Update to story: At 8:37 p.m. Wednesday night, Fred Atwell was arrested in Gwinnett County,(Atlanta) GA. He is currently being "held for other agency." He gave a home address of 2621 Little Creek Dam Road, Toano, VA.

Story: Sixty-two year old former Gloucester deputy Fred Atwell is responsible for the reopening of the infamous Colonial Parkway murders. From 1986-1989, four couples were either shot or slashed around the Parkway. Those crimes have never been solved and the case had grown “cold”.

Fred Atwell booking photo. Gwinnett County, GA.

Two years ago, the official police photos of the crimes somehow made it onto the internet. Former Deputy Atwell claims he became aware of the photos when a friend asked him to teach a class on the Parkway murders. When Atwell responded he was not familiar with the case, the friend gave Atwell the crime scene photos to study, telling him the photos were available online. Atwell claims he contacted the FBI and State Police to have the photos removed from the internet, but no action was taken by either agency until Mike Mather at WTKR Channel 3 became involved in the story.

Photo: Fred Atwell from Roanoke County Wanted poster.

Attention had once again been drawn to the case and Mr. Atwell was given the credit.

But the first of August, Fred Atwell was accused of ripping of the victim’s families.

According to Morse Investigation Services, in mid July 2011, family members of the Colonial Parkway Victims raised concern with details regarding fund-raising events involving Fred Atwell, Jr.  Morse Investigation Services looked into this matter and found evidence that at least one fraud had been committed.  The family members immediately filed a complaint with the York County Sheriff’s Department and an investigation into these allegations against Fred Atwell ensued.  Charges were subsequently filed and Atwell was arrested today. (August 1, 2011) He is currently out on bond.

According to the York County Sheriff’s Department , Mr. Atwell coordinated a car raffle for “The Colonial Parkway Victims fund”. The fund was started by family members of the victims to raise money for rewards and investigative costs. Fred Atwell was unable to convince dealerships to donate the vehicles for raffle. He continued to sell tickets anyway. He then drew a phony name as the winner.

He is charged with a felony for cashing a check meant for DMV fees for a non-existent car. Police are not sure at this time if he pocketed more money from the ticket sales. That investigation is still open.

James River Journal learned Wednesday that Fred Atwell is now the suspect in another crime, when he allegedly robbed a woman at gunpoint Tuesday afternoon.

The victim, a financial planner in Roanoke County, Virginia, did know Fred Atwell when he came in to her office to rob her.

During an exclusive interview with James River Journal, the victim stated she did know Fred Atwell. “I met him years ago when his daughter introduced me. She wanted to introduce me to her parents. ”

“Tuesday morning, he came into the office. He told me he was here to rehab a home that she (his daughter) was renting. A few hours later he came back into the office. He wanted to borrow a phone book to look up a number to buy a part that he needed.”

“ He told me he had separated from his wife about two months ago. He told me that he had been living in the woods for a week and that he was hungry. That’s why he was robbing me. He was hungry.”

“He told me, “I don’t want to hurt you and I’m not going to hurt you. I wasn’t worried that he was going to shoot me. He wasn’t. But he was acting delirious or something and he was waving the gun around in the air. I was worried that the gun was going to go off by mistake.”

“ Originally, he told me to write him a thousand dollar check. I wrote it for him, but I told him the bank would ask him for positive identification and they would call and ask me if it was alright to cash the check. After a few minutes, he said, “I’m not going to take the check. I want cash. So I gave him the cash in the office. It wasn’t much. Maybe 60 dollars, maybe $80 dollars, but it was less than $100.”

“He told me to go in the bathroom and stay there for five minutes. I did. I was locked in.” When I came out, he was gone. I don’t know where he would have gone. It wasn’t much money. And the way he looked, I don’t even know if he had a car. He must have walked down the street.”

“And he kept telling me they had accused him of doing something. He said he didn’t do it. I didn’t know who “they” were or what he had been accused of.”

“I thought it was a domestic thing, that’s what he kept saying. I had no idea he was in trouble in another part of the State. I have no idea about his background or anything he may have done elsewhere. I only know him because I know his daughter. But that would explain why the Marshall’s office called me today and wanted to know about him.”

According to sources, earlier in the day Tuesday, Atwell had called a Roanoke suicide hotline and told them he was desparaging and was going to kill himself. The same source is concerned that Fred Atwell may attempt a "cop-suicide." This type of sucicide is done typically by setting up a scenario where the police must respond, and then  waving a gun or doing something to cause the police to have to fire their weapons.

Copyright ©2011 James River Journal story by Daniel Curran 757-846-7934