Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we examine the life and criminal case of Wayne Williams, the man convicted of two murders in 1982 and suspected of being the serial killer responsible for the infamous Atlanta Child Murders. We trace Williams’s story from his upbringing in southwest Atlanta and his early interest in radio to the fateful night in May 1981 when a police surveillance team heard a splash near the James Jackson Parkway Bridge, leading to his apprehension.

Join us as we break down the complex web of evidence and theories surrounding this case, including:

• The Prosecution: How fiber evidence from Williams’s home, car, and dog played a central role in his conviction for the murders of Nathaniel Cater and Jimmy Ray Payne,.

• The Uncharged Crimes: Why police closed the files on over twenty other deaths, mostly of minors, attributing them to Williams despite him never being tried for those specific crimes.

• The Doubts: Williams’s maintained innocence and his legal team's arguments regarding a potential cover-up involving the Ku Klux Klan to prevent a race war,.

• Modern Forensics: The results of DNA testing conducted in the 2000s and 2010s on hair evidence, and why some officials and victims' families believe the wrong man may have been blamed for many of the killings,,.

We also discuss the recent reopening of the investigation by Atlanta authorities to re-test evidence and Williams's portrayals in media like Netflix's Mindhunter. Tune in for a deep dive into one of America's most divisive criminal cases.