In the spring of 1986, the life of 18-year-old Jason B. McColley was tragically cut short in Atlanta, Georgia. An African American male, McColley's body was discovered on April 6 in an alleyway near Kennesaw Avenue. The scene was grim; he had been stabbed multiple times in the neck and was found nude from the waist down, pointing to a possible sexual encounter before his death. At the time, McColley was known in the area as a street hustler.
The discovery of McColley's body raised alarm among investigators, as it bore a striking resemblance to the murder of another man, Alvin George, who had been found in the same location just weeks prior with similar injuries. This similarity led authorities to suspect they were dealing with a serial killer. A pattern began to emerge as they connected McColley's death to several other unsolved homicides in the city involving young Black men, many of whom were involved in sex work and had been either shot or stabbed following a sexual encounter.
The investigation into the string of murders gained momentum when witnesses reported seeing McColley with a large, stocky Black man known as 'Big Mike' on the night he was killed. This crucial tip led detectives to 26-year-old Michael Devern Terry, a man with a history of violent offenses who lived near the crime scenes. Terry was arrested on November 26, 1986, at his job in Lithonia, Georgia.
During questioning, Terry confessed to the murders of six men, including Jason B. McColley. He claimed the killings were acts of self-defense, alleging that disputes over payment after sexual encounters led to the victims threatening him. Despite his claims, the consistent method of operation, witness statements, and ballistic evidence suggested premeditated acts of violence. In February 1987, Michael Devern Terry was convicted for two of the murders and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He later received additional life sentences for the other homicides, including the murder of Jason B. McColley.
