Post on 12-Nov-2021
transcript
Background of crime
From 1979 to 1981, 29 people were strangled by Wayne Williams, which were
majority children between the ages 7 and 14 in Atlanta. After a two year killing spree of
young black males, the only clues discovered were fibers and dog hair found on the bodies
and clothing of the victims. These fibers were discovered before Wayne Williams became a
suspect. There were two types of fibers; numerous yellowish-green nylon fibers and some
violet acetate fibers. After police heard loud splashes in the Chattahoochee River, police kept
an eye out to see if anything uncommon continued. After hearing a loud splash from the
James Jackson Parkway Bridge, the police spotted a station wagon.
The Death
Wayne Williams had a distinct and consistent pattern in the way his victims were
killed. A pattern progressively emerged, one that linked a majority of the murders. Wayne
Williams’ victims were all from south Atlanta and young black males. Majority of the
victims had been strangled to death. Not only were the victims strangled, evidence indicated
that some were even sexually abused and majority were half naked. Some even had
homosexual relationships.
Investigation of the Investigators
Police spotted William’s car right above the sound of a loud splash heard in the river.
When the police stopped him, Williams was questioned and gave the police an address and
phone number that didn’t exist. This incident made police suspicious when Wayne Williams
gave false answers when he was asked questions. A few days later, Nathaniel Carter’s naked
body was found in the river and was suffocated. Police suspected that Williams had killed
Carter and threw him off the bridge the night they had pulled him over. After Williams failed
a polygraph test, their suspicion grew, and hair and fibers on one of the victims’ bodies were
found in Williams’ home, car, and dog.
Even before Williams became a suspect, Georgia State Crime Laboratory found many
nylon fibers on the bodies of the victims murdered in Atlanta. After William became a
suspect, the investigators determined the source of the fibers’ manufacture. The next step
was to figure out how much of that specific carpeting had been sold in the Atlanta area where
the murders happened. The investigators determined that the chance of randomly finding a
house with Williams’ carpet was one in 7,792. Other evidence linked 10 other victims to 28
different fiber types and only one was common. Although Williams was convicted for
murdering two adults, police blamed him for the murders of 29 African American boys and
men. There were numerous people involved and many forensic scientists. Each person had a
different responsibly and contributed in either finding dead bodies, investigating, finding
fibers and hairs, and proving Wayne guilty. Chet Dettlinger created a map of where the
victims were killed. Even with the age differences of the victims, they all fell into the same
geometric parameters. All were connected in 11 major streets in Atlanta.
History of the Time Period
During the 1980’s, Reagan continued a sustained economic recovery, driven by the
outstanding bull markets on Wall Street. The stock market had soaring profits in the stock
market, making people become millionaires. In this time period, the economy was
improving and growing, but the black population remained very poor. With all the poverty,
the rate of crimes increased, with the communities trying to survive. With the crime rate
growing out of control, Atlanta progressed into one of the most dangerous cities in the
United States. Atlanta got so dangerous; many businesses would leave the country to find
safer cities for their meetings. People believed that Williams was affiliated with the KKK
and wanted to exterminate the black population, that’s why he targeted many young African
American kids. Williams claimed that he was framed for the murders to cover up for the
KKK in the killings to avoid a race war in Atlanta.
List of suspects, their backgrounds, and alibis
Edward Hope Smith was 14 years old and in the summer of 1979, disappeared. Alfred
Evans, also 14 years old, vanished four days apart. Both of their bodies were found on July
28 and the series of murders were believed to be committed by the Atlanta Child Murder.
