History of Virginia State Police

In 1922, the Virginia General Assembly recognizes the need to hire state employees to enforce The Automobile Acts of 1919. Eight men are hired as Inspectors and paid between $1,500 and $1,800 annually.  The Inspectors become part of the newly created Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles in 1923.  Per DMV Supervisor J.H. Hayes’s directive, each Inspector is required to purchase their own uniform at a cost of $40. The uniform is light-brown and accompanied by a high collar, straw hat, and leggings. Holsters are not part of the uniform, so the Inspectors, out of necessity, keep a revolver inside the leggings.  In 1930, T.K. Sexton is named Superintendent of the DMV Enforcement Division and is officially recognized as our first Superintendent.  In 1931, DMV adopts a uniform consisting of blue and gray, a color scheme that remains to present day.

On July 1, 1932, the Virginia General Assembly empowers Inspectors with the authority to enforce the criminal codes of the Commonwealth, in addition to the motor vehicle codes. The transition also replaces the title of Inspector with the term “Trooper” and DMV offers its first extended training academy of five weeks at the National Guard Training Camp in Princess Anne County (now Virginia Beach).  In 1933, Troopers respond to maintain order at the first of many significant coal strikes to come. For three months, 10,000 miners in Wise, Lee, and Russell counties protest their pay scale and the National Recovery Act.  Communications at this time is done by using a nickel to call back to headquarters in Richmond.  In rural areas, Troopers are notified by signs in businesses that they have a call for service.  A bureau is formed in 1938 to investigate major crimes and stolen cars.  In 1939, the Virginia General Assembly establishes the position of a Virginia State Police (VSP) Superintendent and appoints Major H.B. Nicholas, formerly the Superintendent of the DMV Enforcement Division, to the new (VSP) leadership position. State Police headquarters moves from offices at 12^th and Main streets in downtown Richmond to a renovated farmhouse on 65 acres along Route 60. The farmhouse is only temporary as ground is broken nearby to build a 20,000 square foot, two-story brick building to house the State Police. This is the current location of the VSP Administrative Campus.

In January 1940, the long-awaited State Police radio system begins transmitting.  Troopers are now trained in radio work, accident investigation, and preparation and submission of accident reports. Twenty-four-hour patrols in the Richmond district begin.  In 1941, testing starts on two-way communication for state police vehicles, and the first use is in connection with a Mecklenburg County rape investigation that ultimately leads in the successful apprehension of two suspects.

JULY 1, 1942 – The Virginia General Assembly’s House Bill 292 abolishes the existing DMV and creates two separate agencies: a Division of Motor Vehicles and a Department of State Police. Governor C.W. Darden, Jr., appoints Major C.W. Woodson, Jr., as the new VSP Superintendent. This new statewide law enforcement agency numbers 220 men, 16 dispatchers, and 29 operator’s license examiners.  As more and more VSP Troopers are called away to battle during World War II, VSP hires 26 women as part of its Women’s Auxiliary State Police (WASP) program to help offset vacancies.

In 1945, VSP institutes an “arrest records” system, which tracks such information as descriptions of the violator and vehicle; time and location of the offense; weather at the time of the offense; and a brief description of the offense.  In 1948, state law requires State Police to register machine guns owned within the Commonwealth.

The 19^th Basic Session is the first class to graduate from the newly-constructed, single-story VSP Training Academy. The decade begins with Troopers working ten hours a day, six days a week.  By 1952, the shifts are reduced to eight hours a day. The Department’s first radar sets are issued in 1952 to Troopers to check and validate drivers’ speeds.  In 1954, Division Commanders agree to phase out motorcycles for patrol. VSP graduates its first Basic Training School for Dispatchers in 1954. In 1955, State Police begin the process of adding safety features to vehicles, including seat belts, which Troopers are “encouraged” to use while on the patrol.  In 1956, all Troopers are required to be able to swim, and are trained in water-safety and life-saving techniques.  In 1958, VSP hires its first clerk-stenographers at the Area Offices. In 1959, patrol shifts are reduced to five days a week, and VSP initiates an official Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Program.

