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

[CLWP8]

and we don't know FOR SURE that the runner didn't run out and make a call, or that he hasn't come forward by now. (Yes, we can assume that had he made a call, it would have been reported but we don't know that for sure.)

So hard to wait for more information to be released, we are grasping at anything right now.

As of 2 hours ago on twitter the APD said: The individuals shown are NOT suspects at this time. Investigators would like to speak to them to see if they witnessed anything that could help the investigation. (
https://twitter.com/atlanta_police/status/1422956520581513221?s=21)

We know that the investigators have not released all the information, but it makes me think he did not contact the police if he saw anything. And that he also has not been in contact with the police since the images/videos were released.

 

[swedeheart]

City of Atlanta Police Department
3tS pocnshrocedsrceido ·

APD Needs Your Help Identifying Possible Witnesses in Piedmont Park Murder on 7/28/21:
Atlanta Police Homicide Investigators have released surveillance photos and video showing people in the area of Piedmont Park, around the time 40-year-old Katherine Janness was murdered. Investigators are hoping these individuals may have seen something that could help forward their investigation and they are asking for assistance identifying or contacting them. If anyone was in the area around the time of the murder, or if anyone knows someone in these photos, we ask that they contact Atlanta Police Homicide Investigators or Crime Stoppers. #AtlantaPolice
Link to photos: https://bit.ly/3s0E2zx
Incident summary:
On Wednesday July 28, 2021, at around 1:10am officers responded to Piedmont Park, 1073 Piedmont Ave, on a report of a person stabbed. On scene officers found a deceased adult female with multiple stab wounds. Atlanta Police Homicide Unit detectives responded and are investigating the incident.
Investigators are actively working to identify the suspect in this crime and are asking anyone with information to please contact the Atlanta Police Homicide Unit or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477. Callers can remain completely anonymous. The reward is up to $10,000.
Please keep in mind that this is preliminary information and may change as the investigation progresses.

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[ArmchairDefective]

no chance this empath can listen to the call. Can someone please share if there is any consequential or unreported?

Seconded

She hung up on the 911 operator and she was talking to someone else who saw the body.

Can you summarize what was said between the two of them?

 

[Shannon0521]

Seconded



Can you summarize what was said between the two of them?

Emma said “did you just see that?”
The person says something.
Emma: “that’s my fu$@ing girlfriend.”
The person says “what the f$&k.”
Emma says “yes!”
It’s beyond heartbreaking.

 

[CLWP8]

Seconded



Can you summarize what was said between the two of them?

To summarize it: She says that she's at the entrance of Piedmont Park and went looking for her girlfriend because she couldn't find her and she's dead and lots of pleading for help. Has trouble explaining where she is exactly in the park because she's in shock. Then someone in the background screams and she responds "that's my girlfriend", the other person screams a few more times because they came across it. Can't tell what that person screams. Then the dispatcher tries to get her on the line with Grady Memorial Hospital but she got disconnected/hung up. The dispatcher sent out the police and EMT.

 

[CLWP8]

Emma said “did you just see that?”
The person says something.
Emma: “that’s my fu$@ing girlfriend.”
The person says “what the f$&k.”
Emma says “yes!”
It’s beyond heartbreaking.

Thank you, you did much better than I did. I think listening to it makes it hard to listen super closely because you just want it to end...

 

[swedeheart]

In the screenshot on the right, what causes the "blacked out" area of his torso? Poor quality? A shadow?

Here is the video, but it's difficult to tell if it's just bad quality or what. Any experts know?

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[Shannon0521]

Thank you, you did much better than I did. I think listening to it makes it hard to listen super closely because you just want it to end...

Yeah, I listened twice and never again.

 

[PrairieWind]

Yeah, I listened twice and never again.

It is heartbreaking to listen to. I can't imagine finding a loved one like that.

 

[MntnHiker]

I really feel like that runner coming out of that same entrance where Katie was found around 1245 AM (do I have the correct time?) must have seen or heard something, even if at the time, he had no idea it was something concerning, much less a murder. If she is in the crosswalk 12:10-12:15 and her girlfriend finds her just after 1, I personally don't see a way she wasn't already killed by 12:45 or at least the attack was underway. It doesn't sound like she and her dog were only stabbed once. "Mutilated" and "brutal" have been used, as well as it being described as unusual and not something that ever happens here, so I am assuming (maybe correctly, maybe incorrectly) that she and/or her dog were stabbed multiple times, which would take a bit of time. Even if let's say the attack hadn't started yet when the runner came through, she was likely in the vicinity and very likely her killer, too.

I am not suggesting the runner had anything to do with it. And I'm not suggesting he witnessed a murder and kept it quiet. Perhaps he only saw the dog, like someone else brought up, and thought "That's odd," but just thought it was a sick dog and wanted to stay/get away from it. If Katie was off to the side, maybe in shadows or what not, he may have not noticed her. Can we tell if he has earbuds in? That could account for not hearing anything, especially if they are noise-cancelling (I personally wouldn't go running at night - or at all, really - with noise-cancelling turned on, but that's a choice some might make).

