GA - Katherine Janness, 40, fatally stabbed and dog killed, Piedmont Park, Atlanta, 28 Jul 2021 #3

[K.jill]

Will some of you wise posters who are more knowledgeable than me in these things weigh in on the likelihood that this was a one time murder?

There are definitely signs of rage and personalization. but this was so brazen, and done in a public place. The overkill and the letters carved into her skin. I think recidivism would play a part here. I think this person had to have committed similar crimes before. Am I correct in my thinking?

If the killer was someone in Katie’s known circle of acquaintances this person might stand out. May have previously lived in an area where something sort of similar happen before or an arrest record or been violent in the past.

 

[dotr]

Fwiw..
2014
5 Myths about Serial Killers and Why They Persist [Excerpt]
''The Reality of Serial Homicide in the U.S.
Serial killings account for no more than 1 percent of all murders committed in the U.S. Based on recent FBI crime statistics, there are approximately 15,000 murders annually, so that means there are no more than 150 victims of serial murder in the U.S. in any given year.1 The FBI estimates that there are between twenty-five and fifty serial killers operating throughout the U.S. at any given time.

If there are fifty, then each one is responsible for an average of three murders per year. Serial killers are always present in society. However, the statistics reveal that serial homicide is quite rare and it represents a small portion of all murders committed in the U.S.''

''Serial killers who hide out in plain sight are able to do so precisely because they look just like everyone else. It is their ability to blend in that makes them very dangerous, frightening and yet very compelling to the general public.''

 

[girlhasnoname]

I’m extremely curious about the statement DA Fani Willis made regarding evidence that the killer didn’t immediately leave the crime scene. What could that reveal? Did they find something in the lake that suggests the killer cleaned up before moving on?

“It’s a very frightening crime,” said Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis, adding that evidence suggests the killer did not immediately flee the scene after the crime. “And that is strange,” she said. “Most people commit a murder and want to get the hell away because they don’t want to be caught.”

Edited to add link although I’ve read this quote in several articles: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...e59cb2-0740-11ec-a266-7c7fe02fa374_story.html

I agree, this is a very interesting bit of information I didn't know.

This tends to make me believe this may be some type of serial predator or a really delusional/drug addicted, homeless one verses a targeted attack on Katie personally.

I hope to see arrest soon.

#Justic4Katherine

 

[fred&edna]

Interestingly, there's a case (Gunnedah, Australia) where a 14 yr old girl murdered her 10 yr old cousin in June 2020 by "reportedly" slitting her throat and carving words into her flesh. Just a few days ago it was determined the teen could not be held criminally responsible because of mental illness... she was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Teen accused of killing 10yo girl found not criminally responsible

Gunnedah killing: NSW Police charge teenage girl with murder after death in state's north

Girl, 10, has throat slit and words carved into flesh as cousin, 14, arrested

 

[BooRadley65]

Hi,

My first post here. I struggle with whether this was someone Katherine knew, or whether we have a "Jack the Ripper"-like killer on the loose, who is waiting to do this again.

Like many of you, I scratch my head over the "F A T" carving, and wince at the sexual aspects of this brutal slaughter.

So much that doesn't make sense, especially how something like this could happen without anyone hearing or, better yet, seeing it happen.

I am not sure if someone else may have posted this already, but about a month after this murder, two women were confronted by what they said was a "mentally ill man" in Piedmont Park, during daylight hours, who started throwing things at them, and was wielding some sort of sharp object.

A person intervened, but the two women managed to get a video of the man. I'm posting the news story, with the video, here.

Why hasn't the APD tried to track this man down? He does have some sort of sharp object in his hand. He also looks unhinged. Thanks for reading.

Viral video appears to show man threatening to attack women in Piedmont Park

 

[Doriansay]

How do you know ole Jack didn't know his victims? they were prostitutes. Maybe he had previously been a client. A personal attack can be an acquaintance not just family or friend, lover, etc. It could have been anyone that came in contact with her or familiar with her. This is def personal and someone was enraged. Coworker? Neighbor? customer?

Knowing the victim has generally not been a pre-requisite for acts of overkill committed in public places (emphasis on public places) and in the context when victims are ambushed.

