Woman stabbed to death, dog killed in Piedmont Park
By Chelsea Prince, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta police increasing patrols after ‘gruesome’ killing
As the sun came up Wednesday, joggers, dog walkers and other early risers resumed their morning routines at Atlanta’s Piedmont Park.
Gone was the crime scene tape, evidence markers and swarms of investigators that indicated a grisly scene the night before. Shortly after 1 a.m., a woman and her dog were both found dead about 100 yards inside the park’s 10th Street entrance at Charles Allen Drive.
The woman’s body had been stabbed “multiple times,” according to Atlanta police. Authorities did not say how the dog was killed, but Deputy Chief Charles Hampton described the scene to Channel 2 Action News in one word: “Gruesome.”
Investigators worked through the night to collect evidence but were hampered by darkness, Hampton told the news station. At daybreak, they went door-to-door asking neighbors for surveillance footage that might help them retrace the 40-year-old’s steps and help them identify a motive in her death.
She was spotted on one camera walking her dog through the rainbow crosswalk at 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue. In a surveillance image released by police, she is wearing a T-shirt and dark pants and leading a medium-sized black dog.
Both the Midtown Neighbors’ Association and Channel 2 identified the victim as Katherine Janness. Authorities told the news station that Janness had dinner with her wife Tuesday evening, and later took the dog for a walk in Midtown. Her wife began to worry when Janness never returned home and tracked her cellphone to the park, where she discovered the body, the news station reported.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is not revealing some details from the scene due to their graphic nature. Investigators in diving gear returned to the park Wednesday afternoon, scouring the lake for any evidence that might assist in the case.
Janness was a bartender at nearby Campagnolo Restaurant and Bar and was supposed to work Wednesday evening, Channel 2 reported. By late afternoon, there was a growing memorial at the park’s entrance as mourners dropped off flowers and dog treats.
A $10,000 reward has been offered for information that will help shed some light on the woman’s death.
The grisly discovery comes as many Atlanta residents remain on edge amid a rise in violent crime across the city. Atlanta police have investigated at least 82 homicides since the start of the year, and crime has become a central issue in November’s mayoral race.
On Wednesday, Gov. Brian Kemp announced he would use $2 million in emergency money to fund a newly formed “crime suppression unit” to combat crime in Georgia’s capital city.
The sprawling 185-acre park in Midtown Atlanta is typically bustling with dog-walkers, joggers, recreational sports teams and swimmers, especially in the summer months. On Wednesday afternoon, Atlanta police attempted to reassure residents following the brutal killing.
“The park is safe and we are going to increase patrols in and around the park starting today,” said Chata Spikes, APD’s director of public affairs. “We want the public to know that the park is safe.”
Authorities declined to release additional details about the fatal stabbing, citing the ongoing investigation. The department also reminded residents that city parks are closed each night from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The woman’s body was the first to be found in a metro Atlanta park Wednesday. Hours later, parkgoers on a morning walk in Gwinnett County discovered the body of a woman beneath a tree at Yellow River Park near Stone Mountain. She had been shot to death, according to Gwinnett County police.
A motive has also eluded investigators in that case.
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