Aimee Willard (June 8, 1974 – June 20, 1996) was a star lacrosse player who was murdered on her way home from a night out with friends. Her car was left running and her body was found, but the killer was unknown. The unsolved crime was featured on Unsolved Mysteries. With DNA evidence, her killer was identified as ex-convict Arthur Bomar, who was charged with and convicted of her murder. Bomar was sentenced to death.[1] Many theories and suspects were investigated, but all were cleared when Bomar's DNA matched DNA found during the investigation. It is theorized Bomar hit Willard's car on purpose to get her to pull over. The story of her murder and investigation was also featured on an episode of Forensic Files as well as the film "The Dark Side of Parole."
Willard was a star lacrosse player at the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur in Villanova, Pennsylvania and later at George Mason University. In 1996, Willard led the Colonial Athletic Association in scoring with fifty goals and twenty-nine assists. She was named to the All-Conference Team in both soccer and lacrosse, and to the All-American team for the Southeast region in lacrosse that year [1]. US Lacrosse has created a national award in her honor.[2]
A small roadside memorial on the exit ramp from Interstate 476 to southbound U.S. Route 1 marks the site where Willard's car was found.