Even then let’s assume that Jack the Ripper knew his victims. Was his depravity really about vengeance, or a paraphilia? I think most people would say the latter—it’s unlikely he killed these women because he held a grudge, even if you concede that he incidentally knew them. I think the brutality isn’t related to someone holding a grudge, especially since no effort was made to conceal the body. I think the crime was purely done to fulfill a murderous desire and possibly one that happens to be sexual.

But how can the act be sexual if there were no signs of rape? I don’t think that matters, and apparently that is the case with piquerism, where perpetrators simply derive pleasure from the act of stabbing. I know it’s been brought up before but it’s definitely interesting:

“ As part of a wider research project into paraphilic disorders and homicide, a case is presented of a piquerist who achieved sexual satisfaction through the infliction of stabbing wounds. Against a background of sexual domination with willing and unwilling sexual partners, the offender stabbed four men to death. A study of the resulting autopsy reports, in association with the offender's testimony and crime scene documentation, was undertaken to discern a piquerist crime scene signature. An excessive number of stabbing wounds, the targeting of sexual areas, and a variation in wound size and depth were found to be evidence of piquerism. Although there was opportunity to commit a sexual assault upon victims, the preference was to penetrate them with a knife. It is contended that, even without any evidence of sexual assault at a crime scene, a knife wound analysis can reveal a sexual motivation in some cases of homicide

I don’t think the wounds were indicative of personalized rage—they might speak more to sadistic sexual deviancy, either at the hands of a single depraved perpetrator, or a small group of perpetrators looking to display dominance and carrying out the killing for bragging rights. While it’s unlikely that a group of people all shared the paraphilia, I think one person could have been that way inclined and took her killing a step further with the mutilation to satisfy this desire.

 

[Doriansay]

Hi,

My first post here. I struggle with whether this was someone Katherine knew, or whether we have a "Jack the Ripper"-like killer on the loose, who is waiting to do this again.

Like many of you, I scratch my head over the "F A T" carving, and wince at the sexual aspects of this brutal slaughter.

So much that doesn't make sense, especially how something like this could happen without anyone hearing or, better yet, seeing it happen.

I am not sure if someone else may have posted this already, but about a month after this murder, two women were confronted by what they said was a "mentally ill man" in Piedmont Park, during daylight hours, who started throwing things at them, and was wielding some sort of sharp object.

A person intervened, but the two women managed to get a video of the man. I'm posting the news story, with the video, here.

Why hasn't the APD tried to track this man down? He does have some sort of sharp object in his hand. He also looks unhinged. Thanks for reading.

Viral video appears to show man threatening to attack women in Piedmont Park

That’s a crazy video, and thank god for that Good Samaritan for intervening. Thanks for sharing. I bet the APD has looked into him. If anything it does show you that it’s not entirely unusual to cross paths with an aggressive stranger in a public place.

Edit:I’d also like to note how this article illustrates how easy it is for strangers to mistake a hostile and potentially life threatening situation for a non-event:

“And this was broad daylight. This was at like 5 o’clock in the afternoon. It wasn't at night or anything like that. There were a lot of people around. People didn't intervene at first. They didn't know we didn't know him," Sanders said

Imagine a similar scenario late at night on a weekday with 1/100th the people at the park…

 

[Doriansay]

I agree, this is a very interesting bit of information I didn't know.

This tends to make me believe this may be some type of serial predator or a really delusional/drug addicted, homeless one verses a targeted attack on Katie personally.

I hope to see arrest soon.

#Justic4Katherine

I agree. A person with a grudge would try to conceal the body. This person was not particularly concerned with getting caught.

Similarly, the staging theory never made sense to me for a number of reasons, but mostly because why stage a body with your DNA all over it? It sounds to me like someone who was suffering a breakdown and got lucky.

 

[K.jill]

Some aspects of this case remind me of the case of Abby and Libby in Delphi, IN. Other posters have mentioned this as well. I was just thinking about old bridges and train tracks and remembered the pretty historic bridge in Piedmont park. This bridge would have a sight line to the crime scene. The distance would not let you see details without binoculars, imo. But you could see lights and emergency vehicles. I know that le went door to door on Park dr. asking for any security video. I assume this was done on all streets around the park so this does not necessarily mean the Park dr canvass had any special significance.

Many have speculated that the Delphi killer may have been into historic bridges or geocaching.
Fast Friday: Park Drive Bridge - History Atlanta

 

[cujenn81]

Will some of you wise posters who are more knowledgeable than me in these things weigh in on the likelihood that this was a one time murder?

