Investigation into Katie Janness Murder Remains Fruitless, Community Honors Her Memory
It’s been over two months since the gruesome murder of Katie Janness, and still very little information is known about the crime.
Janness and her dog Bowie were found stabbed to death in Piedmont Park on July 28 by her partner of six years, Emma Clark. Both her and Bowie had been stabbed multiple times, ad Janness was “gruesomely disfigured,” according to the GoFundMe page raising funds in her honor.
“The first thing I noticed is I saw Bowie,” Clark told 11 Alive about finding Janness. “He was visible from the gate of the park. He was maybe 50 feet from the gate inside and she was further on the right. I ran in and I grabbed him because I didn’t know, maybe he was still alive. Obviously, I knew something was wrong because he was just laying there. I didn’t put two and two together because I didn’t notice her right away.”
Janness was 40 years old and a bartender at the LGBTQ-owned restaurant Campagnolo. Only a few days after she was found, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed they were assisting in the investigation. The FBI’s involvement with the case prompted many to speculate online on the possible existence of a serial killer. However, Clark has expressed frustration over these kinds of rumors, telling 11 Alive that it is “very upsetting” for her to see these kinds of speculations online.
On August 6, Atlanta Police Homicide investigators released additional surveillance of a jogger in the area who was a potential witness. The jogger came forward and has spoken with the homicide detectives investigating the case. Since then, however, the case hasn’t progressed much publicly; Atlanta police haven’t released any information on a suspect.
In the interim, the community has stepped up to honor Janness’ memory and make the park a safer place for all. A GoFundMe has raised more than $1,200 to put toward planting a tree and buying two memorial benches at the park in her honor. The Piedmont Park Conservancy also launched a new safety initiative, called the Safe Haven Fund, designed to provide funding toward new safety initiatives for Piedmont Park. The fund has raised more than $45,000.
As for the City of Atlanta’s response, the Atlanta City Council approved the installation of 250 new surveillance cameras in the city’s parks and recreations facilities, which is scheduled to happen by the end of the year.