Milton Harvey, also 14 years old went missing on September 4, 1979, while traveling to the
bank to pay a credit card bill for his mother. Yusuf Bell disappeared after going to the store
to buy something for a neighbor on October 21, 1979. His body was found in an elementary
school and was strangled. The police didn’t think Bell’s death had anything to do with the
disappearance of the other victims. The next victim was Angel Lenair, who was a 12 year old
female. She had disappeared on March 4, 1980 and found six days later, strangled, tied to a
tree and perhaps sexually assaulted. Also, Jeffery Mathis vanished on March 11, 1980, while
running an errand for his mother. On June 9, Chris Richardson went missing when he was on
his way to a community pool. On June 22 and 23, seven year old Latonya Wilson and Aaron
Wyche a ten year old, went missing also. After a countless amount of local children
disappearing, the city and parents and government struggled to keep children safe. This
didn’t stop Wayne Williams from continuing to kill. In July 1980, two more children were
murdered; Anthony Carter and Earl Terell. Five more killing occurred between August and
November 1980. The first victim murdered in 1981 was Lubie Geter, who disappeared on
January 3. Geter’s friend Pue, went missing in January. An anonymous caller told the police
where Pue’s body could be found.
Almost all the victims were African American children between the ages of nine and
14 and majority had been strangled. In March, four murders took place that linked the other
murders. The first adult victim was Eddie Duncan who was killed in March. In April, Larry
Rogers, and John Porter, an ex-convict, and Jimmy Ray Payne were murdered. William
Barrett was found dead close to him home in May. The last victim was Nathaniel Cater who
was 27 years old.
Psychological Profile of Suspect
For somebody to murder more than 20 people in two years is out of control. That is
equivalent to murdering a person a month. Also, majority of the victims were young African
American children, meaning someone would have committed this crime if they had
something against a certain race. Somebody must be mentally unstable is they were able to
see or even worse kill dozens of people without feeling guilty, and continue to kill more.
Wayne lived with his parents and only had a couple friends. He was known around
town to exaggerate and be a pathological liar, saying he had major record deals. As a kid he
had his own radio station and wanted to make a big name for himself. Wayne impersonated a
police officer and illegal use of a vehicle, causing him to be arrested but not imprisoned. The
vehicle was illegally equipped with red lights under the grille and the dashboard had blinking
blue lights. There were rumors that he was homosexual, explains why majority of the victims
were half naked and male.
Forensic Evidence
On January 6, 1982, Williams’ trial began. The case depended on circumstantial
evidence. In the two month trial, prosecutors matched 19 different sources of fibers from his
house. The fibers were found in his bed, bathroom, gloves, clothes, carpet and dog. The
unusual fibers from the carpet helped link numerous victims. DNA tests on seven dog hairs
were a part of the forensic case against Williams which proved him guilty to 12 murders.
Rayon was found on the victim’s shorts, Payne, which had been matched to the carpet
in Wayne Williams’s station wagon. In the trial, the participants introduced a chart showing
twelve other victims of the Atlanta killings and how they corresponded. On each victim’s
body, three to six fibers were found that was traced to Williams home, station wagon, or his
dog hair.
Not only was there forensic evidence, there were also eyewitness testimonies. Blood
stains from victims matching blood in Williams’ car, and a testimony that he was a pedophile
who was attracted to young black boys, added another component to the case. After ten hours
of analysis, the jury found Williams guilty for murdering Carter and Payne. He was then
sentenced to two successive terms of life imprisonment. After his conviction, the
investigators found more than two dozen other cases.
Others
About 50 volunteers went out in a cold
Sunday drizzle to scour wooded areas of College Park near the sites where the bodies of
three boys had been found in this 1981 photo.
Young pallbearers bearing the body of Curtis
Walker into the new St. John Baptist Church in this 1981 photo. The case of Walker's mu re-
opened in 2005 but remains unsolved
The body of Nathaniel Cater, 27, is pulled from
the Chattahoochee River in this 1981 photo. Wayne Williams was convicted of the murder of
Cater and Jimmy Ray Payne, 21, in 1982. Williams never stood trial for murdering a child.
Conclusion
Although there was eyewitness evidence which linked Williams to one of the victims,
there was much more involved. With the numerous components such as forensic techniques,
the case was able to be solved. Unique fibers in Williams’ car and house and dog hair, tied
the victims together. This case was based on forensic evidence gathered from fibers found
on the victims. There were about 30 types of fiber linked to items found in Williams’ house,
cars or dog. After ten hours of analysis, the jury found Williams guilty for murdering Carter
and Payne. He was then sentenced to two successive terms of life imprisonment for killing at
least 22 children. After his conviction, the investigators found more than two dozen other
cases.