There are definitely signs of rage and personalization. but this was so brazen, and done in a public place. The overkill and the letters carved into her skin. I think recidivism would play a part here. I think this person had to have committed similar crimes before. Am I correct in my thinking?

If the killer was someone in Katie’s known circle of acquaintances this person might stand out. May have previously lived in an area where something sort of similar happen before or an arrest record or been violent in the past.

The following excerpts came from a book about sexual homicide written by FBI profiler John Douglas. I chose these excerpts, specifically, because I found them particularly interesting in relation to this case.

“Apprehension of the sexual murderer is one of law enforcement’s most difficult challenges. Because sexual killings often appear motiveless and random, they offer few clues about why the murder occurred or, consequently, about the identity of the murderer. Even the sexual nature of these murders is not always immediately obvious, for conventional evidence of a sexual crime may be absent from a crime scene.”

“The few studies that specifically address sexual homicide suggest the existence of two types of sex murderers: the rape or displaced anger murderer and the sadistic, or lust, murderer.”

“The sadistic murderer kills as part of a ritualized, sadistic fantasy (Groth, Burgess, and Holmstrom 1977). For this murderer, aggression and sexuality become fused into a single psychological experience—sadism—in which aggression is eroticized. According to Brittain (1970), subjugation of the victim is of importance to this type of sexual killer; cruelty and infliction of pain are merely the means to effect subjugation.”

“In relation to precrime planning or premeditation, 50 percent of the murderers rated their act as intentional in planning who, when, and where they were going to murder. Another 34 percent recognized that they had a congruent mood state to murder and were open to opportunities. This figure suggests an aura of impulsiveness for the act; however, in the structure and organization of thinking, it fits in with the style of these killers. They know of places and strategies by which to obtain victims; when the right combination exists, they commit the crime and label it opportunistic.”

“For the murderer with a conscious plan or fantasy, selecting a victim begins the acting-out level of behavior. The plan or fantasy constructed earlier may call for a victim who meets certain criteria, and many murderers have been known to seek out a victim who is exactly right for the fantasy. The history and circumstances of the victim are often important. The victim may be symbolic of someone in the murderer’s past.”

“For the killer without a conscious plan or fantasy, a person may become a victim by eliciting certain responses. For example, someone may remind him of his belief in an unjust world. He may feel unfairly treated, and this sets into motion the justification to kill.”

“Some murderers kill to fulfill a specific fantasy. Several men mentioned going “hunting” every night for a victim. Because they had a specific type of victim in mind, they would wait until an appropriate one appeared. When such a victim appears, the murderous action is triggered.”

“The victim may not die as in the fantasy or in the way the offender planned. He may have to use more violence, he may feel more frightened than he anticipated, or he may be startled by the fact that he feels excited. Some murderers are exhilarated—they broke the rules, they killed. This feeling will induce some to kill again, while others will, in horror over what they have done, turn themselves in to the police.”

“Acts of mutilation, such as slashing of the body, cutting of the breasts and buttocks, and biting of various parts of the body. It is noted that these acts, particularly in the case of the disorganized offender, do not coincide with completed acts of sexual penetration. Thus, evidence of sexual fluids are not present. This indicates the homicide and assault have triggered a sexual fantasy that excited the killer. Since his sexual history is that of solo sex, and he finds interpersonal relationships difficult, if not impossible, he reverts to masturbatory acts even when a real partner (his victim) is available. Masturbation generally occurs after death, when the fantasy is strongest.”

“Although the crime may be planned, the victim is frequently a stranger and is targeted because he or she is in a particular location staked out by the offender. In this sense, the victim becomes a victim of opportunity. Victims of serial murderers have been noted to share common characteristics. The offender often has a preference for a particular type of victim and thus may spend considerable time searching for the “right” victim.”

“The disorganized offender is socially inadequate. Often he has never married, lives alone or with a parental figure, and lives in close proximity to the crime scene. He acts impulsively under stress, finding a victim usually within his own geographic area. The offender is also sexually incompetent, often never having achieved any level of sexual intimacy with a peer.”

“The overall impression given by the disorganized crime scene is that the crime has been committed suddenly and with no set plan of action for deterring detection. The crime scene shows great disarray; it has a spontaneous, symbolic, unplanned quality.”

