GA - Katherine Janness, 40, fatally stabbed and dog killed, Piedmont Park, Atlanta, 28 Jul 2021 #3

[DobbyRN]

Nothing about this case makes sense!

 

[Nancy19XX]

And let me guess, still no threat to the public? MOO

 

[Deleted member 298047]

Nothing about this case makes sense!

I concur. This case is baffling and over the top. Sexual components of crimes can indicate a host of motives and suspects that knew her to strangers that did not. Quite a range of opportunity. I can only hope there is resolve soon for Katie

 

[mickey2942]

Nothing about this case makes sense!

I wouldn't feel safe living in the area. Forget walking the dog in the park at night. Scary.

 

[BGGS]

Oh...just horrible reading the autopsy report. Most stab wounds were less than 3/4" deep. I'm just a little versed in medical lingo but it sounds more like cutting than stabbing for most wounds. She was attacked from behind at some point. Her neck was almost completely severed. Wounds to her hands & arms. Her eyelids, nose, upper lip, breasts & abdomen around hip level were mutilated. There was no injuries found that would suggest rape. The 'F' & 'A' wounds were close together while the 'T' located off to the side & all were very large in size. I have not heard of a more brutal murder since Ron Goldman & Nicole Brown. IMO never ever going to PP again.

I've only been lurking here for the past couple of months, but had to jump back in now that the autopsy results have been released. I hope this reinvigorates the case and the perpetrator is caught--I haven't been able to stop thinking about this case since it happened.

Here's my question, though: you would think that the area where such a violent, horrific crime took place would be a total mess (sorry). Blood everywhere, and lots of it. But the park was open for a festival not long after, and I don't remember reading that the spot where she was found was closed off -- it really couldn't have been, right? Does anyone remember reading a description of the spot where she was found? I don't. Is it possible that she was killed elsewhere and dumped in the park?

 

[mickey2942]

Good question @BGGS. But how would the perpetrator have been able to both of them there? Any type of automobile or large container would have been seen by the cameras?

I also wondered how such an attack could have been so fast, without any sound to alert anyone around.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

My thinking is that this is either someone who had a lot of anger toward the victim for some reason and targeted her or someone who is very deranged or sick and would be inclined to do this again. A very violent serial killer.
I have trouble reconciling why LE would claim the public would be in no danger unless they have evidence to support she was targeted. But then there is no arrest and LE seems pretty clueless.
None of it makes sense.
If I lived around there I sure would be uncomfortable.

 

[Evan's Mom]

And let me guess, still no threat to the public? MOO

We're not really hearing much at all on the local news. Of course everyone thinks we have a serial killer in the metro area, but law enforcement is playing it down so much, I only knew about the autopsy release from either here or reddit.

 

[ArmchairDefective]

Here's my question, though: you would think that the area where such a violent, horrific crime took place would be a total mess (sorry). Blood everywhere, and lots of it. But the park was open for a festival not long after, and I don't remember reading that the spot where she was found was closed off -- it really couldn't have been, right? Does anyone remember reading a description of the spot where she was found? I don't. Is it possible that she was killed elsewhere and dumped in the park?

I had this same thought last night when I was thinking about the case. I remember seeing pictures in the following days of law enforcement collecting evidence, but I don't remember seeing any blood stains. I did consider that maybe the attack happened off the concrete path and therefore you wouldn't see any blood, but you would think the killer would have left a trail themselves as they fled the scene?

My thinking is that this is either someone who had a lot of anger toward the victim for some reason and targeted her or someone who is very deranged or sick and would be inclined to do this again. A very violent serial killer.
[snipped]

Agreed. To me the autopsy report indicates that one of two things must be true:

a) The killer was known to Katie and committed the crime in a fit of pure rage
b) The killer was someone deep in the throes of psychosis and completely divorced from reality

This was clearly not a "crime of opportunity" -- a person walking a pit bull is not a soft target, and the location was public enough that the killer was at great risk of being discovered, especially considering the extensiveness of the attack. That tells me that it must have either been someone so blind with hatred that they weren't really considering/caring about the risks at the time, or that they were not in a mental state to even understand the concept of crime/consequence (e.g. psychosis). If the latter, though, it would seem that the perpetrator would have been quickly apprehended, lacking the frame of mind to try to flee the scene, hide evidence, etc. (I'm remembering some cases where people were, for example, on hallucinogenic drugs and would commit some horrific act and be immediately apprehended because they stayed on the scene.)

