[officer 1 on radio] Hey, Jerry. We're still down here.
We got nothing on this side.
Let me know what's happening over there with you.
[Jerry] Uh, yeah, we're at the, uh, bridge up at Spring Street back here.
Um, if we could get some more lights, it'd be great.
[motorcycle engine revs]
[indistinct radio chatter]
[helicopter blades whirring overhead]
[indistinct radio chatter continues]
[Holden] Campbell, anything?
[Campbell] Negative.
[Holden] Don't take your eyes off the water
until we get some boats down there.
[indistinct radio chatter]
[police sirens wailing in distance]
[Holden sighs]
Nothing.
-Recruit's positive he heard a splash. -We don't have a body, we can't hold him.
[Holden] We can hold him for as long as it takes
to search his vehicle. Maybe we find something in the car.
[Tench] If he'll let us.
[Barney] The name isn't on this registration.
-Why are you driving it? -[Williams] It's my uncle's car.
-[Tench] Why do you have it? -[Williams] For work.
[Barney] At three o'clock in the morning?
I'm in the music business.
Nighttime is the right time.
Right time for what?
You mind if we search your vehicle, Mr. Williams?
Sure. Go ahead.
Log everything for evidence that I find in this car.
So you were out working this late at night?
[Williams] Well, I had to go pick up a check. I'm a photographer.
[Barney] I thought you said you were in the music business.
I'm a Renaissance man.
-So, where are you headed, da Vinci? -A woman's apartment.
-Girlfriend? -Don't have a girlfriend.
So who is she?
A Miss, uh, Cheryl Johnson. She gave me her number.
Said she's a singer worth hearing.
Jacobs!
Run down there, try this number for me.
By the way, it ends in a four.
My dad says my fours look like nines.
[Jacobs] Okay.
-Try 'em both. -[Jacobs] Got it.
If you don't have a girlfriend, whose are these?
My mother's. They're garbage. I'm supposed to throw all those out.
That what you were doing on the bridge, throwing out garbage?
I wasn't doing nothing but crossing it.
We heard a splash when you drove over. You throw something off?
-You mean like a kid? -[Tench] Yeah...
like a kid.
No, I did not.
Do you own a dog, Mr. Williams?
No, I do not.
[Holden] Note the hair on the back seat and on the floor mats.
What's the rope for?
With knots at both ends?
And the gloves?
Like I said, it's not my car.
Mind if we talk where it's more comfortable
while they finish up?
Log every piece of evidence.
[choral version of theme music playing]
[choral music overlaps]
[theme music echoes and fades]
So what makes Cheryl Johnson so special you gotta hear her sing at 3:00 a.m.?
Don't know yet. [sighs]
We got a meeting in the morning, but I decided to do a trial run
so I'll know where to go.
-[Tench] Where does she live? -[Williams] In Smyrna.
Church Street.
The FBI hiding under every bridge in Atlanta now?
If you don't mind, Mr. Williams, we'll ask the questions.
I get it. Confidential.
[Jacobs on radio] A-T-64. A-T-64.
[Barney] A-T-64, go ahead.
[Jacobs] The number with the four is disconnected.
With a nine, there's no answer.
-Roger. -That was the number she gave me.
Got an actual address for her on Church Street?
[clicks tongue] That's why I always get a phone number.
Think I'll radio the admin agent.
Let him know where we are with this. Be right back.
-[vehicles approaching] -[sirens wailing]
[Holden] What do you think your uncle uses rope for?
Don't know. He's got so much stuff in there. I don't touch any of it.
-How did you know why we pulled you over? -You're the FBI in Atlanta. [scoffs]
What else is it gonna be about? It's all that's ever on TV.
You follow the story closely?
-No, I'm just saying how it is. -[Holden] Wayne--
-You mind if I call you Wayne? -It's my name.
Wayne, did you know any of the victims? Their families?
Think we all know each other?
You didn't ask me if I know this cat.
I'm specifically interested in the victims.
No. I wouldn't know any of 'em.
You make it sound like it wouldn't be possible.
I'm not like them.
Not like them? What does that mean?
You know. Street kids. Runnin' wild all hours of the night.
This isn't "all hours of the night"?
There's a difference in being where you supposed to be
and being where you aren't.
[Barney] What places are they not supposed to be?
Like mall parking lots, maybe? That sort of thing?
-If they're up to no good, yeah. -[tapping on window]
Gentlemen...
a word.
Sit tight.
What did he say?
His first, second, and third questions were,
"Do you have a body?"
-No. -He says we have to let the guy go.
We can't do that.
That rope has knots on both its ends. Next to a pair of gloves.
And we have no evidence
any of our victims were strangled with a rope.
But we know they were strangled.
The admin agent was clear:
unless that rope is instrumental in a specific crime,
we have to let him go.
Christ. Black, early 20s, dog hair, can't corroborate his alibi.
Alibi for what?
Mr. Williams!
[car door opens]
Thank you. You're free to go.
[officer 1 on radio] Can I get an extra hand down here?
[car door closes]
You gentlemen have a good night.
[officer 2] They already ran the plate.
[indistinct radio chatter]
[car engine starts]
Do you believe his story? 3:00 a.m. dry run for a morning meeting?
Not a fucking word.
But it's not about what we believe, it's about what we can prove.
Let me see the rope. Where is it?
But you just said to write everything down.
You're shitting me.
-You didn't tell him to bag everything? -[Holden] I didn't think I had to.
-Where are you going? -[Tench] Home.
It's Memorial Day weekend.
We should be searching that river for a body.
[Tench] You're absolutely right.
Let me know what you find.
[Holden sighs]
[boat motors humming]
Unless he weighted it, against his MO, it would have floated by now.
[Holden] He wasn't on his way to meet anyone.
There will be a body.
[Barney] Only one guy heard the splash.
The other three were probably asleep.
Wayne Williams fits every corner of our profile.
What if we'd heard the same splash, saw the same car,
but a white guy had gotten out of it?
-But he isn't white, so-- -[Barney] Everything else being equal,
what's the tipping point for matching the profile?
Four criteria, five?
What about the six that he didn't fit?
-You don't think he's worth pursuing? -[Barney] I do.
But mainly because we finally just got an answer at that second number.
Nobody named Cheryl or Johnson ever lived there.
-Because Cheryl Johnson doesn't exist. -[Barney] Why say it?
