The Atlanta Youth Murders and the Politics of Race.

• Author: Ferrall, Bard R.
• Position: Review

BERNARD HEADLEY, THE ATLANTA YOUTH MURDERS AND THE POLITICS OF RACE (Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1998) 241 pp.

Between the summer of 1979 and the spring of 1981, twenty-eight black males and two African American females disappeared in Atlanta. Most of these victims were poor teenagers. Many of their bodies were later found in various parts of the city and environs. The cause of death in each case was either strangulation or multiple stab wounds (none seemed to have suffered sexual assault, however). This mysterious tragedy received worldwide attention. A fortuitous incident led authorities to a suspect, Wayne Williams, an African American who claimed to work recruiting and promoting musical and media talent. He was eventually convicted of two of the murders, and the case of all the murders is generally considered closed. The author points out that Williams had ample opportunity to commit all the murders, and that the forensic evidence against him is extensive. The question of motive, however, remains a mystery. (Williams continues to maintain his innocence.) The author became an observer to the story early on, when in the spring of 1981 he was...