If the police have any suspicion whatsoever that this was an attack by a stranger or a potential serial killer, IMO the lack of strong warning to the general public to be on the alert would border on negligence. There was some "go in groups" talk and etc. at the beginning of the investigation, but I haven't heard any of that lately. That tells me that they don't have reason to believe that the public is at risk. It also makes me very hopeful that they are homing in on a suspect.

The final thing that makes me hopeful that this case is progressing towards an arrest is the release of the autopsy report. I don't know a ton about crime, but I can think of at least a few major unsolved "no suspects, no person of interest" cases where they won't even release the cause of death. I feel like they would have kept the details sealed if they were still searching for a suspect at this point.

 

[scdiv]

I agree with your post. The only thing about "b) The killer was someone deep in the throes of psychosis and completely divorced from reality" is that it feels so unlikely that a person so in the throes of psychosis would be able to maintain any kind of ability to deal with reality or the aftermath. It seems like that would take some level of strategy to discreetly discard bloody clothes and weapon in an indiscoverable place, etc. Or at the very least, dealing with every day life things like a place to live, bills, being out in public. How could a person like that be tipping off other people that they are in a deranged, uncontrolled state of mind? Someone who could brutally kill in this type of way is a psychopath. But if they were in a state of unhinged, mentally ill, deranged psychosis, I would speculate they would quickly put themselves in a position where they would be caught. This to me (jmo) feels more deliberate. It just makes no sense why.

 

[FonescaFan]

My thinking is that this is either someone who had a lot of anger toward the victim for some reason and targeted her or someone who is very deranged or sick and would be inclined to do this again. A very violent serial killer.
I have trouble reconciling why LE would claim the public would be in no danger unless they have evidence to support she was targeted. But then there is no arrest and LE seems pretty clueless.
None of it makes sense.
If I lived around there I sure would be uncomfortable.[/
Good points. Hoping that LE has had a strong suspect from day one due to evidence. Surely the FBI and LE would have time to test all the DNA by now? I also wonder if Bowie’s autopsy will be made public.

 

[dotr]

Wondering if the perp/s might have cut KJ's hair, if so would that be mentioned in an autopsy ? speculation.
Noting this pretty pic of KJ.
Woman 'had word FAT carved into her chest by killer who stabbed her 50 times'

 

[CLGM]

I agree with your post. The only thing about "b) The killer was someone deep in the throes of psychosis and completely divorced from reality" is that it feels so unlikely that a person so in the throes of psychosis would be able to maintain any kind of ability to deal with reality or the aftermath. It seems like that would take some level of strategy to discreetly discard bloody clothes and weapon in an indiscoverable place, etc. Or at the very least, dealing with every day life things like a place to live, bills, being out in public. How could a person like that be tipping off other people that they are in a deranged, uncontrolled state of mind? Someone who could brutally kill in this type of way is a psychopath. But if they were in a state of unhinged, mentally ill, deranged psychosis, I would speculate they would quickly put themselves in a position where they would be caught. This to me (jmo) feels more deliberate. It just makes no sense why.

A couple of things -- since it seemed to happen so fast and was so brutal and seemingly personal, could it have been somebody who was also working in the restaurant. Maybe there was some kind of relationship drama? But still... what percentage of relationship drama (love triangles, for example) leads to this outcome??

Second, releasing the autopsy might be a way to rattle the suspect enough for them to slip up in a way that LE can finally take them in, maybe? Also, going back to whether it was her partner (and I know that there's a strong case that it was not her), how far away was her dad's place? Is it possible that she fled there to clean up, etc? Maybe LE is trying to rattle somebody who helped the suspect? The person who helped may not have known how horrible the attack really was?

EBM to fix typo

 

[sassy2016]

Autopsy notes she was found with one earbud so she may have been listening to music or a podcast and was caught off guard. This may also explain the uncertainty around the direction and timing of her route. Sometimes I will alter my walk and/or drive to complete at the same time as my podcast. To an outsider in hindsight my whereabouts and the route I traveled would not make any sense.