He knows we'll catch him in a lie.
So let's catch him in it.
[officer shouts indistinctly]
[Tench] Is there any breakfast?
No. There's cereal if you want.
[coffee pouring]
That's okay. [sighs]
Nice day.
Brian's not playing outside?
He plays in his room now.
I tried to make a playdate for him over the long weekend.
Everyone was out of town.
-Well, maybe they really are, Nance. -Bill, he's ostracized.
You've seen it. I see it every day.
It's our fault for keeping him here.
We're not moving because of some kids.
This isn't just about other kids.
It's the parents. They talk behind his back.
[Tench] His back or yours?
How many times have we moved because of your work over the years?
Several.
And how many times have we moved because I've asked to?
I'm asking because I believe it's the only way to put this behind us.
Honey, I'm only home for a few days.
I just need to get some rest.
Of course.
[door slams]
I'm not saying no.
We'll consider it, I promise.
I just think right now what's best for Brian is what's familiar,
stability.
[Nancy] Go and rest.
We're taking him to the Y later.
[train whistle blowing in distance]
[railroad crossing alert ringing]
There he is, our Renaissance man. You mind if we come inside, Wayne?
[door closes]
[Williams] My mom will be home soon.
I'd appreciate it if y'all were brief.
[Holden] We wanted to give you the opportunity
to clarify any of your statements from last night.
It must have been unnerving to be stopped by the FBI.
Oh, it's cool. Y'all had a job to do.
We finally got through on one of the two possible numbers
that you gave us.
It belonged to a cosmetics company.
-No Cheryl Johnson ever worked there. -That was the number she gave.
And you're positive that was her name?
As far as I remember.
But I get folks calling all the time, pranking me,
so it's possible she may not exist.
You were confident enough to drive to Smyrna at 3:00 a.m.
with no real address to find her.
Um... gotta track down every lead.
-Y'all understand that. -[Holden] So...
tell us about your day yesterday.
[notebook pages flipping]
Um...
Not much to tell.
I, uh, slept late, had lunch, played some ball at the rec center.
-Which rec center? -Ben Hill.
Then I came home.
And that's when my momma told me a woman called.
So, your mother actually took the call?
Yeah. She took the message.
Because last night you said your nines look like fours,
so we were under the impression you took the call.
No. I must have copied it down from where my mother wrote it.
-[Holden] What time was that? -[Williams] I don't know. Uh...
4:00.
[Holden] Then what?
Then, I had dinner with my parents
and went to Hotlanta Records in College Park
to pick up a check I was owed.
Then I went to Sans Souci to hear some music.
-Sans Souci? -Lounge.
760 West Peachtree.
I didn't stay long.
Uh, then I went looking for the place in Smyrna.
And that's when y'all stopped me.
-So, this is your parents' house? -Yeah.
-And you live here with them? -Yes, sir.
Surely a young...
good-looking guy like you would want to have his own apartment?
[chuckles] I put all my money into my work.
Which is what, exactly? You never told us what you did in music.
[Williams exhales]
-May we keep this? -[Williams] Sure.
They're all over town.
So, you spend your time searching for children?
Searching for talent.
[Holden] When you find it, what do you do with this talent?
Usually, I have them record a demo.
-[Barney] What's in it for you? -If they're good, I manage them.
And if they're not, what do you do with them?
-I don't do nothing with 'em. -Where do you find the talent?
All over. You know, uh, restaurants, arcades.
Mall parking lots? Swimming pools?
Never know where it's hiding.
I figure, why should it always be white people
gettin' rich off the talent of brothers? [chuckles]
-You make much money from it? -[Williams scoffs]
If I did, you'd think I'd be here?
[Holden] So right now, it's more of a fantasy?
A grind is what it is.
Why children? Such specific ages.
Ever heard of The Jackson Five?
Hmm? That's where the money's at.
Would you happen to have the names of some of your current clients?
We'd love to speak with them.
I'm in between acts.
That's why I was out late last night, scouting.
Lookin' for talent.
-[Holden] What'd you find? -Nothin'.
Do you like children, Wayne?
How do you mean?
Do you like their company?
I ain't never touched one,
-if that's what you're asking. -[Holden] Of course not.
But do you like them?
Do you sympathize with those that have gone missing?
Yeah. Hell, I ain't much older than some of 'em.
[takes a deep breath] Why are you knocking on my door anyway?
I mean, it's-- it's black kids out there dying.
Y'all should be rousting the KKK.
Well...
we're finding that these types of killers rarely cross racial lines.
What type of killer is that?
Serial.
Organized.
Compulsive.
Compulsive?
About what?
Well, without speaking to him, I can't be certain, but...
I believe he achieves sexual gratification
from choking and dominating his victim.
You said last night that you don't have a girlfriend,
-is that right, Wayne? -Yeah. That's right.
Hmm.
Think you'll catch him?
I do.
[takes a deep breath] Well, I wish you luck.
Thank you. That's very kind.
Do you mind if I use your restroom?
Down there, to your left.
[Barney speaking indistinctly]
-[barking] -[gasps]
[Williams] I said on the left.
I thought you said you didn't own a dog.
I don't. Sheba's my dad's.
[Sheba continues barking]
[Holden] Wayne said he came by that night to pick up a check.
Do you recall what time that was?
[man] 9:00, 9:30.
Do you happen to have an invoice?
Sure.
[disco music playing on stereo]
Wayne says he's in the music business.
[man laughs]
Uh, he rents my studio.
Holds auditions here.
-There you go. -Thank you.
Is he in, uh, something he not supposed to be in?
We're just following up some statements.
Does Wayne bring talent here?
Oh, he's always in here with somebody he discovered at the mall,
the next big thing.
[Barney] Do you have any of his demos?
[laughs] No. Wayne ain't got no demos.
-Most of the time, they just sit and talk. -They talk?
I mean, I've seen him in there with some kid kicked back,
laughing, for like an hour. [scoffs]
But not my business how you use your time. You know, you're payin' for it.
-What do you charge? -I charge 50 an hour.
A little discount. He's a good kid.
-And Wayne can afford that? -[man] Well, it's his daddy's money.
I feel bad for Homer too. Ain't like he Rockefeller or something.
Do you have any of the talents' names?
[man] Uh-uh.
[Holden] How old are they usually?