.
Theories
Many people in the community do not believe that Williams could have killed that
many people because he was the son of two teachers. Dekalb Country Police ordered the
reopening of the murder cases of four boys killed in the Atlanta area in 1981, which
Williams was blamed for. Williams has denied all the charges and blamed the KKK. Charles
Sanders, a white supremacist who was involved in the KKK, was investigated of his
involvement in the Atlanta killings. He claimed he wasn’t responsible. Sanders passed the lie
detector tests and the case was closed again.
John Douglas, a former FBI agent, believed that Williams was responsible for some
of the murders, but not all. Some people think that the KKK leader was the one who
encouraged Williams to do the killings. Regardless of any conspiracies, the evidence proves
and links the fibers to the victims. One cannot doubt the link and the coincidence of the
pattern and how all the fibers were present on the victims. I am one hundred percent sure that
Wayne Williams committed all those murders because the evidence is undeniable. Not only
was it fibers, but it was the dog hair and things found in his house and car. Even if the KKK
leader encouraged Williams, he still committed the crime of killing innocent people. He
didn’t have to do it if he knew it was wrong. His punishment of life in prison is the least he
could have gotten. He is guilty, and there is no way he isn’t because there is so much
evidence one would have to disprove.
Works Cited
Aggrawal, Anil. "Anil Aggrawal's Internet Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology." Popular
Books on Forensic Science and Forensic Medicine: Anil Aggrawal's Internet Journal of
Forensic Medicine, Vol. 6, No. 2, July. N.p., July 2005. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. Wayne
Williams Case (1979-1981) Fibres under comparison Microscope Fibres under
comparison Microscope. [This figure appears on page 106] Serial killer Wayne Williams
is believed to have murdered 30 young black males during a two-year period. The
strangled bodies of 12 young black males were discovered. Another 18 young men were
reported missing. After newspaper reports stated that police had found fibers on the
victims' bodies, the killer had been stripping his victims and throwing their bodies into
rivers. This at¬tempt to conceal evidence led to his arrest. Aware of his pattern of
dropping bodies into rivers, police established surveillance crews at bridges. On May 22,
1981, police heard a splash in the Chattahoochee River. They stopped a car driven by
23-year-old photographer Wayne Williams but could find no reason to detain him. Two
days later, Nathaniel Carter, the 12th known victim, was found a mile downstream.
Police now had just cause to obtain a warrant to search Williams's car and apartment.
Forensic scientists working with Du Pont chemists had determined that the fibers found
on the victims were made by the Wellman Corporation and were used in carpeting
manufactured for one year by the West Point Pepperell Corporation. The carpets had
been sold for two years in 10 southeastern states. Based on sales, it was calculated that
the probability of finding such a carpet in an Atlanta apartment was 1 in 7,792. Fibers
found on another victim were con¬sistent with those from Williams's 1970 Chevy
station wagon. On the basis of Gen¬eral Motors manufacturing figures and the number
of vehicles of that model in the Atlanta area, police determined that the probability of
finding matching fibers on a victim was 1 in 3,828. There were also fibers from other
carpets and hairs from Williams's head, from his dog, and fibers from victims on a glove;
however, the crucial evidence was the probability of finding fibers from both the carpets
in the accused murderer's bedroom and from the carpeting in his car on victims. Using
many charts and photographs, prosecutors pointed out that the probability of finding
victims with both the bedroom and car fibers was 1 in 7,792 times 3,828 or 1 in
29,827,776. With such odds against him, Wayne Williams was convicted of murder and
sentenced to life in prison. The John Serratore Case In June 1999, a New South Wales
Supreme Court jury in Sydney, Australia, found John Serratore, 27, guilty of strangling
Frances Tizzone, a 21-year-old student, four years earlier. The two had planned to
become engaged before Tizzone broke it off. The verdict was based to a large extent on
fibers that were found on the dead woman's shoes. Forensic scientists maintained that
these fibers were consistent with fibers from the carpet in Serratore's car. Furthermore,
they stated that the fibers would not have remained on her footwear had she taken
more than a few steps. Hence the murder must have occurred while she was either in or
very near Serratore's automobile. While the evidence could not establish that Serratore
was the murderer, it did show that he was at least an accomplice and led to a conviction
and a sentence of 20 years in prison The authors describe a number of exotic poisons
and famous murders committed with them.
