Atlanta mayor: 'Monster' who killed parkgoer must be caught
MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) - The 'œmonster'ť who stabbed a woman to death and also killed her dog as they walked through a popular Atlanta park must be taken off the streets, but rumors are not helping police to solve the case, the city's mayor said Tuesday.
In a slaying that has stoked intense interest and fear across the city, Katherine Janness, 40, was found just inside an entrance to Piedmont Park about 1 a.m. on July 28. She had been stabbed multiple times in what the deputy police chief described as a gruesome scene.
'œI know there have been several rumors that there is a serial killer on the loose in our city," Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said at a Tuesday briefing. 'œWe don't have any evidence of that."
Janness was a member of the city's LGBTQ community, and Bottoms also addressed speculation that the killing was a hate crime. 'œAs of now, we don't have any proof of that,'ť she said.
The rumors and false information being spread on social media are not helpful to the investigation and 'œwill not help us get this monster off of the street," Bottoms said.
Police on Tuesday released images from surveillance cameras showing six possible witnesses who were in and around the park around the time of the slaying. They're hoping for the public's help to identify them.
'œNot saying that they're responsible - I want to be clear about that," Atlanta police Deputy Chief Charles Hampton Jr. said. 'œBut we're hoping they saw something that could further our investigation.'ť
Detectives have also gone door-to-door in neighborhoods near the park, asking neighbors and businesses for surveillance footage. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information regarding the slaying.
Investigators sought help from the FBI almost immediately, said Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant.
The homicide 'œwas so unique that I felt that we needed to collaborate with as many resources as we possibly can," Bryant said.
Janness, known to her friends as Katie, was a bartender at a nearby restaurant, friends and relatives said. She was also a devoted daughter, sister, wife, and a friend of many, Hampton said.
'œShe was a vocal advocate for social justice," he said. 'œNow it's time for us to give justice for Katie.'ť