Uh, 14, 15. He's looking for Michael Jackson.
-[chuckles] -You said that Wayne was a "good kid."
Yeah. He's polite, pays his bills.
Cleans up after himself.
[scoffs] I mean, he's a...
-different kind of kid. -[Holden] Different?
How exactly?
I don't know. I... I don't wanna get Wayne in no trouble.
Of course not.
[man] He talks himself up.
You know, but that's most folks that come in here.
Gotta fake it till you make it, right?
Does he have a temper?
Wayne? No. That boy ain't got no temper.
So you never saw any signs of anger or violence?
Nah, Wayne is a chump.
[scoffs] This is Wayne.
One time he came in here, and my assistant said he had cuts all up and down his arms.
Right? Nasty.
When she asked him about it, he said he fell in a bush.
Now, I'm sure he got his ass kicked.
-Wayne ain't no fighter. -When might that have been?
[man] I don't know. A few weeks ago.
You can ask Charlene. She'll be in here later.
I'm gonna get back to work, all right, fellas?
Thank you for your time.
[man] Yep.
-[crickets chirping] -[boat motor hums]
[officer] That's it. Come on.
[officer speaking indistinctly]
[Holden] How far away is this?
Half mile downstream from Wayne's bridge.
Same spot Jimmy Payne was found about a month ago.
I checked the victim list from around the time
Wayne had those supposed scratches on his arms.
-Terry Pue. -The one on Sigman Road.
He was known around as a tough kid. A fighter.
He had lacerations on his body...
as if he'd been in a struggle.
I also found this.
A composite of the man Lubie Geter was seen talking to before he disappeared.
[Tench] You want it to feel like your palm.
You feel that?
-[phone ringing] -[Tench] Now feel the burger.
Does it feel the same?
[phone continues ringing]
[Tench] I think it does. Ready?
Perfect. Wanna try?
Oh, that's okay.
-[Tench] Five-second rule. -It's for you.
It's Holden.
[clicks tongue]
It better be good.
We found the body.
-At the bridge? -[Holden] Downstream.
-How far? -Pretty close.
We have a meeting tomorrow with the DA
to talk surveillance and warrants for Wayne Williams.
He wants to hear from all the agents at the scene.
We have enough for that?
Cheryl Johnson turned out to be a lie. That gives us a false exculpatory.
And get this: we've always wondered how he got them in the car.
Flyers.
Flyers?
Williams hands out flyers to kids, promising a record contract
-if they'll go with him to make a demo. -Oh.
That's how he does it.
Bill... this is him.
I'm on my way.
We may have him.
You tell him.
I won't.
[sighs]
[Barney] He'd been deceased two to three days,
which does not rule Williams out as a suspect.
Cause of death is asphyxiation, most likely by a choke hold.
We found carpet fibers on the body
consistent with what we've found on other victims.
The fibers we recovered are green and a very unusual shape.
-I saw green carpet in Williams' home. -But you don't know if it's a match.
No, sir. There were dog hairs on the victim.
I found dog hairs in the suspect's vehicle,
-and his family owns a dog. -[scoffs] I own a dog, Agent.
Besides that, there was a knotted nylon rope,
-approximately 24 inches-- -[Slaton] Now that's material.
Does it match wounds on any victim?
[Holden] It remained in the vehicle and has since...
-It can't be accounted for. -[Slaton] So...
we confiscated no physical evidence.
Even though he gave permission to search his vehicle.
[Tench] That's correct, sir. At the time, we had no body
and, therefore, no cause to believe a crime had been committed.
-[Slaton] Now, you have a body. -Yes, sir.
Which you can't physically connect to the suspect or his vehicle.
[Slaton] And you have a splash heard by a probably sleeping recruit,
which you can't definitively connect to the body.
-Who's the victim? -Nathaniel Cater.
Twenty-seven, 150 pounds, six foot one.
Priors for trespass and attempted burglary.
You want warrants for a multiple child murderer
based on the death of an adult?
Cater was a drunk and a hustler. He'd be easy prey.
Besides driving over a bridge
at the same general time that this victim was in the Chattahoochee,
you have no physical connection
between the deceased and your suspect.
I can't issue warrants based on that.
Sir, Williams fits the type of perpetrator we've been looking for.
He had a prior.
He was stopped for impersonating a police officer
-and had a scanner in his car. -A misdemeanor.
We don't issue warrants based on the "type" of person someone is.
And the last warrants I obtained for you
captured a man whose only sin was pleasuring himself in the woods.
A public relations debacle.
-We were wrong for even bringing him in. -Yes, you were.
Sir, we're not asking to search his person and property yet.
We're requesting 24-hour surveillance and wiretaps.
The last time the FBI wiretapped a black man in Georgia,
it was not well-received.
With all respect, sir, Wayne Williams is no Dr. King.
If we're allowed surveillance, I'm confident we'll find evidence
-to validate your decision. -I'll consider it...
with what's left of my weekend.
-[typewriter clacking] -[news fanfare playing on TV]
[reporter] Today at city hall, community activists met
with city planners...
Don't include the rope. If he approves this thing,
the judge will shoot it down for the same reasons.
Okay.
That isn't very optimistic.
-Odds on Slaton for the warrant? -[Barney] Fifty-fifty.
-He either will or he won't. -[Tench] I say 30/70.
We have a suspect in the vicinity of the body.
Vicinity.
He's right, we have no material connection to that body.
Guys, it's an election year.
It's about public opinion as much as about evidence.
Can you turn that up?
...authorities to bring an end to the child murders gripping Atlanta.
A certain mood exists in America, encouraged by our leaders,
that it is all right to do anything to black people.
Across the country,
our children are being killed, and our future is being wiped out.
That is why I have come...
-[phone rings] -...to our nation's capital,
to say, "No."
Special Agent Ford.
To the value of a child's life being judged by the color of their skin.
Thank you, sir.
Slaton. "In light of the crisis situation in Atlanta, an exception has been made."
...while they continue to bury their sons and daughters...
[dog barking in distance]
[car passes in distance]
[agent on radio] Shit.
Someone's up.
I lost it.
What?
[agent] I-- I dropped the fucking thing.
-Hold on. Found it. -[device clatters]
-[sighs] -Hurry up.
They're on the move.
[agent] I need more time.
[Tench] Fuck it. Get out now.
Go.