Blanco, Juan Ignacio. "Wayne Williams | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers." Wayne
Williams | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
Murderpedia Juan Ignacio Blanco home last updates MALE murderers by country by
name A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z FEMALE murderers by country
by name A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Wayne Bertram WILLIAMS
The Atlanta Child Murders Classification: Serial killer? Characteristics: The case remains,
in many minds, an unsolved mystery Number of victims: 2 - 24 + Date of murders: 1979 -
1981 Date of arrest: June 21, 1981 Date of birth: May 27, 1958 Victims profile: Nathaniel
Cater, 28 / Jimmy Ray Payne, 21 / Police attributed these deaths to Williams (closed
cases): Alfred Evans, 13 / Yusef Bell, 9 / Eric Middlebrooks, 14 / Christopher Richardson,
12 / Aaron Wyche, 10 / Anthony Carter, 9 / Earl Terrell, 11 / Clifford Jones, 13 / Charles
Stephens, 12 / Aaron Jackson, 9 / Patrick Rogers, 16 / Lubie Geter, 14 / Terry Pue, 15 /
Patrick Baltazar, 11 / Curtis Walker, 13 / Jo Jo Bell, 15 / Timothy Hill, 13 / Eddie Duncan,
21 / Larry Rogers, 20 / Michael McIntosh, 23 / John Porter, 28 / William Barrett, 17
Method of murder: Strangulation - Suffocation Location: Atlanta, Fulton County,
Georgia, USA Status: Sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment on
February 27, 1982 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- photo
gallery 1 photo gallery 2 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The FBI's Wayne Williams files On November 5, 1980, United States Attorney General
Benjamin R. Civiletti directed the FBI to participate in the investigation of several
missing and murdered children in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to working an
independent investigation, the FBI collaborated with the local law enforcement Task
Force to provide additional manpower, guidance and technical assistance. Ultimately,
on February 27, 1982, Wayne Bertram Williams was found guilty on two counts of
murder in the Fulton County Superior Court, Atlanta, Georgia. He was sentenced to two
consecutive life terms. Atlanta Child Murders --------------------------------------------------------
------------------------ Wayne Bertram Williams (born May 27, 1958) was identified as the
key suspect in the Atlanta Child Murders that occurred between 1979 and 1981. In
January 1982, he was found guilty of the murder of two adult men. After his conviction,
the Atlanta police declared an additional 23 of the 29 child murders solved. Early life
Williams was born and raised in Atlanta's Dixie Hills neighborhood, from which many of
the Atlanta Child Murderer's victims would later disappear. An aspiring DJ, he ran an
amateur radio station from his parents' house, and was well-known in the area for
scouting local musicians, particularly teenagers. He also had a reputation in his
community as a liar who invented impressive stories about himself, the details of which
were too outlandish to be true. He was rumoured to be gay, but this has never been
proven. His only encounter with the law prior to becoming a murder suspect was in
1976, when he was arrested (but never convicted) for impersonating a police officer.
Manning, Jason. 40. The Atlanta Murders. 40. The Atlanta Murders. The Eighties Club, 2000.
Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Wayne_Williams.html The
Eighties Club The Politics and Pop Culture of the 1980s Table of Contents Material
Things 40. The Atlanta Murders Copyright 2000 Jason Manning All Rights Reserved
Wayne Williams It began in the long hot summer of 1979 -- July 21, to be exact -- when
14-year-old Edward Smith left home (a Cape Street housing project in south Atlanta) to
visit a skating rink. A few days later, Edward's friend, Alfred Evans, 14, went to see a
movie at a downtown cinema. Neither boy came home. Both were found on July 28 in a
patch of woods near Niskey Lake Road; Edward had been shot with a .22 caliber pistol
while Alfred had been asphyxiated. Initially, the police thought the deaths were drug-
related. In early September, Milton Harvey, 14, disappeared from a middle-class
neighborhood in northwest Atlanta. His remains were found two months later in a
garbage dump. The body of Yusef Bell, 9, was found in a deserted elementary school on
November 8. While the authorities didn't think the four murders were connected,
others -- including Yusef's mother Camille -- disagreed. They pressured the city, and
Mayor Maynard Jackson promised a full investigation. The killings stopped -- until March
1980. When Willie Mae Mathis sent her 10-year-old son Jefferey to the store to buy her
some cigarettes it was the last time she saw her boy alive. A week later, Eric
Middlebrooks, 14, disappeared, only to be found the next day, bludgeoned to death.
