Cascade County Sheriff's Office continued to work on it, with multiple detectives attempting to make progress over the years. [31], On February 4, 2021, in advance of their Lover's Lane Murders television series, the Oxygen Network released a series of videos including "Why Would Law Enforcement Not Release All Records On a Case Like the Colonial Parkway Murders? Lauer's car, a gold 1972 Chevrolet Nova, was soon found abandoned at the Interstate 64 New Kent rest stop in New Kent County and it was discovered to have been facing the wrong direction, away from their intended Virginia Beach destination. Lovers' lane - Wikipedia The next morning, three boys hiking by Sun River found Bogles body near his car on lovers lane. But no one was ever charged, and the case went cold. However, the car was. Lauer's gold 1972 Chevrolet Nova was found abandonedat the I-64 New Kent rest stop in New Kent County. We're essentially going backwards. And in these 34 years, she would have done amazing things.". Why Urban Legends Surround Lovers' Lanes In 1986, a 23-mile scenic road run by the National Park Service in Virginia became indelibly linked with a series of double homicides that came to be called the Colonial Parkway murders. Bogle, an airman hailing from Texas, and Kalitzke, a junior at Great Falls High School, had fallen for each other and were even considering marriage, the Tribune reports. He was forced to kneel in the dirt next to his car, then shot, execution-style, in the back of the head. After forensic genealogy was used to finally nab the Golden State Killer the year prior, law enforcement officials were becoming increasingly aware of the potential to use that technology to solve cold cases even decades-old cases like Kalitzke and Bogle's. 'Lovers lanes they are places that killers target. ", JONBENET RAMSEYS HALF BROTHER STILL WANTS TO FIND HER KILLER: THIS CASE CAN BE SOLVED, Part 1 and 2 of Oxygen's 'Lovers Lane Murders' airs Thursday night. Mr. Bulger, who died in 2018, had lived in Great Falls in the 1950s and had been arrested in a rape there in 1951, Sergeant Kadner said. Over the years, persons of interest came and went. [But] we certainly were worried about harassment. There was no trace of Hailey or Call at the overlook. Laurie Ann Powell Compton, 18, a Gloucester High School graduate, went missing on Tuesday March 8, 1988, after having an argument with her boyfriend which ended with Laurie getting out of his car. The brutal crimes claimed the lives of eight young people, including one couple who've never been found. When Detective Sgt. Meghan Markle's ex-BFF Jessica Mulroney visits the National Gallery and treats herself to a Who Were The Colonial Parkway Murder Victims? Watch S1 E1 Home Watch News Latest Episodes 43:49 S1 - E4 A Portrait Of Evil 43:49 S1 - E3 The bodies of Julianne Marie Julie Williams, 24, and Laura Salisbury Lollie Winans, 26, were found by Park Rangers at the Shenandoah National Park on June 1, 1996, after Lollies golden retriever dog - Taj - was located wandering near the Whiteoak Canyon Trail and turned over to Rangers. Mr. Gould died in 2007 at age 79 in Oregon County, Mo. And it was not for lack of trying: Early on in the case, investigators followed numerous leads, but none of them panned out. "New Investigator Looking into the Colonial Parkway Murders", "Part 1 | Agent stalks dark path of serial killer", "Part 2 | Serial Killer's Trademark: Colonial Parkway Murders", "Part 3 | Scores of suspects but no serial killer", "Sensitive FBI photos from Colonial Parkway murders leaked to the public", "FBI takes new approach in hunt for Colonial Parkway killer", "A cold case heats up: The Colonial Parkway murders", "The Colonial Parkway Murders | Dark Minds", "After 30 years, relatives of victims in Parkway Murders hope for break in cases", "Colonial Parkway Murders: Help Find a Killer", "10 Disturbing Facts About The Colonial Parkway Murders", "Authorities have 'potential perpetrator DNA' in Colonial Parkway murders, family says", "Dateline Crime Capsule: The Colonial Parkway Murders", "Former deputy's death leaves Parkway victims' families wondering what he knew", "Sooner or Later Your Cousin's DNA Is Going to Solve a Murder", "Victims, Families and America's Thirst for True-Crime Stories", "Lovers' Lane Murders Sets Out to Solve the Infamous Colonial Parkway Murders", "Why Would Law Enforcement Not Release All Records On A Case Like The Colonial Parkway Murders? But the results of Kalitzkes vaginal swab had been well-preserved on a microscopic slide. The Harris County Sheriff's Department linked the murders to another unsolved rape and burglary that was committed a few months before the Lover's Lane murders, but the case still remains unsolved. Each had been shot in the head. When she did not turn up for work on March 10 her stepfather reported her missing. The crimes seemed motiveless. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Lovers' Lane was the scene of four brutal double murders between 1986 and 1990. Lovers' Lane Murders | Apple TV Ms. Kalitzke was a junior at Great Falls High School. "[33], On February 9, 2021, Access Hollywood presented a television series about the Colonial Parkway murders. ", "Was The Colonial Parkway Killer Pretending To Be Law Enforcement? The Oxford English Dictionary records use of . The office identified Kenneth Gould, a horse trainer who died in 2007, as the likely suspect who had shot and killed Mr. Bogle, 18, and Ms. Kalitzke, 16, more than 65 years ago. 10 Unsolved Lovers' Lane Murders - Listverse Knobling had taken Edwards out with his younger brother and cousin that day. [4] While the Virginia State Police claim the information in this note was previously examined, one of the state police investigators working during the 1989 PhelpsLauer murders told a television reporter from WAVY-TV that he was "unaware of the existence of the note".[5]. CallLess's wallet and Hailey's purse were found inside the car along with most of their clothing. And its still certainly a possibility. The killer drove his victims vehicles away from the murder sites. Cameron's book alleged that Edwards had also killed JonBenet Ramsey and Jimmy Hoffa. A 1956 double murder case has been solved by investigators using - CNN [20], On October 8, 2016, the Richmond Times Dispatch ran an in-depth article on the 30th anniversary of the Colonial Parkway murders case: After 30 Years, Relatives in Parkway Murders Hope for a Break in Cases[21], On October 8, 2016, the Virginian-Pilot published in-depth story, "The Killer Could Still be Out There: 30 Years Later, Still No Answers in the Colonial Parkway Murders"[22], On May 4, 2018, the Colonial Parkway murders were covered in featured panel discussion at the annual "CrimeCon" true crime convention in Nashville. A long sixty years after the sweet couples senseless killing and vibrant Kalitzkes brutal rape, the Great Falls Sheriffs Department has finally found their guy. She was last seen by him at 23:30 p.m. walking on the dark and deserted Route 614 towards Route 17 in the White Marsh area in Portsmouth, Virginia in Gloucester County. The Houston, Texas Lovers' Lane Murders - Apple Podcasts All rights reserved. He said extremely graphic crime scene photos were leaked to the public, fueling the familys anguish. Known as the "Lover's Lane Murders", the brutal killing of 22-year-old Cheryl Henry and 21-year-old Andy Atkinson in August 1990 shocked the Houston, Texas area and is considered one of Houston's most brutal slayings. Investigators initially feared that Ms. Kalitzke had been kidnapped. Entertainment Television presented a full-length documentary, THS Investigates Serial Killers on the Loose, which features a segment on the Colonial Parkway murders. Armed with this knowledge, Kadner in 2019 sought out the assistance of Bode Technology. [23], On June 25, 2018, editors at Listverse released a new article, "Ten Disturbing Facts About the Colonial Parkway Murders.