Alan Wade Wilmer

…There is a workaround, but it's much slower. Individual police departments can request Wilmer's DNA to test against specific cold cases that fit his profile. Since summer 2024, they've been doing that. So there is hope that this chance find can lead to even more closure. At least in cases where there's DNA involved. As you'll recall, not every crime scene h…

…The most they can say is that it's, quote, resolved, and that if Wilmer were alive, he'd be arrested and facing murder charges. In fact, the Virginia Department of Forensic Science issued a formal certificate of analysis saying as much. And don't get me wrong, this is incredible resolution for the Edwards, Nobling, and Howell families. After 35 years, they…

…He stayed under the radar, which is what eventually linked him to the crimes, but it's also what makes this case more complicated. You see, Wilmer was never charged with a felony in his lifetime, which is why his DNA couldn't be tested sooner. And in America, dead people can't be charged with crimes posthumously. So technically, the police can't close the c…