GA GA - Katherine Janness & Dog Bowie Fatally Stabbed - Piedmont Park, Atlanta, 28 July 2021 #5

[FonescaFan]

I sometimes think about this crime and about this killer did all of this, in a public place, the brutality and the amount of blood, and how on Earth did he get away. And I think there is something missing. Was this killer just the luckiest guy on earth, or did he know something, a way to get away, did the police totally bungle this? Do they know a LOT more that they have said? Was the killer caught on camera after all?

I keep hoping for a break in the case. IMO the killer was very familiar with Midtown and Piedmont Park, as well as the lack of cameras in the area. I believe he or she was wearing dark clothes and left the scene on a bike. IMO.

 

[mickey2942]

I don't think that the killer was a man

 

[dotr]

I don't think that the killer was a man

Just about to pose the question do we know for sure the perp is male and identifies as one? speculation.

 

[FonescaFan]

New article in Feb 2026 Atlanta Magazine: Atlanta Magazine • Atlanta Magazine February 2026 • Page 56

 

[Kittens1988]

New article in Feb 2026 Atlanta Magazine: Atlanta Magazine • Atlanta Magazine February 2026 • Page 56

Thanks for sharing this, it’s such a well written article.

 

[June Equinox]

I can't believe this case is still going on. I'm hoping for a break any day now.

 

[Calcano]

I don't think that the killer was a man

How come?

 

[PrairieWind]

I keep hoping for a break in the case. IMO the killer was very familiar with Midtown and Piedmont Park, as well as the lack of cameras in the area. I believe he or she was wearing dark clothes and left the scene on a bike. IMO.

I agree that the killer must be someone that was well familiar with the park, its layout, in order to get away undetected. That can't just be luck.
Male or female killer? We have no way of knowing. Statistically, it is likely a male, but unless the police have more, they shouldn't limit searches to just men.

 

[moonglow123]

New article in Feb 2026 Atlanta Magazine: Atlanta Magazine • Atlanta Magazine February 2026 • Page 56

Thank you for sharing such a great article.

She seemed like an awesome, compassionate, hard-working person that was beloved in her community. It's senseless that this has gone unsolved for so long.

 

[cenazoic]

I don't think that the killer was a man

It’s interesting- my first reaction to that was “no way!” How many women attack strangers with a knife? It doesn’t ’feel’ like a woman’s crime.

But then I decide to go look for some stats , and found this:

“In the USA victims and offenders of knife violence are more likely to be female, less likely to be minorities, and are significantly older than firearm victims and offenders. The victim and offender in the case of a knife homicide are also significantly more likely to be closely related to one another. “

(Source)

Perhaps we’re all looking in the wrong direction for a perp?

 

[mickey2942]

It’s interesting- my first reaction to that was “no way!” How many women attack strangers with a knife? It doesn’t ’feel’ like a woman’s crime.

But then I decide to go look for some stats , and found this:

“In the USA victims and offenders of knife violence are more likely to be female, less likely to be minorities, and are significantly older than firearm victims and offenders. The victim and offender in the case of a knife homicide are also significantly more likely to be closely related to one another. “

(Source)

Perhaps we’re all looking in the wrong direction for a perp?

My own opinion, is that this was not random. It was personal. And rage fueled.

 

[PrairieWind]

My own opinion, is that this was not random. It was personal. And rage fueled.

I really can't lean one way more then the other on personal/targeted vs random. If it was personal, the assailant must have followed her somehow or otherwise tracked her. Her path for walks were, as I understand it, rather random. She could have been going there to meet someone, but I think there would have been some evidence (texts etc) evidencing that. The meeting could have been prearranged somehow.

 

[cujenn81]

I’m open to both random or targeted, but I definitely lean more towards an extremely mentally disturbed transient or a transient who became enraged while high on meth or PCP. I think it would take a lot of speed and/or strength to quickly overcome both Katie and her dog without a loud struggle, but someone high on drugs could probably accomplish this easily. I think it was someone who spent a lot of time in the park, but I doubt they knew the cameras were inoperable. I think they probably just kept to the shadowy areas and got lucky in that regard.

