(NORFOLK, Va.) — A man suspected of killing at least three other people has now been identified as the suspect in a teenager’s 1988 cold case murder, Virginia authorities announced.
Laurie Ann Powell, 18, was last seen alive on March 8, 1988, walking along a road in Gloucester County, which is about 60 miles east of Richmond, Virginia State Police spokesperson Robin Lawson said at a news conference on Friday.
Powell’s body was found on April 2, 1988, in the Elizabeth River near Craney Island, which is just off of Norfolk, Lawson said. She had been stabbed multiple times, Lawson said.
Alan Wilmer Sr. — who died at his Virginia home in December 2017 at the age of 63 — has now been linked to Powell’s case via DNA, and if he was alive today, he would be charged with her murder, authorities announced.
Last year, investigators determined Wilmer was also the suspect in three other murders: David Knobling and Robin Edwards from 1987 and Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell from 1989, officials said.
The murders of Knobling and Edwards were from “a series of double murders collectively known as the Colonial Parkway murders,” Lawson said.
Investigators are now looking into if Wilmer is suspected of committing additional crimes, she said.
“We are still seeking the public’s help through our continued efforts to seek justice for the victims of these and other unsolved crimes,” Lawson said.
“Any tip could be useful in solving other cold cases,” Virginia State Police Capt. Timothy Reibel added.
Powell’s sister, Cindy Kirchner, spoke at the news conference about the 18-year-old’s short life, saying, “She didn’t wait for life to happen — she made it happen.”
“She was bold, brave, spontaneous, full of life, witty, smart and beautifully herself. A true firecracker,” Kirchner said. “She spoke her mind, followed her heart and never apologized for being herself.”
“After 37 years of heartbreak and unanswered questions, our family has finally received the long-awaited news that the murder of our beloved daughter, sister, Laurie Ann, has been solved,” Kirchner said, overcome with emotion. “While nothing can erase the pain of losing Laurie Ann, today we find comfort knowing that the truth has come to light.”
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