Remembering and honoring the Atlanta Child Murders

From 1979 to 1981, Black families in Atlanta lived in terror as the unresolved deaths of Black boys and girls mounted. In the end, over 30 children would lose their lives in what was deemed the Atlanta Child Murders period for the city. 

In honor of these victims – whose murder or disappearance have never been solved – the Atlanta Children’s Eternal Flame, a lasting memorial to honor those victims, was unveiled during a ceremony at Atlanta City Hall.

Mayor Andre Dickens, former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs hosted the ceremony with family members and others to reveal the memorial art piece containing an ‘eternal flame’ and the names of the dead or missing. Bottoms and Dickens took turns reading aloud the names of the victims from the murder cases and led attendees in a moment of silence after the last name was called. Attendees included former Mayor Shirley Franklin, Valerie Jackson, the widow of Mayor Maynard Jackson, and several current city lawmakers and administrators.

As Atlanta made international headlines for the unsolved murders, the community found itself in the grip of fear until police arrested music promoter Wayne Williams in 1981 and charged him with murdering 27-year-old Nathaniel Cater. After William’s arrest, the killings stopped. Williams was convicted of killing two adults in 1982, but maintained his innocence.

Many families of the victims are unconvinced that Williams is responsible for any or all of the deaths and continue to want law enforcement to definitively say who killed their children or to investigate further. While serving as Atlanta Mayor, Bottoms reopened the case in 2019. During the event Bottoms said, “Progress has been made in analyzing the DNA, and I know that there’s still many answers to be had, but it’s my hope that one day soon, Mayor Dickens will be able to share that information with the public as well as whatever information may be available, so that it can continue to bring solace and comfort to the families who are here today.”

Camille Russell Love, executive director of Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs, said the memorial also represents the city’s gratitude to those who aided in the community’s search, recovery and healing efforts.“Every single person who walks on the grounds of Atlanta’s City Hall will remember those children who mattered to us then, matter to us now, and they will matter to us for generations not yet forward,” she said.

The memorial is public and located on City Hall grounds.