The only issue I have with the random suspect theory is that I would expect to see another vicious attack on someone else by now. But if this was a transient, he could have easily moved on to another area after the attack. Just look at someone like Semmie Williams, who stabbed 14-year-old Ryan Rogers to death in Palm Beach Gardens, FL in November 2021. Williams is a diagnosed schizophrenic who had a history of violent behavior and was a transient who spent time in numerous areas throughout the southeast. I fear we may be dealing with someone like that. Sadly, if LE doesn’t have solid DNA evidence… it may be difficult to link the perpetrator to this crime. And I really want this case solved. This was a heinous and vicious crime, and Katie and Bowie did not deserve to die this way.

 

[mickey2942]

The killing of the dog here, seemed very personal, and rage fueled. Also, a random person wouldn't know if the dog could have attacked.

An acquaintance could easily meet up in the park. Do it quickly, and leave.

I never thought that the Moscow, Idaho murders were from a personal friend, I always thought of those as a psycho killing, not unlike the "Florida Sorority" house killings by Ted Bundy. And I definitely don't think that this was a transient killing.

This one seems planned out, like those killings, but also personalized, like there was true animosity.

 

[PrairieWind]

We were led to believe somewhere that the police had gotten a "partial dna" sample from the dog (if I remember correctly, sorry I don't know or have a link to that). I don't really know what that means or if it was true.
I tend to think that if this was some drugged out homeless person, they would have left more evidence, but maybe they just got really lucky.

 

[PrairieWind]

The killing of the dog here, seemed very personal, and rage fueled. Also, a random person wouldn't know if the dog could have attacked.

An acquaintance could easily meet up in the park. Do it quickly, and leave.

I never thought that the Moscow, Idaho murders were from a personal friend, I always thought of those as a psycho killing, not unlike the "Florida Sorority" house killings by Ted Bundy. And I definitely don't think that this was a transient killing.

This one seems planned out, like those killings, but also personalized, like there was true animosity.

The killing of Bowie I think is really important. And perplexing in a way. Obviously a woman with a pit bull is NOT the ideal victim for a random attacker. So how does this fit in? How was the attack even carried out by one person? Why did the attack occur where it occurred? There were certain darker places it could have happened. There are just so many twists to this case.

 

[moonglow123]

How lucky did they get for no one to see them? They would’ve been absolutely covered in blood. So they had to make their way from the scene, have a change of clothes, or wash their clothes off in the lake, or risk being seen covered in blood, and no one saw any of it? It was late, but the park certainly wasn’t deserted at that hour. Annoying how lucky they got.

To top it off, they probably were injured and accidentally caught their own hands with the knife at least a few times. They were stabbing in such a frenzy. Or who knows if Bowie bit them during the attack.

Poor Katie and Bowie, truly. I could see the perpetrator being transient and hopping on a bus soon after this happened, to go who knows where. I do personally lean towards transient person having a mental health episode, they may not even know or care that they did it. Just hope there’s a chance of them being caught.

Was Katie walking in Piedmont at that time and route routine enough for someone she knows to stake out in the park and intentionally target her? It just feels too random. I guess I could see it being a transient person that was vaguely aware of her or recognized her.

 

[PrairieWind]

Bowie had to have been attacked/disabled first. I just don't see any other way this could have gone down. Otherwise there would have been a lot of barking, the dog would have defended Katie, biting, blood, etc.. Am I wrong?
And his body is found in the street or path, just inside the gate. Seems an odd place to start the attack.
And I agree, the killer had to be quite bloody. And hard to believe not injured to some degree, especially after killing Bowie. We know the APD were quite interested in the lake right after the murder, divers etc. I wonder if they considered draining the lake. (can you imagine what they would find in there?!!)