Atlanta

APD provides update 2 years after gruesome murder of woman, dog in Piedmont Park

By Karyn Greer and WSBTV.com News Staff
By Karyn Greer and WSBTV.com News Staff

ATLANTA — Friday marks two years since Katie Janness, 40, and her dog, Bowie, were gruesomely murdered at an entrance to Piedmont Park.

Atlanta police have not made any arrests or identified any suspects in the two years since Janness’ death.

Janness’ partner, Emma Clark, found her stabbed to death outside the park when she didn’t return home from walking the couple’s dog, Bowie.

According to the autopsy report, Janness’ throat had been slashed and the word ‘fat’ had been carved into her body, among other injuries.

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The park is still a popular place for people to relax and walk their dogs, the fear seemingly gone.

“You don’t forget things like that, but you can’t live your life in fear,” parkgoer Sondra Walker said.

Channel 2′s Karyn Greer exclusively sat down with a criminal profiler who is working to train new profilers using Janness’ murder.

Keith Howard retired from the state of Georgia after 30 years and worked with the GBI’s Public Safety Training Center. He is now the Chief Deputy with the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office.

“We took advantage of the open source information that was out there just to talk about how we would use our methodology if we had been asked to work a particular case like that or another case similar to it,” Howard explained.

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He says one of the first things that stood out to him was the brutality of the crime.

Janness’ private areas were also mutilated by her attacker.

“If you see that type of behavior, then that is most often associated with some strong sexual desires or gratification by an offender,” he said. “If this was some type of lust murderer that’s driven by his fantasies to murder people and is sexually excited by that, then typically, most often in those cases, the victim is unknown to the offender.”

Atlanta police are planning to update the public on the status of Janness’ case on Friday.

Emma Clark and her family released a statement saying they are still hopeful that her murderer will be caught.

The Clark family contiues to mourn the senseless murder of our Katie everyday that goes by. Katie was a beautiful, talented soul that had so much to give to the world and always was a champion of those less fortunate. We are still in hope of justice being served to the person/persons responsible and pray that the Atlanta Police Department and the FBI find this monster before they repeat the heinous acts done to our sweet Katie and her precious dog, Bowie. If anyone has any information concerning this case, please reach out to the Atlanta Police Department.

—  The Clark Family

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Loved ones still await answers over who killed Katie Janness in Piedmont Park Wednesday marked a grim anniversary of the night Katie Janness was stabbed to death at an entrance to Atlanta’s Piedmont Park.

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