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U.S. NEWS Friday 22 March 2019
Atlanta’s Mayor pushes for

review in ‘Child Murders’ cases

By BEN NADLER Bottoms said she was page,” Leach said. “I want
Associated Press hopeful that technological some closure. I want some
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta’s advancements and newly justice.”
mayor and police chief are available genetic data- Bottoms made the an-
leading a push to re-exam- bases could turn up new nouncement just days
ine evidence from a string information. The review ahead of the release of a Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, standing next to Fulton
of murders that terrorized comes as several high-pro- documentary about the County District Attorney Paul Howard, announces Thursday,
the city’s black community file cold cases across the murders by filmmaker Will March 21, 2019 that officials will take a fresh look at the Atlanta
between 1979 and 1981. country have been solved Packer on the Investigation child murders, a string of murders from 1979 to 1981 that
Mayor Keisha Lance Bot- after comparing old DNA Discovery channel.q terrorized the city’s black community. Associated Press
toms and Police Chief Erika samples to publically avail-
Shields announced Thurs- able ancestry testing data-
day that the Georgia Bu- bases.
reau of Investigation and “There may not be any evi-
Fulton County District At- dence available that can
torney will review evidence be re-examined. But we
in the “Atlanta Child Mur- are taking the necessary
ders” cases to see if any of steps to formally say that
it can be tested further. we are going to open up
Wayne Williams was giv- every box and look in every
en two life sentences in corner and see what we
1982 for convictions in have left,” Bottoms said.
the deaths of two adults, “I don’t think it’s any se-
thought to be among 29 cret that, for many people,
black children and young there’ve been questions as
adults — mostly boys — to whether or not Wayne
who were killed. Williams was responsible for
During his trial, prosecu- all of the murders,” Bottoms
tors offered “pattern” evi- later added.
dence of 10 other murders Catherine Leach, whose
he was not charged in. Af- teenage son Curtis Walker
ter Williams’ conviction, po- was among those mur-
lice closed 22 of the cases, dered, said she is still seek-
blaming them on Williams ing closure.
without formally charging “His case is still sitting on
him. Some other cases re- the shelf, getting dusty and
main formally unresolved. rusty until you can’t see the