Will Packer is cooking up a three-part documentary miniseries on the terrifying and heartbreaking story of the Atlanta child murders.
The producer behind movies like Night School and Girls Trip is tackling the nearly two-year period in the late '70s and early '80s wherein 29 people were kidnaped and killed. The frightening era led to outcries from Atlanta's African-American community to find the killer and celebrity benefits to fund massive rewards for information about the murderer. The case garnered national attention and put immense pressure on police to find the killer. In spite of all this, no one has ever been charged in the death of the children.
Packer hopes to shine a new light on the case by interviewing the families of the many victims. The Atlanta Child Murders will air on Investigation Discovery.
“This case remains one of our countries’ most perplexing mysteries, and at ID we are proud to shine a light on every angle of this largely forgotten story,” said ID's Henry Schleiff, per Deadline. “Will Packer’s vision to revisit this national tragedy through the never-before heard perspective of the victims’ families brings home the true devastation of these cases.”
Packer noted that the story of the child murders still casts a long shadow over Atlanta residents like himself.
“Having lived in Atlanta for over 20 years, the story of this senseless tragedy is personally important to me, and the echoes of what happened 40 years ago still resonate in the city,” added Packer. “I am proud to give a voice to the victims’ families, many of whom still seek closure to this day, and analyze how this story is more relevant than ever in today’s environment.”
The case was recently brought back to national attention by the hit podcast Atlanta Monster. That series focused on the story of the murders as well as the man who is most often blamed for the killings, Wayne Williams.
