Atlanta police looking for suspect in ‘gruesome’ murder of woman, dog stabbed to death in park
Correspondent Steve Harrigan gives the latest on the homicide investigation involving an Atlanta woman and her dog found stabbed to death in a city park.
The murders of two women in Atlanta-area parks last week sparked rumors on social media that a serial killer was on the loose – claims that police have flatly refuted – as authorities continue the hunt for suspects in both cases.
Law enforcement officials from two different Atlanta-area agencies said that killings are not related and there's no reason to believe they are the work of one person.
ATLANTA PARK MURDER: FBI JOINS HUNT FOR SUSPECT IN BRUTAL STABBING OF WOMAN, DOG
Two park murders not connected
In the first case, the body of 40-year-old Katherine Janness was discovered around 1 a.m. on July 28 in Piedmont Park in the city’s Midtown neighborhood. Janness was taking her dog Bowie for a walk when they both were brutally stabbed to death.
Janness, 40, and her dog Bowie were identified as the victims of a brutal stabbing Wednesday in midtown Atlanta's Piedmont Park on Wednesday night. (Atlanta Police Department)
In the second case, Tori Lang, 18, was found shot to death in Yellow River Park, near Stone Mountain, around dawn that same day. The parks are about 20 miles from each other.
"There is nothing to connect the two cases and no reason to believe a serial killer is operating in the area," said Gwinnett County police Sgt. J.R. Richter.
Authorities there are investigating the case in Yellow River Park and are not working with police in Atlanta on either case, Richter said.
Officer Steve Avery, of the Atlanta Police Department, said in an email to The Associated Press that the killing of the woman in Gwinnett County is "not related to the incident in Piedmont Park."
Investigators have yet to determine motives or make arrests in either case as of Tuesday.
Rumors of third murder false
Some of the social media posts also mention a supposed third killing in the nearby city of Norcross, Georgia, but police there are investigating no such reports.
"Nothing factual about the posts we’ve seen," Norcross Police Chief Bill Grogan said Monday.
Piedmont Park investigation
Police have described the scene where Janness and her dog were stabbed to death as "gruesome," but little other information has been released as investigators continue searching for clues.
FBI spokesperson Kevin Rowson confirmed Thursday that agents were assisting Atlanta police in the murder probe of Janness. Details of the agency’s involvement were not immediately provided.
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Police have not released any names of possible suspects or persons of interest as of Tuesday.
Authorities will conduct an autopsy on Janness’ dog, which police believe fought with the killer to protect his owner, to look for potential DNA evidence, FOX5 Atlanta reported.
Investigators are offering a $10,000 reward for information regarding Janness’ murder.
On Tuesday, animal rights group PETA offered its own reward of $10,000 to help police identify the killer, the station reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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