On this date in 1981, the Atlanta child murders case took a significant turn when Wayne Williams was indicted for the murders of two adult men, Nathaniel Cater and Jimmy Ray Payne. These killings were part of a series of murders in the late 1970s and early 1980s, during which at least 28 children and young adults were killed in Atlanta, Georgia. The cases were collectively known as the “Atlanta Child Murders.”

Wayne Williams, a 23-year-old freelance photographer and talent scout, was eventually arrested and convicted for the deaths of these two men, although he was never officially charged with the murders of the children. The authorities linked him to the crimes through physical evidence, such as fibers that matched those found on the victims. He was sentenced to life in prison, but many still question whether he was responsible for all of the murders.

Despite his conviction, some aspects of the case remain controversial, and there are ongoing debates about whether Williams was guilty of all the crimes attributed to him or whether the investigation was mishandled. The case remains one of the most infamous in Atlanta’s history.