"In 1986, DNA was barely out of the lab and it wasnt really used commonly in law enforcement applications. Although there are suspects, the murders remain unsolved. He would have been 29 years old when he committed the lovers lane murders. In today's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the still-unsolved double homicide -- and whether this crime may one be solved. 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. But now, a team of former FBI agents aim to bring the monster to justice. The linking of the four crimes is circumstantial, and no suspects have ever been publicly identified. Sign up for Scary Mommy's daily newsletter for more stories from the trenches. There was no trace of Hailey or Call at the overlook. On August 22, 1990, Cheryl Henry and Andy Atkinson drove to "Lovers Lane" in a wooded area of Houston. Colonial Parkway Murders: Why Lovers' Lanes Inspire Urban Legends Thomas said that over the years, there have been moments where he was frustrated with the investigation of his sisters murder. 7 Disturbing Unsolved Mysteries In Texas - OnlyInYourState One such investigator was Detective Sgt. She was one of several family members to pursue the Navy. Investigating the terrible murders along lovers' lanes like this one in the beautiful Tuscan countryside, police uncovered a subculture that many Florentines found disturbing: these hills were. Lauer's gold 1972 Chevrolet Nova was found abandonedat the I-64 New Kent rest stop in New Kent County. The case eventually went cold. Both victims had been shot; Robin in the back of the head execution-style, and David twice, once in the head and once in the shoulder like he had been running from the killer. Weiss had been shot in the head, while Hajek had been stabbed seven times in her upper torso. ET. "Lovers' Lane Murders," Oxygen's new two-night special event airing February 11 . Cathy Thomas, a 27-year-old graduate of the Naval Academy, and Rebecca 'Becky' Dowski, a 21-year-old student at the College of William and Mary, were the first two known victims in the homicides that have been dubbed the Colonial Parkway murders. It was the first of several gruesome murders. This case, like the others, has gone unsolved, but all four double homicides remain active. They asked for the family's help in either proving or disproving that Gould was the man responsible and the family complied. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. So it wasnt like Cathy and Becky could live their lives in any kind of open fashion. Kalitzkes parents expected them home at a decent hour: she had school in the morning. Lovers' Lane Murders (TV Series 2021- ) - IMDb 10 Unsolved Lovers' Lane Murders - Listverse During a walk near the Sun River, they found 18-year-old Lloyd Duane Bogle, dead from a gunshot wound to the head. They were headed to Virginia Beach together, but they weren't a couple. Both double murders occurred on National Park property - the historic Colonial Parkway and the Shenandoah - which were connected by Interstate 64. 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. The forensic criminologist notes that Thomas and Dowski's murders the first in the series have 'earmarks of a victim-offender relationship. It was at a lover's lane in Benicia, CA in December of 1968 where the still-unknown Zodiac killer apparently murdered his first victims. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Investigators initially feared that Ms. Kalitzke had been kidnapped. Still, he cant help but wonder what might have been. The wallet had contained at least $20 in cash. 10 The First Murders Photo credit: Wild Blue Press About the Case Market data provided by Factset. 'That would give the offender the opportunity to actually get them out of the car, lean them against the car, maybe handcuff them. ', Still missing: Christopher Newport University students Richard CallLess, 20, (L) and Cassandra Hailey, 18, (R) vanished in April 1988 after attending a party together, Last: In September 1989, Daniel Lauer, 21, (L) and Annamaria Phelps, 18, (R) went missing on their way to Virginia Beach, but their bodies weren't found until a month late. Part 1 and 2 of Oxygen's 'Lovers Lane Murders' airs Thursday night. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 'Murder scenes have the sense of an aura.' Authorities initially believed they had gone swimming and drowned, but an extensive search of the river turned up no sign of them. "Im very optimistic," he said. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. [7], Both victims had been stabbed and their throats slit. Long stretches of the road are devoid of streetlamps or road lights and are extremely isolated, making it a popular lovers' lane location frequented by many young adults. Phelps had been dating Lauer's brother at the time they went missing. A woman's shoes and handbag were on the floorboard. From 1986 to 1989, four double homicides occurred either on or near the scenic, seemingly safe road. DOOMSDAY MOM LORI VALLOW IS AN EVIL MONSTER WHO OBSESSED OVER END OF TIMES BEFORE CHILDREN'S DEATHS: DOC. It features LA County Criminal Prosecutor Loni Coombs and former FBI Special Agent Maureen OConnell whoconductedinterviews with law enforcement and families, as well as tracked down new leads. ", "Was The Colonial Parkway Killer Pretending To Be Law Enforcement? The causes