New DNA tests OK'd in 1982 Atlanta murder cases (AP/CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- State lawyers have agreed to allow DNA testing of dog hair that was used to convict Wayne Williams, who has been blamed for the murders of two dozen children and young men in the late 1970s and early '80s.

Williams was convicted in 1982 of murdering Nathaniel Cater, 27, and Jimmy Ray Payne, 21, and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Afterward, officials declared Williams responsible for 22 other deaths and those cases were closed.

The decision Monday to allow DNA testing came in a response to a filing as part of Williams' efforts to appeal his conviction and life sentence.

But while saying they had no objections to the testing, state lawyers also said it "would not change the results of this trial. Defendant cannot show that DNA tests, no matter what the results, would create a reasonable probability that the verdict would have been different at the time of trial."

Williams' lawyer, Jack Martin, asked a Fulton County Superior Court judge to allow DNA tests on dog and human hair and blood that might help win Williams a new trial.
***
more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/01/30/atlanta.child.killings.ap/index.html

[xultar]

1. THANK GOD!!! Wayne Williams did not kill those boys!

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Atlanta police were under a LOT of pressure to get those crimes "solved"...

and (as happens) found someone they could pin them on.

A lot of DUer's won't remember this case, but a *lot* of people at the time were very troubled by the idea that someone could be convicted of murder based almost entirely on the 'expert' examination of fiber evidence. I remember at least one reporter has since claimed that the serial child murders of which WW was accused did not stop with his arrest ... they were just not classifed by the police as being "related" murders. Given all the advances in forensic science since those murders, this case cries out to be reopened.

[angstlessk]

8. Not only solved..but have a BLACK MAN being the murderer..otherwise

they feared riots!

[xultar]

9. I just saw a documentary on it. what is funny is they bought the car after

one of the bodies was dumped. That body was one of the 2 actual convictions based on fibers and they didn't even own the source of the fibers until after he was killed and dumped. Now how the fuck can that happen.

Oh and the carpet fibers that matched in the home.

Commercial standard carpets. They said they were rare...well rare for residential but not for commercial and they never checked commercial buildings with the fibers. Recently they noted that it was one of the most commonly used green comercial carpets.

Lazy fuckers didn't even investigate shit. I swear when they let Wayne out there will be RIOTS in ATL. I'm more than convinced that some KKK activity was involved and they didn't want to let it out cuz they were trying to bring conventions to ATL.

The KKK members will never be caught and black folk down here will be furious.

[eppur_se_muova]

12. Name/link for that documentary? I'd be interested.

I think this was around the time a lot of people switched from "the Law know what they're doing" to "Jeez, I HOPE they know what they're doing". With "Thin Blue Line" it became "Christ, I hope **SOME** of them are doing their jobs right".

Too much of this case has been allowed to fade from public memory. Hope the new evidence drags it into the light again.

[xultar]

16. I can't find the show but here is the DVD for the show....

The Atlanta Child Murders DVD (http://store.aetv.com/html/product/index.jhtml?id=73525)

For nearly two years, the headlines in Atlanta reverberated with stories of unspeakable terror and loss--the city's African American children were disappearing. When it was all over, a total of 29 victims--all but 6 of them teens or younger--were dead, and a young man named Wayne Williams was in jail.

But, as AMERICAN JUSTICE® reveals, there are some who think that Williams was not, in fact, the killer. In THE ATLANTA CHILD MURDERS, some lawyers claim that the prosecution withheld evidence that white supremacists may have been involved in some of the murders, while investigators counter that the Klan investigation was a dead-end and Williams is the real killer. Former FBI profilers share their insights, and Williams himself speaks from his prison cell.

Nearly 20 years after the case was closed, controversy still swirls around THE ATLANTA CHILD MURDERS.

I think the show was called Murder Revisited - The Atlanta Child Murders.

[eppur_se_muova]

18. Thanks, bookmarked. nt

[xultar]

21. It's a great show. Keep a watch out on Biograpny.com they may show it

again since there is new info with the DNA tests coming up.

[toopers]

14. The KKK did not have anything to do with these murders,

unless they paid a black person to commit the murders. John Douglas, FBI Mindhunter fame, was asked by the APD to help investigate, help create the profile for the case, assist in the examination of WW when he took the stand, and wrote a story about his experiences on the case. I think it is a great read, but I enjoy learning about serial killers.

Anyway, one of the points he discusses is the belief by many that the crimes were committed by the KKK. He explains that his investigation often brought him into predominantly black neighborhoods. It was impossible for him to get into these neighborhoods without being spotted -- because he was white. So, the likelihood of a white person picking black kids/people off the street in a black neighborhood and going unnoticed is almost nil. Therefore, a white person could not have committed many of these crimes without help from a black person.

