For many in the criminal justice system, one case that stands out is the Atlanta Child Murders as it was a case that shook our nation. From May of 1979 to July of 1981 there were 29 children that were murdered in Atlanta, Georgia. The victims were all young black males and it was believed that 23-year-old Wayne Williams was responsible for the murders. Nearly 40 years after the tragedy, there has remained many doubts on the murders.
On March 21, 2019, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields announced that officials would re-test evidence from the murders, which will be gathered by the Atlanta Police Department, Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, and Georgia Bureau of Investigation. In a news conference, Mayor Bottoms said, “It may be there is nothing left to be tested. But I do think history will judge us by our actions and we will be able to say we tried.” Below is a list of the murdered children, the date of their disappearance and the cause of their deaths.
Name – Age- Date of Disappearance – Cause of Death – Case Status
Edward Smith – 14 – July 21, 1979 – Gunshot wound to upper back from a .22-caliber weapon – Unresolved
Alfred Evans – 13 – July 25, 1979 – Strangulation – Attributed to Williams; closed
Milton Harvey – 14 – September 4, 1979 – Undetermined – Unresolved
Yusuf Bell – 9 – October 21, 1979 – Strangulation – Attributed to Williams; closed
Angel Lanier – 12 – March 4, 1980 – Ligature strangulation – Unresolved
Jeffery Mathis – 11 – March 11, 1980 – Undetermined – Unresolved
Eric Middlebrooks – 14 – May 18, 1980 – Blunt-force trauma to the head – Attributed to Williams; closed
Christopher Richardson – 12 – June 9, 1980 – Strangulation – Attributed to Williams; closed
LaTonya Wilson – 7 – June 22, 1980 – Undetermined – Unresolved
Aaron Wyche – 10 – June 23, 1980 – Asphyxiation – Attributed to Williams; closed
Anthony Carter – 9 – July 6, 1980 – Multiple stab wounds – Attributed to Williams; closed
Earl Terrell – 10- July 30, 1980 – Asphyxiation – Attributed to Williams; closed
Clifford Jones – 12 – August 20, 1980 – Ligature strangulation – Attributed to Williams; closed
Darron Glass – 10 – September 14, 1980 – Undetermined (body never found) – Unresolved
Charles Stephens – 12 – October 9, 1980 – Suffocation – Attributed to Williams; closed
Aaron Jackson – 9 – November 1, 1980 – Asphyxiation – Attributed to Williams; closed
Patrick Rogers – 16 – November 10, 1980 – Blunt-force trauma to the head – Attributed to Williams; closed
Lubie Geter – 14 – January 3, 1981 – Asphyxiation – Attributed to Williams; closed
Terry Pue – 15 – January 22, 1981 – Strangulation – Attributed to Williams; closed
Patrick Baltazar – 12 – February 6, 1981 – Strangulation – Attributed to Williams; closed
Curtis Walker – 13 – February 19, 1981 – Asphyxiation – Attributed to Williams; closed
Joseph Bell – 15 – March 2, 1981 – Asphyxiation – Attributed to Williams; closed
Timothy Hill – 13 – March 13, 1981 – Asphyxiation – Attributed to Williams; closed
William Barrett – 17 – May 11, 1981 – Strangulation – Attributed to Williams; closed
While the debate is whether or not Wayne Williams was a scapegoat for these crimes, the HBO Documentary Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children has caused a great deal of discussion in our legal community. We spoke to three of the top criminal defense lawyers in the state of Michigan to discuss this topic.
Scott Grabel is the founder of Grabel and Associates which is known as the top criminal defense firm in the state of Michigan. When asked about the Atlanta Child Murders, Grabel replied, “It’s hard to believe it has been over 40 years since we first learned about this tragedy. I know that John Douglas felt that Wayne Williams committed many of the acts but there has been a lot of debate over the issue. The HBO documentary and Mayor Bottoms has certainly given us a lot to think about.”
William Amadeo is a partner at McManus and Amadeo and a Senior Associate for Grabel and Associates. Amadeo is known as one of the top criminal defense lawyers in the state of Michigan and provided his views on the topic. “I’ve never believed that Wayne Williams was guilty. I remember being a young child when made for tv movies first came out and I even believed then that Wayne Williams was innocent. Charles T. Stoner was a KKK member and is said to have been involved in the crimes and this was a time of great racial unrest. The FBI had to pin the crime on a black man to help economic prosperity in Atlanta. I hope one day the truth comes out but I’ll stand by my belief that Wayne Williams is innocent.”
Nancy Eaton-Gordon is a partner at Jackson Eaton-Gordon in Lenawee County, Michigan and is known as one of the top criminal lawyers in that area. When asked about the newly found evidence, Eaton-Gordon replied, “Technology has come a long way since 1981. When the tragedy struck Atlanta, there was a need for a quick resolution and many will argue that nobody was murdered once Wayne Williams was apprehended. With that stated, the arrest of Williams would also be a perfect time for a murderer to stop committing the crimes. We can only hope that the truth comes out.”
Grabel went on to add, “The advent of the Internet certainly changed the way that the FBI has handled matters. There is a lot of unknowns with this case. It is possible that an innocent man is serving time and there are victims that need closure. Let’s hope the truth comes on with these new investigations.”