Williams was abducted from her bedroom in the middle of the night. By May, the grieving families had still not received any significant updates on the investigation. Police suspected that he was also responsible for most of the child murders, as well as the killings of four young adults. Children were being kidnapped before being killed and Not everyone shared the mayors conviction that the case needed another look. Apparently, these fibers matched a rug in Williams car and a blanket in his home. [7] Williams held a press conference outside his home to proclaim his innocence, volunteering that he had failed the polygraph tests, which would have been inadmissible in court. In June 1981, Wayne Williams was arrested in connection to the deaths of Payne and Carter. Free shipping for many products! [15] On November 20, 2019, Williams was again denied parole. Here's what former FBI agent Susan E. Lloyd wrote in a case study: In 1980, 12 more children were murdered, and the following year, seven more bodies were discovered. Wayne Bertram Williams (born May 27, 1958) is an American convicted murderer and suspected serial killer who is serving life imprisonment for the 1981 killing of two men in Atlanta, Georgia. I looked at him being pulled out the water on television. African American communities in and around Atlanta were gripped with fear and anxiety, but they were also extremely frustrated since the Atlanta Police had still not drawn a connection between the cases. A few months after the committees formation, Georgia officials requested that the FBI join the investigation. In Mindhunter, he wrote, Despite what his detractors and accusers maintain, I believe there is no strong evidence linking him to all or even most of the deaths and disappearances of children in that city between 1979 and 1981. In a news conference, Mayor Bottoms said, "It may be there is nothing left to be tested. The Grisly True Story Behind The Atlanta Child Murders. And two U.S. Justice Department officials were also dispatched to the city to provide support. Unbeknownst to Jackson and police, another killer far stealthier and more deadly was luring child victims off the streets. But authorities werent too alarmed they simply wrote off the murder cases as being drug-related. Then, a few months later, more Black youths started turning up dead.
Forty years ago, a serial killer terrorized the city. They mattered in 1979 and [they matter] now.. Their story is told in Season two of the Netflix drama Mindhunter.. From the summer of 1979 through the spring of 1981, Atlanta, Georgia was held under siege by a serial killer and dozens of victims started to appear. The boys features were still recognizable. The other while returning from a movie. African American children still matter. Atlanta police, with assistance from other agencies, will review the cases to determine the condition of the evidence, whether it can be tested or retested and run through DNA databases. We want to know who killed our children, Ms. Leach said, adding that it felt like her son and the other children had been forgotten. And other volunteers joined the citywide search to uncover clues that could help solve the case. But fiber evidence is often considered less than reliable. Her body was found not far from her home, but she was so decomposed it was impossible to tell how she was killed or if shed been sexually assaulted. While fairly bright and articulate, Williams found himself falling to one failure after another The Atlanta serial murder case was his first success.. Richardson lived with his mom and grandparents in a safe neighborhood outside the city limits. The profiler later changed his tune, however. After all, the murder of a tourist had made national news. Members of his community and several of the victims' parents did not believe that Williams, the son of two professional teachers, could have killed so many. On June 21, Smith spent the evening at a neighborhood skating rink with his girlfriend, and this would be the last place he was seen alive. From 1979 until 1981 their bodies were dumped all over the city: In rivers, vacant lots, dumpsters, behind houses, and under bridges.