State Police makes continued improvements to its communications systems.  In 1961, A sixth geographic field division is created in Salem and VSP becomes the second state police agency in the nation to initiate a canine program. In 1962, Troopers provide security in Arlington for the funeral procession for President John F. Kennedy. A 12-member SCUBA Team is established in 1962 with two Troopers from each field division. As the decade goes on, Troopers are trained in crowd-control techniques to better respond to growing social unrest throughout the Commonwealth and nation. VSP responds across the state to maintain order at numerous civil protests and to halt KKK cross-burnings. By 1966, motorcycles are reinstated among VSP’s fleet of patrol vehicles and a Physical Training Building, to include a gymnasium and Olympic-size pool, are constructed at the Academy.   In 1968, State Police introduce the Department’s first air-conditioned patrol car and SPHQ Teletype welcomes its first National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer. That same year, Harold W. Burgess is named Superintendent following the retirement of Colonel Woodson.   In 1969, Reginald L. Boyd becomes the Department’s first African American Trooper and, upon graduating the Academy, is assigned to patrol in Alexandria. Troopers spend weeks working out of a makeshift command post in Nelson County, the hardest hit area by Hurricane Camille, which claimed 113 lives, injured 102 individuals and destroyed more than 250 homes statewide.

In 1970, the first “Safety at Sea” program is launched in partnership with the U.S. Navy, which has a VSP Trooper fly out to a returning carrier to talk with sailors about new traffic laws, traffic safety, etc. The Virginia General Assembly in 1970 transfers the Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE) from the Office of the Attorney General to VSP. Additional Troopers and Investigators are added in 1971, as the Virginia General Assembly aims to address an “enormous drug abuse problem.”  VSP Troopers are called upon to help with water rescues and recovery missions during and in the wake of Hurricane Agnes in 1972.  In 1973, the Virginia General Assembly authorizes the creation of an Investigation Division as well as a new Criminal Intelligence Unit concentrates on cooperative sharing of information between local, state, and federal law enforcement organizations with an emphasis on monitoring and investigating organized crime.  Also in 1973, Troopers are used to reopen Interstate 81 after the first of many blockades created by truckers protesting lower speed limits. In December 1974, State Police respond to the crash of a TWA 727 jet into Mount Weather at the Clarke-Loudoun County line. All 92 passengers and crew on board died, making it Virginia’s worst aviation tragedy to date.  In 1976, Cheryl L. Nottingham (Petska) becomes VSP’s first female Trooper to graduate from the Academy. A Charlottesville resident, she joins the 62^nd Basic Session and upon graduation is assigned to patrol in Fredericksburg. Also in 1976, the Executive Protection Unit is established to provide protection for the Governor and the Governor’s family.  1976 is the year the Virginia State Police hires its first African American female Trooper, Delores A. King, who is stationed in Charlottesville following graduation from the Academy.  In 1977, Denny M. Slane is appointed Superintendent upon Colonel Burgess’s retirement.  In 1978, over 200 Troopers spend months assigned to maintain peace and order during the coalminers’ strikes in Southwest Virginia.  Violence results in the dynamiting of a Buchanan County train trestle and burning of a bridge and construction company office in Wise County, the train depot in St. Charles, and a scale house in Tazewell County.

A seventh field division encompassing Northern Virginia is carved out of the Culpeper Division in 1980.  A new Wytheville Division headquarters is opened, after fire destroys the original facility in the 1977.  In 1981, Troopers are responding to both coal strikes in Southwest Virginia and air-traffic controller strikes in Northern Virginia. In 1981, the Communications Division installs new state-of-the-art radios that include base-to-mobile channels, mobile repeaters, Statewide Interdepartmental Radio System (SIRS), and a Citizens Band (CB) radio in all patrol vehicles. In 1982, the Virginia General Assembly approves the establishment of a full-time VSP Aviation Unit to include the Central Virginia Medical Evacuation Pilot Project, known today as Med-Flight I. The Safety Division is established in 1982 and VSP graduates its first Weight Enforcement Officers (WEO) to be assigned to the new Size and Weight Enforcement Stations statewide. In 1984, Colonel Slane retires, and Robert L. Suthard is named Superintendent.  Virginia is one of the first states in the nation to participate in 1984 in a new traffic safety program called Operation C.A.R.E., the Combined Accident Reduction Effort. In 1985, the Missing Children’s Clearinghouse is established in the Records Management Division and the new computerized State Police Administrative Network (SPAN) goes online. In 1985, VSP becomes only the second state law enforcement agency in the nation to achieve accreditation by the National Commission of Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). In 1988, VSP undergoes a significant reorganization with the establishment of a Bureau of Administrative and Support Services (BASS), which oversees the Communications, Data and Processing, Personnel, Property and Finance, Record Management, and Training divisions. VSP implements a new program in 1988 to allow the Richmond, Chesapeake and Salem Communications Centers to receive 911 calls from cellular phones.  In 1989, the Virginia General Assembly establishes a law that makes Virginia one of the first states in the nation to require criminal background checks on buyers of certain types of firearms, thus establishing a Virginia Firearms Transaction Program with a 24-hour hotline to conduct the checks. In 1989, retired Colonel Slane creates the official VSP flag.