Other notes of interest were the size of the blunt force traumas to each arm and each leg plus her head/neck; and that her body and wounds contained leaves and soil. This supports getting taken down initially by a tree branch/limb. It is possible that one person could have beaten, then stabbed front and back, carved and sliced front and back, side to side and up and down in this short amount of time. But the odds of one person attacking, cleaning-up, dealing with Bowie and exiting unnoticed do not seem likely.

I would like for someone to weigh in that has experience reading these reports. Do the wounds seem synchronized or maybe symmetric is the word I am thinking of? From the perspective that there may have been at least two people attacking her initially? Is there a single weapon or instrument sharp enough that is capable of doing this much damage? Last thought to support more than one attacker would be to serve as a lookout and/or block the line of sight. Interested to hear any thoughts others may have.

 

[lilacstarz]

Maybe this is odd. But something that it is hard for me to reconcile is that this would have taken place in the dark outside. I guess. So that means the killer was somewhere in nearly total dark carving initials into her body.

are there any facts to suggest maybe she wasn't killed in the location she was found? Is it possible she was abducted from somewhere, taken in a van or something like that, tortured, and then dumped back at the park where she was ultimately found?

 

[Jade]

With apologies if this has already been discussed.... she had just been at the restaurant where her partner worked, right? Could it have been another person working in the restaurant who would have followed her out and knew where she was going? Has the knife (or whatever was used) been found? Restaurants have lots of knives. JMOO

Very sharp knives at restaurants.

Surprise attack by someone known; someone she let get close?

The deep slash to the neck from behind would silence and the other cuts done while addressing grievances to the dying woman.


I watch the show Forged in Fire and the knife demonstrations of strength and sharpness are horrifying in this context.


Would an average person’s knife be so sharp as to nearly behead?


This is R/Chefit thread about cooks and chefs taking pride in having personal knives of a preferred type as well as restaurants that supply knives and/or weekly sharpening:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Chefit/comments/beeyvo/do_restaurants_provide_their_chefs_with_knives/




all imo

 

[CrimeAway]

Very sharp knives at restaurants.

Would an average person’s knife be so sharp as to nearly behead?

RSBM

I had a paring knife fall off the counter, hit me on the ankle, and cut a vein. It bled profusely.

I also know of cases where supermarket knives have been used to kill people. JMO.

 

[Deleted member 298047]

A couple of things -- since it seemed to happen so fast and was so brutal and seemingly personal, could it have been somebody who was also working in the restaurant. Maybe there was some kind of relationship drama? But still... what percentage of relationship drama (love triangles, for example) leads to this outcome??

Second, releasing the autopsy might be a way to rattle the suspect enough for them to slip up in a way that LE can finally take them in, maybe? Also, going back to whether it was her partner (and I know that there's a strong case that it was not her), how far away was her dad's place? Is it possible that she fled there to clean up, etc? Maybe LE is trying to rattle somebody who helped the suspect? The person who helped may not have known how horrible the attack really was?

EBM to fix typo

I agree with the rattling of the suspect. I think your are spot on. I also want to make two points: Nicole Brown Simpson was killed in 15 seconds roughly per ME. Ron Goldman took 1 1/2 minutes. That is how fast this can happen. Secondly, To your ask about percentage of relationship drama leading to this outcome i have posted a link to an article on that very subject. See below.
Articles

 

[BGGS]

Good question @BGGS. But how would the perpetrator have been able to both of them there? Any type of automobile or large container would have been seen by the cameras?

I also wondered how such an attack could have been so fast, without any sound to alert anyone around.

I really want to know what *was* caught on camera. Again, not to be insensitive, but if you've seen the crime scene photos from say, when Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman were murdered, there was so much blood. And like Nicole, Katie's neck was cut. Even if this crime took place on the grass, off the paved path, there would have been a considerable amount of blood, and I can't imagine LE/crime scene techs just left it there with the knowledge that the art festival was upcoming.

 

[Jade]

RSBM

I had a paring knife fall off the counter, hit me on the ankle, and cut a vein. It bled profusely.

I also know of cases where supermarket knives have been used to kill people. JMO.

Well, I can see where you could crudely stab at someone fatally with a common knife.


But this homicide seems to have a perp comfortable with knife work.


In a public park in a busy city they nearly beheaded someone with their kitchen knife then continue to stab away, carve a legible word, and make some kind of point about the tattoo having presumably already killed the dog?


It seems someone who is comfortable with butchering to be so deft.




All imo