An Open Letter to the Virginia Secretary of Public Safety

October 28, 2010
The Honorable Marla Graff Decker
Secretary of Public Safety
Office of the Governor
1111 East Broad Street, 3rd Floor
Richmond, Virginia 23219

Dear Secretary Decker:

A dozen young men and women. All of them murdered between 1986 and 1996 on or near the Colonial Parkway and near Route 29 in the Shenandoah Valley. Countless family members were left in the wake of these murders wondering who did this to their beloved brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. However, the story of the "Colonial Parkway Murders" is nothing new to your office. The concern and calls for action have been clear in the letters and phone calls we have directed to your office.

In May of 2010, Governor McDonnell stated "My Secretary of Public Safety will contact each of the families [involved with the Colonial Parkway Murders] to provide updates on the status of their cases." In the weeks and months that followed, this statement was met with nothing but deafening silence.

No member of the Governor's office has made any effort to reach out to our families despite Governor McDonnell’s "commitment" to our families. Promises by Virginia State Police to "utilize the latest forensic tools and techniques" in an effort to identify the killer(s) have been unfulfilled with conflicting messages of progress being made to telling us that there is not enough "manpower and resources" to pursue the case. Our families have seen, firsthand, that tips and leads provided to State Police have gotten no response and received no action. All the while, the Federal Bureau of Investigation continues to put every available resource into the cases they possess and provide frequent updates to our families.

And now, there are reports that the recent murder of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington could be related to the Colonial Parkway murders. This is no longer just a case of closure for the families of victims killed more than two decades ago. This is a case of public safety for citizens across the Commonwealth.

Our message to you and the Governor is simple and is the same one you have heard over the past few months: please do something. Direct your Superintendent of State Police to make the investigation of these murders by Virginia State Police a priority. Encourage state authorities to meet with the FBI and local/county law enforcement to leverage resources. Direct the Virginia Department of Forensic Science to establish a subcommittee of the Forensic Science Board to concentrate on piecing together the forensic evidence, solving these cold cases, and finding a murderer after two and a half decades of senseless killings.

Our family members will continue to call, continue to write and continue to tell our story to anyone who will listen until someone in state government chooses to take the action that they promised.

Sincerely,

The Families of the Colonial Parkway Murder Victims

If you have any information concerning the Colonial Parkway murders or any of the victims, contact:

Virginia State Police at 757-424-6850

and/or

Federal Bureau of Investigation - Norfolk Branch
Special Agent in Charge
Alex J. Turner

150 Corporate Boulevard
Norfolk, VA 23502
Phone: (757) 455-0100
Fax: (757) 455-2647
E-mail: Norfolk_FO@ic.fbi.gov

NCIC Number:
M-871430466

$20,000 Reward

FBI Press Releases:

Cold Case Murders Seeking Information on Colonial Parkway Murders

FBI Norfolk Holds Press Conference About Colonial Parkway Murders

Colonial Parkway Murders

Rebecca Ann Dowski and Cathleen Marian Thomas

David Lee Knobling and Robin Edwards

Cassandra Lee Hailey and Richard Keith Call

Annamaria Phelps and Daniel Lauer

You can contribute to this cause at the address below:

Colonial Parkway Victims Fund
536 Rainbow Court #101
Newport News, VA 23608

Show Your Support on Facebook:

What happened to Richard "Keith" Call & Cassandra Hailey?

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Annamaria Phelps