During mid 1979 to mid 1981 the city of Atlanta was terrified as a serial killer murdered twenty-eight young African-Americans and discarded their bodies in isolated areas and rivers (Townsend, 2017). Finally, in June of 1981, the police arrested Wayne Bertram Williams for the murder of two adults whose bodies were recovered from the Atlanta River (Townsend, 2017). Furthermore, prosecutors believed Williams was responsible for the murders of twenty-three children making him the prime suspect in the Atlanta Child Murders (Rowson, 2015). Since his conviction in 1982 Williams has professed his innocence, which has generated vast speculation concerning his involvement in these crimes (Rowson, 2015). Before we can analyze the key facts and
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Additionally, in 2007, as DNA testing and technology improved, Williams defense lawyers sought testing on recovered dog hairs (Polk, 2010). In addition to the dog hairs, the judge permitted the testing of two hairs located on Patrick Baltazar, and the specimens were sent to the FBI’s DNA laboratory in Quantico, Virginia (Polk, 2010). The scalp hairs taken from Patrick Baltazar’s shirt were never conclusively linked to Wayne Williams, despite the FBI’s database only possessing twenty-nine hairs with the same sequence (Polk, 2010). Subsequently, the FBI attributed these results to incomplete samples; however, when the animal hair was tested it revealed the Williams family’s German shepherd possessed the same DNA sequence (Polk, 2010). Furthermore, the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis reported the DNA chain would only be found in 1 out of 100 dogs (Polk, 2010). After examining the key facts surrounding the Atlanta Child Murders, I feel confident the initial prosecution team secured an appropriate conviction against Wayne Williams. Although, the prosecution lacked definitive evidence, I believe each one of those jurors can rest easy at night knowing they convicted the right man beyond a reasonable …show more content…
(2014). Serial Killers Part 5: Wayne Williams and the Atlanta Child Murders. Retrieved from: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/-serial-killers-part-5-wayne-williams-and-the-atlanta-child-murders
Polk, J. (2010). DNA test strengthens Atlanta child killings case. Retrieved from:
Additionally, in 2007, as DNA testing and technology improved, Williams defense lawyers sought testing on recovered dog hairs (Polk, 2010). In addition to the dog hairs, the judge permitted the testing of two hairs located on Patrick Baltazar, and the specimens were sent to the FBI’s DNA laboratory in Quantico, Virginia (Polk, 2010). The scalp hairs taken from Patrick Baltazar’s shirt were never conclusively linked to Wayne Williams, despite the FBI’s database only possessing twenty-nine hairs with the same sequence (Polk, 2010). Subsequently, the FBI attributed these results to incomplete samples; however, when the animal hair was tested it revealed the Williams family’s German shepherd possessed the same DNA sequence (Polk, 2010). Furthermore, the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis reported the DNA chain would only be found in 1 out of 100 dogs (Polk, 2010). After examining the key facts surrounding the Atlanta Child Murders, I feel confident the initial prosecution team secured an appropriate conviction against Wayne Williams. Although, the prosecution lacked definitive evidence, I believe each one of those jurors can rest easy at night knowing they convicted the right man beyond a reasonable …show more content…
(2014). Serial Killers Part 5: Wayne Williams and the Atlanta Child Murders. Retrieved from: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/-serial-killers-part-5-wayne-williams-and-the-atlanta-child-murders
Polk, J. (2010). DNA test strengthens Atlanta child killings case. Retrieved from: