ATLANTA — Nearly two years after a man was brutally beaten along railroad tracks on his way home from a popular Buckhead bar, police have released pictures of two people of interest.
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Joshua Dowd suffered a severe brain injury in the attack on July 11, 2022 after he left the Heretic Bar, a popular gay nightclub off Cheshire Bridge.
Dowd was so injured in the attack that friends and family initially gathered to say their goodbyes.
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“They said he wasn’t going to make it and if he did, he would be a in a total vegetative state, and basically in a nursing facility for the rest of his life,” his partner, Colin Kelly, told Channel 2 Action News at the time.
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Dowd is still continuing his recovery and relearning how to walk.
On Monday, police released pictures of two people of interest who they say are homeless and living in the area.
Police said they are searching for John McIntyre, 48, and a woman that goes by the name Alyssa.
The motive for the attack remains unclear. Kelly said Dowd was found with his phone and debit card, so police did not think the attack was a robbery.
Friends and family believe Dowd’s race and sexual orientation may have played a role because he identified himself as a gay Asian American.
“There were times based on where he was going to go, he would change his appearance so he wouldn’t be at risk of getting attacked,” Kelly said.
Anyone with information on the case can contact the Detective at 470-316-2606 or can submit a tip anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or online at www.StopCrimeAtl.org. Tipsters do not have to give their name or any identifying information to be eligible for the reward of up to $2,000 for the arrest and indictment of the suspect.
You can donate to help with Dowd’s continuing recovery HERE.
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