“The offender kills instantly to have control; he cannot take the risk that the victim will get the upper hand. The offender uses a blitz style of attack for encountering the victim. He either approaches the victim from behind, suddenly overpowering her, or he kills suddenly. The attack is a violent surprise, occurring out of the blue and in a location where the victim is going about his or her usual activities. The victim is caught completely off guard. The offender depersonalizes the victim. Specific areas of the body may be targeted for extreme brutality. Overkill or excessive assault to the face is often an attempt to dehumanize the victim. Destruction to the face may also indicate that the killer knows the victim or that the victim resembles or represents a person who has caused the offender psychological distress.”

Excerpts From
Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives
John E. Douglas, Ann W. Burgess & Robert K. Ressler
‎Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives

 

[BooRadley65]

I mean sexual in terms of the nature of the wounds with the breasts, etc. The nature of those wounds and the location, etc. It certainly could be personalized rage. MOO.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

The following excerpts came from a book about sexual homicide written by FBI profiler John Douglas. I chose these excerpts, specifically, because I found them particularly interesting in relation to this case.

“Apprehension of the sexual murderer is one of law enforcement’s most difficult challenges. Because sexual killings often appear motiveless and random, they offer few clues about why the murder occurred or, consequently, about the identity of the murderer. Even the sexual nature of these murders is not always immediately obvious, for conventional evidence of a sexual crime may be absent from a crime scene.”

“The few studies that specifically address sexual homicide suggest the existence of two types of sex murderers: the rape or displaced anger murderer and the sadistic, or lust, murderer.”

“The sadistic murderer kills as part of a ritualized, sadistic fantasy (Groth, Burgess, and Holmstrom 1977). For this murderer, aggression and sexuality become fused into a single psychological experience—sadism—in which aggression is eroticized. According to Brittain (1970), subjugation of the victim is of importance to this type of sexual killer; cruelty and infliction of pain are merely the means to effect subjugation.”

“In relation to precrime planning or premeditation, 50 percent of the murderers rated their act as intentional in planning who, when, and where they were going to murder. Another 34 percent recognized that they had a congruent mood state to murder and were open to opportunities. This figure suggests an aura of impulsiveness for the act; however, in the structure and organization of thinking, it fits in with the style of these killers. They know of places and strategies by which to obtain victims; when the right combination exists, they commit the crime and label it opportunistic.”

“For the murderer with a conscious plan or fantasy, selecting a victim begins the acting-out level of behavior. The plan or fantasy constructed earlier may call for a victim who meets certain criteria, and many murderers have been known to seek out a victim who is exactly right for the fantasy. The history and circumstances of the victim are often important. The victim may be symbolic of someone in the murderer’s past.”

“For the killer without a conscious plan or fantasy, a person may become a victim by eliciting certain responses. For example, someone may remind him of his belief in an unjust world. He may feel unfairly treated, and this sets into motion the justification to kill.”

“Some murderers kill to fulfill a specific fantasy. Several men mentioned going “hunting” every night for a victim. Because they had a specific type of victim in mind, they would wait until an appropriate one appeared. When such a victim appears, the murderous action is triggered.”

“The victim may not die as in the fantasy or in the way the offender planned. He may have to use more violence, he may feel more frightened than he anticipated, or he may be startled by the fact that he feels excited. Some murderers are exhilarated—they broke the rules, they killed. This feeling will induce some to kill again, while others will, in horror over what they have done, turn themselves in to the police.”

“Acts of mutilation, such as slashing of the body, cutting of the breasts and buttocks, and biting of various parts of the body. It is noted that these acts, particularly in the case of the disorganized offender, do not coincide with completed acts of sexual penetration. Thus, evidence of sexual fluids are not present. This indicates the homicide and assault have triggered a sexual fantasy that excited the killer. Since his sexual history is that of solo sex, and he finds interpersonal relationships difficult, if not impossible, he reverts to masturbatory acts even when a real partner (his victim) is available. Masturbation generally occurs after death, when the fantasy is strongest.”

“Although the crime may be planned, the victim is frequently a stranger and is targeted because he or she is in a particular location staked out by the offender. In this sense, the victim becomes a victim of opportunity. Victims of serial murderers have been noted to share common characteristics. The offender often has a preference for a particular type of victim and thus may spend considerable time searching for the “right” victim.”

“The disorganized offender is socially inadequate. Often he has never married, lives alone or with a parental figure, and lives in close proximity to the crime scene. He acts impulsively under stress, finding a victim usually within his own geographic area. The offender is also sexually incompetent, often never having achieved any level of sexual intimacy with a peer.”

