In the spring of 1981, the city of Atlanta was gripped by a series of slayings that created a climate of fear. It was in this tense atmosphere that 27-year-old Nathaniel Cater, a Black male, disappeared. He was last seen alive in May of that year, with some witness accounts placing him in the company of a man named Wayne Williams. On May 24, 1981, the search for Cater came to a tragic end when his nude body was discovered in the Chattahoochee River.
The cause of his death was determined to be probable asphyxiation.
The discovery of Cater's body became a pivotal moment in the sprawling investigation that would come to be known as the Atlanta Child Murders. Investigators began to focus their attention on Wayne Williams, a 23-year-old freelance photographer and music promoter. A police surveillance team, watching a bridge over the Chattahoochee River, had heard a splash on the night of May 22, shortly before Williams was stopped on that same bridge. The discovery of Cater's body downstream two days later intensified the suspicion surrounding him.
In June 1981, Wayne Williams was arrested and subsequently charged with the murder of Nathaniel Cater and another victim, Jimmy Ray Payne. The trial, which began in early 1982, garnered national attention. Prosecutors presented a case built on circumstantial evidence, most notably fiber evidence found on Cater's body that was consistent with fibers from Williams's home and car. Witness testimony also played a crucial role, with some individuals testifying they had seen Williams with Cater before his disappearance.
After a two-month trial, the jury found Wayne Williams guilty of the murders of both Nathaniel Cater and Jimmy Ray Payne on February 27, 1982. He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison. While Williams was only convicted of these two murders, law enforcement officials have publicly stated they believe he is responsible for numerous other slayings from that period. The killings ceased following his arrest. Williams has consistently maintained his innocence over the years.
