Share
News

Reports of a Serial Killer in Atlanta After the Deaths of Two Women Appear to Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Share

After two women were found dead in Atlanta-area parks last week, false reports spread on social media suggesting a serial killer was on the loose. Law enforcement say the killings are not related and there’s no reason to believe they are the work of one person.

Here’s a closer look at the facts.

The claim was that a serial killer is loose in Atlanta and police officials are not sharing the details of an ongoing serial killer investigation.

But this is false. Atlanta-area police officials are not treating the two cases as being connected, and they say there is no evidence of a serial killer targeting individuals in that region.

Still, false reports making the claim circulated widely across social media with warnings to be careful.

Trending:
KJP Panics, Hangs Up in Middle of Interview When Reporter Shows He Isn't a Democratic Party Propagandist

The first killing was discovered about 1 a.m., on July 28, in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park.

In that case, 40-year-old Katherine Janness was found stabbed multiple times. In the second case, Tori Lang, 18, was found shot to death in Yellow River Park, near Stone Mountain, around dawn.

The parks are about 20 miles from each other.

“There is nothing to connect the two cases and no reason to believe a serial killer is operating in the area,” said Gwinnett County police Sgt. J.R. Richter. Authorities there are investigating the case in Yellow River Park.

Do people need to be more careful about what they post on social media?

Police in Gwinnett County and in Atlanta are not working together on the two cases, Richter added.

Officer Steve Avery, of the Atlanta Police Department, said in an email that the killing of the woman in Gwinnett County is “not related to the incident in Piedmont Park.”

“Regarding the incident in Yellow River Park, we have leads we are pursuing but I can’t release those details as yet,” said Richter, the Gwinnett officer.

Atlanta police have not discussed any possible leads they might have.

Some of the posts mention a supposed third killing in the nearby city of Norcross, Georgia, but police there are investigating no such reports.

Related:
Cop Killer Suspect Charged with Murder of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller

“Nothing factual about the posts we’ve seen,” Norcross Police Chief Bill Grogan said Monday.

Nevertheless, law enforcement officials are stressing the importance of practicing personal safety at all times.

That means being aware of your surroundings, staying in well-lit areas, letting friends and family know where you are, not being distracted by your phone and trusting your instincts, Richter said.

The FBI is helping Atlanta police to investigate the Piedmont Park killing, but the FBI is not providing details of its involvement in that case, agency spokesperson Kevin Rowson said.

The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , , , , ,
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Conversation