MovieChat Forums > The Atlanta Child Murders (1985) Discussion > Just not sure!!!!!!!!!!!

Just not sure!!!!!!!!!!!

posted 20 years ago by purplelove
23 replies | jump to latest

I was a young child when these murders took place, however I can remember it like yesterday. I can remember the movie showing and how much it frightened me but to this day I often wonder do they have the right man. This was a man clearly convicted on circumstantual evidence. Evidence did not nail this man but losing his temper on the stand did but how many of you out there would lose your temper if someone was trying to blame you for something you did not do especially when the crimes are so horrible. Now add youth to that factor how many of you react to a sistuation the same way at 21 as you would at 41.It is time for this case to be reopened and carefully reviewed.If not for Wayne B. Williams for the children we lost. Its a new day and technology is king.

[–] creid0000 20 years ago

I too was a kid in the Atlanta area during this era and remember it well (Marietta). Frankly Williams is guilty as sin. There are mountains of evidence against him. Just a few things:

Splash heard in river while Williams' car just happens to be on bridge. Body turns up 100 yards downstream two days later. There's a nylon cord consistent with the asphyxiations in Williams car. Before he's arrested, neighbors report seeing Williams removing boxes from his home and having a bonfire in his backyard. Over 700 fibers from most of the victims are consistent with fibers from Williams' environment, including one type of fiber that was identified down to the manufacturer's particular batch. Dog hairs consistent with the Williams' family German Shepherd. Scores of witnesses who placed Williams with many of the victims. The defense portrayed Williams as a soft-spoken sweetheart of a man; he had a tempestrous meltdown on the stand. Virtually every sentence that came out of his mouth when speaking with the FBI was a verifiable lie big enough to drive a bus through. Human blood in his living area consistent with the blood types of two victims.

There is more I just can't recall right now. The point is, if you add it all up, it's pretty overwhelming against him. Anyone who believes that Williams is innocent should really read up. I suggest a book called "The Atlanta Youth Murders and the Politics of Race." Can't think of the author, but it's a good summation of the whole story and a pretty quick read.

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[–] kyleb18940 19 years ago

During the entire time, 32 children were murdered in Atlanta. Did Wayne Williams kill all 32? Absolutely not. However, once he was convicted of the two murders, Atlanta PD dumped all 32 on his lap, called them all closed and solved, and moved on. It's a shame that they did that.

That being said, Williams is guilty. Fiber and profile evidence linked him to 12 of the murders of that time, including the two he was convicted of. He is guilty as sin for those murders, and is a serial killer. The shame in dumping all the other murders on him is that those murderers got away clean because Williams was an *beep* serial killer who happened to be operating in that area. It's a shame that those murdered will never see their day in court.

But Williams is guilty and an *beep* to boot

[–] lilant 18 years ago

I dont think he killed all 32 but maybe some.

[–] JoeLoebner 18 years ago

Likely almost all of them.

[–] jt_1_99 17 years ago

i dont think he killed them all either. but the lazy cops of atlanta are okay with that

[–] llyons2001 17 years ago

I was a young adult at the time and folllowed the case very closely and I never for one minute believed Wayne Williams was the killer. As pointed out in the move he may have been guilty of something but not murder. Wayne was just a scape goat ... and remember he was only charged with killing two people and they were adults who did not fit the profile of the young children that was murdered. after closing the case on the two adults they closed the case on all the other cases as well. Its a shame that Wayne Williams as spent the better part of his life incarcerated for all those years and no one has really taken the lead to speak out on his behalf. Ther real murderers) is still free. It is my understanding that 5 of the cases are being reopened, the fiber evidenc is being looked into and D&A test of being done on some of the evidence. American Justice as done a couple of dcoumenteries on the case and even the Lead Detective in the case believes Wayne was innercent. I do hope and pray the real killer(s) are caught...my faith teaches me that "No one gets away with anything" in time your sins catch up with you. They need to play the movie again, because you never know who might see the movie and their memory becomes jarred and they remember something or someone who may have said something, acted strange, did something etc.... that connects to that hidious crime and will be conclusion to this unsolved mystery. I have even heard that even after Wayne was convited of the crimes and went to jail the murders continued but just were not reported.

[–] kyleb18940 16 years ago

Yes, you're right. Wayne was "innercent"

Sigh
No he wasn't

[–] genius11226 16 years ago

i think he's innocent. i think that the real people responsible for the murders was the ronald reagan's *beep* up ass, his administration, as well as the CDC (which is located in atlanta).

there's even people that were saying that some of the kids were picked up by "a candylady" that offered them candy and they was never seen again.

isn't it weird how HIV/AIDS suddenly came about just a year later AFTER the murders stopped... somehow the black and gay communities got the full wrath of it @ first.

[–] kyleb18940 16 years ago

Wow, that's full of....lots of crap.