It sounds like this murder is pretty well publicized locally. I hope he especially comes forward soon (and the others on camera, too).

Is this area of town more for "locals"? I guess I'm thinking maybe he has no idea there was a murder there or that he is wanted for questions if he was a tourist or a person in town on business. Maybe unusual for a tourist or visitor to run through a park around 1 AM, but maybe not if they are insomniacs or just used to running late at night.

 

[Shannon0521]

I really feel like that runner coming out of that same entrance where Katie was found around 1245 AM (do I have the correct time?) must have seen or heard something, even if at the time, he had no idea it was something concerning, much less a murder. If she is in the crosswalk 12:10-12:15 and her girlfriend finds her just after 1, I personally don't see a way she wasn't already killed by 12:45 or at least the attack was underway. It doesn't sound like she and her dog were only stabbed once. "Mutilated" and "brutal" have been used, as well as it being described as unusual and not something that ever happens here, so I am assuming (maybe correctly, maybe incorrectly) that she and/or her dog were stabbed multiple times, which would take a bit of time. Even if let's say the attack hadn't started yet when the runner came through, she was likely in the vicinity and very likely her killer, too.

I am not suggesting the runner had anything to do with it. And I'm not suggesting he witnessed a murder and kept it quiet. Perhaps he only saw the dog, like someone else brought up, and thought "That's odd," but just thought it was a sick dog and wanted to stay/get away from it. If Katie was off to the side, maybe in shadows or what not, he may have not noticed her. Can we tell if he has earbuds in? That could account for not hearing anything, especially if they are noise-cancelling (I personally wouldn't go running at night - or at all, really - with noise-cancelling turned on, but that's a choice some might make).

It sounds like this murder is pretty well publicized locally. I hope he especially comes forward soon (and the others on camera, too).

Is this area of town more for "locals"? I guess I'm thinking maybe he has no idea there was a murder there or that he is wanted for questions if he was a tourist or a person in town on business. Maybe unusual for a tourist or visitor to run through a park around 1 AM, but maybe not if they are insomniacs or just used to running late at night.

It’s SUCH a short window of time. Most of the sites I’d think tourists would visit are downtown rather than in midtown, besides the art museum.

 

[Shannon0521]

Does anyone else think it’s crazy how little time passed between Katie being at the crosswalk and then found already gone? That’s maybe a ten-minute walk, fifteen if you’re really taking your time. So between 12:25 and 1:00 she was killed and the killer gone?

 

[CLWP8]

I keep going back and forth between what makes sense from the pictures location/timestamp. When you look at pictures of the runner, the first picture of him at 12:46:13 he is almost at the corner of the park entrance. When you pull up google street view, you can match up the green sign, yellow cord protector thing, and the signs on the road to identify that he is about to turn into the park. With him being in the park for 41 seconds and running at what looks like a normal pace, if he saw the dog it would have been immediately after entering and been out in less time unless he stopped. If he made it further into the park and saw Katie, it would have taken a few more seconds (150 feet inside the park) and then turned around. The amount of time being in the park running at a normal pace for 41 seconds has me confused, but for some reason he did decide to turn around.

I'm starting to consider that she was not anywhere visible to someone on the path at 12:46.

 

[Yemelyan]

So the dog was found 100 feet from Katie - does that imply Bowie killed first, followed by Katie running away from the assailant when killed?

And how well lit is the area she was found in?

A reporter tweeted a photo of the scene and it's linked upthread....it looked like perhaps her body was found under a large tree. So the attack may have been in quite a shadowy area.

 

[K.jill]

I really feel like that runner coming out of that same entrance where Katie was found around 1245 AM (do I have the correct time?) must have seen or heard something, even if at the time, he had no idea it was something concerning, much less a murder. If she is in the crosswalk 12:10-12:15 and her girlfriend finds her just after 1, I personally don't see a way she wasn't already killed by 12:45 or at least the attack was underway. It doesn't sound like she and her dog were only stabbed once. "Mutilated" and "brutal" have been used, as well as it being described as unusual and not something that ever happens here, so I am assuming (maybe correctly, maybe incorrectly) that she and/or her dog were stabbed multiple times, which would take a bit of time. Even if let's say the attack hadn't started yet when the runner came through, she was likely in the vicinity and very likely her killer, too.

I am not suggesting the runner had anything to do with it. And I'm not suggesting he witnessed a murder and kept it quiet. Perhaps he only saw the dog, like someone else brought up, and thought "That's odd," but just thought it was a sick dog and wanted to stay/get away from it. If Katie was off to the side, maybe in shadows or what not, he may have not noticed her. Can we tell if he has earbuds in? That could account for not hearing anything, especially if they are noise-cancelling (I personally wouldn't go running at night - or at all, really - with noise-cancelling turned on, but that's a choice some might make).