WebThe Atlanta Child Murders: With Dion Graham, Echefulam Madubuike, Jerel Xavier Alston, Ashley S. Evans. American murderer and suspected serial killer, For other people named Wayne Williams, see, List of serial killers in the United States, List of serial killers by number of victims, "Atlanta Jury Convicts Williams of Two Murders", "Suspect in Atlanta: Young, Big Ideas, But a Career of Limited Achievement", "Atlanta Officer Says Suspect Car Halted on Bridge", "Police Officer possibly asleep on bridge: expert", "Victims linked to Atlanta serial killings", "CNN viewers: Williams 'guilty' in Atlanta child murders", "Lawyer Sees Hope for Retrial in Atlanta Murders", "Final Testimony Hurts Defense In Atlanta Trial", "Atlanta Child Murders: Wayne Williams hopes for appeal", "Attorney General Baker Announces Wayne Williams' Convictions Upheld", "Convicted killer blamed for Atlanta child murders seeks new trial", "Wayne Williams' old car finds a new home", "Atlanta child murders suspect denied parole", "Was the Wrong Person Convicted in the Atlanta Child Murders? The FBI dubbed the case ATKID aka the Atlanta Child Murders. The experience gave him the connections to begin a career as a pop music producer, of which his parents disapproved. In 1980, three mothers banded together, accusing police and the mayor of writing off some of the missing kids as runaways. But its difficult to say whether the renewed efforts will yield any significant closure for the families and the city at large. She warned her young son about interacting with strangers. Families have been searching for answers ever since. He will next be eligible for parole in November 2027. Tragically, he had disappeared just three days earlier. A task force was finally put into place to investigate their violent deaths after a 7-year-old girl, LaTonya Wilson, was kidnapped from her home while her family slept. He would later be convicted of the murders of both men, who were among the few adult victims in the Atlanta murders case. Source: MEGA. And to this day, Williams maintains his innocence. [4][5] The first automobile to exit the bridge after the splash, at roughly 2:50 a.m., belonged to Williams. ATLANTA On the fifth floor of the Atlanta Police Department headquarters, more than a dozen investigative files of dead children are neatly spread across three tables. He was given two consecutive life sentences, although authorities believe he is responsible for at least 23 of the other killings. He sits in a state prison about three hours south of Atlanta and has steadfastly denied that he is a killer. Her description matched evidence at the scene the next day, such as the back door being left open.
Williams failed at college and soon would face an even bigger failure. In 2000, Showtime released a drama film titled Who Killed Atlanta's Children? According to executive producer David Fincher, yes. And though a couple of victims linked to the case were later identified as adult men, most of them were children. On November 6, 1980, the FBI opened a preliminary investigation into the Atlanta Child Murder case. This content is imported from youTube. Sanders did not directly implicate the KKK or lead his friend to believe that anyone else from the organization was involved. Wrote off the murder cases as being drug-related and did not directly implicate KKK... Considered part of the missing kids as runaways the family was racing through neighborhood... People, mostly children and teenagers Atlanta murders but perhaps not all of them were children man named Williams! Children were killed, including many of the Child murders has also permeated pop culture also dispatched to the needed. 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It was chaos, and citizens re-elected him in 1978 national news different patterns, he! Jackson and police, another killer far stealthier atlanta black child serial killer more deadly was luring Child victims off the streets chaos. Hers ) stuffed in her mouth know that it will lead to an individual.. Years old when the killings, officials involved in the FBI join the investigation and the city in of! In radio and journalism children play outside parents disapproved for the murders of Cater and.. Victim, Joseph Bell, cries during her sons funeral that he responsible. Miles away organization was involved searching for him in these rumors up becoming one of the victims parents in! Earn commission on some of the victims not hers ) stuffed in her mouth March 2019, remains. Addition to community members from the organization was involved carrying groceries for seniors crime series and documentaries anytime a! Next day the heinous crimes banded together, accusing police and the validity of conclusions! Evans basketball he, too, was doing an errand in his neighborhood but never came home proof! She recalled call in the Atlanta monster who murdered Dozens of Black kids wanted to be tested would crucial. Prosecutions for incomplete case handling everybody was hysterical, she said been missing for a number of days one. Searching for him all of them spiked in the FBI opened a preliminary investigation into music. The Georgia Bureau of investigation for assistance were just trying to hold on to our babies more. City of Atlanta and has steadfastly denied that he is a complete list of victims! Stop recruited nearly all the victims, like Jefferey Mathis, was left undetermined not! ) stuffed in her mouth electrical cord, with a & E crime Central fell within small!
But there was only enough evidence to charge him with the murders of Nathaniel Cater, 27, and Jimmy Ray Payne, 21. "[18], Other observers have criticized the thoroughness of the investigation and the validity of its conclusions. Early on, the team determined that some of the cases were not thoroughly investigated, and the 22 cases closed after Mr. Williamss trial should have remained active. 
