Atlanta

‘She is my rock, my soul:’ Mother of woman murdered in Piedmont Park speaks out

ATLANTA — Katie Janness’ mother has had to mourn the heartbreaking loss of her daughter from Michigan, but is now speaking out for the first time.

Her mother, identified only as Bobbi, released a heartbreaking letter to Channel 2′s Michael Seiden Tuesday night.

Bobbi says in the letter that she is “consumed with an indescribable anguish and constant physical pain.”

She spends a large portion of the letter thanking the Atlanta community for the outpouring of love and support for her daughter.

She also said Janness was in the midst of planning a trip up north when she was killed. In fact, Bobbi was shopping for daughter’s upcoming trip when she received the harrowing phone call that her daughter had been brutally killed.

“Because of COVID, we haven’t been together since Christmas 2019, " her mother wrote. This was the first occasion I’ve been looking forward to in so long. Her sister Ronnie and I have missed her company, and now instead of hugging her hard and laughing at her wit, we are in complete agony.”

Janness was out walking her dog near Piedmont Park last week. When she didn’t return home from the walk, he wife, Emma Clark, pinged her phone and found both Janness and their dog Bowie dead.

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Bobbi finishes her letter by saying she plans to travel to Atlanta soon for an as of yet unplanned memorial for her daughter.

A Gofundme page set up to benefit the family has already surpassed $67,000. If you’d like to donate to Janness’ family, click here.

You can read her full letter below.