“The overall impression given by the disorganized crime scene is that the crime has been committed suddenly and with no set plan of action for deterring detection. The crime scene shows great disarray; it has a spontaneous, symbolic, unplanned quality.”

“The offender kills instantly to have control; he cannot take the risk that the victim will get the upper hand. The offender uses a blitz style of attack for encountering the victim. He either approaches the victim from behind, suddenly overpowering her, or he kills suddenly. The attack is a violent surprise, occurring out of the blue and in a location where the victim is going about his or her usual activities. The victim is caught completely off guard. The offender depersonalizes the victim. Specific areas of the body may be targeted for extreme brutality. Overkill or excessive assault to the face is often an attempt to dehumanize the victim. Destruction to the face may also indicate that the killer knows the victim or that the victim resembles or represents a person who has caused the offender psychological distress.”

Excerpts From
Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives
John E. Douglas, Ann W. Burgess & Robert K. Ressler
‎Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives

This is spectacularly informative!
Very interesting in how it could relate to this case and others. You could post this on the Delphi murder thread too.
Thank you!

 

[ArmchairDefective]

The following excerpts came from a book about sexual homicide written by FBI profiler John Douglas. I chose these excerpts, specifically, because I found them particularly interesting in relation to this case.

“Apprehension of the sexual murderer is one of law enforcement’s most difficult challenges. Because sexual killings often appear motiveless and random, they offer few clues about why the murder occurred or, consequently, about the identity of the murderer. Even the sexual nature of these murders is not always immediately obvious, for conventional evidence of a sexual crime may be absent from a crime scene.”

“The few studies that specifically address sexual homicide suggest the existence of two types of sex murderers: the rape or displaced anger murderer and the sadistic, or lust, murderer.”

“The sadistic murderer kills as part of a ritualized, sadistic fantasy (Groth, Burgess, and Holmstrom 1977). For this murderer, aggression and sexuality become fused into a single psychological experience—sadism—in which aggression is eroticized. According to Brittain (1970), subjugation of the victim is of importance to this type of sexual killer; cruelty and infliction of pain are merely the means to effect subjugation.”

“In relation to precrime planning or premeditation, 50 percent of the murderers rated their act as intentional in planning who, when, and where they were going to murder. Another 34 percent recognized that they had a congruent mood state to murder and were open to opportunities. This figure suggests an aura of impulsiveness for the act; however, in the structure and organization of thinking, it fits in with the style of these killers. They know of places and strategies by which to obtain victims; when the right combination exists, they commit the crime and label it opportunistic.”

“For the murderer with a conscious plan or fantasy, selecting a victim begins the acting-out level of behavior. The plan or fantasy constructed earlier may call for a victim who meets certain criteria, and many murderers have been known to seek out a victim who is exactly right for the fantasy. The history and circumstances of the victim are often important. The victim may be symbolic of someone in the murderer’s past.”

“For the killer without a conscious plan or fantasy, a person may become a victim by eliciting certain responses. For example, someone may remind him of his belief in an unjust world. He may feel unfairly treated, and this sets into motion the justification to kill.”

“Some murderers kill to fulfill a specific fantasy. Several men mentioned going “hunting” every night for a victim. Because they had a specific type of victim in mind, they would wait until an appropriate one appeared. When such a victim appears, the murderous action is triggered.”

“The victim may not die as in the fantasy or in the way the offender planned. He may have to use more violence, he may feel more frightened than he anticipated, or he may be startled by the fact that he feels excited. Some murderers are exhilarated—they broke the rules, they killed. This feeling will induce some to kill again, while others will, in horror over what they have done, turn themselves in to the police.”

“Acts of mutilation, such as slashing of the body, cutting of the breasts and buttocks, and biting of various parts of the body. It is noted that these acts, particularly in the case of the disorganized offender, do not coincide with completed acts of sexual penetration. Thus, evidence of sexual fluids are not present. This indicates the homicide and assault have triggered a sexual fantasy that excited the killer. Since his sexual history is that of solo sex, and he finds interpersonal relationships difficult, if not impossible, he reverts to masturbatory acts even when a real partner (his victim) is available. Masturbation generally occurs after death, when the fantasy is strongest.”

