Wayne Bertram Williams (born May 27, 1958) is an American convicted murderer and suspected serial killer who is serving life imprisonment for the 1981 killing of two men in Atlanta, Georgia. Police officers carrying shotguns provide tight security for Wayne Williams as he is taken to court. Williams, considered the prime suspect in the Atlanta Child Murders case, has been behind bars since June 21, 1981. After learning about the alleged serial killer Wayne Williams, check out the true story of the Lizzie Borden murders. Scientists considered the hair and fiber evidence in the Baltazar murder to be among the strongest of their cases. In his case files on the Atlanta Child Murders, Douglas (the inspiration for the main character on Mindhunter) reported that he believed the murderer was someone black and not white. Wayne Williams August 7, 1936 - December 25, 2020 Fort Worth, Texas - On Christmas Day, 2020, Lloyd Wayne Williams went home to be with his Lord at the age of 84. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Wayne Williams. Published on December 7, 2020 11:34 AM. The 68-year . "I knew them as a true Atlanta family," Lee Whatley, a defense attorney who worked on Wayne's appeals said in the docuseries. [11] After 12 hours of deliberation, the jury found him guilty on February 27 of the murders of Cater and Payne. But the elder Williams was quick to add, 'I certainly stood behind him. "Every day, every night, it seemed like they were finding bodies. "Homer and Faye Williams were great . "[38][39], On August 19, 2019, an Atlanta man, Derwin Davis, came out claiming that Williams had attempted to abduct him in 1979. AJCAn Atlanta Journal-Constitution article about Williams conviction. Wayne B. Williams has consistently maintained his innocence ever since he was put in jail decades ago. From there, bodies continued to pile up. He also earned a brief flicker of fame after being covered in Jet magazine. February 19, 1982. After the verdict, the Atlanta police department closed 22 other cases, but Williams was never tried, or charged, for those crimes. [22], Graham, who was serving as an assistant police chief in neighboring Fulton County at the time of the murders, said his decision to reopen the cases was driven solely by his belief in Williams's innocence. 'There is no one who can positively identify a source of a fiber. [7] Williams held a press conference outside his home to proclaim his innocence, volunteering that he had failed the polygraph tests, which would have been inadmissible in court. There was also a bombshell report by Spin magazine, which revealed that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) had suppressed evidence that may have implicated a member of the Ku Klux Klan in the murders. Early life and education Wayne Williams, son of Homer and Faye Williams, was born on May 27, 1958, and raised in the Dixie Hills neighborhood of southwest Atlanta, Georgia. ATLANTA -- Excerpts from the testimony of Wayne Williams taken Tuesday from the official court transcript. March 1 (UPI) -- A North Carolina woman found out she had won a $1 million Powerball prize just hours before celebrating her 58th birthday. Wayne Williams was depicted in the series. Approximately 29 black youths were killed in Atlanta over the span of about two years. Wayne is alive and kicking and is currently 61 years old. Wayne Williams Death Fact Check. He is also the prime suspect for the Atlanta Child Murders, a series of kidnappings and murders between July 1979 and May 1981 that claimed at least 23 victims, mostly children. [35], Dog hairs found on Baltazar's body were tested in 2007 by the genetics laboratory at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, which found a DNA sequence also present in the Williams family's German Shepherd. He has repeatedly been denied parole even as a fresh investigation into the murders was opened by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in 2019. than any one person can hold. Related Articles The police were watching several bridges over the Chattahoochee River, into which some of the bodies were dumped, and he was the first to exit the bridge around 3 a.m. following a loud splash sound. Wayne Williams as a child in a photograph taken by his father. The finding is not ironclad. ATLANTA An Atlanta man has come forward with allegations that he survived a 1976 encounter with Wayne Williams, the man convicted in connection with one of the most horrific serial murder cases in U.S. history. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty ImagesWayne Williams, the man believed to be responsible for the Atlanta Child Murders. One by one, Black children and young adults were being kidnapped and turning up dead days or weeks later. [16], Williams has maintained his innocence from the beginning and claimed that Atlanta officials covered up evidence of KKK involvement in the killings to avoid a race war in the city. Family 2 Family; Local Programs; Upload Photos; . Despite hefty career ambitions, Williams work never took off. Plus, carpet fibers matching his home were found on the victims body, plus dog hairs matching his pet. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. He was raised on the beautiful Makaha beach along the Oahu Coast. His lawyers have said the conviction was a "profound miscarriage of justice" that has kept an innocent man incarcerated for the majority of his adult life and allowed the real killers to go free. And if you're interested in learning a little more about Wendy's life story, her new Lifetime biopic, Wendy Williams: The Movie premieres Jan. 30, 2021, at 8 p.m. EST on the Lifetime channel. Wayne Bertram Williams was born on May 27, 1958, in Atlanta. Wayne Williams teachers and classmates described him as a virtual genius.. New Questions in Atlanta Murders - Did prosecutors withhold evidence of Klan involvement in children's death? Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. They launched a major investigation, and an FBI profiler worked on the case as well. The witness said he was interested in entertainers who sang songs he wrote and that he had been impressed by Jo Jo Bells abilities in an audition conducted by Mr. Williams at Atlanta Studios. ~ Homer C Williams, 93, of Columbus, GA, died Thursday, October 5, 2006 at Columbus Hospice House in Columbus. On May 22, 1981, things took a turn for the worst. In his teens he had even constructed a working radio station in the basement of the family home. HOUSTON - Gerald Wayne Williams, 34, is now sought by Houston police after they say he's been charged with murder in connection with the shooting of a teenager who was killed in a road rage . Williams was questioned first by defense attorney Al Binder and then cross-examined by . He was seen - supposedly - disposing of documents and other photographs with Wayne in the backyard by neighbors. The five of us, my mom, dad, my siblings, the five of us she will always be here.". John Wayne Williams John Williams, 72, greatly loved by Family and Friends died on August 5, 2021. From 1979 to 1981, there were about 29 murders in the Atlanta area that appeared to be linked. Wayne was smart, but as an adult, had multiple failed . Thats when they found Wayne Williams, who was awfully close to where Caters body was later discovered. Handout/AJCApproximately 29 black youths were killed in Atlanta over the span of about two years. JoAnn Williams Trail, 75, of Radford, passed away on Sunday, February 26, 2023. Watch more about Patrick's tragic story. Information and photos on his parents, grandparents, children, baby mothers, brothers, and cousins. In 2019, Williams was featured in season 2 of the Netflix series Mindhunter alongside others such as Charles Manson and David Berkowitz;[41] Williams's character was portrayed by Christopher Livingston. The man charged in the road rage shooting death of 17-year-old David Castro has been released on bond, according to Harris County court records. Yusuf Bell may have been just 9 years old, but he had made his mark on his community. *Wayne Williams was born on this date in 1958. The end of 1979 brought two more child victims: Yusef Bell had been strangled, and Angel Lenair was tied to a tree with her hands bound behind her, also strangled. The laboratory report found the scalp hairs had the same type of DNA sequence as did Wayne Williams' own hair. At the same time, the judge decided to allow those two hairs found on Baltazar to be sent to the FBI's DNA laboratory at Quantico, Virginia. Officials involved in the original investigation maintain their case against Williams and believe he is responsible for the Atlanta Child Murders. Former DeKalb County Sheriff and convicted murderer Sidney Dorsey, who was an Atlanta homicide detective at the time, also said he believed Williams was wrongly blamed for the murders. Distractify is a registered trademark. Wayne Williams was arrested on June 21, 1981. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. He theorized that in order to have access to black children, the Atlanta killer would need access to the black community without arousing suspicion. At the time of his arrest, the 23-year-old was living at this address on Penelope Road with his parents. He was 87 years old. [20], On May 6, 2005, DeKalb County Police Chief Louis Graham ordered the reopening of the murder cases of four boys killed in that county between February and May 1981, whose deaths had been attributed to Williams. In his notes, the FBI agent suggested that Williams was thirsty for the limelight as he displayed signs of enjoying the attention brought on by the murder case. March 1 (UPI) -- A basketball player from Poland broke a Guinness World Record in London when he jumped 10 feet and 5 inches to complete a between the legs slam dunk. Wayne Bertram Williams The new documentary will tell the inside story of the shocking case and take a new look at the original trial . Williams said his son, who lived with his parents until his arrest last June, had swapped bedrooms with the parents last August. Bresee, who spent only about five hours examining 'about 50' fibers from the hundreds that the state has introduced as evidence, testified that the prosecution's fiber connection is faulty. In addition to the mounting evidence, FBI profiler John Douglas detected a convincing motive for Williams. Eventually, Williams also began dabbling in freelance photography. Wayne Williams, the man believed to be responsible for the Atlanta Child Murders. While the results were not firmly conclusive, the DNA sequence found appears in only 29 of 1,148 African-American hair samples in the FBI's database, including that of Williams. Homer Williams was born on 3 July 1913 in Russell County, Alabama, USA. At trial, scientists from both the FBI and Royal Canadian Mounted Police would testify that, under a microscope, the hairs were consistent with those of Wayne Williams. [4][5] The first automobile to exit the bridge after the splash, at roughly 2:50 a.m., belonged to Williams. In an interview with App.com, Wendy said that her parents, Shirley and Tom, "[s]et the example for me. Payne was thought to be friends with Patrick Rogers (also known locally as Pat Man ), another . 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