HBO Documentary Films, Show of Force, Roc Nation and Get Lifted Film Co. are currently in production on a new documentary series reexamining the Atlanta Child Murders of the late-’70s and early-’80s. It offers a never-before-seen look at the murder of at least 30 African American children and young adults that occurred over a two-year period in Atlanta, from the initial disappearance and discovery of two murdered teenage boys and the fear that gripped the city, to the prosecution and indictment of 23-year-old Atlanta native Wayne Williams and the rush to officially shut down the case.
With unprecedented access, this timely documentary series brings new evidence to light, providing a powerful understanding of one of America’s darkest chapters. Investigating the racial tensions and cultural clashes that brought Atlanta to a boiling point and caught the nation in a moment of transition, the series examines the original trial materials and court documents, raising new questions for further investigation.
The series is produced and directed by the Emmy(R)-award winning team at Show of Force, including Joshua Bennett, Maro Chermayeff and Jeff Dupre (Emmy(R)-and Peabody award-winner for HBO’s “Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present”), and Sam Pollard (Oscar(R)-nominee for HBO’s “4 Little Girls” and Emmy(R)-winner for “When the Levees Broke”) and executive produced by Patrick Reardon of Roc Nation and by the Emmy(R)-award winning team at Get Lifted Film Co., Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius and John Legend.
In March 2019, forty years after the murders began, evidence has come into question and decades of pressure from the community has prompted Atlanta’s Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to order a large-scale re-investigation, demanding the evidence be retested using the latest DNA technology.
Revealing a community that desperately sought justice from the city and law enforcement officials during the crisis and found it heartbreakingly lacking, the series features fresh insights and interviews with key figures and experts, including the victims’ families, law enforcement officials, Williams’ defense attorney and Williams himself.