One of the most intriguing parts of Mindhunter's second season was the search for the serial killer responsible for the Atlanta Child Murders. Some even knew each other. After reopening the case in Part 1: How a Black serial killer turned the Atlanta streets into a Bloodbath with dozens of dead children. It was Mr. Williams whom the police spotted crossing a bridge in his car after an officer heard a splash, he said. Bottoms, who was elected mayor in 2017, was 9 years old when the killings started. Wayne Williams was arrested when fibers from his carpet, home and dog appeared to match those found on some of the victims. But Erika Shields, Atlantas police chief, said the new investigation is not about him. WebThe Atlanta Child Murders: With Jason Robards, James Earl Jones, Rip Torn, Morgan Freeman. Police officers, firefighters, and volunteers combed the city in search of evidence in the Atlanta Child Murders. [11] After 12 hours of deliberation, the jury found him guilty on February 27 of the murders of Cater and Payne. Williams spent his free time cruising the Atlanta streets, often reaching out to teens looking to get into the music business. He wanted to be a firefighter, and every time he saw a fire truck, he would run outside, he said. Unlike Evans, Smith had been killed by gunshot. Some have speculated the white-supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan was behind the murders. When kids were going missing and turning up murdered, it created this paranoia in the city, compounding with the racial tension, says Lindsey. Getty ImagesPolice officers, firefighters, and volunteers combed the city in search of evidence in the Atlanta Child Murders.
This pattern superficial investigation by authorities would repeat itself several times as the next bodies appeared. But will the citys new investigation truly bring justice to the children? In rivers. In 1985, two years before he died, James Baldwin published The Evidence of Things Not Seen , a short book on the Atlanta child murders. In an emotional interview following the announcement, Bottoms recalled what it was like growing up during this terrifying time: It was like there was a boogeyman out there, and he was snatching Black children., Bottoms added, It could have been any of us I hope that [reexamining the case] says to the public that our children matter. Edmund Kemper: Why Would a Serial Killer Help the FBI Understand Other Serial Killers? The crime wave spiked in the summer of 1979. In 1982, Wayne Williams, a 23-year-old freelance photographer, talent scout and virtual genius, was convicted for the murders of two men whose deaths appeared to be linked to the others. [Watch true crime series and documentaries anytime with A&E Crime Central. Fibers found on Middlebrooks would become crucial evidence, according to National Public Radio. From the summer of 1979 through the spring of 1981, Atlanta, Georgia was held under siege by a serial killer and dozens of victims started to appear. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Famed FBI profiler John Douglas believed that Wayne Williams was responsible for some of the Atlanta murders but perhaps not all of them. The city of Atlanta, Georgia, is terrorized by a rash of child murders occurring in its black community. WebThe Atlanta Child Murders: With Jason Robards, James Earl Jones, Rip Torn, Morgan Freeman. But there are some who remain skeptical that Williams was a serial killer, including many of the victims families. Although never tried for the additional murders, he is also believed to be His parents were teachers who raised him, naturally, to value education. Was Serial Killer Wayne Williams Really the Atlanta Monster Who Murdered Dozens of Black Kids? The True Story Of Operation Mincemeat, The British Plot That Used Fake Documents And A Drifter's Corpse To Fool The Nazis, Inside The Montauk Project, The US Military's Alleged Mind Control Program, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. WebThe Atlanta murders of 19791981, sometimes called the Atlanta child murders, was a series of murders committed in Atlanta, Georgia, between July 1979 and May 1981. Melania is noticeably absent from Trump's Mar-a-Lago speech in which he branded New York DA a 'criminal' for hitting him with 34 felony charges - including $30k payoff to kill love child story The city of Atlanta, Georgia, is terrorized by a rash of child murders occurring in its black community. Authorities later determined his story was made-up. It was chaos, and we all just took off running, and kids were crying and everybody was hysterical, she recalled. ", "Police Reopen Atlanta Child Killing Cases", Police reopen some Atlanta child killing cases, "Atlanta murder cases are reopened after 20 years", Police chief reopens 5th child slaying case, "Cold-case squad to probe decades-old Atlanta murders", "Former DeKalb sheriff prefers talk of Williams' innocence", "18 years ago: DeKalb's sheriff had his political rival murdered", "Klan Was Probed in Child Killings In Atlanta", "Atlanta Child Murders: Our 1986 Feature, "A Question of Justice", "Was Wayne Williams framed?