Life in Georgia is nice, for sure. It’s a beautiful place to live and raise a family, but like anywhere else, sometimes terrible things happen here. Here are some of the most infamous and brutal murders to ever happen in our little state. From our very own version of Jack the Ripper to horrific child murderers, these six famous homicides in Georgia are sure to never be forgotten. There are easily the worst murders in Georgia history, so do understand: rough reading ahead.

1) The Woolfolk Massacre
Robert S. Donovan via Flickr
On August 6, 1887, a family was murdered with a hatchet at the Woolfolk Plantation near Macon, Ga. They were members of the Woolfolk family, and the accused murderer was Tom Woolfolk - a 27-year-old member of the family. He allegedly murdered nine members of his own family - a mother, father, 84-year-old relative of the father, and six children - one of which was just 18 months old. What came to be known as the Woolfolk murder case was one of the most horrifying in state history.
2) The Atlanta Ripper
renee_mcgurk via Flickr
Georgia had its own serial "ripper." During the years of 1911-1914, there were 21 murders attributed to the Atlanta Ripper. At least 15 of the victims were women, and they were murdered in the same way: with their throats slit. All of the victims were African American, and all were in their early 20s. There never were any convictions, but as many as six suspects were listed. By the end of 1914, the murders simply stopped. This guy is just one of many reasons Georgia is dangerous sometimes.
3) The Alday Murders
Thomas Hawk via Flickr
It was a family's worst nightmare: three escaped convicts murdered six members of the Alday family on May 14, 1973. The convicts escaped a Maryland prison nine days prior and were looking for guns and money when they arrived at the home of Jerry Alday in Seminole, GA. They shot and killed Jerry, Jerry's father, brothers and uncle. His wife was raped, killed, and found in a wooded area days later. The convicts were caught four days later in West Virginia. Carl Issacs was the longest-surviving death row inmate. His accomplice, George Dungee, died in prison and Wayne Coleman is still serving a life sentence at the Georgia State Prison in Reidsville. Isaacs was eventually put to death via lethal injection in May 2003.

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4) The Atlanta Child Murders
Tim Hamilton via Flickr
Between 1979 and 1981, 29 African American children went missing between the ages of seven and 16. They were all found dead in the city of Atlanta - most killed by asphyxiation and found in wooded areas. Two adults in connection with the child murders were also killed during this time period and attributed to the case. 23-year-old Wayne Williams was believed to be the murderer, but was only convicted for the murders of the two adults. The murders of the children remains technically unsolved to this day. This is one of the worst crimes in Georgia history and we wish for a resolution ASAP.
5) Murder in Coweta County
Jimmy Smith via Flickr
This murder story inspired a book by Margaret Anne Barnes in 1976 and a 1983 TV movie on CBS starring Johnny Cash and Andy Griffith. A wealthy landowner in Meriwether County had a sharecropper work for him by the name of Wilson Turner. Wallace caught Turner doing some bootlegging work and subsequently fired him. Turner, in turn, stole two cows and money he felt was owed to him by Wallace. Wallace had a lot of political power and even had the Coweta County sheriff under his control. Turner was soon arrested, transferred to Coweta and released per Wallace's orders. Wallace had Turner's truck drained of gas, and kidnapped and murdered Turner. Wallace was one of the richest men to be executed in Georgia.
6) Anjette Donovan Lyles Murders
Kevin O'Mara via Flickr
Anjette was born in Georgia in 1917. She was supposedly a practicioner of black magic and voodoo. She was charged with murdering her nine-year-old daughter, two husbands, and a mother-in-law via arsenic poisoning in the late 1950s. She supposedly did it for the insurance money - or so they say. She was convicted and sentenced to death, and eventually declared "insane" and sent to the state hospital at Milledgeville for the rest of her life.

Do you remember any of these stories or have you heard of them before? What other highly publicized murders happened in Georgia? What would you call the worst murders in Georgia state history? Discuss it in the comments – we love hearing your thoughts!

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Worst Murders in Georgia

Tori Jane | December 11, 2022
  1. What are some of the worst murders in Georgia history?  

Georgia is a beautiful place to live, but unfortunately, it’s not without its crimes. Some of the worst murders in Georgia's history include awful cases like:  

  • The murder of Timothy Coggins 
  • The deaths of Mary and Elwyn Crocker 
  • The brutal murder of their mother by Jasmiyah and Tasmiyah Whitehead

 

2. What are some famous murders in Georgia?  

Of course, the list of murders doesn’t end anywhere near the above few; there have been several famous murders in Georgia (or should we say infamous), including:  

 

3. Have there ever been any serial killers in Georgia? 

While certain serial killers like Bundy, Dahmer, and Gein get all the attention, there are many serial killers that slip below the radar in terms of the public. Did you know there have been several serial killers in Georgia (as well as spree killers)? It’s true! Some of them are/were: 

  • Joseph Dewey Akin, who killed at least 18 
  • Mark Orrin Barton, who killed 12 
  • Paul Durousseau, who killed seven 
  • William Pierce Jr., who killed nine or more 
  • Henry Wirz, who killed at least 11 

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