Today in History – July 17, 1981: Wayne Williams Indicted for Atlanta Murders
On July 17, 1981, a Fulton County grand jury indicted Wayne Bertram Williams, then 23 years old, for the murders of two adult men in Atlanta, Georgia. The indictment marked a turning point in one of the most disturbing and complex murder investigations in American history: the Atlanta Child Murders.
From 1979 to 1981, at least 29 Black children, teens, and young adults were murdered in the Atlanta area. Fear and anger spread throughout the city as authorities struggled to find a suspect. The killings, initially ignored by national media, eventually drew the attention of the FBI and became a defining case in the Bureau’s modern history.
Wayne Williams was arrested in June 1981 and charged with the murders of Nathaniel Cater, 27, and Jimmy Ray Payne, 21—two young men whose bodies were found in the Chattahoochee River. Suspicion had fallen on Williams after police, staking out a bridge during a late-night surveillance operation, heard a splash and stopped him near the bridge moments later.
Fibers found on the victims were later matched to materials from Williams’ home, vehicles, and dog. Although the case against him was circumstantial, prosecutors argued it was compelling. Williams maintained his innocence, claiming the evidence was planted or misinterpreted.
In early 1982, a jury found him guilty of both murders, and he was sentenced to life in prison. He remains incarcerated to this day.
Yet despite the conviction, the case has never felt truly resolved—particularly for the families of the many murdered children. While local police and the FBI attributed most of the child murders to Williams and closed their investigations, no one was ever charged for the child victims, and no trial was ever held regarding their deaths.
For the FBI, Williams’ conviction was a bitter success. The Bureau had expended vast resources, implemented advanced forensic techniques, and drawn media attention—yet they could never definitively tie Williams to the full list of murders.
Some agents and forensic experts remained unconvinced that one person was responsible for all the killings. Civil rights leaders and community members voiced concern that Atlanta officials wanted to close the case quickly to relieve public pressure. Others pointed to the broader societal failures that had allowed the killings of so many Black children to go unsolved for so long.
In 2019, under renewed public scrutiny and technological advances, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Police Chief Erika Shields reopened several of the cases using modern DNA testing. The goal was to bring clarity and possible closure for the victims’ families. As of 2025, however, those efforts have yet to yield conclusive results.
Williams, now in his 60s, continues to deny involvement in any of the murders, including those he was convicted of. Over the years, several documentaries, podcasts, and investigative reports have reexamined the case, fueling debate about his guilt and the possibility of other killers being involved.
The Atlanta Child Murders remain one of the most haunting and controversial cases in American criminal history. The indictment of Wayne Williams on July 17, 1981, was a milestone—but not an ending. For many, justice still feels elusive.
Legacy:
- The case changed how the FBI and local agencies handle missing children.
- It exposed deep racial and class divisions in Atlanta.
- And it continues to challenge assumptions about guilt, evidence, and closure in the face of serial violence.
Today in history, we remember both the indictment and the unanswered questions that still linger decades later.