of death included strangulation, gunshot, and stabbings. The shocking lovers' lane murders in Virginia's Colonial Parkway have never been solved. [16], In 2010, the Daily Virginian-Pilot ran a photo essay on the case entitled "A Cold Case Heats Up: The Colonial Parkway Murders"[17], In 2011, author Michelle McNamara, author of I'll Be Gone in the Dark, on the Golden State Killer, later an HBO series, published a two-part exploration of the Colonial Parkway murders in her True Crime Diary. Scientists May Have Figured Out The Root Cause Of Gray Hair. In 2001, Cascade County Sheriffs Office detective Phil Matteson sent that slide to the Montana State Crime Lab. The note, which was undated and purportedly written by Phelps, indicated that she was to meet someone in a blue van at a rest stop. Both were partially undressed, but neither was sexually assaulted. By the next morning, they had disappeared. Two popular kids . The Oxford English Dictionary records use of . "It was such a big case," Cascade County. heading in the wrong direction, away from their destination, which confused police. America's 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have [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. Thomas's wallet was found open and face down on the floorboard of the driver's side, Horrific: Their bodies were found bound with rope inside the vehicle. Over the years, persons of interest came and went. 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. [citation needed]. Now you flash forward and as painful as the passage of time can be, we now have truly advanced DNA testing available. The Colonial Parkway is a 22-mile long thoroughfare that cuts through the Colonial National Historical Park and connects Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. Foul play is suspected. [28], On July 30, 2019, The Washington Post ran a story on the search for answers in the Colonial Parkway murders and other cases titled Victims, Families and America's Thirst for True-Crime Stories [29], On September 17, 2020, the publication Forensic Genomics published an article by family member Bill Thomas covering the Colonial Parkway murders entitled "The Family Perspective. Kate nails sporty chic in 600 Mountain Equipment jacket, 110 jeans and 175 walking Time flies! Compton worked for the same security company where Pettinger and Edwards' mother worked at the time of her murder. These areas range from parking lots in secluded rural areas to places with extraordinary views of a cityscape or other features. Three days later, the two bodies were discovered by Knobling's father and a search party along the water's edge of the James River. Detectives compared that sample to over 35 men, including gangster James Joseph Whitey Bulger Jr. Matteson retired believing Kalitzke and Bogles murderer would never be brought to justice. So she decided that the Navy wasnt the right place for her. It is unclear whether Annamaria and David pulled over and were killed at the rest stop or if they were killed elsewhere and the killer moved their car. The investigation involved painstaking research into a long-ago crime that had once generated national media attention. [2] The lesbian couple had been missing since the evening of October 9 after they had been seen leaving a computer lab at William & Mary College. Inside the back end there were two suitcases and a paper bag filled with clothes. He had also been thrown in the river alive, and then drowned. Naval Academy graduate and her girlfriend are . The Colonial Parkway murders were the murders of at least eight people along the Colonial Parkway in South-East Virginia between 1986 and 1989. She was wearing a purple pullover, cotton shirt with a white collar, purple and cream coloured pants, and a dungaree jacket. On Sunday morning, October 12, 1986, Columbus Day weekend, a pedestrian jogger saw a car down an embankment at the Cheatham Annex Overlook on the Colonial Parkway seven miles east of Williamsburg, Virginia and a mile from the Cheatham Annex Naval Base where it was obscured from the view of the road. Then in April 1988, Keith Call, 20, and Cassandra Hailey, 18, disappeared after a college party, The Virginian-Pilot reported. CNN After 65 years, a grisly double murder case of two teenagers in Great Falls, Montana, was solved with DNA evidence, according to investigators. It was a bittersweet revelation: They were grateful for answers, but for many of the older people in the family, it was a struggle to have those wounds reopened. Psychic Pam Coronado felt that the killings were all related but that the locations of the cars were not where the actual violence occurred. They used gamma-ray technology to locate six bullets and sent them to the FBI for analysis. Fly the flag in style: JO ELVIN's got red, white and blue Coronation style covered. A popular 16 year-old junior at Great Falls High School in 1956, shed fallen head-over-heels for a handsome young airman stationed at nearby Malmstrom Air Force Base, and they were already talking marriage. The cases are now the subject of a new four-part true-crime docu-series on Oxygen titled "Lovers Lane Murders." In most cases, those profiles can end up linking to distant relatives of the culprit say, a second or third cousin. They were both in top physical condition. