The Virginia State Police, in collaboration with Isle of Wight Commonwealth’s Attorney Georgette Phillips, have identified Alan W. Wilmer, Sr. as the individual responsible for the 1988 homicide of Laurie Ann Powell. This development comes after advancements in DNA technology allowed investigators to connect Wilmer to the case.
Laurie Ann Powell was last seen on March 8, 1988, walking along Route 614 toward Route 17 in Gloucester County. Her body was found on April 2, 1988, in the Elizabeth River near Craney Island. She had been stabbed multiple times and was 18 years old at the time of her death.
Wilmer died in Lancaster County, Virginia, in 2017 at age 63. In addition to being linked to Powell’s murder, he was also connected in 2024 to three other homicides: David Knobling and Robin Edwards in Isle of Wight County in 1987—cases associated with the Colonial Parkway Murders—and Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell in Hampton in 1989.
Because Wilmer did not have any felony convictions during his lifetime, his DNA was not collected until after his death for identification purposes. In 2023, the Virginia Department of Forensic Science confirmed a genetic match between Wilmer and evidence from homicide victims in Isle of Wight County and Hampton.
The investigation benefited from work by agents from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation Chesapeake and Richmond Field Offices and analysts from the Homeland Security Division’s Violent Crime Analytical Support Team (VCAST). The Virginia Office of the Attorney General Jason Miyares provided funding for analytical support and testing through the Virginia Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), with DNA analysis performed by DNA Labs International.
“This investigation is part of the continuing collaborative efforts of VSP, FBI, and the Hampton Police Department,” according to officials involved.
Laurie Ann Powell’s sister, Cindy Kirchner, expressed gratitude that her family now has answers regarding Laurie Ann’s death. “They want people to remember Laurie Ann as the smart, vibrant, beautiful, and good-hearted person that she was.” Kirchner noted that this tragedy changed her perspective on life and influenced how she raised her own daughter.
The family has requested privacy as they process this information and honor Laurie Ann Powell’s memory.
Authorities are seeking further information about Alan Wilmer’s activities during the relevant period. He was known by the nickname “Pokey,” stood approximately 5’5” tall with a muscular build weighing around 165 pounds. He had sandy-brown hair, blue eyes, a close-cropped beard, drove a distinctive blue 1966 Dodge Fargo pickup truck with Virginia license plate “EM-RAW,” often carried clamming equipment and a large metal toolbox in his truck bed; he also owned several other trucks over time.
Wilmer owned a small commercial fishing boat named Denni Wade—a custom-built wooden vessel built in 1976—and frequently lived aboard it while docking at marinas throughout Gloucester County, Middlesex County, Northern Neck region, and Hampton Roads area. During this period he worked primarily as a fisherman specializing in clams and oysters but also operated Better Tree Service; he participated actively as a hunter within local hunt clubs on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula.
Anyone who interacted or worked with Alan W. Wilmer Sr., including those who hunted or farmed shellfish alongside him or docked near him at marinas across Northern Neck or Middle Peninsula areas—or anyone else who may have relevant information—is encouraged to contact Virginia State Police via email. Anonymous tips are accepted.