The decade begins with Colonel Suthard being named Secretary of Public Safety under Governor Doug Wilder, and William F. Corvello is named Superintendent.  In 1990, a 37,330 square foot, two-story wing is added on to the existing Academy building. Along with the new bunk rooms, offices, and classrooms, is a new Trooper Statue dedicated out front and, inside, the Colonel C.W. Woodson, Jr. Memorial Gallery is dedicated and officially opened with 42 VSP portraits on display. In 1990, VSP and the American Legion host the first “Junior Law Cadet” program at the Academy. The Department begins purchasing and installing in-car video recording equipment in patrol vehicles in 1991, purchases its first Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) unit for Aviation, and establishes the civilian-staffed Motorist Assistance Program in the Richmond Division. Also in 1991, an Operation Alert traffic stop on Interstate 95 in Chesterfield County yields 660 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $7.5 million, the largest cocaine seizure in Virginia’s history on an interstate. Hundreds of Troopers are dispatched to Southwest Virginia in 1991 for the ongoing Pittson Coal Strikes. In 1992, upon the retirement of Colonel William F. Corvello, Carl R. Baker is appointed to the position of Superintendent by Governor L. Douglas Wilder. Baker, formerly of the New York State Police, is the only Superintendent in VSP history to be appointed from outside the agency. In 1992, VSP establishes a Firearms Investigative Unit, a Violent Crimes Unit, the Help Eliminate Auto Theft (HEAT) Program, as well as an official Color Guard and Honor Guard. By 1993, Trooper are using the new PBA 3000 portable alcohol sensing device. VSP is featured in several episodes of Real Stories of the Highway Patrol. In 1994, Colonel Baker is appointed as Secretary of Public Safety and M. Wayne Huggins returns to the Department to accept the position of Superintendent. In September 1996, the disappearance and murder of 16-year-old Sofia Silva in Spotsylvania County is the first of three abductions and homicides to occur by the same suspect in Spotsylvania County. The other two occur in May 1997 when sisters, Kristin and Kati Lisk, are taken from their residence. In 1995, VSP establishes a Volunteer Program and a certified Crime Prevention Program. VSP debuts on the World Wide Web with an official agency website in 1996. In 1998, State Police investigates the University of Virginia Hospital “Baby Swap” case in which DNA proves two baby girls were switched at birth in 1995. The case takes a tragic turn when one of the girls is killed in a multi-vehicle, multi-fatal crash on Interstate 81 in Boutetourt County on the Fourth of July that same year. In 1996, Dispatchers are trained on new Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) equipment. The #77 feature for cell phones is introduced in 1997. In 1998, BCI establishes a High-Tech Crimes Computer Division, to include a Cyber Crimes Unit and the Computer Evidence Recovery Unit that was formed in 1996. In 1998, the Virginia Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry goes “live” on the Internet. In 1999, Troopers start participating in federal Project Exile task forces, targeting illegal gun possession. The VSP Insurance Fraud Program is established by the Virginia General Assembly in 1999. Also in 1999, the ASP replaces Troopers’ wooden batons, air conditioning is installed in the Academy gymnasium, and VSP trains its first accelerant-detection canines.

