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Why the FBI wants your help to learn more about the man accused of one of the Colonial Parkway murders

According to authorities, Alan Wilmer Sr. was an avid hunter, a fisherman and a business owner. Now, the FBI said they want to know more.

ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, Va. — The FBI wants to hear from anyone who may have known a suspect in one of the infamous Colonial Parkway murders. 

Alan Wilmer Sr. is accused of killing two people in Isle of Wight County and one person in Hampton more than three decades ago. He killed David Knobling and Robin Edwards in 1987 and Teresa Howell two years later, according to authorities.

While three families now have closure, Wilmer Sr. will never serve time for their deaths because he died in 2017.

RELATED: Suspect named in Isle of Wight double homicide linked to 1980s Colonial Parkway murders

So, who was Alan Wilmer Sr.?

According to authorities, he was an avid hunter, a fisherman and a business owner.

Now, the FBI said they want to know more.

"Our agencies are still working to reconstruct the movements and encounters of Alan Wilmer Sr., so that’s why we’re asking for the public’s help," said Virginia State Police Public Relations Director Corinne Geller.

Virginia State Police say Wilmer was a 5’5" muscular man who went by the nickname "Pokey." He owned a business called Better Tree Service.

He drove a distinctive blue 1966 Dodge Fargo pickup truck with the Virginia license plate EM-RAW, typically with a toolbox and clamming equipment in the back. 

He also had a wooden commercial fishing boat named the "Denni Wade." Authorities say he often docked it around Gloucester and Middlesex counties as well as the Northern Neck and Hampton Roads region. His trade during the 1980s was as a fisherman, farming mainly clams and oysters.

Credit: Virginia State Police / Handout

Virginia State Police also say Wilmer had no felonies on his criminal record.

RELATED: Families of other Colonial Parkway murder victims speak out: 'Someone here in Virginia has to know more'

"So his DNA had never been obtained until it was necessary for identification purposes following his death," said Geller.

In a statement, Wilmer's family said the crimes come "as a complete and horrific shock" to them, adding they learned about this news about the same time as everyone else. They go on to say "The revelation of what he's done has deeply impacted our family as we are forced to reconcile who we believed him to be with the unimaginable things he has done."

Now the FBI is asking anyone who might’ve encountered Wilmer while hunting, fishing, at a bar or anywhere else, to let them know.

"A piece of information, no matter how small, could be useful to investigators," said Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Norfolk.

Law enforcement is encouraging anyone who may have spent time with or seen Wilmer to reach out to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip online. People can also submit information to Virginia State Police by emailing questions@vsp.virginia.gov.

The FBI is also still looking for tips that can help them solve the Colonial Parkway murders. Anyone with information is asked to email the FBI at Colonial_Parkway_Murders@ic.fbi.gov.

"We recognize there are still other families that are related to the Colonial Parkway homicide victims who are still hoping for answers. That’s why we continue to push forward with our investigations," said Geller.

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