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Anyone can read what you share. Naval Academy in 1981 as part of its second class to admit women. Weve got amazing investigators working on our case. Clue? Their murders remain unsolved. In 2014, retired Great Falls police Detective John Cameron wrote a book claiming Edward Wayne Edwards, a serial killer implicated in several murders similar to Kalitskes and Bogles, had done the deed. In April, Paul Martin, 16, and Betty Jo Booker, 15, were found murdered after a high school dance. Thats when we really started looking at what evidence we had, and if we could potentially do the same thing, Sergeant Kadner said. Knobling, who worked at his father's landscaping business, was expecting a baby with his longtime girlfriend. The Texarkana Moonlight Murders, a term coined by the contemporary press, was a series of four unsolved serial murders and related violent crimes committed in and around the Texarkana region of Arkansas and Texas in the late winter and spring of 1946. "Give them some closure.". ', Unsolved mystery: A team of experts delve into the Colonial Parkway murders in Virginia in the 1980s in Oxygen's two-night true-crime special Lovers' Lane Murders, Deep dive: Forensic criminologist Laura Pettler explains in a preview clip that her job is to 'take everything we know and we reconstruct the scene', The site: The Colonial Parkway in Virginia - a 23-mile stretch of road known as Lovers' Lane (pictured) - was the site of four double homicides in the 1980s, all of which remain unsolved. Margaret and Hall had been dating for four years and were engaged to be married. At the time, she was also thinking about going to grad school and possibly studying international relations. The following day, three boys hiking along the Sun River in Great Falls found Mr. Bogles body in an area that was known as a rendezvous spot for teenagers. With the help of partnering labs, forensic genealogists are able to use preserved samples to create a DNA profile of the culprit and then use that profile to search public databases for any potential matches. However, the car was. On June 1, their bodies were found at a remote campsite in the park about a quarter-mile from Skyline Drive off the Appalachian Trail. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a red bandana hanging from the rear-view mirror, and another loosely tied around the clutch. 11 unsolved murder cases with ties to the Houston area - Chron Mr. Gould had no known criminal history, and detectives do not know if he had any relationship with Ms. Kalitzke or Mr. Bogle. Since 1956, detectives have been looking to solve the Great Falls double murder of 16-year-old Patty Kalitzke and her boyfriend, 18-year-old Duane Bogle. The only thing found was Calls car on the parkway. "And it saddens me that Cathy Thomas would have been one of those women. We put Why I've ditched a lifetime of possessions and downsized at 70 for my children. LA County Criminal Prosecutor. Their hands were bound, their mouths were gagged, and their throats were slit. The ignition switch, radio and headlights on his car were on, and the car was in gear. Both were involved in a lesbian relationship and on May 19, 1996, the two young women went on a camping trip in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Meghan Markle's ex-BFF Jessica Mulroney visits the National Gallery and treats herself to a Who Were The Colonial Parkway Murder Victims? Rebeccas body was found in the backseat of the car, while Cathys was found stuffed into the hatchback. Their bodies have never been found, but both are presumed dead. [32] and "Was the Colonial Parkway Killer Pretending to be Law Enforcement? The FBI investigated whether Julianne and Laura's murders were related to the 1986 Colonial Parkway murders of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Ann Dowski. Knobling's black Ford Ranger pickup truck was discovered on Monday September 21, 1987, by a patrolling police officer at the refuge parking area next to the James River Bridge with the wipers, engine and radio still running and some articles of clothing inside near the Ragged Island Wildlife Management Area about two miles upriver from where their bodies would eventually be discovered. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. They had their answer on January 4th, when a county road worker found Kalitzkes body 7 miles north of the murder scene, at the bottom of a steep embankment on a lonely Cascade County highway. And Bode Technology gave him a name: Kenneth Gould. Julianne was found in her sleeping bag about forty feet away, down an embankment. Where was their daughter? The Houston, Texas Lovers' Lane Murders - Apple Podcasts ", NASHVILLE TV PRODUCER VERONICA BOZZAS MURDER EXPLORED IN TRUE CRIME DOC: THE WHOLE THING WAS SENSELESS, The James River as seen from College Creek Beach on the Colonial Parkway. "I look around now and there are all of these amazing women in the United States and around the world doing incredible things," said Thomas. We're essentially going backwards. Virginia's horrifying Colonial Parkway murders can still be solved Go outdoors: TV presenter Gethin Jones reveals the one lesson he's learned from life. Princess' abseiling trip to Wales with Prince William echoes a heartwarming childhood A new Coronation do? Pettinger also worked as a security guard and loss prevention officer for the same security services company where Colonial Parkway victim Robin Edwards' mother, Bonnie Edwards, worked as a receptionist at the time of Robin's murder.