Piedmont Park murder victim's partner speaks out
Loved one of Piedmont stabbing vicitm speaks out
Katie Janness partner, Emma Clark, spoke with FOX 5 and said she remembers her as an 'incredible dog mom, a bartender, and an advocate for social justice.'
ATLANTA - Emma Clark said her partner Katie Janness walked all around Midtown Atlanta often.
"She knew all the streets," Clark said. "She knew everywhere she was going all the time."
Clark wasn't worried when Janness went out to walk her dog, Bowie, the evening of July 27. Clark began to worry when Janness wouldn't answer her phone.
Hours later, Clark tragically discovered both bodies in Piedmont Park after tracking Janness' cellphone. She called 911 in a panic. The scene, which detectives described as "gruesome," still haunts her.
She described those moments to FOX 5 Atlanta's Aungelique Proctor:
"At first, I saw Bowie but I didn't know it was Bowie, I thought it was like a trash bag — from far away I don't have great vision," Clark said. "As soon as I realized he wasn't alive anymore I immediately shot up and started yelling her name and looking around, screaming.
"I ran over to her (Katie) and put my hands on her face and I checked for a pulse but you could tell that she was not alive — there was a lot of blood and she had her neck slashed, so it was very clear."
APD release 911 call of victim's partner following attack
The 911 dispatcher can be heard speaking to the audibly shaken woman. Police are asking anyone who saw anything that night to come forward.
Clark said Janness was an "incredible dog mom and advocate for social justice." She was a musician and was well-known in the Midtown Atlanta community.
The Midtown community rallied around Janness' family, including Emma, who wrote her "world would never be the same" after the deaths.
Atlanta Deputy Police Chief confident in investigators without aid of technology
Deputy Police Chief Charles Hampton said he has talented detectives that he believes can solve cases without any technological evidence. He said APD is urging anyone with pertinent information to come forward.
"I don't think I'll ever make any sense of any of it, because Katie wasn't the kind of person who had a problem with anybody," Clark said.
She wonders if convenience or mere chance was the reason her loved one was targeted.
She said she's confident the FBI and Atlanta Police Department will solve the murders of Bowie and Janness.
Officials released a photo taken from a Midtown security camera of the victim and her dog shortly before the murder.
Atlanta Police shared a photo taken from a Midtown security camera before the victim's murder. (Atlanta Police Department)
Investigators were back out in the park, searching for evidence to further the investigation and speaking to residents and park-goers.
Days later, Atlanta police issued images from security footage that captured a handful of potential witnesses to the crime. One witness, a jogger, came forward and is cooperating with police.
Atlanta police have released three new photos of a jogger who may be a witness in the stabbing death of a woman in Piedmont Park. (2 of 3)
Atlanta police commanders took questions directly from worried residents about the killing.
This and other killings in Atlanta parks exposed a lack of video surveillance. There are nine security cameras inside Piedmont Park, but none are operational due to outdated technology.
Atlanta COO Jon Keen explains why park cameras were down during murder
The cameras were part of a pilot project and are based on obsolete technology. The cameras were not removed because their presence was deemed valuable. Officials are working to determine if there is any information to extract from the cameras.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said the murder is a top priority for her office.
She and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms addressed rumors that the murder was committed by a serial killer and that it was a hate crime. Both have said the investigation doesn't include evidence to support either claim.
Atlanta police, mayor update on Piedmont Park murder investigation
Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant said he called on the FBI to aid the investigation. Police are searching for witnesses who could provide more information. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said there is currently no evidence the murder was a hate crime or committed by a serial killer.
The Atlanta Police Department is offering a $10,000 reward which PETA said it will match.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to call the Atlanta Police Homicide Unit at 404-546-4235 or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for the reward.
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