[sighs]
-Who the hell is up at this hour? -Did you do it?
[agent] We can track him. Just can't listen to him.
[sighs]
[leash jingling]
[boy] Thanks.
[indistinct radio chatter]
Says here, Wayne once worked for the Department of Public Safety.
Scene photographer for arson investigations.
-Huh. -He could still have press credentials.
We should see if he photographed any of our crime scenes.
[agent 1 on radio] All right, he's on the move. We're trailing.
[agent 2] Copy that.
[Holden] The package is traveling west on Glenn. We've got eyes.
All cars hang back.
[agent 2 on radio] Roger, Model T.
Tomcat, you guys stay tight behind me. Eagle, we're on the move west.
[agent 1] Roger. Circling back.
[Holden] Do not drop too low.
-[plane engine whirring] -[sighs]
Six cars and a plane feels like overkill.
I'm more worried about attracting attention
-than losing Wayne. -We're good.
There's no way he'd hand out flyers to kids if he knew we were watching.
[Holden] I'm not so sure. He has...
hubris.
But other things don't add up.
Like what?
Family background.
No absent father.
No signs of a domineering or abusive mother.
I met an Irishman once who only drank milk.
[Holden] Left turn on...
Ira Street, heading south.
[agent 2] Roger.
And he's making another quick left,
-east on Gordon. -[agent 2] Roger. East on Gordon.
[Holden] We're supposed to be finding patterns, not anomalies.
That's a lot of cars making that turn.
We've got eyes on the package.
Stay back.
-Jesus, it's like the Macy's Day Parade. -[agent 2] Roger.
[indistinct radio chatter]
-Do not run the light. We've got him. -Damn it.
-[brakes screech] -[horns honk]
[agent 2] Don't worry about it. We're gonna catch up.
-Do you think that was intentional? -[takes a deep breath]
[agent 3] Uh, yeah, we were about three car lengths behind, but...
[Tench] I can't take that turn.
He'll make us.
Package is southbound on Windsor.
Now signaling eastbound.
We will be parallel.
Eagle, you got eyes?
[agent 1] Model T, turn south,
-pick him up at Pryor and Bass. -[Holden] Roger.
What is Model T?
It's a code name for Ford.
How about I call you Tin Lizzie?
Package is stopped at the southeast corner of Formwalt and Bass.
Do not approach. Stay off the block.
We'll advise when he's in motion.
-[Tench] What do we see as motive? -I still think it's sexual.
Despite him having no history of violence
and there being no evidence of sexual violation.
Yes.
BTK's victims were not sexually violated either.
There was no penetration, but we know he gets off on it.
-Maybe Wayne's like that. -What if it's shame?
Shame? What makes you say that?
[Tench] He strangles his victims from behind, so they can't see him,
can't judge him.
The parents seem nurturing, but also conservative.
Maybe not the kind who'd be very accepting of a gay son.
What if he hates himself so much, and what he is,
that he takes it out on these kids?
Maybe specifically kids who he thinks are hustlers.
I don't get the sense that he hates himself at all.
I think he's a narcissist who considers himself smarter
than every other person in the room.
You know the type.
[agent 3 on radio] He's heading out now.
Package moving east on Bass, he's gonna drive right past us.
[indistinct radio chatter]
-What's he doing? -What the fuck?
[sighs]
Thought y'all might be hungry.
[agent 1] Scorpion, he handed them something.
I-- I don't know what it is.
-[car door closes] -[car engine starts]
I think we've been made.
[agent 1] I bet you he got the $2.99 special.
You can't beat that. You get two fried chicken and fries.
[indistinct chatter]
[agent 1] Uh, yeah, he's reentered the vehicle
and, uh, is en route.
You should have eyes on him in about 30 seconds.
[Holden] Ten-four.
[indistinct radio chatter]
Guess who photographed the Sigman Road crime scene?
Who is Wayne B. Williams?
[takes a deep breath]
Now that we're blown, this seems like a waste of time.
Then we bumper-lock him. People under pressure make mistakes.
And if a body turns up while we're on him, we rule him out.
Whose car is this? [scoffs]
This your car?
-No, but I'd be happy to move it for you. -And I'm late for work.
Y'all blocking the whole neighborhood. Fucking Wayne, man.
-How do you know it was about Wayne? -Of course it's about Wayne.
He always up to some bullshit.
Fucking FCC come out here one time, shut down his radio station.
Coming and going all hours. You gonna move it?
-Wayne keeps his neighbors up? -Spoiled rotten.
That's his real goddamn problem. I work.
Something he don't know shit about.
Keeping me awake fucking burning trash.
-You saw Wayne burning garbage? -Five o'clock in the morning.
-You sure it was garbage? -I don't know. It was on fire.
-When was this? -[neighbor sighs] Thursday morning.
Thursday? You're certain?
I work night shift Wednesdays. You mind?
[car engine starts]
[Slaton] You don't know what he was burnin'.
You want a warrant, bring me physical evidence.
If we wait any longer,
all your physical evidence will go up in smoke.
Let us search for fibers and question him. Wayne is fascinated by these crimes.
If we bring him in, he'll talk to us.
If he doesn't, we let him out the back, no one is the wiser.
No harm, no foul.
Sir, I appreciate the extreme pressure you're under from Mayor Jackson
-and your constituents to end this. -Oh, you do, do you?
We need fibers from the car, the whole house.
Especially the green carpet in the living room.
[agent 1] Yes, sir.
[indistinct chatter]
[door closes]
Shit.
[barking excitedly]
I want hair from that dog.
[Barney] Got anything?
[agent 2] Peterson.
It's not much, but it is green.
[drill whirring]
We got fibers from his bedroom that could be a match.
Won't know until the labs come back.
They're still working on the car. How's he been?
I think plucking his pubes has him rattled.
But he's still so arrogant:
declined a lawyer and consented to a polygraph.
Arrogant and prepared.
[Tench] Find one called How to Abduct and Murder Young Boys,
and we can all go home.
You ready?
Commissioner Brown.
-Agent. -DA Slaton.
[over speaker] Y'all have the clothes off my back.
-What else can I do for you? -[player clicks]
[takes a deep breath] I'd like to talk about May 21st.
Could you talk us through your day up to the Jackson Parkway Bridge?
I already told you, twice.
We'd like to hear it again.
I played ball, then I went home.
-And then what? -[Williams] My momma said a lady called.
