"We are not forgotten. This case is not closed."
That's the message Robin Edwards' family heard from the investigators assigned to solve the 14-year-old's murder. Robin was the youngest of eight victims taken by the Colonial Parkway killer decades ago. The family said after their meeting today, they're confident state police are back in the game.
"We came out of there feeling great," said Janette Santiago, family member.
That's a big turnaround from a month ago, when state police told NewsChannel 3 there was not enough new information to justify more work. Four of the Colonial Parkway murder cases happened on state property; the other four on federal property. In September, the FBI promised a top-down review of the federal cases with new agents and new science. State police, however, said they would not match that effort.
But today, in a meeting at the Isle of Wight Sheriff's Office, the Edwards family said investigators did pledge more resources to crack the case.
"They had some detectives from the Isle of Wight Sheriff's Department that have since retired and they came back out of retirement to talk to us. That makes you feel good," said Bonnie Dodson.
The family of David Knobling attended the meeting, too. Bonnie Dodson says both families used to be close, bound by the tragedy, but as the cases cooled the families drifted apart. She says it was good to see David's mother again.
"To see the same mother's love in her eyes and in her voice that I have in my heart, that was very special," Dodson added.
Robin's family says the investigators did not offer the same kind of specific timelines for new forensic testing. Even so, they left the meeting believing all the investigators from all the agencies were rededicated to her family and the others.
"If they solve even one of them, that's a victory for all of us," Santiago said.