[9]. Her purse and Call's wallet were missing. Mr. Gould, who was 29 in 1956, lived just over a mile from Ms. Kalitzkes house and kept horses about 600 yards from the house where she had grown up, Sergeant Kadner said. Mr. Bogle was an airman from Waco, Texas, stationed nearby at Malmstrom Air Force Base. In 1991, the Virginian Pilot ran a three-part series on the Colonial Parkway murders by reporter Greg Schneider, who was permitted special access to FBI lead investigator Robert Meadows. Investigators have never been able to locate their bodies, but they're presumed dead. They had both been shot several times in the back of the head. The test results said Gould was the guy. Her death certificate stated unknown for date and place of injury. Kalitzkes parents had their answer: their daughter hadnt eloped. Houston Lover's Lane Murders: Who killed Cheryl Henry and Andy - Reddit Andy's body was discovered tied to a nearby tree. The outlet noted that there were no clear signs of robbery or rape for any of these cases. But when you put everything together, theres no doubt in my mind that hes the suspect.. But she left with great regret because she had hoped to have the kind of career that my dad had.". The crimes seemed motiveless. Sadly, to close the case, giving Kalitzke and Bogles families peace, Kadner had to confront the killers children. With the killer finally identified, Kadner was able to reach out to the victims' surviving relatives and deliver the closure that had taken more than 60 years to procure. "The families are determined to see this through. ", EMILIE MORRIS, THE FORMER STUDENT WHO DIED AFTER ACCUSING HER COACH OF ABUSE, BECOMES FOCUS OF TRUE-CRIME DOC. 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. At the time of her death, Cathy was dating Dowski, a student at the College of William and Mary. They didnt use that expression much back then, but that was the idea. When they didnt come home that night, their families assumed they had eloped, Sergeant Kadner said. The two victims were last seen on September 19, 1987, after the young couple had met at an arcade and Robin had snuck out later that night to meet up with David. Police later confirmed that it was the same clothing Richard and Cassandra wore the night they disappeared. Phelps' purse was found inside the car, once more ruling out robbery as a motive. 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. When she did not turn up for work on March 10 her stepfather reported her missing. His expensive camera had not been taken. But the next day, Jan. 4, 1956, a county road worker found her body off a gravel road about five miles north of Great Falls. or redistributed. Three pairs of victims were recovered, and another couple remains missing and presumed murdered. Hailey left her family's residence in Grafton, Virginia on April 9, 1988, when Call picked her up for their first date and they planned to spend the day together. The shocking lovers' lane murders in Virginia's Colonial Parkway have never been solved. The bodies of Richard Griffin, 29, and Polly Ann Moore, 17, were discovered the following morning. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. She added:'The fascination depends on the level of publicity.'. That sample had been preserved in an evidence vault for six decades. Cold Case Justice: DNA Solves Gruesome 1956 Lover's Lane Murder Both driver and passenger side doors were unlocked with the keys still in the ignition. Sixty years later, Patti Kalitzke and Lloyd Bogle had the justice they deserved. He had no criminal record and was never interviewed in connection with the crime in fact, theres no known connection between him and the couple. The James River as seen from College Creek Beach on the Colonial Parkway. ', The wound to Becky's neck is nowhere near the degree that the wound to Cathy's neck is. She had everything going for her. Kalitzke and Bogle went for a date at a drive-in movie on January 2nd, 1956, and were last spotted at 9 oclock. Lovers' Lane Murders: With Maureen O'Connell, Jim Clemente, Loni Coombs, Dan Matteucci. "[30], On January 15, 2021, the Oxygen Network announced that a four-part true crime series, Lovers Lane Murders would cover the Colonial Parkway murders. Authorities immediately linked the double-murder of Knobling and Edwards to the murders of Dowski and Thomas eleven months previously because although their deaths did not occur on the Colonial Parkway, police connected the cases due to the fact that both sets of victims were couples who had been killed at or around lovers' lane areas, and the two locations were only about a thirty minute drive apart. Kalitzke had definitely been raped, and that rapist had left a DNA sample. It was only three days into 1956 when three boys from Montana, out for a hike on a normal January day, made a gruesome discovery they were unlikely to ever forget. "[27], On April 25, 2019, The New York Times published a story on the use of DNA in the Golden State Killer case, the Colonial Parkway murders and other unsolved homicides titled Sooner or Later, Your Cousin's DNA is Going to Solve a Murder. Legal Statement. And it pains me to think that 34 years have gone by now. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. "[33], On February 9, 2021, Access Hollywood presented a television series about the Colonial Parkway murders. With the strange real estate heir Robert Durst - who has multiple ties to Houston. LA County Criminal Prosecutor Loni Coombs and former FBI Special Agent Maureen OConnell are seen here speaking with Bill Thomas. And remember, this was the 1980s. Newspaper clippings from the investigative file into the 1956 murders of Duane Bogle, 18, and Patricia Kalitzke, 16, in Great Falls, Mont. But their love story was brutally cut short by the actions of a killer whose identity would not be revealed for more than 60 years. The cause of death remains unknown, though forensics suggested that Phelps may have been stabbed. And Becky was also extremely athletic. In 2010, a note was discovered in a box taken years earlier from Annamaria Phelps's apartment. [25], On October 26, 2018, Dateline NBC released "Dateline Crime Capsule: The Colonial Parkway Murders" which offered a look into the history of the case. The autopsy showed that Pettinger had blunt force blows to the back of the head. First he digitized the entire case file, which took months. However, the string of murders that followed their deaths made them wonder whether a serial killer was involved. Three days later, the bodies of Knobling and Robin Edwards, 14, washed ashore on the James River at the Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge. "They're excited, but at the same time, it has brought up a lot of memories," Kadner said. They were last seen attending a party in the University Square area in Newport News, Virginia at 1:30 a.m. on April 10. Its like it just happened yesterday, Ms. McCarthy said. 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. John M. Butler, an expert on forensic genetics at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, said while he was not aware of any group that officially tracks cold cases, Certainly, 1956 is the oldest that I have heard about up to this point.. On May 31, their families reported them missing. Their murders remain unsolved today. The first two known victims were United States Naval Academy Class of 1981 graduate Cathleen Marian Cathy Thomas, 27, and College of William & Mary senior Rebecca Ann Becky Dowski, 21, majoring in business management and working as a stockbroker at the time of the murder. He called it "a reverse family tree. He was immediately met with the daunting task of digitizing the expansive case file, an endeavor that took months. Her father established a reward fund for any tips that would lead to his daughters killer, and contributions quickly mounted to more than five hundred dollars. On August 17, 1984, Mike and Donna told their respective families they planned to go on a camping trip together. Despite her drive and determination, Cathy left the Navy just before her death. "[24], On July 23, 2018. Kadner sent the rapists DNA to Bode Technology in 2019. hide caption. The teenagers were last seen at Petes Drive-In restaurant in Great Falls, just after 9 p.m. on Jan. 2, 1956. "I hope people will understand that the loss that weve suffered has not prevented us as families from continuing to focus on seeing some degree of justice done," Thomas, who serves as one of the shows producers, told Fox News. Murdered on Lovers' Lane Hunt A Killer [1] In each incident, a young couple sitting in a vehicle was targeted and both were killed. On April 10, 1988,Christopher Newport University students Richard CallLess, 20, andCassandra Hailey, 18, vanished after attending a party together in Newport News. "But she was undaunted. The series made its debut on February 1112, 2021. Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com. The lead investigator in the case believed that Pettinger had likely been hog-tied. All of the victims were young, White, and were either a romantic couple or could resemble one to an outsider. It was their first date together, and Hall's first date since he broke up with his girlfriend of nearly four years. Knobling had taken Edwards out with his younger brother and cousin that day. And a lot of fantastic work has gone into the Colonial Parkway murders. (Photo by Scott Neville/ For The Washington Post via Getty Images), Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for February 11, 'Fatal Attraction' behind the scenes secrets from the 1980s thriller, King Charles coronation intimate guest list includes notable snubs, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry 'disloyal' for 'trashing royal family,' need to 'find their own identity': ex pal, Katy Perry says she and fianc Orlando Bloom 'continuously put in the work to keep their relationship strong, Prince William will honor King Charles in his coronation role, Willie Nelson at 90: Texas legend shares a birthday to remember with George Strait, Snoop Dogg, and others. She was brilliant, beautiful and well-educated, but she was also thoughtful, modest and a deep thinker. Mr. Goulds children, three of whom submitted DNA samples, were all surprised to be told that their father was being investigated in connection with a double homicide in 1956, Sergeant Kadner said. The series was published again by the paper in 2010. From the Texas Killing Fields to the Lover's Lane Murders, Houston has some disturbing unsolved homicides.