Police sets up dedicated phone line for tips in 'Atlanta child murders' case

Earlier this week, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Atlanta police announced a new push to re-examine evidence in the "Atlanta child murders" case.

Now officials have set up one central number for anyone who has information about the cases.

Atlanta police told Channel 2 Action News they have already received numerous phone calls offering information, which led to the tipline. They are encouraging anyone with information to call 404-546-2603.

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Channel 2's Dave Huddleston was at the news conference where Bottoms and Atlanta police chief Erika Shields announced the case was being reopened.

"(We hope) to let them know that we have done all that we can do ... to make sure thier memories are not forgotten ... and in the truest sense of the word to let the world know that black lives do matter," Bottoms said.

The "Atlanta Child Murders" terrorized the city from 1979 to 1981 when at least 25 African-American children were killed in areas around Memorial Drive. Several other adults were killed around the same time. Thirty-one people were killed in total.

Atlanta native Wayne Williams was convicted in the deaths of two adults in 1981. A police recruit heard the splash of a body hitting the Chattahoochee River, which led to Williams' arrest. It was the last body recovered in the case.

Williams has been linked to the deaths of at least 22 of the children, but he has never been tried in their deaths. Williams has maintained he never murdered any children.

On Friday, his attorney told Channel 2's Kristen Holloway he doesn't think a new look at the evidence will link his client to more crimes.

Cox Media Group