5 Black True Crime Stories

Wake IT UP

In the spirit of Black History Month…Let’s talk about some True Crime Stories that A lot Ignore.

Atlanta Murders
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Atlanta, Georgia was gripped by a string of brutal killings, later known as the Atlanta Child Murders. Over a span of two years, 29 African American children, adolescents, and young adults were found dead, many of them showing signs of sexual assault and strangulation. The case dominated national headlines and created an atmosphere of fear and distrust in the community. Wayne Williams, a local man, was arrested and convicted for two adult murders, but many believe he may have been responsible for more. However, some still question whether Williams was the true killer or a scapegoat in an unsolved mystery that haunts the city to this day. This case made waves in the media, and even as time has passed, it remains a chilling reminder of the terror that gripped a city.

Cleveland Strangler
Anthony Sowell, known as the Cleveland Strangler, terrorized the city of Cleveland, Ohio for years. Between 2007 and 2009, Sowell lured women into his home, where he strangled them and left their bodies hidden in various parts of his property. The remains of 11 women were discovered in 2009, but it wasn’t until the community started noticing his strange behavior and the disappearance of several women that the authorities finally acted. Sowell’s case shocked many, as he had lived in the neighborhood for years, and his crimes had gone unnoticed by many. This story is a chilling reminder of how close we can live to danger without ever realizing it.

Grim Sleeper
Lonnie David Franklin Jr., the Grim Sleeper, terrorized Los Angeles between 1985 and 2007, with a break in activity that led to the nickname. He was responsible for the murders of at least ten women, with some victims showing signs of sexual assault and others being left in abandoned locations around the city. His crimes went undetected for years, partially due to the lack of attention given to the victims—many of whom were women struggling with addiction or sex work. Franklin was finally arrested in 2010 after DNA evidence linked him to the killings, and he was later convicted of multiple murders. His case highlighted the failure of law enforcement to prioritize certain communities, leaving the victims vulnerable for decades.

Flint
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Flint, Michigan was gripped by a series of mysterious and unsolved disappearances. Local authorities and residents were desperate to uncover the truth behind the sudden vanishing of several women. The case would later become infamous as a possible serial killer's activity was suspected, though nothing concrete emerged at the time. As years passed, the cases slowly faded from public memory, and many believed that the killer—or killers—would never be caught. The dark cloud of uncertainty still hangs over Flint, as the victims remain largely forgotten in a case that may never see closure.

Tuskegee Experiment
This story isn’t one of a typical “true crime” case but is chilling all the same. From 1932 to 1972, the U.S. government conducted an unethical experiment on 600 African American men in Tuskegee, Alabama, studying the effects of untreated syphilis. The men were never informed about the nature of the study and were denied treatment, even after penicillin became the standard treatment for syphilis in the 1940s. The study continued for decades, and many of the men suffered and died as a result. The Tuskegee Experiment is a haunting reminder of the deep-rooted racial inequality in America and the shocking lengths to which the government would go in the name of “science.” It wasn’t until 1972, when the experiment was exposed by a whistleblower, that it came to an end, leaving behind a legacy of distrust in the medical community that persists to this day.

Love,

The Swan