CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – In the past six months, two major breakthroughs have emerged in Virginia’s decades-old cold cases, bringing a sense of closure to victims’ families. In January, authorities announced a DNA match in the Colonial Parkway killings near Williamsburg, identifying Allen Wade Wilmer Sr. as the murderer of two victims. More recently, on June 20th, another DNA match linked the 1996 Shenandoah Park murders of Julie Williams and Lollie Winans to a perpetrator.

Attorney General Jason Miyares highlighted the crucial role of the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) in these advancements. “The entire system of going through this is also healing. It’s healing for the victims. It’s healing for the family,” he explained, emphasizing the victim-centric approach of the initiative. Miyares also expressed optimism about the future of crime-solving technology, “I’ve never been more excited about what I’m seeing coming down the pike with both science and technology to help solve both unsolved cases and make it that much easier for law enforcement.”

The SAKI program, funded by the General Assembly and federal grants, provides critical resources such as intelligence analysts and a cold case support team. This collaborative effort has been instrumental in resolving these high-profile cases and continues to offer hope for solving more cold cases in the future.

Listen to the full interview here: