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

[dotr]

Police survey Piedmont Park, surrounding neighborhoods to further fatal stabbing investigation
Updated 3 hours ago rbbm.
Midtown
FOX 5 Atlanta
''ATLANTA - An Atlanta Police Department conducted a tactical canvass of some areas surrounding Piedmont Park, searching for evidence or anyone who may have information that would help further the investigation into the July 28 fatal stabbing of Katherine Janness and her partner's dog, Bowie.''

''The Atlanta Police Department is offering a $10,000 reward for any information that could help them arrest and indict a suspect in the case. Anyone with information that can help, please call the Atlanta Police Homicide Unit or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477.''

 

[coldlanta]

I have been consumed by this case all week. I have lived in Atlanta for most of my life and I rarely hear about stabbing cases here, especially brutal ones like this. Hearing gunshots is common, and muggings/robberies happen here just as much as any other big city, but a "gruesome" murder with a knife just really stands out. It's unusual. There are so many rumors going around about the type of killer who did this that I will not go into here, but I'll just say that I am eager to learn what the FBI uncovers.
I used to live within walking distance from the park, and I am in that neighborhood all the time to visit friends who live there. The area where she was walking around is a very common area and I have never felt unsafe walking around there at night because it's surrounded by houses, condos, businesses, etc. She was found so close to the park entrance. Someone had to have heard something.

Thank you all for posting your perspectives on this case. The organized vs unorganized killer article was super relevant info.

 

[Rosegold68]

i know its miles and miles apart and very different circumstances but i started to think of the Delphi murders....apparently a signature of some sort as present there too, was also quick and organised

 

[swedeheart]

Atlanta Police continue to search for the suspect in a deadly stabbing of a woman in Piedmont Park

 

[MntnHiker]

I wonder if she was found close to the entrance because the attack started deeper in the park and she was trying to escape. Or even if she wasn’t attacked yet, she could have been accosted or approached and ran towards the entrance to get away but the attacker caught her. MOO

 

[K.jill]

i know its miles and miles apart and very different circumstances but i started to think of the Delphi murders....apparently a signature of some sort as present there too, was also quick and organised

I am glad you mentioned this. I have been thinking about Delphi as well but I thought maybe it’s just because I am passionate about both cases. Investigators in both cases have indicated that the murders were unlike any they had seen in their town before.
I have wondered if the fbi came in because some thing unusual at the crime scene has been seen in another state. But I know there’s so many reasons the FBI could’ve been called in.

 

[dotr]

I have been consumed by this case all week. I have lived in Atlanta for most of my life and I rarely hear about stabbing cases here, especially brutal ones like this. Hearing gunshots is common, and muggings/robberies happen here just as much as any other big city, but a "gruesome" murder with a knife just really stands out. It's unusual. There are so many rumors going around about the type of killer who did this that I will not go into here, but I'll just say that I am eager to learn what the FBI uncovers.
I used to live within walking distance from the park, and I am in that neighborhood all the time to visit friends who live there. The area where she was walking around is a very common area and I have never felt unsafe walking around there at night because it's surrounded by houses, condos, businesses, etc. She was found so close to the park entrance. Someone had to have heard something.

Thank you all for posting your perspectives on this case. The organized vs unorganized killer article was super relevant info.

Welcome to Ws coldlanta, thanks for chiming in!

 

[K.jill]

I have been consumed by this case all week. I have lived in Atlanta for most of my life and I rarely hear about stabbing cases here, especially brutal ones like this. Hearing gunshots is common, and muggings/robberies happen here just as much as any other big city, but a "gruesome" murder with a knife just really stands out. It's unusual. There are so many rumors going around about the type of killer who did this that I will not go into here, but I'll just say that I am eager to learn what the FBI uncovers.
I used to live within walking distance from the park, and I am in that neighborhood all the time to visit friends who live there. The area where she was walking around is a very common area and I have never felt unsafe walking around there at night because it's surrounded by houses, condos, businesses, etc. She was found so close to the park entrance. Someone had to have heard something.

Thank you all for posting your perspectives on this case. The organized vs unorganized killer article was super relevant info.

Welcome Coldlanta,
I have always felt that area was safe at night as well. 10th st. next to the park.

 

[scdiv]

The mutilation aspect makes me think it's a hate crime against the LGBT community. Perhaps someone who knew her from her workplace -- someone who had seen her on multiple occasions in her restaurant, held a growing hatred for her, and may have stalked her before, thereby knowing when/where she usually walked her dog.

How could the killer have gotten away unscathed? I'd think that he/she would have some injuries/wounds from the pitbull. I can't imagine the pitbull went down without a fight. Seems like it would be hard to stab a pitbull to death without getting hurt in some capacity. But maybe the killer came prepared and was wearing protective clothing? I wonder how many blood types they found at the scene of the crime. Just 2, or 3??

If it was random and not premeditated, I doubt the mutilation would have occurred, but anything's possible these days. People are getting more and more unhinged, brazen and violent. So much hatred permeating the country. It's highly disturbing.

Your comment made me think of a comment her partner's father said in the extended interview, how he and Katie shared similar views on politics and social justice, and that she would try to get people to change their minds on certain views. Could that possibly be some sort of twisted motive? Some twisted person or demented activist who disagreed with her on something? I mean that's outrageous and extreme and I don't necessarily think that's what happened. Just swinging wildly at any potential motives. It just seems like such an out of control hate crime. It's either totally personalized or else madman/psychopath/mentally ill unhinged.

Who takes on a pit bull?? That's unreal.

 

[cheshire11]

Your comment made me think of a comment her partner's father said in the extended interview, how he and Katie shared similar views on politics and social justice, and that she would try to get people to change their minds on certain views. Could that possibly be some sort of twisted motive? Some twisted person or demented activist who disagreed with her on something? I mean that's outrageous and extreme and I don't necessarily think that's what happened. Just swinging wildly at any potential motives. It just seems like such an out of control hate crime. It's either totally personalized or else madman/psychopath/mentally ill unhinged.

Who takes on a pit bull?? That's unreal.

The fact she had a pit bull with her has made this that much stranger to me too. I've been going back and forth on whether I think she was the specific target, and while I tend to think she wasn't (I explained that in another post), the fact she had a pit bull with her seems to make a case for her being the predetermined target.

If you're going to pick a random person to attack at that particular spot, why would you pick someone with a dog at all? The noise the dog would make with a neighborhood right across the street would be a problem for you. But then add to that the fact it's a pit bull (although I've read the dog was older, but still), now you're talking about putting yourself in danger. That particular aspect of it seems more consistent with someone assessing the risk well ahead of time and proceeding anyway.... which you'd only do if you knew your victim.

 

[Tbone144]

The fact she had a pit bull with her has made this that much stranger to me too. I've been going back and forth on whether I think she was the specific target, and while I tend to think she wasn't (I explained that in another post), the fact she had a pit bull with her seems to make a case for her being the predetermined target.

If you're going to pick a random person to attack at that particular spot, why would you pick someone with a dog at all? The noise the dog would make with a neighborhood right across the street would be a problem for you. But then add to that the fact it's a pit bull (although I've read the dog was older, but still), now you're talking about putting yourself in danger. That particular aspect of it seems more consistent with someone assessing the risk well ahead of time and proceeding anyway.... which you'd only do if you knew your victim.

I agree, a person walking a medium to large dog doesn’t present as a soft target to a random person, not unless that dog is muzzled...IMOO. My first thought on walking a dog in park after dark would be the dog lacks the behavior skills and may be over stimulated with strangers and other dogs, hence walking the dog in park at night, all the more reason to avoid them. I know quite a few people with dog aggressive dogs that chose to walk when their chances of off the leash dogs a minimal. I am not saying that’s the case here, I know a lot of pit bulls that a big mushy hippos. It’s just my first thought when someone chooses to walk their dog alone or outside busy situations, let them have their space.
I’m wavering between known attacker/stalker or a group of random people.
All IMOO.

 

[coldlanta]

Welcome to Ws coldlanta, thanks for chiming in!

Thank you! Happy to have finally posted something.

 

[coldlanta]

In one of the interviews I saw on WSB news, the victim’s father-in-law said that there might be evidence that her dog fought to protect her.

I could go two ways with that: one) makes me think that maybe it’s not someone who knew her because they would have known that the dog would react that way if attacked, and two) maybe any dog, even those most docile-tempered ones, would react that way if their owner was being attacked in front of them.

 

[dotr]

Piedmont Park stabbing | FBI joins the case | 11alive.com
rbbm.
''Clark is the father of Janness' life partner. He said there's evidence, 'the dog died protecting Katie."

During the murder, according to Clark, DNA evidence was potentially left behind on the dog. ''

''Harold Copus is a former FBI agent, turned private investigator, living in the metro area. He said the FBI could be assisting in a homicide investigation for several reasons, including adding pressure.

"It may cause people to loosen up and provide more information," he commented during an interview with 11Alive.

If there is DNA evidence as Clark referenced, Copus said the FBI could be providing assistance by comparing the DNA against entries in its national database. The FBI could also be assisting with its nationwide network of agents.

"You bring the bureau in, in case you think the person has fled interstate," Copus said. "But for them to flee interstate the police must know something about the person in order to bring that portion of the bureau to investigate."

The FBI can be called in, Copus said, to assist local law enforcement with hate crime cases. But with Georgia now having a hate crime law on the books, he questioned if APD would call the FBI for such assistance.

Atlanta Police didn't answer questions of whether the case is being investigated as a potential hate crime.''

