WAYNE WILLIAMS

In 1979-1981 Atlanta was in fear of what they were calling the "Atlanta Child Murders." Wayne Williams, known as a sexual serial killer. Several of his victims, many of whom were young men, not children, were known as "street hustlers" willing to sell sexual favors for a few dollars. Even long after the killings began in July of 1979, Atlanta Police could find no pattern beyond the fact that the victims were all young black males. Their bodies were found all over the city in creeks, woods vacant lots, under floors and in the Chattahoochee River. They had been stabbed, shot and strangled. Some people thought the killings were a work of Ku Klux Klan, or a group of witches. Some even said that it was the work of a deranged mother who had lost her own child. No one suspected a pudgy, 23 year old self-employed talent scout and video cameraman of being the killer of more than two dozen young black men in Atlanta. Williams was intelligent and fascinated with electronics. He was known as a "scanner freak," because he would listen to the police scanner and rush to the scenes of spectacular accidents and disasters. He even sometimes sold his videotapes of these incidents to the news. On May 22, 1981, a police recruit on the Jackson Parkway bridge over the Chattahoochee River heard a splash just before he saw William's car cross the bridge. When this victim, a 27-year-old Nathaniel Carter was fished from the river three days later, police started to focus on Wayne Williams as the possible killer. Williams was arrested in June of 1981 and stoutly maintained his innocence. In February of 1982 Williams was convicted on two counts of murder. The "Atlanta Child Murders" stopped after his arrest.

SOME OTHER GEORGIA SERIAL KILLERS

John Williams and Clyde Manning, "The Murder Farm killings"
Lendell Hunter
Junior Pierce
Carlton Gary, "The Columbus Stalking Strangler"
William Hance, "The Forces of Evil Murders"
R.L. Hunter
James Samuel Walraven, "The Bathtub Murderer"
John Latham and George York
Paul John Knowles
Henry Lucas and Ottis Toole
Janie Lou Gibbs
Terri Rachals
Anjette Lyles
Billy Sunday Birt