5 years after Katie Janness' brutal murder in Piedmont Park, her killing remains unsolved

Five years after the gruesome stabbing death of a woman who was walking her dog in Atlanta's Piedmont Park, the killing remains a mystery.

Katherine Janness, 40, was found just inside an entrance to Piedmont Park around 1 a.m. on July 28, 2021. She had been stabbed multiple times, and her dog, Bowie, was found nearby, also stabbed to death.

Janness' girlfriend, Emma Clark, used her iPhone's location to search for her after she never came back from walking Bowie. She found Janness' body on Piedmont Avenue.

"She's dead. She's here at Piedmont Park. Please help," a distraught Clark is heard saying on the 911 recording.

Investigators have shared a photo taken from surveillance cameras of Janness and Bowie walking on the rainbow crosswalk in Midtown. That photo was taken at 12:09 a.m.

Janness, known to her friends as Katie, was a bartender at a nearby restaurant, friends and relatives said. Officials have described her as a devoted daughter, sister, wife, and a friend of many.

In the years after her death, police have shared very little about the investigation, saying in 2025 that they were "focused on DNA evidence." No suspect has been identified or arrested in the case.

In a statement provided to CBS Atlanta, a spokesperson for the Atlanta Police Department did not reveal any new details about the investigation, other than to say it "remains highly active and ongoing."

Authorities are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for any information that leads to an arrest and indictment in the case.

Officials are asking anyone with information to please contact the Atlanta Police Homicide Unit or Crime Stoppers at (404) 577-8477.

Changes made to Piedmont Park after stabbing

A criminal justice professor and former police captain said law enforcement had to make considerable changes to security at Piedmont Park following Janness' death.

"From that point on, Piedmont Park police have kind of been watching it for like, you know, things that have been bubbling up there. So, it's kind of been, like, on the list of police ever since then. Right. We recognized that a lot of cameras weren't working, those things. They were to get those things done," said Dr. Thaddeus Johnson.

Johnson said Piedmont Park is one of Atlanta's most popular attractions. He said APD increased its presence at park events after the murder.

"The main thing is keeping that up. Right? That's not doing the show of force because citizens are smart. They're like, 'All right, this is a puppet show. Just because they want to make us feel safe, they're going to do something else.' Make sure that you have a real game plan. But it starts with a show of force like that," Johnson said.

He said communication is key.

"I think that's why it's so important to talk and be frank to the public about what's going on," Johnson said.