GA - Katherine Janness, 40, walking dog, both fatally stabbed, Piedmont Park, Atlanta, 28 July 2021

[TL4S]

I'm still trying to make sense of the timeline. Henry's Midtown Tavern lists closing time as 10 pm on weekdays. How long does staff usually work after closing?

 

[swedeheart]

Katherine Janness: Police Locate New Possible Witness to Piedmont Park Murders of Woman & Beloved Dog

 

[K.jill]

I think the second pictures are from the Beltline too. The sidewalk material/lines match perfectly the and the small area of grass on the side with the wall.

Still think he looks like a different jogger, but the original pictures/video make it difficult to tell.

Also, has anyone found these pictures with timestamps? It looks like he is running towards the park from the pictures.

If it is the same jogger in each set of photos this says a lot about lighting and photo quality. It can make a big difference.
Imo I would be more afraid to run on the beltline at midnight than Piedmont Park.

In each sets of photos he seems to hold his arms/elbows up very high.
As far as I know the photos were released without a timestamp.
I really hope he has a good memory and is able to help investigators in someway.

 

[Dub64]

It's not often one sees distance runners with tattoos, I read an article recently that surmised 3-5% was the norm due to them being "long term thinkers and planners.". I'm so hoping more people come forward, there are far too many unsolved murders going on in this country

 

[Quell]

It's not often one sees distance runners with tattoos, I read an article recently that surmised 3-5% was the norm due to them being "long term thinkers and planners.". I'm so hoping more people come forward, there are far too many unsolved murders going on in this country

(Longtime ATLien here). I see tattooed runners a lot here, especially among Iron Man runner-types. Maybe it's a regional thing. I, too, hope they find the killer soon. I'm pretty spooked.

 

[coldlanta]

(Longtime ATLien here). I see tattooed runners quite a lot here, especially among Iron Man runner-types.

Lol same. I was going to reply saying most of the distance runners that I know here are covered in tattoos.

 

[swedeheart]

Potential Piedmont Park stabbing witness comes forward, is cooperating, police say

"Atlanta police confirmed that a jogger seen in new photos released Friday and believed to be a potential witness to the stabbing death of a woman and her dog in Piedmont Park has come forward.

Three more photos were released Friday of a jogger that may have been a witness. Homicide detectives say they have been speaking with him and that he is cooperative.

Anyone who knows this person, or any other witnesses should encourage them to contact the Atlanta Police Homicide Unit or Crime Stoppers Atlanta. The reward in this case has been increased to $20,000."



*It's hard to tell if they are referencing one jogger (from today's photos), and/or if that was the same jogger from last week. I think it's possibly edited poorly.

 

[Quest701]

Thank you for this. I so agree. People have all kinds of misguided reasons for shooting, stabbing, or otherwise murdering people. But you don't "mutilate" and "disfigure" without profound hatred and rage motivating you--and a desire to terrify those who witness or hear about what you did. Besides Katie and Emma seeming like such nice folks (and Bowie such a good doggo) I think that's what gets me about this. The absolute hate that underlies a murder of this magnitude, and the fact that none of us women are ever really safe, not even if we have pepper spray or a gun or our trusty pit bull.

I mostly agree, but... (Content warning about sex crimes.)

Years ago, when my kid was a baby, we were among the victims of a prolific--well, he was worse than a "flasher"--I think the Aussie term "sex pest" covers it best. He terrorized our neighborhood for many months. He escalated from wearing what looked like totally normal athletic bike shorts that he had altered to expose his anatomy and approaching women and children, to appearing out of bushes and alleys and masturbating at people. He committed these assaults during daylight. Fortunately for us, he came after us in the early, bike shorts phase. But it was still pretty traumatizing.

The reason I'm telling this story is that this guy would dress in fairly normal athletic gear like he was out for a workout as a disguise. And it worked! I was frozen with shock and denial when he approached us because I couldn't make sense of what I was seeing. I thought these guys wore trenchcoats or something! He looked like any normal neighborhood guy out for a workout, except with his parts exposed... And the fact that he was wearing Nike bike shorts really threw me. It took me a long time to realize he must have altered them himself--my mind was totally stuck on the incongruity of the shorts.

I saw him a few months later at a local park that's probably pretty similar to Piedmont in my city while I was out for a run. He was walking with another man wearing the exact same outfit I saw him in except that he had layered a pair of short running shorts over the bike shorts to conceal the part that revealed his genitals. The two were walking and talking like everything was normal and they completely blended in with the other park users.

I went into shock/denial again, and by the time I gathered my wits, got to an area where I felt safe, and called police, the men were gone... having walked away, hidden in plain sight. Months later, he was arrested at a mall in a neighboring city for following two underaged girls and masturbating at them. Because he was a married firefighter, and there was little to no hard evidence of all his previous behavior, he got a slap on the wrist and probation. He's out there somewhere, and given all the time and effort and planning he put into his assaults, the sheer number of them (dozens and that's just the people who disclosed it on my neighborhood FB group) and the total lack of real accountability, I do not think he's rehabilitated and that terrifies me.

