Despite these findings, an FBI polygraph examiner determined that Wilmer was not a suspect, leading to his release. In May 1988, the FBI announced a reward of $10,000 for information related to the case. By June, the term Colonial Parkway Murders had begun to be used to describe the series of killings.

On July 1, 1989, Teresa Lynn Howell was observed departing the well-known Zodiac Club in Hampton at approximately 2:30 am. Seven hours later, a construction worker discovered her body in a nearby wooded region. Howell had suffered sexual assault and strangulation.

The murder of Howell was not linked to the Colonial Parkway murders until 2022, when DNA evidence from her case was matched to that from the Knobling-Edwards homicide. This DNA was subsequently identified as belonging to Alan Wade Wilmer Sr.

On September 5, 1989, Annamaria Phelps, aged 18, and her boyfriend's brother, Daniel Lauer, aged 21, disappeared while traveling to Virginia Beach. Lauer's vehicle, a gold 1972 Chevrolet Nova, was subsequently discovered abandoned at a rest area along Interstate 64 in New Kent County. The circumstances surrounding their disappearance remain uncertain, as it is unknown whether Phelps and Lauer were harmed at the rest area or at another location. Both the driver and passenger doors of the vehicle were found unlocked, with the keys still in the ignition. Authorities noted the presence of dirt and grass stains on the underside of the car, indicating it had likely been driven through a wooded area recently. Phelps' purse was located inside the vehicle, leading investigators to rule out robbery as a motive.