Woman, dog stabbed to death in Piedmont Park, $10K reward offered

ATLANTA - Atlanta police are searching for a killer after discovering a woman and her dog stabbed to death in Piedmont Park.

Officials with the Atlanta Police Department told FOX 5's Marc Teichner that the stabbing was an especially brutal crime.

According to police, officers were called to the entrance of the park at 10th Street and Charles Allen Drive around 1 a.m. Wednesday.

A veteran officer with the APD told FOX 5 the stabbing was unlike anything he had seen before and that the victim had been stabbed multiple times.

"It's a gruesome scene," said Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Charles Hampton Jr. "Upon their arrival, they did, in fact, find a female deceased in the park, appears to be from some type of stab wounds."

The victim was identified as Katherine Janness, 40, of Atlanta. The victim’s father-in-law said she told his daughter that she was taking her dog Bowie for a quick walk but never came back. The couple lives up the street from the park and had been together for years. He said his daughter is devastated.

Katherine Janness (Courtesy of the Atlanta Police Department)

Wednesday afternoon, 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 Katherine Janness' murder. (Atlanta Police Department)

Officers hoping cameras from the park, neighborhood, and the nearby Midtown High School will help with the investigation.

A dive team also searched the park's lake, Lake Clara Meer, for clues. Officials have not been able to say if this was a random act of violence or if it was targeted.

Flowers, cards, and dog treats were being left at the scene.

The Atlanta Police Department is offering a $10,000 reward for any information that could help them arrest and indict a suspect in the case. If you can help, please call the Atlanta Police Homicide Unit or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477.

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