Janice Morgan

In all the Colonial Parkway cases so far, wallets and glove boxes were found open, as if the victims had been reaching for driver's licenses or registrations. All of the attacks happened at night in secluded areas, involving young people who appeared to be couples, with most of the cars found near water.

In all the Colonial Parkway cases so far, wallets and glove boxes were found open, as if the victims had been reaching for driver's licenses or registrations. All of the attacks happened at night in secluded areas, involving young people who appeared to be couples, with most of the cars found near water.

Now, double homicides are rare, and three, potentially four, in just three years, all within the same 30-mile radius, off the same stretch of road, well, that's even rarer. That said, there's no clear motive, and no concrete M.O., Some believed they were dealing with a murderer who evolved, changing his methods each time he killed. But for others, things just didn't add up.

Now, double homicides are rare, and three, potentially four, in just three years, all within the same 30-mile radius, off the same stretch of road, well, that's even rarer. That said, there's no clear motive, and no concrete M.O., Some believed they were dealing with a murderer who evolved, changing his methods each time he killed. But for others, things just didn't add up.

The cases were similar, yes, but could they be linked conclusively? And then, just like that, the killings stopped. Years passed. The Parkway communities regained a sense of peace, and the pressure on authorities to find the killer lessened. But people still needed answers, especially the victims' families.

The cases were similar, yes, but could they be linked conclusively? And then, just like that, the killings stopped. Years passed. The Parkway communities regained a sense of peace, and the pressure on authorities to find the killer lessened. But people still needed answers, especially the victims' families.

For the next 12 years, investigators tried to bring them closure, but there just weren't any more leads. The case got a new look in 2001, when an FBI trainee named Steve Spingola dove into the Bureau's stack of cold cases. Pouring over the files, he came across the Colonial Parkway murders.

For the next 12 years, investigators tried to bring them closure, but there just weren't any more leads. The case got a new look in 2001, when an FBI trainee named Steve Spingola dove into the Bureau's stack of cold cases. Pouring over the files, he came across the Colonial Parkway murders.

At this point, the public was long convinced that the double homicides were all the work of the same serial killer. But Spingola wasn't so sure. He wondered if the serial killer angle was just the easiest pill for people to swallow. At least, it was easier than admitting there were four different attacks in one small area. Spingola looked into Kathy and Rebecca's case first.

At this point, the public was long convinced that the double homicides were all the work of the same serial killer. But Spingola wasn't so sure. He wondered if the serial killer angle was just the easiest pill for people to swallow. At least, it was easier than admitting there were four different attacks in one small area. Spingola looked into Kathy and Rebecca's case first.

He wondered if this case did have a motive, one that wasn't properly looked into, mainly that the two women were romantically involved. In an Oxygen docuseries on the murders, former FBI profiler Jim Clemente suggested the killer saw himself as a moral enforcer, someone who doles out punishment on those he deems sinners.

He wondered if this case did have a motive, one that wasn't properly looked into, mainly that the two women were romantically involved. In an Oxygen docuseries on the murders, former FBI profiler Jim Clemente suggested the killer saw himself as a moral enforcer, someone who doles out punishment on those he deems sinners.

That same documentary revealed that Kathy and Rebecca regularly visited the parkway on Thursday nights, so it's possible the killer wasn't just lashing out at a random couple, but targeted them specifically. If Spingola is right that the killer targeted Kathy and Rebecca specifically, then that muddies the water for the other three cases.

That same documentary revealed that Kathy and Rebecca regularly visited the parkway on Thursday nights, so it's possible the killer wasn't just lashing out at a random couple, but targeted them specifically. If Spingola is right that the killer targeted Kathy and Rebecca specifically, then that muddies the water for the other three cases.

But even if there aren't four separate perpetrators, Spingola believes there might be more than one. So he looked at all the files and focused on the last double homicide, Daniel and Anna Maria. It didn't seem to fit with the other three. Unlike the other cases, they weren't pulled off onto a lover's lane. They were at a rest stop. Their attacker could have been anyone.

But even if there aren't four separate perpetrators, Spingola believes there might be more than one. So he looked at all the files and focused on the last double homicide, Daniel and Anna Maria. It didn't seem to fit with the other three. Unlike the other cases, they weren't pulled off onto a lover's lane. They were at a rest stop. Their attacker could have been anyone.

Still, Spingola's theory was only a theory. And without new evidence or suspects, the case grew cold and the files collected dust. Even though the victims' families desperately wanted answers, they were stuck. That was until the FBI made a major mistake. In 2008, nearly two decades after the final set of murders, a man named Fred Atwell enrolled in a school for private investigators.

Still, Spingola's theory was only a theory. And without new evidence or suspects, the case grew cold and the files collected dust. Even though the victims' families desperately wanted answers, they were stuck. That was until the FBI made a major mistake. In 2008, nearly two decades after the final set of murders, a man named Fred Atwell enrolled in a school for private investigators.

Atwell was a former Virginia sheriff's deputy with some knowledge of the Colonial Parkway murders, but it had been a long time since he'd thought about the case. So what his teacher showed the classroom one day came as a major shock. Atwell was stunned to see photographs of the Colonial Parkway crime scenes and victims used as teaching materials.

Atwell was a former Virginia sheriff's deputy with some knowledge of the Colonial Parkway murders, but it had been a long time since he'd thought about the case. So what his teacher showed the classroom one day came as a major shock. Atwell was stunned to see photographs of the Colonial Parkway crime scenes and victims used as teaching materials.