-Cheryl Johnson. -[Williams] Yeah.
But like I said, I never spoke with her, so she may have been a prank call.
After you got the message from your mom, what then?
Uh... I ate dinner. I worked some.
That's it.
You told us before you picked up a check at Hotlanta Records.
[Williams] That's right. Then I went looking for Ms. Johnson.
[Holden] What about the Sans Souci Lounge?
You told me after Hotlanta you went to the Sans Souci.
Yeah, I did.
[Holden over speaker] We checked, and no one remembers you.
Were you there or not?
I was, but not for long.
[Tench] So you just lied to us?
Or you lied before?
I wasn't lying. People forget things.
I'd be real careful not to forget things, Wayne,
for your sake.
[Holden] So that brings us to the bridge.
What did you do after you left us?
Drove home.
You didn't continue looking for Cheryl Johnson?
I thought that was the whole reason for going out.
I guess being questioned by feds spooked me a little.
Did you happen to do any barbecuing when you got home?
Why would I?
[Holden] We heard you were burning things late that night.
Not me.
-I went to bed. -[Holden] You didn't clean your car?
When we visited the next morning, your car was very tidy.
No rope, no clothes.
-Um, I guess my father must've-- -[Holden] Do you happen to know
where that rope is?
Your father's owned a lot of cars over the years.
Is it true he owned a blue 1978 Plymouth Fury?
[Williams] That a crime?
[Tench] You know who else drives 1978 Plymouth Furies?
Atlanta PD.
-So...? -So that would make it pretty convincing,
for a guy who likes to impersonate police officers,
to lure a kid into his car.
I never did that.
You did impersonate an officer.
I carry a scanner for my photography work
so that I can get to the scene before other stringers.
What interests me...
is they also found a police light in your car.
It helps me get access. Sometimes you gotta hustle a little.
But maybe, if you wanted to intimidate or gain the confidence of a stranger,
putting a bubble light on your car might do that.
No. No, I don't do that.
But you know who might? A cop. Kids'll go off with a real cop.
You checkin' into them?
We have a witness who saw Jo-Jo Bell get into a white station wagon
on the afternoon of March 2nd.
The description of the driver was a match for a man seen talking to Lubie Geter
the day he disappeared.
He look familiar to you?
[Holden] What about... [sighs]
...Patrick Rogers?
He loved music. Wanted to make it as a singer.
You ever hand him a flyer, invite him to your studio?
Uh-uh. [clicks tongue] I don't know no Patrick.
He went by "Pat-Man." Wrote a song called "Runnin' Girl."
Maybe you remember now.
No.
I don't know. I meet kids every day.
That don't mean I killed nobody.
You ever hand out flyers at... Moreland Plaza Shopping Center?
Sometimes.
That's where Aaron Jackson and Patrick both carried groceries.
And funny thing, they knew kids from other parking lots:
Lubie Geter, Charles Stephens.
They worked the Lakewood Shopping Plaza.
Ever go there, Wayne?
Me and a thousand other people.
But you were working, right?
Handing out these flyers to kids trying to make a buck.
The bottom line is, nobody has ever seen Wayne Williams strike another person,
strangle another person, or hurt anybody,
because I haven't.
How did you know Nathaniel Cater?
I don't know who that is.
[Holden] Cater's body was dragged from the Chattahoochee River
just downstream from where we stopped you.
-[Tench] That doesn't bother you? -Why would it? I don't know him.
-You've never met Nathaniel Cater? -[Williams] You asking if I killed him?
Look at me, I'm five-seven, man.
How the hell am I gonna kill a grown man,
drag him out of my car, and throw him off of a bridge?
Toxicology reports suggest Cater was intoxicated at the time.
Much easier to kill a drunk man.
[Tench] The body showed signs of strangulation
but no vertebral damage.
So maybe the killer wasn't particularly strong...
or couldn't follow through.
It's hard to strangle someone.
When you were choking Cater, did you panic?
-No. -[Tench] No, you didn't panic?
No, I didn't kill nobody.
Cater hustled at some of the gay clubs downtown.
He your boyfriend?
I am not homosexual.
[chuckles]
Know what I call a child talent scout who makes no music and no money, Wayne?
A fuckin' pedophile.
[Holden] Let's go further back.
-Where were you May 11th? -I don't know.
Think.
I guess I was at home.
-[Holden] Was anybody with you? -No.
[Holden] So on May 11th,
when William Barrett was being strangled to death, you were home alone.
[lighter clicks]
[Holden] April 22nd: Jimmy Ray Payne went out to sell coins.
His body was found in the Chattahoochee not far from where we met.
Where were you on April 22nd?
Is that a Wednesday?
-Uh... guess I was out. -[Holden] Out where?
Working. Driving.
-[Holden] Was anyone with you? -I doubt it.
Okay, moving on.
March 30th: Larry Rogers went missing.
He was found a week later, strangled.
On his body, we found carpet fibers and dog hair.
We're taking fiber samples from your home right now
and hair samples from Sheba.
Anything you want to tell us?
Where were you on the afternoon of March 30th, Wayne?
And if it helps you remember, it was raining.
If it's raining, uh, probably watchin' TV.
Or maybe I'm playin' solitaire.
Can anyone corroborate that?
Corroborate solitaire?
-[Holden] March 20th, Eddie Duncan-- -We gonna do this for all of 'em?
Unless there's something else you'd like to share?
Y'all think Wayne Williams murdered all those kids?
Prove it.
Or I think I'll be going home.
[Slaton] It's a murder charge, gentlemen,
and you can't conclusively tie him to a single victim, whether alive or dead.
The only thing you've got is a possible fiber match,
which no grand jury in Georgia is gonna consider
more than circumstantial, at best.
-That's not enough to arrest him. -[Holden] He had no alibi.
We went through 28 dates, not a single verifiable alibi.
Who can remember what they were doing two weeks ago, much less 14 months?
I've got attorneys from DOJ and the governor pressuring me.
But the man's polygraph was as inconclusive as your interview.
He flatlined three times. That indicates deceptive.
Wayne didn't react differently to anything.
Only sociopaths do that.
[Brown] As for our efforts this evening,
we've not obtained the necessary information
to charge or make an arrest,
so we will not be releasing the name of this individual.
We still have no suspect.
