''The Atlanta Child Murders'' is an American television

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

that aired on February 10 and 12,

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

on CBS. The miniseries is a dramatization of the "

Atlanta child murders Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

" in which 29 African American children were murdered in Atlanta from summer 1979 through spring 1981. City officials, who had opted not to participate in the production, expressed disappointment at it.

Cast

Calvin Levels Calvin Levels (born September 30, 1954 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American film actor. In 1984, he won a Theatre World Award and was nominated for both the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play and the Drama Desk Award for ...

as Wayne Williams *

Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, director, and narrator. He is known for his distinctive deep voice and various roles in a wide variety of film genres. Throughout his career spanning over five decades, he has received ...

as Ben Shelter *

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

as Major Walker *

Rip Torn Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn Jr. (February 6, 1931 – July 9, 2019) was an American actor whose career spanned more than 60 years. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his part as Marsh Turner in '' Cross Creek'' ...

as Lewis Slaton * Jason Robards as Alvin Binder *

Lynne Moody Emmalyn Paulette Moody (born February 17, 1950), known professionally as Lynne Moody, is an American film and television actress. Beginning her career in the early 1970s, Moody is best known her roles as Tracy Curtis–Taylor in the ABC televisio ...

as Selena Cobb *

Ruby Dee Ruby Dee (October 27, 1922 – June 11, 2014) was an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and civil rights activist. She originated the role of "Ruth Younger" in the stage and film versions of ''A Raisin in the Sun'' (19 ...

as Faye Williams * Gloria Foster as Camille Bell *

Paul Benjamin Paul Benjamin (February 4, 1938 – June 28, 2019) was an American actor whose career spanned six decades. Benjamin appeared in dozens of films and television shows beginning in the late 1960s. Biography Born to Fair, a Baptist preacher (1890– ...

as Homer Williams * Martin Sheen as Chet Dettlinger * Andrew Robinson as Jack Mallard * Bill Paxton as Campbell

Plot summary

Between the summer of 1979 and the spring of 1981, 29 African American children, adolescents and adults were murdered in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, Georgia. The killings gained nationwide attention, with many suspecting that they were the work of the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...

or a similar

white supremacist White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other Race (human classification), races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any Power (social and polit ...

group. However, in June 1981, a 23-year-old African American named Wayne Williams was arrested for

first-degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...

in the deaths of 27-year-old Nathaniel Carter and 29-year-old Jimmy Ray Payne. Eight months later, Williams was convicted of both killings and sentenced to two consecutive terms of

life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...

. Some parties speculate that Williams was not the real killer, and that local law enforcement officials used him as a

scapegoat In the Bible, a scapegoat is one of a pair of kid goats that is released into the wilderness, taking with it all sins and impurities, while the other is sacrificed. The concept first appears in the Book of Leviticus, in which a goat is designate ...

to bring a seemingly unsolvable case to a close. However, it is generally presumed that Williams was the culprit in most of the murders, if not all of them. No one was ever tried in connection with the other killings.

Reception

*Atlanta officials criticized ''The Atlanta Child Murders'', claiming that it distorted the facts of the case. After a series of negotiations, CBS executives agreed to insert a disclaimer alerting viewers that the film is “not a documentary, but a drama based on certain facts surrounding the murder and disappearance of children in Atlanta” and includes fictionalized events and characters. *In a February 10, 1985 review of ''The Atlanta Child Murders'', the New York Times questioned whether the program should have been made at all at all, calling it "an irresponsible piece of work."John Corry
"TV View: 'The Atlanta Child Murders': A Trial by TV,"
''New York Times'', Feb 10, 1985. *In 2000,

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

aired a similarly-themed movie entitled '' Echo of Murder'', starring James Belushi and

Gregory Hines Gregory Oliver Hines (February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and singer. He is one of the most celebrated tap dancers of all time. As an actor, he is best known for '' Wolfen'' (1981), '' The Cotton C ...

. When released on DVD, it was retitled ''Who Killed Atlanta's Children?''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Atlanta Child Murders TV miniseries 1985 films 1980s American television miniseries Films about race and ethnicity American crime drama films CBS network films Films directed by John Erman American television docudramas Crime films based on actual events Television series based on actual events Television shows set in Atlanta Films set in 1979 Films set in 1980 Films set in 1981 Films set in 1982 1980s American films