The year 2021 has been a tough one when it comes to rising crime in Georgia and particularly in its capital city. No major city has seen its murder rate increase so rapidly as Atlanta, based on homicides per capita in the third quarters of 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Many Atlantans hope a new mayor and new police chief will work to restore sufficient departmental manpower and morale in 2022. In the meantime, Atlanta murders and shootings are not decreasing– and all too many horrible crimes are going unsolved.
Consider just this one case. A woman who was killed in July as she was walking her dog in Atlanta’s iconic Piedmont Park was stabbed dozens of times and had the letters “F” “A” and “T” carved on her chest, according to a medical examiner’s report. And the horrible murder of bar manager Katherine “Katie” Janness, along with the killing of the beloved dog that accompanied her, remains unsolved.
The 40-year-old Janness died from “sharp force injuries of her face, neck, and torso,” according to an autopsy report released by the Fulton County medical examiner. It says she was stabbed at least 15 times from her forehead to her chin, as well as dozens of other times throughout her body.
Atlanta police give “no comment” about whether they have identified any suspects or persons of interest. In fact, some police sources worry it could be a sick serial killer who may have already left the area or state.
Family friend Joe Clark said. “Whoever did it is just an evil monster. Something is very, very disturbed with them. We are just flabbergasted with the whole situation.” Clark says the FBI is investigating with Atlanta police. But the FBI’s Atlanta office is also not responding to media requests for comment.
