Remember the Victims. Find the Killer.

Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowski

The bodies of Rebecca Ann Dowski, 21 and Cathleen Marian Thomas, 27 were discovered On October 12, 1986, in the back seat of their car. They were found by a jogger. The Honda Civic had been pushed down an embankment of the York River, seven miles east of Williamsburg and about a mile from Cheatham Annex . An autopsy found rope burns on their necks and wrists, signs of strangulation, and their throats had been slashed. Their bodies had been doused with diesel fuel, and several matches were found outside the car. Their purses and money were found inside the car. Both women were found fully clothed and there was no evidence of sexual assault. Law enforcement officials believe that someone attempted to set the vehicle ablaze. Unable to start a fire, the killer then tried to push the car off the bluff into the York River.

Rebecca Ann Dowski was from Poughkeepsie, New York and was a senior business management major at the College of William and Mary. Cathleen Marian Thomas was a native of Lowell, Massachusetts, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and was employed as a stockbroker in Norfolk, VA. Some believe that Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowski were killed because they were lovers.

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

M-871430466

Colonial Parkway Murders

Rebecca Ann Dowski and Cathleen Marian Thomas

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