Jeffery Wells

The Atlanta Ripper: the Unsolved Case of the Gate City's Most Infamous Murders Jeffery Wells

As Atlanta finished rebuilding after the Civil War, a new horror arose from the ashes to roam the night streets. Beginning in 1911, a killer whose methods mimicked the famed Jack the Ripper murdered at least twenty black women, from prostitutes to working-class women and mothers. Each murder attributed to the killer occurred on a Saturday night, and for one terrifying spring in 1911, a fresh body turned up every Sunday morning. Amid a stifling investigation, slayings continued until 1915. As many as six men were arrested for the crimes, but investigators never discovered the identity of the killer--or killers--despite having several suspects in custody. Join local historian Jeffery Wells as he reveals the story of the Atlanta Ripper, unsolved to this day.