Michael Terry

Serial Killer

Michael Devern Terry: The Atlanta Serial Killer

Background

Michael Devern Terry was an American serial killer who murdered six men in Atlanta, Georgia, between December 1985 and October 1986. Terry, who was born in Tallassee, Alabama, in 1960, also used the name Michael James Potts. His victims were young Black men, several of whom were described in contemporary reports as sex workers who frequented areas near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Georgia Baptist Hospital. Terry moved to Atlanta in approximately 1983 and lived in rooming houses before settling at 664 Kennesaw Avenue. People who knew him described him as withdrawn and suspicious. He reportedly carried a firearm regularly, including while inside his residence. His criminal history before the murders included offenses involving burglary, robbery, battery, aggravated assault and carrying a firearm without a license.

Pattern of the Murders

Terry selected men from vulnerable circumstances and accompanied them to vacant buildings, alleys, parks or other isolated locations. The encounters were often sexual in nature. Afterward, Terry killed the men by shooting them in the back of the head, stabbing them in the neck or using both methods. Five of the six victims were reportedly discovered partially undressed, creating an important connection between crimes that investigators had initially treated as separate cases. The killings occurred across western Atlanta and nearby areas. Two victims were found in an alley close to Terry's residence, while others were abandoned inside vacant structures, in a park and in a field near a freeway. The similarities in the victims, the condition of their bodies and the methods used eventually led detectives to conclude that one offender was responsible. ...

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Richard Williams Age: (24), Date of Death: 1985-12-06

Michael Terry (serial killer) - Wikipedia