Upon Colonel Huggins’ departure, Governor James Gilmore appoints Lt. Colonel W. Gerald Massengill as Acting VSP Superintendent. Following a nationwide search, Colonel Massengill is appointed Superintendent in June 2000.  All VSP personnel are assigned a Department email address by the Data Processing Division in 2000. The 2000 Virginia General Assembly authorizes VSP to use Aerial Speed Enforcement on Virginia’s highways. In 2000, VSP officially opens and dedicates the new Colonel Denny Meade Slane Museum and History Center, which is house inside the Academy. For the first time, in 2001, 100 Troopers are assigned to provide security along Pennsylvania Avenue in the Washington, D.C., during the Presidential inauguration.  Troopers also provide security for the dedication of the D-Day Memorial in Bedford, attended by President George W. Bush. In 2001, the traditional Trooper’s Stetson hat is replaced by the year round “Campaign” hat.

Sept. 11, 2001 – Terrorists attack the United States by flying planes into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington. A fourth plane crashes into a field in Pennsylvania. The first VSP members to respond to the Pentagon are Area 45 Troopers Merlin Wimbish and Mike Middleton. Wimbish witnesses the devastating crash that morning from the Area 45 Office. Both Troopers rush to the Pentagon to assist with rescue efforts. Middleton is hospitalized for severe smoke inhalation.  Numerous other Troopers respond to the chaos in and around Arlington.  Troopers spend weeks escorting remains and providing military transports.

The Lisk and Silva cases are solved in 2002, when their killer, Richard Evonitz, is revealed after a young girl he abducts in South Carolina escapes his apartment. As law enforcement attempt to take him into custody, Evonitz takes his own life. 2002 also is the year VSP, along with multiple other agencies in Washinton, D.C. and Maryland, respond to the “Beltway Sniper Attacks” taking place over a three-week period in which ten people are shot and killed and three are injured. Two of the attacks occur in Fredericksburg and Ashland before the shooters, John Muhammed and Lee Boyd Malvo, are finally apprehended. In 2003, Captain Eugene A. Stockton becomes the first African American to achieve the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and to join the Executive Staff as the Director of the Bureau of Field Operations. In 2003, the Academy Gymnasium is turned into an Emergency Operations Center to accommodate FEMA’s Hurricane Isabel response and needs, which attracts a visit from President G.W. Bush.  Isabel is one of Virginia’s costliest hurricanes, causing $1.85 billion in damage, and claims 32 lives statewide. Upon Colonel Massengill’s retirement, Governor Mark Warner appoints W. Steven Flaherty, to serve as Superintendent. Also in 2003, the General Assembly passes Virginia’s first “Move Over” law, requiring all drivers to slow down or move over a lane when passing an emergency vehicle stopped on the side the road. The Virginia General Assembly establishes the Virginia AMBER Alert in 2003. Between 2004 and 2005, VDOT establishes “Highway Safety Corridors” along designated portions of Interstate 95 and later on Interstate 81. In 2005, for the first time in the Department’s history, Troopers are deployed out of state to Mississippi to aid law enforcement impacted by Hurricane Katrina. In 2005, VSP and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) officially dedicate a new $15 million addition to SPHQ, which houses the Virginia Fusion Center and VDEM’s Emergency Operations Center. The Statewide Agencies Radio System (STARS) goes live with Governor Mark Warner making the first radio transmission to Troopers at the Interstate 64 Rest Area in New Kent County in 2005. In 2006, VSP welcomes its first bloodhound to the Canine Unit and launches the interstate traffic safety initiative, Operation Air, Land and Speed. In 2007, the Office of Performance Management and Internal Controls (OPMIC) and an Information Technology Division are created. VSP converts from the 10-Code System to the Common Language Protocol, as required by the National Incident Management System (NIMS) in 2007.

April 16, 2007 – A 23-year-old Virginia Tech English major shoots and kills 30 students and faculty in Norris Hall before taking his own life on campus. A total of 25 others are injured, to include those attempting to escape. The shooter was armed with two handguns and 203 rounds of ammunition. Ballistics tests confirm he is also responsible for a double homicide in a West Ambler Johnston Hall dorm room earlier that same morning.  VSP works with Virginia Tech Police to investigate the nation’s worst mass shooting to occur on a college campus.  More than 400 VSP Troopers, Special Agents, supervisors, and civilians respond to Virginia Tech during and following the shootings.