First off, it happened under the BUSH administration, NOT the Regan.

Second, eyewitness accounts, for the most part, are inconclusive. And while some of those kids weren't killed by Wayne and by someone else, that doesn't clear him of ALL the murders. Forensic evidence conclusively links him to 11 victims. Can't argue with science and fact

And yes, you're right. The Candylady was working for the CIA to kill blacks and when that failed they released AIDS.....you're out of your *beep* mind sir

[–] KayFrancis 16 years ago

Ronald Reagan was president in 1981, not George H. W. Bush.

The forensic evidence used to convict WW at the time -- carpet fibers -- would never be strong enough to convict someone of murder today. This was way before DNA evidence, and the Atlanta police and courts were under enormous political pressure to convict someone and convince the city that this nightmare was over.

[–] mmeremy 16 years ago

Actually, trace evidence is used now more than ever. It also helped convict Jeffrey MacDonald of the murders of his wife and children. Of course, what finally convnced the jury was the defendent -- his behavior and contradictory statements. Similar to Wayne Williams.

In the Atlanta case, the fibers weren't the sole evidence against Williams. There was testimony from unrelated witnesses who saw Williams with the victim as well as negative testimony from those who knew him. One friend testified that she asked him if he would confess if there was enough evidence and he said yes. But Williams sealed his own fate by taking the stand. The outburst plus the admission that he didn't panic when strangling one of the victims is what really convinced the jury. If he hadn't taken the stand. If he had maintained his composure, he might be a free man today.

That said, I do not for one second believe he is an innocent man. He is clearly guilty of the murders of some of the victims. Not all the victims, but some of them. The tragedy is we may never know what really happened in Atlanta during those years and those who lost their young lives might never receive justice for what was done to them.

[–] critterdhs05 13 years ago

actually you can auger with facts and since there are many labs that fake stuff to prove the guy was guilty. i wonder if this could be part of another case of something similar like this. I am not saying he is clear or gulit but i remember reading about that lab police used fake and put Innocent people behind bars.

[–] Nocgirl72 14 years ago

I also believe that WW committed some of the murders, but not all. But innocent? No way. Normally in serial killings, the murderer sticks to victims of one race or sex. Since almost all the victims were male children, there likely was some sort of sexual element involved. Then there was only 1 girl killed right? It is very possible someone else killed her. She did not fit the mold of any of the other killings. Also why were so many male children killed? Seems like a molester would do this. It has been a long time since I have read pertinant info on this case but was there any proof of any sexual assaults on any of the victims?

WW was also seen with some of the victims before they were killed. It is a little too cicumstantial that he would know some of the victims and be seen driving away from the river right after a body was dumped.

I think one of the murderers was caught but I think there was another not caught or perhaps already locked up for another crime. We may never know.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] critterdhs05 13 years ago

a fromer agent i think explains it the best he believes that he has commited the murders not all of them though. I do believe that someone else is out there doing the same thing.

[–] prettyD2368 12 years ago

He killed the two guys definitely, but I'm not so sure about the kids.

[–] markiebee 11 years ago

It's on YouTube in 3 parts now...

[–] brockmeeks 10 years ago

Yes, I'm really glad it's there. It's long, but I enjoyed it.

If you do some reading, I don't see how you can think Williams innocent. It may be circumstantial, but its powerful and damning.

There are a couple of documentaries out there, one in which the man wasn't sure but walked away convinced. Especially after talking to Williams. Now he gives people some nonsense he wrote 20+ years ago claiming he was working for the CIA at the time. Ugh.

[–] Pictureshow1990 8 years ago

He was convicted by an all black jury. Most of the juriers thought that the white people in law enforcement were lying or just rushing the case. There was a lot of racial problems in Atlanta at the time because of these murders. Many blacks felt it was the klan that was responsible. So why was Wayne Williams found guilty? The all black jury all said the same thing; since this guy has been in custody, the murders have stop. I hope Wayne Williams never gets out of jail, but you never know. Conspiracy people got the West Memphis Three out of prison.

[–] kersten-kringlen 8 years ago

It was not an all black jury

[–] kersten-kringlen 8 years ago

The problem with the eye witnesses who claimed to have seen W Williams with the victims is that the cops leaked him as a suspect to the media (yes, he did hold that stupid press conference, but that was after the press had camped out in his front yard and splashed his face all over the papers). Now random people across the city see his face, and either lie, or end up believing they saw this man with the victims, who they didn't even know. The jury believed these strangers (of which many ended up admitting to lying), instead of people who actually knew the victims. Five friends/family members said they saw Nathanial Cater a day AFTER the splash incident. Then his body was found yet another day after. Anyway, if the police had caught Williams dropping q body into the river, why on earth would they let him go? Why on earth didn't they try to save the person they allegedly heard fall in? Why on earth wouldn't they be able to recover the body for two days?