The list of victims quickly grew during the "Summer of Death" -- Aaron Wyche, 10,
whose body was found beneath a highway bridge; Anthony Carter, 9, found stabbed to
death a mile from his home; CliffordJones, 13, discovered in a dumpster, strangled; Earl
Terrell, 11, apparently abducted on July 30 and transported across the state line. This
brought the FBI into the case. Meanwhile, Camille Bell joined forces with the Reverend
Earl Carroll and the mothers of two other victims to found the Committee to Stop
Children's Murders. Civic leaders complained that the city, headed by blacks, was not
doing enough to stop the killings. (MaynardJackson was the first black mayor of a major
American city, and Public Safety Commissioner Lee Brown was one of the highest
ranking black law enforcement officials in the country.) A special task force was
organized, but investigators had little to go on. (The FBI set up its own task force in
Atlanta.) Complicating matters was the absence of any pattern to the slayings, apart
from the fact that all the victims were black children between the ages of nine and
fourteen. That alone was enough to lead some to suggest that the killings were being
committed by the Ku Klux Klan. Jesse Jackson claimed that the murders were part of a
nationwide racial conspiracy. But it seemed unlikely that one or more perpetrators
could go undetected in the neighborhoods where the abductions took place. As the
murders continued, some who were familiar with the details of the crimes thought that
they were the work of more than one killer. By early 1981, twenty black children had
been slain in twenty months. The city seemed powerless to protect its citizens, and the
black community responded with safety education programs as well as neighborhood
patrols. Eleven members of New York's red-bereted Guardian Angels arrived in Atlanta
to participate. There were even armed vigilante groups; one, founded by activist
Chimurenga Jenga, carried firearms as they patrolled the Techwood Homes project --
until, that is, the police arrested Jenga and four others. Volunteer search parties
combed remote areas looking for missing children. The task force numbered forty
investigators by April 1981. They worked out of a headquarters housed in a converted
West Peachtree Street automobile showroom.
Torpy, Bill. "Playahata." » Blog Archive » Atlanta Child Murders: Wayne Williams, Fall Guy? N.p.,
23 June 2005. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. Playahata Playahata.com – Where The Truth On Pop
& Politics Lives. Are You A Playahata? www.playahata.com Playahata on Facebook
Playahata on Twitter Subcribe to Newsletter News Select Category Commentary Crime
& Punishment Economy Ecosystem Education Entertainment Health & Medicine
International Just for Fun Local Media National Odd & Unusual Personal Finance
Playahata of the Month Playahater of the Month Politics Race, Class, & Sex Radio, TV, &
Film Reviews Satire Sports Take Action Video Pages Who We Are Column Archives
Playahata Award Archives Interview & Feature Archives Book Review Archives Satire
Archives Slang Dictionary Archives Recent Comments FYI on ASSATA FILM by Fred Baker
FYI on Eyes of the Rainbow: Assata Shakur Documentary/Part 3 of 6 FYI on Terror
Factory FYI on Jay Shells Drops “Rap Quotes,” His Most Site-Specific Street Art Project
Yet FYI on Idiot rapper alert:Gucci Mane December 2013 M T W T F S S « Nov 1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Archives Select
Month November 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013
April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012
October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012
March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011
September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011
February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September
2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010
January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August
2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December
2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008
May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007
November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May
2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November
2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April
2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October
2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March
2005 February 2005 January 2005 Meta Log in Entries RSS Comments RSS
WordPress.org 23 Jun Atlanta Child Murders: Wayne Williams, Fall Guy? Wayne
Williams a fall guy Imprisoned former DeKalb sheriff thinks old friend has hidden reason
for reopening cases. By BILL TORPY The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Mr. Sidney
DorseyREIDSVILLE — Sidney Dorsey looks good these days. The former DeKalb County
sheriff is trim and taut, thanks to hundreds of push-ups and sit-ups each day in his
isolation cell. He has retired his toupee for a shaved head; his mustache is salt and
pepper. When he was on the outside, Sid Dorsey was a dapper and cocksure man on the
make, a retired Atlanta homicide cop who in 1996 was elected DeKalb’s first black
sheriff. He had a beautiful wife, controlled 700 employees and a $40 million budget and
was setting himself up as a political kingmaker. But inside Georgia State Prison at
Reidsville, 210 miles southeast of Atlanta, prisoner 1148460 is confined to his cell most
of the day. Thirty-two years in law enforcement would make him a sitting duck in the
general population. The 65-year-old Dorsey, who was convicted in 2002 and sentenced
to life for ordering the murder of Derwin Brown, the man who defeated him for sheriff,
gets few letters and even fewer visitors. Even when he gets visitors — such as a - See
more at: http://www.playahata.com/?p=643#sthash.vfxJX1eX.dpuf
"Wayne Williams | Carpe Noctem - Seize the NightCarpe Noctem – Seize the Night." Carpe
Noctem. N.p., 2000. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. Mafia Serial Killers Military Leaders Conspiracy
Theories Haunted Hotspots MafiaSerial KillersMilitary LeadersConspiracy
TheoriesHaunted Hotspots Wayne Williams The curious and controversial string of
deaths that sparked a two-year reign of terror in Atlanta, Georgia, has been labeled
“child murders,” even though a suspect – ultimately blamed for the 23 of 30 “official”
homicides – was finally convicted only in the deaths of two adult ex-convicts. Today,
about two decades after that suspect’s arrest, the case remains, in many minds, an
unsolved mystery. Investigation of the case began, officially, on July 28, 1979. That
afternoon, a woman hunting empty cans and bottles in Atlanta stumbled on a pair of
corpses, carelessly concealed in roadside undergrowth. One victim, shot with a .22-
caliber weapon, was identified as 14-year-old Edward Smith, reported missing on July
21. The other was 13-year-old Alfred Evans, last seen alive on July 25; the coroner
ascribed his death to “probable” asphyxiation. Both dead boys, like all of those to come,
were African-American. On September 4, Milton Harvey, age 14, vanished during a
neighborhood bike ride. His body was recovered three weeks later, but the cause of
death remains officially “unknown.” Yusef Bell, a nine-year-old, was last seen alive when
his mother sent him to the store on October 21. Found dead in an abandoned school
November 8, he had been manually strangled by a powerful assailant. Angel Lenair, age
12, was the first recognized victim of 1980. Reported missing on March 4, she was found
six days later, tied to a tree with her hands bound behind her. The first female victim,
she had been sexually abused and strangled; someone else’s panties were extracted
from her throat. On March 11, Jeffrey Mathis vanished on an errand to the store. Eleven
months would pass before recovery of his skeletal remains, advanced decomposition
ruling out a declaration on the cause of death. On May 18, 14-year-old Eric
Middlebrooks left home after receiving a telephone call from persons unknown. Found
the next day, his death was blamed on head injuries, inflicted with a blunt instrument.