But we are always doing more than the public knows,
but I cannot comment
on any ongoing investigation we may be conducting.
-[indistinct chatter] -[camera shutters clicking]
We are doing our best to bring an end to this prolonged tragedy.
[Homer] Wayne! Get over here. Let's go.
[Brown] If there are any developments, we'll keep you apprised.
[reporters clamoring]
[engine starts]
-[sighs] -[car door closes]
[reporter] Mr. Brown!
[knocking on door]
[grunts softly]
I brought you your paper.
[Holden] Thanks.
Don't you want to read it?
-Oh, no. -They printed the man's name and address.
Somebody leaked this.
[Tanya] This is your guy?
-Is this him? -We believe so.
Because he doesn't look like...
He doesn't look like he could hurt anybody.
-What he looks does not-- -[Tanya] They said he was smart,
he had his own radio station, owned his own business.
I know it seems unlikely, but he fits every aspect of the profile.
What does that mean?
We're very certain it was a black male, early 20s to early 30s,
-drives a certain type of car. -That's it?
That's what every cop in Atlanta looks for, for every crime.
-A young black man. -It's a little more complicated than that.
Did you investigate the man who called saying where to find a body?
Tanya, those calls were made by sad people looking for--
There was more than one?
-Well... -[Tanya] Well, did you ask them?
Did you even bother to look at the men who go out every day
looking for young boys?
Men these boys might have known? Might have gotten into their car?
[mouthing]
-[quietly] Tanya, this guy-- -[Tanya] "Fits."
If you're so sure he fits, how come you haven't arrested him?
-Because this is going to ruin his life. -There are procedures.
I'm not saying, unequivocally, he did all 29,
-but I know he did some of them. -What if you're wrong?
-I'm not. -[Tanya] Because he's black?
-Because he drives some kind of car? -Would you like to come inside?
[Tanya] No, I would not.
But I should congratulate you, Agent Ford.
I guess y'all came here to find a brother to fit the bill,
and find one, you did.
There were reporters everywhere. Remember, they got the plumber's name.
But they didn't call him the "Atlanta Monster."
Somebody leaked it. For a reason.
It'll definitely make him sweat.
Fuck me.
[indistinct chatter]
[crowd chattering]
-How many times has he peeked out? -A few.
Countin' the cameras.
We're not gonna see much more of him until this dies down.
Station said we had a walk-in this morning, young guy.
The tip lines have been flooded. Suddenly everybody's seen Wayne,
they all got something to tell, long as they're in line for a reward.
But this guy may be worth our time.
Let's go talk to him.
[Williams] Morning.
Y'all ready?
Here's a copy of my résumé.
Everybody take one.
The rules are nobody shows my face. If y'all agree to that, come on in.
[reporters clamoring]
Our Renaissance man knows how to get in front of a story.
Let's, uh...
[reporter 1 on monitor] Did you kill those children, Wayne?
[Williams] No, I did not.
[reporter 2] Then why are you a suspect?
[Williams] I got stopped by the FBI at the James Jackson Parkway Bridge.
They asked me what I'd dropped in the river.
I said, "Nothing."
Ever since then, they've been following me.
-[reporter 1] For no reason? -[Williams] Oh, they got their reasons.
They're desperate to pin these murders on someone,
and they know damn well if they arrest a white man,
this city will burn.
[reporter 3] What do you want, Mr. Williams?
[Williams] To be left alone.
And an apology from those FBI agents who spent last night threatening me
and accusing me.
-I think he's referring to you. -Or you.
[reporter 4] Did you know any of the victims?
[Williams] No, sir.
Do you want to say anything to the families of the victims?
[Williams] Well, I work with children so I know
some of these kids are in places they don't have no business being in.
Got no supervision. They're just runnin' the streets.
And I'm saying, while you're doing that--
that's not giving anyone a license to kill--
but you open yourself up to all types of things. Bad things.
Mr. Williams, did the FBI ask you to take a polygraph test?
[Williams] Yes. And I did so voluntarily. It was considered inconclusive.
What suspected murderer risks holding a press conference
with no lawyer and no preparation?
Someone who's certain he'll never be caught.
Or someone who's really pissed of being wrongly accused.
[man speaks indistinctly]
Let's go talk to your pigeon.
[Williams] When I said I didn't, they called me a liar.
[Barney] You said you know Wayne Williams?
Yeah. Me and Wayne play ball together.
Sometimes we do music on the side.
If I tell y'all what I know, and y'all use it,
I get that reward, right?
Let's chat for a while, then see if I need to call the mayor.
Okay.
So, Mr. Marcus, what can you tell us?
Well, you see, Wayne ain't like you always see him.
-He's a Gemini. -His horoscope?
[Marcus] Yeah, you know, like, the twins.
Except with Wayne, you never know which one you're gonna get.
-And one is worse than the other? -[Marcus] Oh, yeah.
He can get angry sometimes. He doesn't look like it, but he can.
[Holden] What does Wayne get angry about?
[Marcus] A while back, some folks came around
looking for donations, you know, to help find those missing kids.
-Well, I was gonna put something in-- -Very generous.
Well, yeah, but Wayne told me don't waste the money.
He said those dead kids were nothing but a bunch of prostitutes
hanging around the streets all night long.
-He called the victims prostitutes? -He acted like it was a good thing.
Said that they were drop shots and giving us a bad name.
Said we work so hard, but we can't get nothing done.
What's a drop shot?
Anybody who ain't worth much of nothing.
You just shoot 'em, drop 'em, get 'em gone.
[Tench] Could go to motive.
Like he was cleaning up the streets.
Or it's more personal.
Wayne's parents have him late, give him everything to succeed.
He works hard at school, he's smart, runs his own radio station.
[Tench] The next Berry Gordy.
Who?
-Never mind. -But everything dries up.
Radio station gets closed down, he drops out of college.
Wayne never reaches his full potential.
Why?
He believes it's because he's seen
as just another black kid.
It's a box he can't get out of. So who does he take it out on?
Poor black kids.
He's trying to regain control.
Like Berkowitz, Kemper.
Men plagued by inadequacy and failure.
Williams isn't ashamed of his sexuality, he's ashamed of his failure to achieve.
That's why he talks himself up. That's why he exaggerates.
Maybe that's why he kills.
Plays to your narcissist angle.
But even if Mr. Civic Duty is telling the truth,
there's nothing material there.
