The Atlanta Child Murders

The Child Molester Theory

On June 20, 2006, the state of Georgia asked a federal judge to reject Wayne Williams' latest effort to challenge his incarceration because lawyers for the convicted killer have failed to show any relevance between the case and an unnamed child molester on whom they have cast suspicion, according to Associated Press.

"Williams' lawyers have had months to subpoena records from the DeKalb County Police Department regarding the purported suspect and have failed to do so, Assistant Attorney General Mary Beth Westmoreland said.

'"There is no basis for doing so now,' Westmoreland wrote in an objection to Williams' request for a judge to reconsider her dismissal of his habeas corpus petition."

Patrick Baltazar

The unnamed convicted child molester worked in the vicinity where many of the victims' bodies were found. The documents, which recently resurfaced, suggested that the man, currently serving time in a Georgia prison for multiple molestation charges, was a "viable suspect in the child murders," although the information was never released to defense attorneys, it was reported.

Aaron Wyche

When the defense team was unable to come up with evidence linking the molester to any of the crimes, the DeKalb police department dropped their investigation into the five murder cases involving Aaron Wyche, 10; Patrick Baltazar, 11; Curtis Walker, 13; Joseph Bell, 15; and William Barrett, 17. David Simpson reported that there just wasn't enough evidence to justify further investigation. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted interim Police Chief Nick Marinelli saying, "We dredged up what we had, and nothing has panned out." Instead, he announced that they were going to turn their attention to other cold cases that were in his reach. For the meantime, Williams will remain in jail with little chance for appeal. It is likely he will remain incarcerated for the duration of his sentence.