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

[LotusPawprint]

FOX 5 Atlanta
They say the jogger has come forward and is talking to police.

That's encouraging on a couple of levels -- the release of this additional surveillance shot shows they are still going through evidence (not surprising but helpful to see in action) and that the man came forward, obviously.

From the linked article,
"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.
The people shown in the previously released videos and photos are not considered suspects and authorities are encouraging them to contact detectives and aid in this investigation."

It seems based on that info that most recent jogger is DIFFERENT from other jogger, at least that's what I'm getting. And also that some/all witnesses from previous footage have yet to come forward so need to keep pushing those.

 

[ArmchairDefective]

At this time of night, I’d be surprised if a man would used the bathroom anyway. I’d think that 41 seconds gives him about the right amount of time to duck just into the park and relieve himself into a hedge.

Unless he had to go #2, which many runners do.

Glad he's finally come forward. It would be amazing if he's able to offer some information that helps solve the case.

 

[Silver_produce0]

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.

 

[coldlanta]

That's encouraging on a couple of levels -- the release of this additional surveillance shot shows they are still going through evidence (not surprising but helpful to see in action) and that the man came forward, obviously.



From the linked article,
"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.
The people shown in the previously released videos and photos are not considered suspects and authorities are encouraging them to contact detectives and aid in this investigation."

It seems based on that info that most recent jogger is DIFFERENT from other jogger, at least that's what I'm getting. And also that some/all witnesses from previous footage have yet to come forward so need to keep pushing those.

He’s the same jogger
APD looking for witnesses in deadly stabbing in Piedmont Park

“The jogger shown in the previously released video clip and still photos has come forward. Homicide detectives have been speaking with him and he is cooperative,” Atlanta police said Friday.”

 

[Valiant]

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.

No nearly as odd as you'd think. Some people dress like that no matter the temperature.

 

[Quell]

oh wow. These photos are much more clear than the ones we saw the other day. The runner’s legs are heavily tattooed. The tats appear to be done in black ink only. I’m not seeing any work done in color. I definitely wasn’t able to make out this level of detail from the first round of photos. Someone has got to know who this is!

Abso

I just can’t imagine either of these two randos casually jogging had they been involved. There’s no way. They are dressed to work out and the timing is weird. They’ve probably not come forward for a variety reasons—perhaps it’s possible they don’t follow local news and no one who would recognize them has been like “Hey! You were on the news the other night! Call the police!”. My partner heard about the attack but would have NO idea what I was talking about if I asked her about the photos because she doesn’t follow this stuff either. I get your frustration though for sure...It’s definitely odd they haven’t come forward yet. Here’s hoping.

Edit:Looks like he has come forward! Yay. Hopefully he can help.

one jogger has come forward and is cooperating with APD as per CBS 46 noon broadcast

 

[dotr]

Cannot recall if it has been mentioned anywhere because it is not usually of any consequence, but how tall was KJ, was she a petite woman/ muscular etc?
The reason i wonder, is because some perps target smaller victims to attack because the perp is not strong enough to take on a large and /or strong person, or because a smaller victim is easier to move.
speculation, imo.

 

[Quell]

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.

The park is known for non violent criminal activity and so there cld be a number of reasons why a person wld not want to be id'd that might have nothing to do with this crime.

 

[branmuffin]

Thanks for sharing this story. Just wanted to say that IMO the restaurant *is* at fault here. Big time. They clearly know that a man is posing as their employee, is trespassing on their premises and is crazily harassing their customers. It’s their responsibility to chase that man off and keep chasing him off, calling the police if he doesn’t leave immediately. It’s just good business.

And they didn't even comp the bill. I'd never go back for the very reason you stated. Allowing some unhinged person to harass a customer and not even give them a heads up. The explanation was just by chance on the street after the fact. They had ample time to deal with the issue. Really bad management.

 

[Lore Listener]

I just can’t imagine either of these two randos casually jogging had they been involved. There’s no way. They are dressed to work out and the timing is weird. They’ve probably not come forward for a variety reasons—perhaps it’s possible they don’t follow local news and no one who would recognize them has been like “Hey! You were on the news the other night! Call the police!”. My partner heard about the attack but would have NO idea what I was talking about if I asked her about the photos because she doesn’t follow this stuff either. I get your frustration though for sure...It’s definitely odd they haven’t come forward yet. Here’s hoping.

Edit:Looks like he has come forward! Yay. Hopefully he can help.

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.

 

[Quell]

I can’t place the stone wall behind the jogger in these new photos. They seem to be running in the opposite direction of the first photos where the street was on their right. I thought it might be down near the Botanical Gardens but the wall there doesn’t have uniform horizontal rows. I think it probably is the same person from the first photos and that the lighting and poor quality of the images accounts for any inconsistencies in their appearance.

Is it possibly the bridge that leads from Park Drive straight into the park?

 

[K.jill]

I can’t place the stone wall behind the jogger in these new photos. They seem to be running in the opposite direction of the first photos where the street was on their right. I thought it might be down near the Botanical Gardens but the wall there doesn’t have uniform horizontal rows. I think it probably is the same person from the first photos and that the lighting and poor quality of the images accounts for any inconsistencies in their appearance.