The following month, in May 2007, hundreds of VSP personnel provide security to Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Phillip during their visit to Virginia to celebrate the 400^th Anniversary of Jamestown. In 2007, the Virginia General Assembly establishes the Virginia Senior Alert. In 2008,VSP purchases its first License Plate Readers (LPR). In 2009, budget cuts force VSP to layoff 211 wage employees and close the Manassas Aviation Base.

The Virginia State Fair relocates from the fairgrounds in Henrico County to Meadow Event Park in Caroline County in 2010. VSP launches its official agency Facebook page and a two-member Motors Unit in the Appomattox Division in 2010. Construction on the 15,425 square foot STARS Installation Garage is completed in 2010. On August 23, 2011, Troopers respond to the epicenter of a 5.8 earthquake in Louisa County.  Just four days later, Troopers are called upon to respond to Hurricane Irene, as the storm lashes the Commonwealth. On December 8, 2011, Troopers assist Virginia Tech Police with the search for a gunman that kills a Virginia Tech Police Officer on campus.  Later that same December day in Caroline County, Senior Trooper M.H. Hamer is shot and wounded by a pedestrian on Interstate 95 during a traffic stop. In 2011, Captain Tracy S. Russillo becomes the Department’s first female to achieve the rank of Major and join the Executive Staff as a BASS Deputy Director. The Motorist Assistance (MA) Program is transferred in 2012 to the Virginia Department of Transportation and allows VSP to replace the 33 full-time and wage civilian positions with 18 Trooper positions assigned to Interstates 81 and 95. In 2012, the 117^th Basic Session earns the distinction of being VSP’s largest graduating class with 108 new Troopers. On September 10, 2012, VSP officially dedicates its new, state-of-the-art Driver Training Complex in Blackstone. In 2013, VSP Troopers apprehend the Eastern Shore couple accused of setting fire to 87 unoccupied structures in Accomack County between November 2012 and April 2013. On November 19, 2013, State Troopers respond after State Senator Creigh Deeds is attacked by his son, who was in the midst of a mental health crisis.   Austin “Gus” Deeds commits suicide following the attack.  Senator Deeds survives the stabbing attack and lobbies for a greater focus on mental health resources in Virginia.  Following the 2014 abduction and murder of UVA student, Hannah Graham, her killer is located in Texas and is forensically linked to the 2009 abduction and murder of Morgan Harrington, which took place following a concert at UVA and was investigated by VSP. In 2015, VSP assists the U.S. National Park Service with the 150^th anniversary of the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia in Appomattox County. VSP assists the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office with investigating the double homicide of a news crew at Smith Mountain Lake in 2015. Troopers end up pursuing and apprehending the murder suspect on Interstate 66 in Fauquier County later that same day. In 2016, VSP becomes the 14^th accredited polygraph program in the nation. Hundreds of VSP personnel assist the U.S. Secret Service with security for the 2016 Vice Presidential Debate at Longwood University in Farmville.

AUGUST 12, 2017 – The previous month, Virginia State Police Troopers assisted the Charlottesville Police Department with a permitted event hosted by a North Carolina Ku Klux Klan chapter in response to the city council’s attempts to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee from a local, public park.  Troopers and other law enforcement attempt to keep the peace between the group and counter protestors, who turn violent towards police.  A total 22 counter protestors are arrested following the event.  The July rally spurs a Charlottesville native and white supremacist to host a “Unite the Right Rally” in the park on August 12. The rally attracts national attention and garners support and participants from alt-right, neo-Confederates, white nationalists, neo-Nazis, Klansmen, and far-right militias. The rally also attracts left-wing and anti-fascist Antifa groups and anti-racist counter-protesters to Charlottesville. Several hundred Virginia State Police personnel respond to Charlottesville to assist the Charlottesville Police Department manage the rally. As hundreds of protesters and counter protesters crowd into the park and surrounding streets, a State of Emergency is declared, and the crowds are told to disperse. Those on both sides refuse to comply and begin fighting amongst themselves. Within approximately 20 minutes, VSP and Charlottesville Police clear the park and adjacent street of protesters and counter-protesters. That afternoon, as counter protesters march through the streets of Charlottesville, a vehicle drives into one of the groups killing Heather Heyer and injuring 35 others. Hours later, a Virginia State Police helicopter providing aerial support over Charlottesville crashes in Albemarle County, killing Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates.

