Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children

Watch Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children

  • TV-14
  • 2020
  • 1 Season
  • 7.1  (1,207)

Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children is a documentary series from HBO that premiered on April 5, 2020. The show details the story of a tragic period in Atlanta's history when a rash of child kidnappings and murders gripped the city from 1979 to 1981. This gripping and harrowing series chronicles the investigations into these heinous crimes and examines not only the cases themselves but also the pervasive racism and biases that led to a flawed investigation and a painful period for the city.

The six-part series is a deeply emotional and powerful look at the events of those years, featuring extensive interviews with family members, survivors, local law enforcement officials, and elected officials. The series is narrated by voice actor Jeremy Bulloch, and it features appearances by Mary Welcome and Tony Axam, among others. The team of documentary filmmakers behind this series includes Sam Pollard, Maro Chermayeff, Jeff Dupre, and Joshua Bennett.

The show employs a broad range of storytelling techniques to get at the story behind these crimes, taking an unflinching look at the racial tensions and challenges facing African Americans during this period in Georgia's history. The series explores the lives of the victims themselves and shines a light on the ways in which communities were affected by these tragedies. It also sheds light on the efforts of those investigating the crimes at the time and how their actions were constrained by bureaucracy, public perception, and institutional biases.

Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children is a challenging, complex, and deeply personal examination of a historic tragedy, and it demands attention from all who watch. This is not easy viewing, and it's sure to stir emotions and spark conversations about the events that shaped this city's past. Ultimately, though, the series is a powerful tribute to the victims and their families, and a testament to the resilience of Atlanta's communities in the face of unimaginable loss.

HBO's decision to create this documentary series was a brave one, and they succeeded in creating a unique and thought-provoking piece that fans of true crime and documentary series will enjoy. The show was well received by fans and critics alike and was considered by many as one of the best shows to air in 2020. The series was rated 8.1/10 on IMDb, with fans praising its candid approach and in-depth storytelling.

In summary, Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children is a compelling, heartbreaking, and deeply emotional documentary series that brings to light the tragedy and injustice that took place in Atlanta in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The series is a must-watch for fans of true crime or anyone interested in learning about the darker side of Atlanta's history. It is an honest and sensitive portrayal of one of the darkest periods in Georgia's history and serves as a reminder that racism, prejudice, and discrimination still exist in our society and need to be actively fought against.

Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children is a series that ran for 1 seasons (5 episodes) between April 5, 2020 and on HBO

Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children
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Seasons
Part 5
5. Part 5
May 3, 2020
In the mid-1980s, Wayne Williams' appeals attorney Lynn Whatley anonymously receives shocking new evidence connecting members of the Klan to the murders. An undercover informant and several investigators take the stand as a judge evaluates Williams' plea for a retrial. Forty years after the murders began, the victims' family members gather to grieve, discuss Williams' guilt or innocence, and assert their unwavering commitment to finding out what really happened to their children.
Part 4
4. Part 4
April 26, 2020
In a move that stuns Wayne Williams' defense attorney, Mary Welcome, prosecutors introduce pattern evidence mid-trial that they assert links him to ten of the child murders. Drawing predominantly on hair and carpet fibers found on the victims that allegedly match items in Williams' car and home, the jury delivers a swift guilty verdict in February 1982. Just days later, the Atlanta police department shuts down the task force investigating the 30 murders, and attributes most of the cases to Wayne Williams. A year later, as the dissent of an unconvinced community grows louder, the Georgia Supreme Court makes the controversial decision to deny Williams' plea for a retrial.
Part 3
3. Part 3
April 19, 2020
With the city's reputation on the line, and the murder count rising, law enforcement faces immense pressure to make an arrest. On May 22, 1981, an FBI stakeout of the city's bridges leads investigators to 23-year-old Wayne Williams, who becomes the main suspect in the killings and is promptly arrested in connection to the murders of two men in their 20s. As Williams' trial gets underway in January 1982, victims' family members, the press and the public descend on the courthouse to witness the trial of a case that has grabbed headlines across the country.
Part 2
2. Part 2
April 12, 2020
By 1980, as distrust in the police and city officials deepens, citizens organize to protect their neighborhoods and take matters into their own hands. When a volunteer search party finds a slain child in an area local police canvassed a day earlier and more and more children continue to disappear, the FBI is called to step in. But even the Feds seem to make little headway, and conspiracy theories of who might be behind the murders take root, from the Klan to a cult to pedophilia. We learn more about Wayne Williams, a local talent scout, who might have been recruiting some of the victims.
Part 1
1. Part 1
April 5, 2020
'Part 1.' Series premiere. Beginning in 1979, a series of horrific, unsolved child murders terrorize black families across Atlanta.
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Where to Watch Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children
Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children is available for streaming on the HBO website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children on demand at Max, Amazon Prime, Amazon, Hulu, HBO NOW and Apple TV.
  • Premiere Date
    April 5, 2020
  • IMDB Rating
    7.1  (1,207)