Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens on Monday reached back to one of the city’s most chilling unsolved killings, the 2021 murder of Katherine “Katie” Janness, while briefing the public on a wave of shootings over the Easter weekend. Tying the fresh violence to an older trauma that still unsettles Midtown, Dickens urged residents to share any tips they have and to come forward with possible evidence that could help close the book on both the recent shootings and the Janness case.
“We have not had a weekend like this in quite a long time,” Dickens said at the Monday morning briefing, according to Atlanta News First. He noted that overall crime is down in the city, with 17 homicides recorded so far in 2026, and used the unsolved Janness killing to underscore his broader call for tips and tougher enforcement. His remarks came as officials detailed several shootings over the holiday weekend and promised stepped-up patrols in response.
What Happened in Piedmont Park
On July 28, 2021, Janness, a 40-year-old Midtown resident and musician, and her partner’s dog, Bowie, were found fatally stabbed near the 10th Street entrance of Piedmont Park, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. An autopsy documented more than 50 stab wounds and noted that letters had been carved into her torso, a disturbing detail that heightened public scrutiny of safety in the city’s signature greenspace. The killings triggered a lengthy Atlanta Police Department investigation that later drew federal assistance and sparked calls for upgraded surveillance in and around the park.
Investigation Status and Reward
The Atlanta Police Department says the homicide investigation remains active and that investigators are focused on DNA leads and other forensic work, according to the department’s release. In an update, APD noted that Crime Stoppers raised the reward to up to $25,000 on July 28, 2025, for information leading to an arrest. Officials have continued to encourage residents and businesses in the Midtown area to review any security footage from late July 2021 and to report anything that seems out of place.
How to Help Investigators…