Early Life
Wayne Bertram Williams was born to African-American parents, Homer and Faye Williams on May 27, 1958. He was raised by both parents in Dixie Hills, on the southwest parts of Atlanta. The young Williams schooled at the Douglass High School where he demonstrated his passion for journalism. His early life seemed normal until he was linked to a spree of strange killings in Atlanta. By the time of his arrest and prosecution, Williams was practicing photography as his career (DeLong, 2018).
Atlanta Child Murders
The mystery of Atlanta killings sprung on Aug. 7, 1979, after two corpses of black children were discovered hidden in the bushes by the roadside (DeLong, 2018). The woman reported the case, and investigations later revealed the identity of the two children as Edward Smith and Alfred Evans, aged 14 and 13 respectively (Barcella, 2018). The two had earlier been reported missing by their parents. The cause of the killing was a mystery, and the evidence to establish the killer was insufficient.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
For nearly two subsequent years, between July 21, 1979, and May 1981 the spree of inhumane killings of black children continued. The identity of the serial killer who brought the number of fatalities to approximately 29 has remained uncertain to date (Barcella, 2018). For instance, two young kids, Yusef Bell, and Angel Lenair were both murdered by strangling. Angel Lenair was later found dead tied to a tree. These merciless killings of children came to be infamously known as the Atlanta Child Murders (DeLong, 2018). After their murder, most of the victims were either thrown in the Chattahoochee River or dumped in the bushes within the locality.
Adult Killings
The mysterious killings finally stretched from kids to adults, when the bodies of Jimmy Ray Payne and Nathaniel Cater were recovered from the Chattahoochee River, on different occasions. The discovery of Cater’s body linked Williams with the killings (DeLong, 2018).
Link to the Murders
Two days before the recovery of Cater’s body from the river, on the morning of May 22, 1981, a surveillance team guarding the bridges in Atlanta heard a loud splash. A few moments later, they met Williams’ car speeding off the scene. The officers stopped Williams and briefly questioned him concerning the splash. However, Williams detached himself from the issue and claimed he was speeding to meet Cheryl Johnson, a young singer, in the neighboring town. Two days after the event, Cater’s body was found washed downstream, and the only suspect in the case was Wayne Williams (DeLong, 2018). Therefore, Williams got apprehended on June 21, 1981, following his link to the mysterious murders of Cater and Payne. Investigations later revealed that Williams had no appointment with Cheryl Johnson. The name, identity, and contact of Cheryl Johnson that Williams availed were all fictitious.
Furthermore, the defense of Williams concerning his location at the time of the crime proved weak. In addition to that, Williams also failed several polygraph tests as he gave inconsistent testimonies about his whereabouts. Further investigation into the circumstances of the death and evidence collected from Payne and Cater convinced the investigators that the killer of the two men was one person (Barcella, 2018). Williams got into limelight especially when he got accused of being the serial killer of the 29 innocent children.
A Probe into Williams’ Case
The investigation of the Atlantic Child Murders conducted by a prominent FBI profiler, John Douglas, concluded that the killer of the 29 kids was of black descent and not white. Despite the racial factors that existed and the likelihood of a ‘white racist’ committing the killings, Douglas maintained that only a black guy could have had easy access to black children. Suspicions could have been higher if a white man was involved. The investigation was, therefore, narrowed towards arresting a black culprit (DeLong, 2018).
During the investigations, Douglas linked Williams to at least 20 cases out of the total reported (DeLong, 2018). The investigators also observed that there was a sudden decline of the deaths soon after Williams got arrested. In 2010, investigators linked Williams to DNA forensics that were found on the body of a child victim. Two hairs were purportedly found on the 11-year-old, 38 years later since the killings (Deadman, 1984).
Concerning the murder of Payne and Cater, the investigators ascertained that hairs and fibers of Williams, his car, and dog were similar to the samples collected from the victims. The evidence of the hair and fibers, therefore, convinced the investigators that Williams was directly involved in the murder of Payne and Cater (Deadman, 1984).
Investigations into the probable motive of the killings attributed Williams strange behavior to the disappointments he experienced in his life. His life did not take the course he desired, making him end up in freelance photography instead of being a journalist and producer. He tried many professions which showed elements of dissatisfaction in his life (Barcella, 2018). Furthermore, the freelance photography which he was practicing during his time of arrest was also unfulfilling to him. Williams, therefore, resorted to serial killing as a way of finding satisfaction and control over his life.
Prosecution and Sentencing
Williams was convicted of two murders and consequently, he got sentenced to two consecutive life imprisonments. The prosecution found Williams guilty of killing of Payne and Cater. Based on the incomplete investigations, Williams has since remained a suspect in the Atlanta Child Murders. The prosecution suspects him for being the culprit, but it has not been able to produce concrete evidence to link Williams with the killings (DeLong, 2018).
The Controversy in Williams’ Case
Williams has maintained his innocence despite being the chief suspect in the Atlanta Child Murders. He claims that he has been wrongly accused and has nothing to do with the case. In addition to that, some of the victims’ families have detached Williams to the killing of their children. They are convinced that somebody else did it, and not Williams (DeLong, 2018). Furthermore, it is unrealistic that the evidence of two of ‘Williams hairs’ found on an 11-year-old victim, has surfaced almost nearly 40 years later (Deadman, 1984). The confidants and neighbors to Williams have also dissociated Williams with the killing of the children based on Williams personality as a composed and calm person. On the other hand, investigators still claim that Williams is the Atlanta monster.
Questions about Williams involvement in the killing of the children have also been attributed to a white-supremacist group, known as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Charles Sanders, a member of the KKK group and also a drug dealer, allegedly released a recorded tape, telling of his plans to kill black children (Barcella, 2018). Reports revealed that one child whom he had earlier threatened was found dead later. However, the FBI investigations into such reports cleared the KKK group from the allegations. Many believe that attributing the cases to Williams was a bid to close the backlog of many unresolved cases by the FBI.
Conclusion
Williams case has lasted many years and remains unclear whether he is to blame for the Atlanta killings or not. As he continues to serve his life sentence in prison, Williams still maintains that he is innocent. Therefore, speedy and conclusive investigations should be launched concerning Williams involvement in the Atlanta Child Murder. Justice ought to prevail. Williams should either be prosecuted or cleared from the allegation.
References
Barcella, L. (2018, February 1). Was Serial Killer Wayne Williams Really the Atlanta Monster Who Murdered Dozens of Black Kids? Retrieved from https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/wayne-williams-atlanta-monster-child-murders-black-serial-killer
Deadman, H. A. (1984). Fiber evidence and the Wayne Williams trial (part I). FBI L. Enforcement Bull. , 53 , 13.
DeLong, W. (2018, October 23). Was Wayne Williams a Serial Killer of 28 Kids? Or Did a Racist System Railroad Him? Retrieved from https://allthatsinteresting.com/wayne-williams-atlanta-child-murders