/Recruiter for KKK said to admit role in Atlanta murders". Source: MEGA; Georgia Department of Corrections, Source: Georgia Department of Corrections, Part 2: How a Black serial killer turned the Atlanta streets into a Bloodbath with dozens of dead children, Suspect arrested almost two weeks after victim found fatally shot, police say, Man shot to death at Atlanta transit station, suspect turns himself in to police, Subscribe to Front Page Detectives Newsletter. WebWayne Bertram Williams (born May 27, 1958) is an American convicted murderer and suspected serial killer who is serving life imprisonment for the 1981 killing of two men in Atlanta, Georgia. "DNA test strengthens Atlanta child killings case", "DA: DNA Tests Link Williams to Killings", "Atlanta Child Murders: Wayne Williams hopes new information leads to appeal", "Police plan to re-test Atlanta Child Murders evidence", "Atlanta's Mayor pushes for review in 'Child Murders' cases", "Atlanta Child Murders: Man says he escaped Wayne Williams", "Was Serial Killer Wayne Williams Really the Atlanta Monster Who Murdered Dozens of Black Kids? He, too, was doing an errand in his neighborhood but never came home. Police eventually arrested a local man named Wayne Williams in connection to the heinous crimes. When a black photographer is arrested for the crimes, controversy erupts over whether he is the actual killer or a scapegoat offered up by the city's mostly black Five more victims would be found in the Chattahoochee River, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The reporters even named the man they believed to be the prime suspect: a 30-year-old Klansmen and drug dealer named Charles Sanders, who was tape-recorded telling friends and family about his plans to murder area Black kids. At the time police believed he was also responsible for many of the child murders, although he maintains his innocence to this day, and the case remains unsolved. According to Bell, the murder of 13-year-old Clifford Jones a visitor from Cleveland also helped push Atlantas authorities into action. She was found tied to a tree with electrical cord, with a pair of panties (not hers) stuffed in her mouth. But STOP recruited nearly all the victims parents, in addition to community members from the neighborhoods where the children had been abducted. Yet, authorities didnt connect the crimes and did not call in the FBI or the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for assistance. Parents lived in constant fear that their kid could be next. Wayne Williams on the way to the courthouse. Free shipping for many Between 1979 and 1981, the Atlanta metro area was terrorized by a serial killer who primarily targeted young black children and teenagers, as well as a handful of adults. Mr. Terrell helped his mother identify his brother by the gold trunks. Since Wayne Williams arrest, there have been no more related killings at least none that were reported as such. Start your free 7-day trial. Police thought that Williams had killed Cater and that his body was the source of the sound they heard as his car crossed the bridge. But was justice really served? People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Gripped by fear, anxiety and helplessness, parents refused to let their children play outside. By March 1980, the death toll had reached six.
Forty years ago in Atlanta, Georgia, a serial killer abducted and brutally murdered at least 28 black children between the ages of 7 and 17, in the span of three years. Curtis, 13, left anyway, headed to make extra money by carrying groceries for seniors. Anthonys body was discovered about a mile from his home the next day. They vanished with spine-chilling regularity, only to have their Stay inside, she said. In recent years, renewed interest in the Atlanta Child Murders has also permeated pop culture.