It sounds like this murder is pretty well publicized locally. I hope he especially comes forward soon (and the others on camera, too).

Is this area of town more for "locals"? I guess I'm thinking maybe he has no idea there was a murder there or that he is wanted for questions if he was a tourist or a person in town on business. Maybe unusual for a tourist or visitor to run through a park around 1 AM, but maybe not if they are insomniacs or just used to running late at night.

Imo, during the week, on a Tuesday night at midnight-ish people in that area of the park would be locals. On weekends I think lots of people come in from out of town and spend time in the park.
To tell you the truth the park is a wonderful place during the day in my opinion and I i’ve never felt unsafe or threatened there. I have known for years that at night that men are known to go there to hook up. If I was walking around the park in the middle of the week at midnight I would expect to maybe run into a few gay men or homeless people.
I know the park is patrolled at night by police but it’s a large area. I think the park hires private security, off duty officers to patrol. if it was someone’s habit to walk or run the park at night they would eventually be asked to leave by the police.

 

[PrairieWind]

Imo, during the week, on a Tuesday night at midnight-ish people in that area of the park would be locals. On weekends I think lots of people come in from out of town and spend time in the park.
To tell you the truth the park is a wonderful place during the day in my opinion and I i’ve never felt unsafe or threatened there. I have known for years that at night that men are known to go there to hook up. If I was walking around the park in the middle of the week at midnight I would expect to maybe run into a few gay men or homeless people.
I know the park is patrolled at night by police but it’s a large area. I think the park hires private security, off duty officers to patrol. if it was someone’s habit to walk or run the park at night they would eventually be asked to leave by the police.

It looks like a beautiful park.

 

[PrairieWind]

Does anyone else think it’s crazy how little time passed between Katie being at the crosswalk and then found already gone? That’s maybe a ten-minute walk, fifteen if you’re really taking your time. So between 12:25 and 1:00 she was killed and the killer gone?

Yes! It is not a long way from the rainbow crosswalk to where I believe she was found, but it would have taken a bit of time to get there. So to be so horrifically murdered and mutilated as we are led to believe, and the kill apparently gone before she is found just after 1 a.m. is amazing. Or was the killer gone? In looking at the photos and vid of the people the police are trying to identify, none of them really stands out to me as a potential suspect. But the runner going in and coming right back out is curious. could he have seen the dog, went up to it and realized it was dead and blood everywhere and just "i'm getting out of here."?

 

[Bridger]

Does anyone else think it’s crazy how little time passed between Katie being at the crosswalk and then found already gone? That’s maybe a ten-minute walk, fifteen if you’re really taking your time. So between 12:25 and 1:00 she was killed and the killer gone?

I think we can narrow the timeline much more than this. If Katie was 10 minutes away from where she was killed at 12:09, she would have had to arrive at that spot at about 12:20. If it had been a completely normal walk and she had turned around immediately and returned home, if she lived very, very close to where she was videoed, she would have arrived home at around 12:35. Let’s suppose this is the case and that’s when she would normally be expected back. Surely her fiancé didn’t raise the alarm immediately—give her 10 minutes, say 12:45. Then the fiancé calls and texts a few times, consults her app, sees Katie’s phone in the park, watches it a while to see it isn’t moving, becomes worried, goes to the park, by then it has to be 12:55 or later, discovers the body, runs out, calls the police (gotta be around 1am or a little after since the cops arrived at 1:10). Almost every minute is accounted for if Katie was killed between 12:20 and 12:30. I just don’t think it could be much later than 12:30. If she was still alive at 12:30, she would have had to be on her way home. The timeline doesn’t work with a later killing.

 

[TL4S]

I keep going back and forth between what makes sense from the pictures location/timestamp. When you look at pictures of the runner, the first picture of him at 12:46:13 he is almost at the corner of the park entrance. When you pull up google street view, you can match up the green sign, yellow cord protector thing, and the signs on the road to identify that he is about to turn into the park. With him being in the park for 41 seconds and running at what looks like a normal pace, if he saw the dog it would have been immediately after entering and been out in less time unless he stopped. If he made it further into the park and saw Katie, it would have taken a few more seconds (150 feet inside the park) and then turned around. The amount of time being in the park running at a normal pace for 41 seconds has me confused, but for some reason he did decide to turn around.

I'm starting to consider that she was not anywhere visible to someone on the path at 12:46.

I suppose it's also possible the runner did see the killer, or maybe just saw someone acting strange, or bloody, whatever, which made him turn around, but he hasn't come forward now because he's scared to, knowing what he had actually come across. I still think he seemed to be running at a normal, not fearful pace, though...

 

[moonriverfarm]

A reporter tweeted a photo of the scene and it's linked upthread....it looked like perhaps her body was found under a large tree. So the attack may have been in quite a shadowy area.

Please post the link if you run across it again. Thanks!