Can they be from cameras on the beltline?

 

[SleepyLabRat]

Is it possibly the bridge that leads from Park Drive straight into the park?

Can they be from cameras on the beltline?

I think it IS the Beltline! That double wide sidewalk and the odd manhole cover definitely look like it

 

[Yemelyan]

Cannot recall if it has been mentioned anywhere because it is not usually of any consequence, but how tall was KJ, was she a petite woman/ muscular etc?
The reason i wonder, is because some perps target smaller victims to attack because the perp is not strong enough to take on a large and /or strong person, or because a smaller victim is easier to move.
speculation, imo.

I don't have specifics re: height etc but you can see candid pictures of her here with her pets (this is a MSM reporter's twitter account and the pictures were provided by the family):
https://twitter.com/HayleyMasonTV/status/1421218869507723266

She's not a large person, judging by the dogs for scale. She looks fit but not tall or imposing.

 

[Atlmom]

The media interviewed Emma again, and she said that she is very angry about all of this since it makes no sense. All of us feel Emma's pain and want this nightmare to end or at least be subdued to where it is bearable, especially for those personally involved with the victims (Katie and Bowie). Emma also mentioned that the police have not given her any additional information. I think this is callous of the APD and the Mayor's office especially, for not at least reaching out to Emma to give some type of update, even if they just say it is their top priority. Not saying anything to anyone gives the impression that they have no clue who did this, especially when they finally come out and say we need the public's help to solve this. I read in the AJC this morning that they submitted an open records request to the city of Atlanta to get information from the cameras "inside" the park, and they should have it in about two weeks. Why two weeks? Did they "just" submit the open records request? Does it take two weeks to extract that information from the cameras (technology)? Now, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival is set up in Piedmont Park in and around where the murder took place. It just seems so insensitive and callous to have those festivities near this area. Why don't they move it somewhere else? The handling of this case has been most bothersome to everyone.

Since this is an ongoing investigation, IMO, Emma won’t be getting regular updates regarding progression of the investigation. Discussion of sensitive information outside of LE could potentially compromise the investigation.

APD has made it clear numerous times in press coverage that this case is top priority and detectives are working 24/7 to solve the case. Also, the fact that multiple agencies are involved (Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, Atlanta Police Department, FBI, GBI and the Fulton DA ) speaks volumes of the priority of the case. Asking the public to look at home security videos or to notify LE of anything that they may have seen or heard that night at Piedmont Park or to notify authorities of suspicious individuals is totally appropriate when building a case.…. it doesn’t mean LE has “no clue who did this”. IMO, LE has likely received many tips, which takes some time to sort through. They’ve asked the public to be patient and give them time to do their job.

Lastly, each of us has our own opinion, but please be careful of making general statements. “The handling of this case has been most bothersome to everyone.” Who is everyone? I am an Atlantan and I’m not “bothered” by the way the case is being handled. In fact, I’m relieved that APD realized the scope of this murder early on and didn’t hesitate to call in outside agencies who have more resources to assist. I, too, would like to see this nightmare end and for the case to be solved ASAP. But I’d rather wait patiently than have a sloppy investigation.

 

[coldlanta]

Since this is an ongoing investigation, IMO, Emma won’t be getting regular updates regarding progression of the investigation. Discussion of sensitive information outside of LE could potentially compromise the investigation.

APD has made it clear numerous times in press coverage that this case is top priority and detectives are working 24/7 to solve the case. Also, the fact that multiple agencies are involved (Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, Atlanta Police Department, FBI, GBI and the Fulton DA ) speaks volumes of the priority of the case. Asking the public to look at home security videos or to notify LE of anything that they may have seen or heard that night at Piedmont Park or to notify authorities of suspicious individuals is totally appropriate when building a case.…. it doesn’t mean LE has “no clue who did this”. IMO, LE has likely received many tips, which takes some time to sort through. They’ve asked the public to be patient and give them time to do their job.

Lastly, each of us has our own opinion, but please be careful careful of making general statements. “The handling of this case has been most bothersome to everyone.” Who is everyone? I am an Atlantan and I’m not “bothered” by the way the case is being handled. In fact, I’m relieved that APD realized the scope of this murder early on and didn’t hesitate to call in outside agencies who have more resources to assist. I, too, would like to see this nightmare end and for the case to be solved ASAP. But I’d rather wait patiently than have a sloppy investigation.

This this this. So much this. Especially the part about being an Atlantan and not being bothered about the way the case is being handled. As a local, and most of my friends and neighbors feel the same way, I feel like this case is being handled as efficiently as possible

 

[SleepyLabRat]

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.

 

[K.jill]

Happening in Piedmont Park this weekend:
Atlanta Dogwood Festival | About

This is the 85th year of the Atlanta Dogwood festival. It is a very large festival that it’s expected to attract nearly 100,000 visitors this year. https://www.midtownatlanta.org/atlanta-dogwood-festival-traffic-update/
I looked at the music and it looks like the last bands play at 7:30 each night.

 

[Lore Listener]

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.

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.

 

[CLWP8]

Can they be from cameras on the beltline?

I think it IS the Beltline! That double wide sidewalk and the odd manhole cover definitely look like it

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.