“Although the crime may be planned, the victim is frequently a stranger and is targeted because he or she is in a particular location staked out by the offender. In this sense, the victim becomes a victim of opportunity. Victims of serial murderers have been noted to share common characteristics. The offender often has a preference for a particular type of victim and thus may spend considerable time searching for the “right” victim.”

“The disorganized offender is socially inadequate. Often he has never married, lives alone or with a parental figure, and lives in close proximity to the crime scene. He acts impulsively under stress, finding a victim usually within his own geographic area. The offender is also sexually incompetent, often never having achieved any level of sexual intimacy with a peer.”

“The overall impression given by the disorganized crime scene is that the crime has been committed suddenly and with no set plan of action for deterring detection. The crime scene shows great disarray; it has a spontaneous, symbolic, unplanned quality.”

“The offender kills instantly to have control; he cannot take the risk that the victim will get the upper hand. The offender uses a blitz style of attack for encountering the victim. He either approaches the victim from behind, suddenly overpowering her, or he kills suddenly. The attack is a violent surprise, occurring out of the blue and in a location where the victim is going about his or her usual activities. The victim is caught completely off guard. The offender depersonalizes the victim. Specific areas of the body may be targeted for extreme brutality. Overkill or excessive assault to the face is often an attempt to dehumanize the victim. Destruction to the face may also indicate that the killer knows the victim or that the victim resembles or represents a person who has caused the offender psychological distress.”

Excerpts From
Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives
John E. Douglas, Ann W. Burgess & Robert K. Ressler
‎Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives

Thank you for this post. This certainly makes a strong case for the possibility of an attack by a stranger.

Edited to add: I still believe that if LE has any suspicion that this was an attack by a stranger, they need to issue a much stronger warning to the public to be on the alert. If there is strong reason to believe that there is someone roaming free who might do this again, then that needs to be, like, shouted from bullhorns and put on billboards so that no one else has to meet this same horrible fate.

 

[dotr]

Thank you for this post. This certainly makes a strong case for the possibility of an attack by a stranger.

Edited to add: I still believe that if LE has any suspicion that this was an attack by a stranger, they need to issue a much stronger warning to the public to be on the alert. If there is strong reason to believe that there is someone roaming free who might do this again, then that needs to be, like, shouted from bullhorns and put on billboards so that no one else has to meet this same horrible fate.

My first thought in response to putting it on billboards etc. was yes, that would be fantastic. On second thought, maybe the perp is one of those who wants to see this atrocity advertised everywhere, feels proud and if they are not given their ''due'' they may just be inclined to flag wave in some way or another and in doing so, get identified? speculation, imo.

 

[ArmchairDefective]

My first thought in response to putting it on billboards etc. was yes, that would be fantastic. On second thought, maybe the perp is one of those who wants to see this atrocity advertised everywhere, feels proud and if they are not given their ''due'' they may just be inclined to flag wave in some way or another and in doing so, get identified? speculation, imo.

A valid point. I also understand that LE and probably local government may also wish to avoid causing panic and/or fueling rumors. On the one hand, I don't think that people should have to live their lives in fear and be looking over their shoulder wherever they go. On the other hand, reminding people to exercise due caution seems perfectly reasonable; the last statement from LE (that I'm aware of? Someone please correct me if there has been a more recent one*) did not, IMO, convey that the public should continue to be on particular guard, and it seems to me that it could be important to remind people of that (if indeed they think it is relevant to this case), especially given the amount of time that has passed. The autopsy report has definitely seemed to renew attention to the case, but there was a long stretch there where it seemed that most people had forgotten about it, and that makes me both sad and frustrated from the point of justice and also apprehensive insofar as it possibly relates to public safety.

(*For reference, the most recent statement from LE that I'm aware of regarding the case is as follows: "The investigation into the murder of Katherine Janness remains open and very active. Our investigators continue working tirelessly to find the person(s) responsible. We understand it is frustrating for there to be so little information released publicly. However, to ensure the investigation isn't compromised, we simply cannot release much information on our active investigation. We know how important this case is to those in our communities and we will continue our work to bring this investigation to a resolution." Source: CBS News)

 

[NotALawyer]

GA - Cherokee Co Firefighter & wife murdered in home, 2yr old found safe, 18 Nov 2021 - *Arrest*

I’m going to drop the name Austin Lanz in here again as a possibility, as this recent case took a strange turn and is related to AL and his brother, Matthew Lanz, who has been charged.