In 2018, VSP graduates 39 new Troopers from its first Accelerated Lateral Entry Program (ALEP), which only accepted certified Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) law enforcement personnel with at least three years’ experience. In 2019, Virginia State Police responds to assist the Virginia Beach Police Department in the wake of a 12 people being fatally shot at a municipal building.  The Fairfax Division receives funding to pilot E-Summons in 100 patrol vehicles, to include seven motorcycles, in 2019. VSP establishes full-time Tactical Teams in its Wytheville and Salem Divisions in 2019, and VSP begins purchasing Ford Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) to permanently replace the Ford Police Interceptor Taurus.

The year 2020 begins with hundreds of VSP personnel reporting to the State Capitol to on January 20 to assist the Virginia Division of Capitol Police and City of Richmond Police with a gun rights rally organized by the Virginia Citizens Defense League. Known as Lobby Day for citizens to “lobby” Virginia General Assembly members on various legislative causes, the 2^nd Amendment event attracted approximately 20,000 armed individuals to the capitol grounds and adjacent streets for several hours. The rally concluded with minimal arrests and no incidents.  VSP launches a stand-alone, recruitment website. By March, VSP is closing offices, directing employees to work remotely, and minimizing direct contact with the public during traffic stops and criminal investigations due to the rapidly spreading COVID-19 coronavirus and statewide public safety health mandates.  In May 2020, the murder of George Floyd, Jr., leads to calls nationwide for social justice and policing reforms. VSP Troopers respond to multiple protests and riots throughout the summer months statewide. Nearly every State Trooper spends time in the City of Richmond assisting with crowd control during protests at the city’s police headquarters and Confederate monuments. 2020 also sees VSP establishing positions to hire a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer and a Wellness Coordinator.   

January 6, 2021 – Governor Ralph Northam directs the Fairfax Division Tactical Field Force to respond to the U.S. Capitol to assist the U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C., fend off thousands of protesters physically assaulting law enforcement in order to make entry inside the Capitol to where Congress was holding session. VSP was the first outside law enforcement agency to reach the U.S. Capitol and were responsible for pushing back and regaining control of the South Portico. Troopers remain at the U.S. Capitol until National Guard reinforcements arrive.

In 2021, BCI Culpeper Field Office is the first to acquire and begin training Special Agents on its new ANDE Rapid DNA device, which allows for DNA sample comparisons to be done in the field with results provided within two hours. VSP begins operating Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in 2021 to aid with crash scene investigations. In 2021, the Department hosts its inaugural Staff and Leadership Employee Development (SLED) course for Troopers and Special Agents. In February 2022, VSP responds to and investigates an active shooter incident on the Bridgewater College campus that results in the deaths of two college police officers. For weeks in 2022, VSP works with local and Maryland counterparts to monitor convoys of truckers circling the Capitol Beltway in Northern Virginia to protest Covid-19 mandates. In December 2022, Governor Glenn Youngkin launches Operation Bold Blue Line, a comprehensive public safety program aimed at not only reducing violent crime within 13 cities across the Commonwealth but to also help law enforcement agencies with recruitment and retention. By the close of 2023, the operation resulted in the seizure of more than $31 million in illegal narcotics, 857 felony arrests, and 721 misdemeanor arrests. In 2023, VSP establishes a fourth bureau, the Bureau of Strategic Governance, as well as a Human Trafficking Investigative Unit and a Gaming Enforcement Unit. VSP, along with the City of Hampton Police and FBI Norfolk Field Office, announces at the start of 2024 that DNA has identified a now-deceased suspect, Alan Wilmer, Sr., as the one responsible for the 1987 murders of David Knobling and Robin Edwards in Isle of Wight County and the 1989 murder and rape of a York County woman in Hampton. The Isle of Wight County case was among a series of double homicides from the 1980s that became known as the “Colonial Parkway Murders.”