On Monday, investigators from the Atlanta Police Department traveled to a private lab in Salt Lake City to physically hand over DNA evidence associated with a terrifying 2-year murder spree that resulted in the death of at least 28 people, most of them children.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms confirmed the evidence transfer in a tweet on Monday, although she nor the Atlanta Police Department named the private lab. NBC affiliate KSL-TV has identified the lab as Sorenson Forensics, although other media outlets have been unable to confirm that. Sorenson Forensics is now located in Draper, Utah, about 20 miles south of Salt Lake City.
Between 1979 and 1981, at least 28 people were murdered, most of them young children aged 14 and younger. The first adult victim, 21-year-old Eddie Duncan, was found in March 1981, toward the end of the reign of terror. The youngest known victim is 7-year-old LaTonya Wilson, while the oldest is the last reported victim, 27-year-old Nathaniel Cater.
Cater was last seen with music producer Wayne Williams, who was eventually arrested and found guilty of his murder in addition to that of 21-year-old Jimmy Ray Payne, after fibers from Payne’s body were found to be consistent with Williams’ home, car and dog. While Atlanta Police and the FBI have long attributed most of the other 25+ murders to Williams, he has never been tried and has maintained his innocence from jail.
In March 2019, Lance Bottoms reopened the “Atlanta Child Murders” case, asking investigators to use any techniques that were unavailable at the time, including modern DNA technologies.
“Part of my asking that this be reopened was in light of where we are with DNA testing some 40 years later. What, if anything, more could we take a look at to make sure we have examined everything possible, to make sure the person or people responsible are being held accountable,” the mayor said in a press conference.
In a case update on July 16, 2021, Lance Bottoms said investigators had reviewed 40% of collected evidence to determine what could be submitted for additional processing to a specialty private laboratory. Additionally, DNA was successfully extracted from two specific cases.
“This private lab has extensive experience in the field of analyzing deteriorated DNA, and has successful history in providing evidence in high-profile, nationwide cases,” she said.
Investigators have also reanalyzed fiber evidence is all 33 of the cases, and are looking into similar deaths from 1970 to 1985 to see if any additional victims were overlooked.
“It is my sincere hope that there will be concrete answers for the families,” tweeted Lance Bottoms, who has previously spoken about her connection to the case as a 9-year-old girl growing up in Atlanta at the time.
Photo: Wayne Williams, inset above over one of the files in his case, is generally considered the prime suspect in 22+ murders in Atlanta area beginning in 1979. Credit: FBI