As mentioned before, he helped the DA in questioning Wayne on the stand, and basically got Wayne to admit to the killings he was charged with. You have to read the account to understand how he did it. It is a great read so it will go quickly. I just wish I could remember the book.

I do not believe WW was the killer of all children that were put under the Atlanta Child Murders, but he is guilty of the ones he went to trial for.

One other point, not all of the people were children, but the ones that were adults were mentally retarded and had the mental capacity no greater than a young teenager.

[xultar]

15. I believe and so do many others down here is that SOME were KKK related.

Some were just old regular murders.

Some were especially the boy killed and found in back of a coin laundry was a neighborhood pedophile.

Now I live down here. I lived here when the murders were going on.

[toopers]

17. I live her now and I did then, also.

As stated, I agree that WW was not guilty of all the murders. However, this idea that there was a big conspiracy involving the KKK to kidnap and kill 25+ black kids is not true. I think the DNA evidence will probably lead to WW and maybe there is enough dog hair evidence from some of the other murders that were never charged/solved that a few more can be linked to him.

[xultar]

19. I never said that. I said that there was SOME KKK involvement in some.

Some were regular old murders.
Some were pedofiles.

I already said that he was only convicted of 2. I know that some were men. Some were stabbed. Some were shot. Some were found Downtown ATL.


BTW. If you don't think that the KKK kills black kids you're naive.


Come on read my posts will ya? I can't keep typing the same thing over and over again.

[toopers]

23. Trust me, I read your posts.

Unfortunately, I know that the KKK kills/killed black kids. However, probably not any of these -- especially the ones that were last seen alive in the black neighborhoods. I also read where you mentioned the adults, that is why I added the point about mental retardation in the adults linked to the Child Murders. And, as info not only were these done by pedophiles and "regular old" murderers, but some were committed by the parents of these kids, but not enough evidence was available to charge.

Also, I did see the show that you mention so I am not approaching this from purely one side.

[hlthe2b]

24. I've always had my doubts too-- lived in Atlanta at the time...

and on two occasions afterwards before returning to live in Colorado... I've always hoped this case would be re-opened and I've followed it "from afar..."

BTW, As I recall, Monica Kaufman sort of rose to prominence as a newscaster during this time.... She was a fixture reporting on the story.. Ironically, my sister (still in Atlanta) tells me she's soon to retire? It would be sort of fitting for her to report on "the rest of the story."

[xultar]

25. Exactly. I didn't know she was retiring...I don't watch local ATL news.

[Benhurst]

5. Of course there is no way for me to really know; but I've always had

doubts about the verdict in that trial.

[xultar]

7. The 2 killings he was convicted of there was no way he could have done it...

the first one died and was dumped the day before his parents bought the car that matched the fibers the body.

the second one was seen the day after the supposed day of death...and that weekend Wayne was out of town buying the car (or something like that).

he was only convicted of 2 murders.

One boy was actually killed by a man that worked @ a coin laundry. That man was eventually arrested for raping another boy and eventually died in jail of AIDS.

There were others that were just tacked on and weren't children @ all some as old as 30. Some were shot, stabbed, found in downtown Atlanta...regular old crimes...and they said they were part of the 'child' murders.

I can't wait till they find out they put that man in jail for nothing.

[Benhurst]

11. Thanks, xultar. I remembered feeling uncomfortable with the verdict.

[Mnemosyne]

26. I agree and have since the beginning, Something smelled. n/t

[AlCzervik]

2. it's about F*cking time!!!!!

[hippiechick]

3. WTF??

"... Defendant cannot show that DNA tests, no matter what the results, would create a reasonable probability that the verdict would have been different at the time of trial. ..."


That makes no fucking sense. Give him a new trial, dammit!

[meegbear]

6. Exactly my thoughts!

Sounds like a Scalia fan.

[xultar]

10. There are people on the supreme court down here that will never let it happen.

I believe when the old guys croak...Wayne will get a new trial and be released. Then we are gonna riot in the ATL.

[jarab]

13. Since we're all simply expressing opinions ....

I think the sick bastard killed em all.

...O...

[sam sarrha]

20. this is really going to piss off the KKKlan...

[xultar]

22. Well there are some ole' boys on the GA supreme court that are keeping a new

trial out ofthe picture. They won't be so pissed off yet. But it is coming. PAY BACK is a BITCH.

[Pastiche423]

27. xultar , thank you for all of your comments in this thread

Before I clicked on the thread, I knew it was about Wayne Williams. I lived in Atlanta before "the murderer" was caught, but had moved by the time of the trial.

It was scary living there knowing a murderer was on the loose. It was talked about constantly on the news.

But when they annouced that Wayne Williams was the perp, it din't feel right. I thought that soon they would find out they were mistaken and release Williams.

I believe there are a number of somebodies out there that actually committed the crimes.