All this to say, just because someone is wearing legit running gear, or a nice business suit, or as in the case of @Quest701 and her wife, a chef's hat and apron, doesn't mean they actually belong there as much as it might seem, and that they haven't been up to something horrible. Not saying I suspect the joggers, just saying I don't not suspect them based on being athletic runner people.

That’s a scary story indeed! Good point. I’m still not sure it’s a good idea to speculate about a mere witnesses’ involvement, who, for this very reason, was probably afraid to come forward.

It’s the timing of the joggers and the extensive nature of the crime that makes it highly unlikely they were involved.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

That’s a scary story indeed! Good point. I’m still not sure it’s a good idea to speculate about a mere witnesses’ involvement, who, for this very reason, was probably afraid to come forward.

It’s the timing of the joggers and the extensive nature of the crime that makes it highly unlikely they were involved.

Agreed. As much as I understand how people might be suspicious of bystanders, especially those who were/are reluctant to come forward, I highly doubt any of the individuals shown in the footage released by police had anything to do with Katie and Bowie's deaths.

Stabbing a woman and a dog multiple times takes more than a minute or two, which is about how long the blue shirt-wearing jogger apparently was inside the gates for. Also, from the photos that have been made public, Katie doesn't exactly look like a super short/petite woman that would be easy to overpower. Not to mention the fact that the attacker also had to subdue a pitbull.

I also doubt that Atlanta PD would call in the FBI if they believed any of the individuals in the surveillance videos were involved––as mentioned previously in this thread, APD's homicide squad is one of the best and most experienced in the country. If they thought they had the clear picture of the killer from the recovered footage, FBI assistance would be unnecessary.

 

[moonriverfarm]

I bet the killer is at the festival this weekend. Sickos like to revisit the scene of the crime.

 

[Counttrarian]

Something that’s been eating at me is the questioning of whether or not this murder was a “hate crime.”

Of course it was a hate crime! Maybe he (I absolutely think it was a man) didn’t specifically target her for being part of the lgbtq+ community, but he most definitely targeted her because she was a woman. And he continued to unleash his misogynistic fury on her body even after he had stolen her life. These are not the actions of someone who doesn’t have a very deep hatred of women.

I’m just frustrated with having to live in nearly constant fear because I’m female. I wish crimes fueled by misogyny were treated as the hate crimes that they truly are.

What makes you think the perp didn't target her because of something the dog did, or simply her unfortunately being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or it could have been someone she knew?
No offense to anyone but in the dark she readily could be mistaken for a male, (hair up black pants black shirt).
If you look at the possible path mentioned that entrance and area is somewhat known for drug deals and homeless nearby, as well as being one of the darkest areas of the park.

 

[Quest701]

Agreed. As much as I understand how people might be suspicious of bystanders, especially those who were/are reluctant to come forward, I highly doubt any of the individuals shown in the footage released by police had anything to do with Katie and Bowie's deaths.

Stabbing a woman and a dog multiple times takes more than a minute or two, which is about how long the blue shirt-wearing jogger apparently was inside the gates for. Also, from the photos that have been made public, Katie doesn't exactly look like a super short/petite woman that would be easy to overpower. Not to mention the fact that the attacker also had to subdue a pitbull.

I also doubt that Atlanta PD would call in the FBI if they believed any of the individuals in the surveillance videos were involved––as mentioned previously in this thread, APD's homicide squad is one of the best and most experienced in the country. If they thought they had the clear picture of the killer from the recovered footage, FBI assistance would be unnecessary.

Totally! This isn’t like the cops releasing a “Have you seen this person?” photo when someone robs a Best Buy. I too doubt that any of the people in the photos are suspects, and also have faith in an experienced group of investigators, who I expect are playing their cards close to their chest.

 

[Lore Listener]

I didn’t file a report, however, because it’s not uncommon for these people to get arrested, spend a day in a holding cell, and then get released only to repeat the same cycle.

Unfortunately my county isn’t revolutionary when it comes to rehabilitating this particular type of defendant (it’s a hard problem to solve for sure) so my biggest fear is that calling the cops would only agitate him further and put him in a cycle of being booked and released, booked and released.

I appreciate that you do this--I live in a city that does a terrible job of dealing unhoused/substance using/mentally ill folks as well. I've definitely come to the conclusion that calling the police won't do anything to get them resources and support, and will often actually just cause more barriers to that.

What makes you think the perp didn't target her because of something the dog did, or simply her unfortunately being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or it could have been someone she knew?
No offense to anyone but in the dark she readily could be mistaken for a male, (hair up black pants black shirt).
If you look at the possible path mentioned that entrance and area is somewhat known for drug deals and homeless nearby, as well as being one of the darkest areas of the park.

Sure, someone may quickly kill over a drug deal or conflict with a dog, but mutilating the victim to the extent that we can infer from police and witness statements does not fit with that motive at all. And many other posters have described the reasons this perp isn't likely to have been a random unhoused person.