The terror escalated that summer. On June 9, Christopher Richardson, 12, vanished en
route to a neighborhood swimming pool. - See more at:
http://www.carpenoctem.tv/serial-killers/wayne-williams/#sthash.MQjvZRts.dpuf
"What Evidence Is There That Wayne Williams Didn't Commit the Atlanta Child Murders -
Straight Dope Message Board." Weblog post. Straight Dope Message Board RSS. N.p., 4
Sept. 2004. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. Go Back Straight Dope Message Board Main Great
Debates Reload this Page What evidence is there that Wayne Williams didn't commit
the Atlanta child murders User Name Remember Me? Password Register FAQ Calendar
Go to Page... Reply Thread Tools Display Modes #1 Old 09-04-2012, 02:01 AM Wesley
Clark Wesley Clark is online now Guest Join Date: Aug 2003 What evidence is there that
Wayne Williams didn't commit the Atlanta child murders -----------------------------------------
--------------------------------------- I have heard there is controversy about his guilt. To my
understanding he became a suspect after police pulled him over after they suspected
him of dumping a body off a bridge (a body was found downstream from where they
suspected Williams of dumping a body a few days later). Several bodies that were found
had fibers that matched the carpet fibers in his parents home, where he was living. DNA
testing in the last few years found hairs on the bodies of some victims that matches the
hairs of his pet dog. What is the argument against his guilt? Of the 20+ murders, I think
he was only tied to a few via forensic evidence. So maybe there were multiple killers, I
don't know. At the very least it appears he killed some of the people he is accused of
killing. Reply With Quote Wesley Clark View Public Profile Find all posts by Wesley Clark
Advertisements #2 Old 09-04-2012, 02:27 AM Bryan Ekers Bryan Ekers is offline Guest
Join Date: Nov 2000 Well, there probably were multiple killers - they just weren't acting
in concert. It's my understanding that a number of the murders were just the expected
result of children in a crime-infested, unemployment-ridden, drug-using, police-
indifferent inner city enclave. Kids were being killed all the time - Williams just added
enough to the tally that it couldn't be as easily ignored. Reply With Quote Bryan Ekers
View Public Profile Visit Bryan Ekers's homepage! Find all posts by Bryan Ekers #3 Old
09-04-2012, 02:45 AM Nametag Nametag is online now Atheopoiesist Charter Member
Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: California Posts: 7,621 There's no evidence, really. There
are some records of KKK leaders praising the killings, but the main thrust of the
argument is a blend of "rush to judgment," "he was framed," "white racist cop
conspiracy," and "I just know that sweet boy didn't do it." When DeKalb county police
chief Louis Graham reopened four of the cases, nothing came up. When the dog hairs
were tested, they were only able to test mitochondrial DNA, which matched his dog, but
which is not as individual as nuclear DNA. Reply With Quote Nametag View Public
Profile Find all posts by Nametag #4 Old 09-04-2012, 06:35 AM ElvisL1ves ElvisL1ves is
offline Charter Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: New England Posts: 28,873 When
Williams was arrested, the murders stopped. Reply With Quote ElvisL1ves View Public
Profile Find all posts by ElvisL1ves #5 Old 09-04-2012, 02:56 PM Wesley Clark Wesley
Clark is online now Guest Join Date: Aug 2003 Quote: Originally Posted by ElvisL1ves
View Post When Williams was arrested, the murders stopped. So did the son of sam
killings and those were probably done by multiple killers. Reply With Quote Wesley
Clark View Public Profile Find all posts by Wesley Clark #6 Old 09-04-2012, 04:03 PM
Yorikke Yorikke is offline Guest Join Date: Jan 2003 Quote: Originally Posted by Wesley
Clark View Post So did the son of sam killings and those were probably done by multiple
killers. Can you expand on this? Joe Reply With Quote Yorikke View Public Profile Find all
posts by Yorikke #7 Old 09-04-2012, 04:08 PM TriPolar TriPolar is offline Member Join
Date: Oct 2007 Location: rhode island Posts: 21,602 What little I recall from a couple of
analyses, Wayne Williams is unlikely to have commited many of the murders. There
were plenty of cases closed just by wrapping them up in the same package. What I don't
recall is how well they had him tied to at least one murder. I recall they had him dead to
rights on the last one though. Also, children didn't stop disappearing any dying after he
was caught, anybody have the statistics on that? Reply With Quote TriPolar View Public
Profile Find all posts by TriPolar #8 Old 09-04-2012, 06:34 PM Little Nemo Little Nemo is
offline Charter Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Western New York Posts: 52,550
Quote: Originally Posted by Wesley Clark View Post What is the argument against his
guilt? Of the 20+ murders, I think he was only tied to a few via forensic evidence.