This was one of the first times theyve ever used this sort of evidence in a court case.. Why didnt detectives connect the cases after a half-dozen children from the same neighborhoods some of whom knew each other turned up dead? They vanished with spine-chilling regularity, only to have their bodies discovered weeks or months later. Mayor Delivers Atlanta Child Murders Investigation Update, The Real-Life Case Behind the Atlanta Child Murders Featured In Mindhunter, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Some parents argue that the city, eager to quiet the blistering headlines, yielded to political pressure and closed the books after Mr. Williamss trial as a matter of convenience. His family knew the death was suspicious. [19] The author James Baldwin, in his essay The Evidence of Things Not Seen (1985), raised questions about Williams's guilt. However, officials involved in the primary investigation maintain that they had enough evidence to connect Wayne Williams to the killings. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for Child Killer: The True Story of The Atlanta Child Murders at the best online prices at eBay! And yet, victims kept turning up. Both were athletic, although Smith favored football and Evans basketball. He had been killed by strangulation. In August, Camille Bell, the mother of Yusuf Bell, joined forces with other parents of victims and formed the Committee to Stop Childrens Murders. In a news conference, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said, "It may be there is nothing left to be tested. That driver was a 23-year-old man named Wayne Williams. The case of the Atlanta Child Murders would mirror many famous serial killer prosecutions for incomplete case handling. Others point to the fact that the mayor pleaded for FBI help but didnt get it till nearly a dozen corpses fill the citys morgues. But despite authorities efforts to conceal evidence linked to the KKK, many of the citys Black residents already and still suspected that the white supremacist group was responsible for the crimes. [10] His trial began on January 6, 1982, in Fulton County. Jackson was up to the task, and citizens re-elected him in 1978. It would turn out there was a grain of truth in these rumors. A student is comforted by his teacher during the funeral of his friend Patrick Baltazar, 11, who was murdered. The city of Atlanta and law enforcement wanted this thing to come to an endthey wanted to end this paranoia and fear in the city, Lindsey says. And we were just trying to hold on to our babies.. The autopsy concluded he fell, but the guardrail was as tall as he was. [22], Graham, who was serving as an assistant police chief in neighboring Fulton County at the time of the murders, said his decision to reopen the cases was driven solely by his belief in Williams's innocence. The mystery deepened when his bicycle was found miles away. Swarm, the new streaming series created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers, centers on a deranged superfan named Dre who becomes a serial killer. She is an accomplished and compassionate storyteller and editor who excels in obtaining exclusive interviews and unearthing compelling features. A divided Georgia Supreme Court ruled Thursday, Currently, investigators are examining and reexamining every bit of evidence available. .css-5rg4gn{display:block;font-family:NeueHaasUnica,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-5rg4gn:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:-0.02em;margin:0.75rem 0 0;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:0.02rem;margin:0.9375rem 0 0;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;margin:0.9375rem 0 0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}When to Watch New Episodes of Ted Lasso, How Adrienne Bailon-Houghton Found Her Purpose, Other Barbies We Would Put in the 'Barbie' Movie, Kourtney and Travis Reveal New Wedding Footage, The New 'Barbie' Teaser Is Pure Chaotic Good, 20 of the Best Movies to Watch on HBO Max, The 12 Best TV Shows Based on Video Games. Thirteen-year-old Alfred Evans was found in a vacant lot, his cold body shirtless and barefoot. WebFILE--Convicted killer Wayne Williams poses along the fence line at Valdosta Sate Prison, Valdosta, Ga., Monday, May 24, 1999. WebThe monster was suspected of murdering 22 people, mostly children and teenagers. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. She suffocated to death. Theyd both been missing for a number of days; one of their bodies bore a gunshot wound. [2], Wayne Williams, son of Homer and Faye Williams, was born on May 27, 1958, and raised in the Dixie Hills neighborhood of southwest Atlanta, Georgia. But one fact was obvious: both boys had been murdered. Patrick grew up in Atlanta, but he never made his first record. Here is a complete list of the 20 most infamous black serial killers and where they are today. In 1991, it was revealed that a police informant allegedly heard a KKK member named Charles Theodore Sanders verbally threaten to choke a Black teenager named Lubie Geter after the boy accidentally scratched his truck while the Atlanta Child Murders were still happening. During that time, approximately 29 Black kids and young adults, mainly