It's not evidence, Holden. It's a theory.
And we know we're not getting an arrest warrant based on "psychology."
Now that Wayne's a sideshow, he can't even jaywalk
without being on the nightly news.
The likelihood of him snatching another victim is zero.
Disappointed?
I'm going to the hotel. Have a drink, call my wife. You coming?
-[Holden] Yeah. -[officers speaking indistinctly]
There are federal guidelines regarding our jur--
-[announcer] Maybe you can be one of us. -Go back.
-[announcer] The few, the proud-- -We simply had to get involved.
[interviewer] The bureau's been in Atlanta for several months now.
How has a federal presence affected the investigation?
Our agents augment the efforts of the task force in individual cases,
and we've made progress in our own investigations
into many of the crimes that we believe are linked.
With regards to arrests, the sum total during the investigation so far
has been zero.
And the press is consistently told there are no suspects.
Can you be specific on the progress you've made?
-[Webster] I believe it's significant. -What's he doing?
I am quietly confident that an arrest is imminent.
-Putting us on a deadline. -[interviewer] You have a suspect?
[Webster] I'm not going to give details at this time,
but we should have some information soon.
[reporter on TV] Twenty-three-year-old Wayne Williams,
-a talent agent and music promoter. -[line ringing]
While law enforcement has said only that there will be no arrest,
-Williams gave reporters a glimpse... -[TV mutes]
[line continues ringing]
[dial tone buzzes]
[line ringing]
[receiver clatters]
[indistinct chatter]
[helicopter blades whirring overhead]
Has he left the house today?
Not Wayne.
Homer came out and took photographs of the photographers.
-[Tench scoffs] -[Barney] You see Webster on NewsHour?
Think Slaton's changed his mind?
I think somebody's making it clear they want him to.
Any news from the lab?
Peterson's matched carpet fibers from his bedroom to 14 victims.
The dog hair to five.
Shame the DA doesn't care for all that scientific mumbo jumbo.
-[door opens] -[reporters clamoring]
-[reporter 1] Mr. Williams! -[reporter 2] Mr. Williams! Come on!
Give me a picture!
[reporters continue clamoring indistinctly]
[camera shutters clicking]
-[car door closes] -[car engine starts]
I've been here all night. You want this one?
Sure.
[suspenseful piano music playing]
[car engine starts]
Officer!
Do me a favor. If the father comes out, call it in to the station.
-[officer] You got it. -Thank you.
[Holden] He's loving this.
Police, press, choppers... Like a fucking presidential motorcade.
And he knows it's a colossal waste of time.
The hours we spend following him to convenience stores and dive bars
get us no closer to an arrest.
Could be a late lunch.
Maybe we'll get another shitty fish sandwich.
[helicopter blades whirring]
[eerie choral music playing]
-[car doors closing] -[car horn blaring]
[reporters clamoring]
Maynard Jackson! Mayor!
Come look at the mess you made!
Funny way to demand less attention.
Yeah, it is.
[car horn continues blaring]
[Williams] Mayor! You put out a bounty,
but don't care if you frame an innocent man?
Come look at what I have to live with!
[car horn continues blaring]
Where are you going, Mayor? To call the police?
They already here!
Why are you hiding?
Get back out here and look at what you have done!
[dispatcher on radio] Station to A-T-64. Package two is moving.
Traveling west in a black Mercury sedan.
-[radio clicks] -A-T-64 has eyes on him.
[airplane engine whirring overhead]
[indistinct chatter]
-[car door closes] -[car engine starts]
-Hmm. Mm-hmm. -[Barney] Excuse me.
-[taps on desk] -[Barney] Hi.
-Sorry. Uh... -[Barney] Hi.
The man who just left here, what did he want?
He was inquiring about charters to South America.
Did he purchase anything, a ticket?
No. But he did say he might be seeing me again soon.
Thank you.
We've seen unsubs exhibit hubris.
Writing letters, hanging out in cop bars.
But if one of them had openly become a suspect,
would they be taunting police?
This guy has no self-preservation instinct.
This is his one chance to get the attention he feels he deserves.
As soon as the story slows down,
he finds a way to get the cameras back on him.
There you are.
You missed it.
-Missed what? -Guess where Quincy Jones took us today?
-The mayor's house. -And not just a drive-by.
He parked the whole convoy on the road. Ringmaster of his own media circus.
-It was unbelievable. -[Barney] It makes perfect sense.
-That's what I was saying. -It's a diversion.
-A diversion? -For?
After he pulled out, Homer left the house. I followed him to the airport.
He made inquiries with a private charter about flights to South America.
You gotta call Slaton.
We may not be able to give him any more evidence,
but our main suspect just became a flight risk.
It wasn't just hubris.
It was strategic.
-["Hey Nineteen" playing] -[indistinct chatter]
♪ Way back when, in '67... ♪
If they won't take flight risk as probable cause,
we're gonna be sittin' out here till the next body drops.
[police sirens wailing]
[reporters clamoring]
What the fuck?
[camera shutters clicking rapidly]
-[reporter 1] They're bringing him out! -[reporter 2] What are the charges?
Did I miss something?
Looks like we all did.
[reporters clamoring]
[Holden] The DA told us we had insubstantial evidence. It's his drumbeat.
It seems he was persuaded to change his mind.
[Holden] How?
The Justice Department invited themselves to the governor's mansion last night.
-And the DA was guest of honor. -[Gunn] He was.
The fibers from the search came back a perfect match.
Justice was able to convince him that he could get a conviction with that.
Slaton agreed to charge him with two of the murders,
as long as his officers made the arrest.
-We don't care who hauls him in. -[Gunn] Exactly.
-Which two is he charged with? -The one near the bridge. Carter?
-Cater. -And number 27. Payne, I think.
Both adults? They aren't getting him for any of the children?
Look, he could be good for anywhere from two to ten of them.
They'll charge him with as many as they think will get convictions.
The important thing is we got him off the streets.
[Jackson] Earlier today, a man by the name of Wayne Bertram Williams
was arrested and charged with the murders of Nathaniel Cater and Jimmy Ray Payne.
This arrest comes after an extensive investigation led
by the FBI,
in conjunction with local and state authorities.
I now pray our city, which has been through so much, can rest,
and that today's events mark the start of a time for us to heal.
Left a stack of shit on your desk.
Still a lot to clean up.