 

[ElectricZZ]

Could be that the stabber was straddling KJ's thighs. So then all wounds would be above hips. Moo

There IS an injury noted below the hips. Please note the natal cleft and anus 4" long cut running 12-6 o'clock. Anatomy tells us this is below the hips.

 

[scdiv]

11:30pm KJ visits partner at Henry's with dog
12:09am KJ seen on camera 4 min walk from Henry's headed North
12:15am KJ partner leaves work?
12:30am EC arrives home and doesn't find KJ
12:30am KJ partner repeatedly calls KJ her phone/texts-no response
KJ partner logs in to KJ Icloud account and uses findmyiphone app to locate KJ phone-sees Piedmont Park as phone locale
KJ partner rides bike to PP
EC enters at Charles Allen Ave entrance
EC sees Bowie and rushes to pick him up
EC looks for KJ and sees her/checks for pulse
1:11am EC makes 911 call
EC questioned 3 hours in PP police car
EC transported to APD for further questioning 3 hours
EC and JC give interview 38 hours later
*more interviews can be found by internet search

Thank you for doing this!

 

[scdiv]

11:30pm KJ visits partner at Henry's with dog
12:09am KJ seen on camera 4 min walk from Henry's headed North
12:15am KJ partner leaves work?
12:30am EC arrives home and doesn't find KJ
12:30am KJ partner repeatedly calls KJ her phone/texts-no response
KJ partner logs in to KJ Icloud account and uses findmyiphone app to locate KJ phone-sees Piedmont Park as phone locale
KJ partner rides bike to PP
EC enters at Charles Allen Ave entrance
EC sees Bowie and rushes to pick him up
EC looks for KJ and sees her/checks for pulse
1:11am EC makes 911 call
EC questioned 3 hours in PP police car
EC transported to APD for further questioning 3 hours
EC and JC give interview 38 hours later
*more interviews can be found by internet search

Do we know what time Katie left Henry's? Are we assuming she hung out at Henry's for about a a half hour? (While the bar/restaurant staff was trying to close up which seems like a weird time to hang around? Or did she just stop in to say hi and then was walking around for a half hour before heading toward the park?)

Was Katie wearing any type of Apple Watch/fitness tracking gps device? Did she have any location apps turned on her phone that would have captured her route? Like Facebook or google maps? (For example, my google apparently was tracking me the whole day every day for a while and every location I stopped, and I had no idea how or when that was even turned on. But it's all in my location history.)

Part of me thinks this was a targeted hit for unknown reasons. I don't think the person who did it was known to her. I was talking about the case with my police friend who does homicide investigations for a living. (In another city and completely unrelated with NO knowledge of this case - she had not even heard of it. She immediately said it sounded like a hired hit. But again, she had zero facts or knowledge of this case. Just a total off the cuff response. And just conversing with me as a friend, not like giving her professional opinion. But that was her immediate instinct. And who knows, it could have just been the way I described it, even though I was just giving the known facts of the case.) I have no idea. I still have a hard time believing this was just entirely random, just because of how extreme it was and that there was no robbery etc. But - if you told me tomorrow that the case was solved and it was a random violent perpetrator, I could believe that too.

 

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I agree. A person with a grudge would try to conceal the body. This person was not particularly concerned with getting caught.

Similarly, the staging theory never made sense to me for a number of reasons, but mostly because why stage a body with your DNA all over it? It sounds to me like someone who was suffering a breakdown and got lucky.

I hear you. I just don't understand how a person suffering the type of breakdown that would result in this type of unhinged crime could successfully pull this off and keep it hidden. It just seems like that part would require them to be somewhat lucid. Like for example, some of these mentally ill/unhinged/psychotic attackers in NYC who pushed their victims in front of subway trains. In all instances that I know of, they all stuck around, either ranting or spitting and swearing, or just not coherent, and were caught quickly after the crime. They were sick mother f'ers who sadistically murdered an innocent person, or mentally ill/deranged/off their meds, but also didn't have it mentally together enough to get a good escape plan going and slip away unseen. So that's my only issue with believing a person suffering this level of a mental health breakdown could pull off the aftermath. How did they get away, after killing a human and dog, covered in blood, unseen, and to have that type of mental health breakdown to lose control and violently kill, how are they even able to function in their day to day life where this hasn't caught anyone's attention yet?