Agreed. As much as I understand how people might be suspicious of bystanders, especially those who were/are reluctant to come forward, I highly doubt any of the individuals shown in the footage released by police had anything to do with Katie and Bowie's deaths.

Sorry if my wording made it sound like I suspect the joggers. I don't. But I've learned the hard way that some perps do a great job of blending in and looking like they're just minding their business, so I don't overlook anyone for that reason, if that makes sense.

 

[Shellinaya]

So regarding the runner and theory about him having used bathroom during those 41 secs, I looked up the bathroom hours and it seems it closes at 11pm (just like the park). So I don’t know if it actually locks down and is unusable after 11P or whether it is simply listed as closed (like the park). Anyone know?

It does not look like he used the bathrooms. There are new photos posted today in the news talking about the jogger now cooperating with police, and in the new photo (new to me anyway) he is seen running past the bathrooms into the park.

Second photo here

 

[Counttrarian]

Sure, someone may quickly kill over a drug deal or conflict with a dog, but mutilating the victim to the extent that we can infer from police and witness statements does not fit with that motive at all. And many other posters have described the reasons this perp isn't likely to have been a random unhoused person.

Thanks for the response. Adrenalin rush or psychotic break from fighting a dog would not be unheard of (especially if someone had had a prior bad experience with a dog), also apologies but I wasn't able to find solid reasons why a homeless person is unlikely.
If you exclude the above the alternatives the theory you leave us is that she was targeted (robbery would not fit per your mutilation statement).
Note, we have two sets of park entrance pictures, one from the Charles Allen entrance the other from 12th and Piedmont. Given that they were taken at differing times we can be fairly certain that those cameras were operational the whole evening. The fact that Katie was not seen in either of these locations gives me more confidence that she took a small unmarked entry further up on 10th Street per my previous post.
Unless someone (excluding Emma) specifically followed her in from 10th street between the rainbow crosswalk and the Charles Allen entrance it is much more likely that the perp was already in the park at the time she entered.

 

[Shellinaya]

The only person that sticks out to me is the person wearing the camp. Long sleeves, pants and a hood up. Not saying he is involved but the attire seems odd for summertime in the south. It is highly likely that it’s nothing but just pointing it out.

That would be a good point if this were a typical summer in Georgia but it has been quite a bit cooler than normal, especially at night, and rainy, and just generally not as hot as a usual summer.

 

[Shellinaya]

Something that’s been eating at me is the questioning of whether or not this murder was a “hate crime.”

Of course it was a hate crime! Maybe he (I absolutely think it was a man) didn’t specifically target her for being part of the lgbtq+ community, but he most definitely targeted her because she was a woman. And he continued to unleash his misogynistic fury on her body even after he had stolen her life. These are not the actions of someone who doesn’t have a very deep hatred of women.

I’m just frustrated with having to live in nearly constant fear because I’m female. I wish crimes fueled by misogyny were treated as the hate crimes that they truly are.

I totally agree... it's a hate crime because it was done to a woman and that's enough to make it one - esp. based on my imagination of what the killer probably did to her to make this a disfiguring type of crime. I carry pepper spray now because of this crime. I have always been on the lookout for strange men in parks. I was almost jumped this summer by a large boy (around 13) who seemed to want my earpods! He drove around me with his bike and looked pointedly at my earpods and then drove his bike around a wooded corner and stopped to wait for me to walk on the path towards him. Instead I turned around. If I hadn't seen him do that he probably would have jumped me and taken my earpods (the expensive kind BTW). Women especially have to be SO vigilant when out alone, or even with a dog. It makes me pretty upset to be honest when someone has to add extra layers of hate crime qualifiers to the word "woman", as if being a woman by itself isn't reason enough for a man to think of attacking us.

 

[tara83]

I don't like discussing this but the type of mutilation/disfigurement could tell us something about the killer.I don't think she was decapitated or her wife would have told that to 911.Possibly it could be to her face but one thought I had was maybe something to do with her breasts/nipples?Seasoned officers seem horrified so it makes me wonder if the monster did something like cut a breast off?That would make it seem like a hatred of women.This is all total speculation.

 

[Quell]

I don't like discussing this but the type of mutilation/disfigurement could tell us something about the killer.I don't think she was decapitated or her wife would have told that to 911.Possibly it could be to her face but one thought I had was maybe something to do with her breasts/nipples?Seasoned officers seem horrified so it makes me wonder if the monster did something like cut a breast off?That would make it seem like a hatred of women.This is all total speculation.

Eyewitness reports described the disfiguring as specific to women.

 

[Snoopster]

It does not look like he used the bathrooms. There are new photos posted today in the news talking about the jogger now cooperating with police, and in the new photo (new to me anyway) he is seen running past the bathrooms into the park.

Second photo here

Thanks for the link.
Are you sure that those are the bathrooms by Charles Allen entrance? The sidewalk doesn't match the view on Google Streetview (although that might not be up to date).