Thanks.
Remember your kid in the mall,
the house next to Fulton County Stadium he talked about?
Yeah.
I asked a recruit to go through three years
of pedophile complaints and convictions, look for any red flags.
Found this guy.
Sixty-three-years-old, black.
We got complaints of young boys being given drugs and spending the night.
This fucking smells.
There's no connection between him and the house in Lakewood.
The old white guy.
This recruit was on the detail that boxed up the Polaroids from Lakewood.
He swears there were pictures of black children among them.
Evidence log said the photos were exclusively young white males.
He also said they hauled out thousands of Polaroids.
This puts the number between 300 and 400.
He says APD locked up the photos.
But when they got logged into evidence, there were no pictures of black children.
Would your recruit go on record with the district attorney?
He doesn't want his name to be used. He's just giving us something to run down.
We know two of our victims visited the Lakewood house.
And we have an unverified account of kids going to a "stadium house."
You've got the manpower now.
Start with those two houses, question the neighbors,
press the offenders. Something will shake loose.
Do it quietly, independently.
[quietly] We've been working with this task force for months.
Somebody from APD knew we should have been looking
at these guys all along.
-[suspenseful instrumental music playing] -[indistinct chatter]
[indistinct chatter]
-Smells good. -[Camille chuckles]
-You come to be congratulated? -[Holden] To say goodbye.
For now. But I want you to know I'll be back.
The FBI is still working these cases.
My son Yusef's been dead 20 months now, Agent Ford.
All my Yusef could've and should've been is gone.
And you're telling me that that is on account of Wayne Williams?
Yes.
[Camille] Then why hasn't he been arrested for it?
Why hasn't he been charged with killing of any of our babies?
More charges will be brought.
Is it because you aren't really sure it's him?
Mrs. Bell, I'm not saying Williams perpetrated all 29 murders.
But right now, we have enough to tie him to two.
And I'm confident, given time,
we'll be able to charge him with a significant number of them.
We still have agents from all over working every case diligently.
You do now. But what about tomorrow?
When everybody decides they've found their scapegoat and that is good enough.
What are we gonna be left with?
[Holden] We are not leaving.
And Williams will spend the rest of his life in--
Not for Yusef's death.
Or Jeffrey's.
Or Angel's. Or Earl's.
Wayne Williams didn't kill my boy. I know that in my bones.
You've gone and found yourselves a black man.
Wayne might just be Atlanta's 30th victim.
I can promise you that's not true.
Careful about making promises, Agent Ford.
That is known as a victory lap.
...families who have waited so long for justice.
It's supposed to be taken at the end of the race.
I'm sorry to interrupt.
Enjoy your meal, and I will see you soon.
[plane engines whirring]
[Gunn] Congratulations!
-[Tench] Have The Beatles landed? -[chuckles] We're the fucking Beatles.
[Tench] Wow! Beats Delta.
[Gunn] Webster's very pleased.
He's deemed the bureau's success as largely due to us.
It's nice, being recognized.
Well, you've earned it.
We closed the highest profile case in the country.
We're downgrading Atlanta to pending inactive status.
The director wants to show his appreciation.
Wait, inactive?
We'll keep a few agents here for trial support
and cataloging evidence.
What about the kids?
It's up to the DA which cases get tied to Williams.
The important thing is, from now on, we'll be first in.
Atlanta's changed everything.
We did our jobs.
We have no control over anything else.
Take a victory lap.
[haunting instrumental music plays]
[record player clicks]
["Guilt" playing]
♪ I feel guilt ♪
♪ Though I know I done no wrong I feel guilt ♪
♪ I feel guilt ♪
♪ Though I know I've done no wrong I feel guilt ♪
♪ I feel bad ♪
♪ So bad ♪
♪ Though I ain't done nothin' wrong I feel bad ♪
-♪ I feel bad ♪ -♪ Feel bad ♪
♪ So bad ♪
♪ Though I ain't done nothin' wrong I feel bad ♪
♪ I never lied to my lover ♪
♪ But if I did, I would admit it ♪
♪ If I could get away with murder ♪
♪ I'd take my gun, and I'd commit it ♪
♪ I never gave to the rich ♪
♪ I never stole from the poor... ♪
[newscaster on TV] President Reagan has told Congress
he will throw his full support
behind the bipartisan... [continues speaking indistinctly]
♪ Give me more, more, more More, more, more, more, more, more ♪
And the adoption of the amendment will curtail current costs and inflation.
The House will vote on the proposed amendment in the coming weeks.
In Atlanta today, the public safety commissioner
and the district attorney
held a press conference to announce developments
in the case of the city's missing and murdered children.
[Brown] In all investigations, you reach a point
when you've done all you can.
So for now, we're suspending all 29 investigations,
having arrested our prime suspect.
-[reporters clamoring] -[reporter 1] Commissioner!
[reporter 2] Will Wayne Williams be indicted for more than two murders?
[Brown] At this time, no.
[reporter 3] Does that mean you're telling the families
of the other victims
that the man who murdered their children might walk free?
No, we are not.
I would say to them that their children's cases
will be handed to local police departments.
I would also say that,
while we may not have all the required evidence to convict,
we do have enough to close.
[reporters clamoring]
♪ I feel guilt ♪
♪ Though I know I done no wrong I feel guilt ♪
♪ I feel guilt ♪
-[song fades] -[car engine revs]
[suspenseful instrumental music playing]
[serviceman exhales deeply]
[chokes, gasps]
["Intruder" playing]
♪ I know ♪
♪ Something about ♪
♪ Opening windows and doors ♪
♪ I know ♪
♪ How to move quietly ♪
♪ To creep across creaky wooden floors ♪
♪ I know ♪
♪ Where to find precious things ♪
♪ In all your cupboards and drawers ♪
♪ Slipping the clippers ♪
♪ Through the telephone wires! ♪
♪ Intruder come and leave his mark ♪
♪ Leave his mark ♪
[men chanting]
[bell dings]
♪ I like to feel the suspense ♪
♪ When I'm certain That you know I am there ♪
♪ I like ♪
♪ You lying awake ♪
♪ Your bated breath charging the air ♪
♪ I like ♪
♪ The touch and the smell ♪
♪ Of all the pretty dresses you wear ♪
♪ Intruder's happy in the dark! ♪
[men chanting]
[chime plays]