 

[scdiv]

From the extended video. Unlikely, but could it have been politically motivated in this current environment of hate and division?

EXCLUSIVE: Full interview with partner of Katie Janness

Starts at about 19:40 when EC is about to play one of Katie's songs and says her favorite song is really long, and EC says,

"She was always, really, uh, I just want to say this before I play this song, because it was, it's a little bit political, but she felt very strongly, in, like her views, but she was always really nice about it, like she's the kind of person, like I know that she would tell me about regulars she had at the bar that would disagree with her on things, and she would just try to change their minds, little by little, and like every time she saw them, she would always talk about them, the next time they come in, I'm going to talk to them about THIS, and uh-"

EC's father, smiling, good-natured:
"That's what I loved about her because her and I were the same politically in everything we do, we would, we would, one on one we would get people, you know, because"

EC: "because she always wanted, to uh, change people's minds."

EC's father: "she's a big social justice person."

 

[ivsintown]

Not many people would attack a person with a pit.Even with a knife the dog would have had a chance to overpower them.It makes me wonder if someone had been watching her and targeting her.

• I think it might have been someone who knew her and the dog. Unless I am mistaking it was not stated that she had been robbed or any of her belongs have been taken. So if a random homeless person commited the crime wouldn't they have taken something like a phone, wallet, clothes? Also attacking someone with a dog is extremely risky, due to the fact someone could be alerted by the barking. I think she was targeted like you stated, and someone knew where she was going to be that night.

 

[K.jill]

I went to a vigil for Katie this evening. It was held at the park entrance right by where she was killed. They played a song that Katie wrote and recorded as the crowd was gathering. The words were:
You stand up for me
I’ll stand up for you
Don’t know what We're gonna do
But let’s start by telling the truth.
Deputy chief from a PD who is also a Midtown resident spoke and asked that we be patient and then if we could see what is going on behind the scenes we would know that they are working hard and there’s a lot going on. I don’t remember his exact words but they were something very close to that.

Piedmont Park was full of people. Families under tents, lots of bicycle and scooter riders, frisbee players and different kinds of music. There were black people, white people, gay people, straight people, young and old. Except for the little corner of the park where the vigil was held you would not know anything so horrible had happened just five days ago.

 

[CrimeAway]

I agree, a person walking a medium to large dog doesn’t present as a soft target to a random person, not unless that dog is muzzled...IMOO. My first thought on walking a dog in park after dark would be the dog lacks the behavior skills and may be over stimulated with strangers and other dogs, hence walking the dog in park at night, all the more reason to avoid them. I know quite a few people with dog aggressive dogs that chose to walk when their chances of off the leash dogs a minimal. I am not saying that’s the case here, I know a lot of pit bulls that a big mushy hippos. It’s just my first thought when someone chooses to walk their dog alone or outside busy situations, let them have their space.
I’m wavering between known attacker/stalker or a group of random people.
All IMOO.

I think that you have made some very astute observations, and raised some good issues.

What type of perpetrator would attack someone else walking a large breed dog?

Someone who knows the dog and/or at least has seen or interacted with it before?

Someone familiar and comfortable around dogs and their behavior?

Someone so intent on doing harm to the human, that they are not afraid of the dog, or it's reaction to an attack? (Mental illness? Psychopathy?)

I would think that most "run-of-the-mill" criminals would not choose a victim with a large dog, if presented with other options. JMO

I'm interested to know what others think about this.

 

[MntnHiker]

Re: attacking someone with a large dog. Do we know if it was typical for Katie to take the dog off-leash while in the park? I had a thought that if it was not busy since it was late at night and she took her dog off its leash, could it have been a distance a ways from her when she was initially attacked and the person who attacked her didn't see/didn't know she had a dog? And then it came running when she was attacked?

 

[K.jill]

I think that you have made some very astute observations, and raised some good issues.

What type of perpetrator would attack someone else walking a large breed dog?

Someone who knows the dog and/or at least has seen or interacted with it before?

Someone familiar and comfortable around dogs and their behavior?

Someone so intent on doing harm to the human, that they are not afraid of the dog, or it's reaction to an attack? (Mental illness? Psychopathy?)

I would think that most "run-of-the-mill" criminals would not choose a victim with a large dog, if presented with other options. JMO

I'm interested to know what others think about this.

I think it would have to be someone
1-mentally ill Well of course anyone who could do this is mentally ill But I am thinking extremely mentally ill and possibly on drugs.
2-more than one attacker
3-The victim and the dog were incapacitated quickly with something like pepper spray.

even if the killer was someone Katie and Bowie knew I think he would have been alert to strange behavior or smell right away. I think he would have tried to keep anyone from getting close to her even before they knew they were in danger.

dogs can move quickly when in a fight. It would be hard for one person to successfully take on a person and a dog like Bowie at the same time,imo.