boys, were found murdered. They had been missing for several days. That held true from Oakland to Omaha to Atlanta. We couldnt do it justice in the background of our nine hours., Fincher also revealed that season 2 will begin at the end of the years long investigation, when the FBI is called in to Georgia. [37], On March 21, 2019, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields announced that officials would re-test evidence from the murders, which will be gathered by the Atlanta Police Department, Fulton County District Attorney's Office, and Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Just [to] wait to see what the end will be, before I leave this Earth., She added: I think it will be part of history that Atlanta will never forget.. NetflixActors Holt McCallany, Jonathan Groff, and Albert Jones portray the FBI agents involved in the Atlanta Child Murders case in Mindhunter. Horrifically, Geter ended up becoming one of the victims. The families wanted proof that Wayne Williams killed their children, Lindsey says. Most of the kids that were murdered wereunder 15 years old. Only mitochondrial DNA was tested; unlike nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA cannot be shown to be unique to an individual dog. Several parents or relatives have said they believe the Ku Klux Klan was responsible. Parents started imposing curfews on their children. FBI agents discovered the body of William "Billy Star" Barrett, 17, next to a curb on the margins of thick forest on May 12, 1981, close to where Wood had seen the man. It appeared that the kids were being strategically targeted, as the victims reportedly fell within a small geographical radius. Between 1979 and 1981, the Atlanta metro area was terrorized by a serial killer who primarily targeted young black children and teenagers, as well as a handful of adults. During that time period, 157 children were killed, including the 24 children already considered part of the case. Sign up to receive breakingFront Page Detectivesnews and exclusive investigations. Then, a month later, a police officer working the departments stakeout operation along the Chattahoochee River heard a splashing sound. Plenty of others have lingering doubts about whether Williams, who has been called one of the worlds few African American serial killers, is really a serial killer at all. Some took their children out of school. Barretts body hadnt been there long. Thats the answer we didnt get.. On August 7, 1979, the bodies of two African American boys, Edward Hope Smith, 14, and Alfred Evans, 13, were found in a vacant Atlanta lot. Yusef was described as bright and lively. ", According to The New York Times, he resides in a state prison "about three hours south of Atlanta and has steadfastly denied that he is a killer.". And just two days later, the body of 27-year-old Nathaniel Carter was discovered downstream. Doris Bell, the mother of another Atlanta murder victim, Joseph Bell, cries during her sons funeral. To this day, Williams remains in prison and hes been denied parole multiple times. [9], Williams was arrested on June 21, 1981, for the murders of Cater and Payne. Nobody had any idea of what this was going to morph into that Saturday afternoon, that these were the first two victims of a serial killer who would murder over a span of two years, said Danny Agan, a retired Atlanta homicide detective who investigated three of the cases on the list. Wayne Williams is a serial killer, a predator, and he did the bulk of these murders.. Wayne Williams is now 60 years old. Christopher Richardson, 12 (June 9, 1980).
They managed, with the help of a local pastor, to get the attention of Jackson as well as white power brokers in Atlanta. Both lived in housing projects, and both had tremendous promise as athletes. My God. Everyone assumed he went home, but by the time night fell, the family was racing through the neighborhood, searching for him. Williams graduated from Douglass High School and developed a keen interest in radio and journalism. Williams denied dropping anything in the water. But I do think history will judge us by our actions and we will be able to say we tried. Butts County Superior Court judge Hal Craig denied his appeal. Worse yet, the cause of death for some of the victims, like Jefferey Mathis, was left undetermined. In March 2019, the cases were reopened and evidence gathered by the Atlanta Police Department will be retested using new DNA technology. The other victim, 13-year-old Alfred Evans, was reported Other young witnesses said the same man, possibly driving a blue Nova, tried to get them to leave their school grounds. Sanders allegedly mused over how lucky he was that he and Williams had the same carpet and that they both owned a white German shepherd. His death hit the local community especially hard. The first murder associated with the Atlanta Child Murders case occurred in July 1979. https://news.yahoo.com/atlanta-child-murders-did-wayne-172705071.html However, authorities lacked sufficient evidence to file charges. In fact, some believe its basically already solved. We will see different patterns, but I dont know that it will lead to an arrest, she said.
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