Dena Mae Mike, 62, was found dead in her northwest Atlanta apartment on March 11, 1986, after not being seen for two days. Blind and living alone, she was located concealed under a pile of items; the apartment showed signs of a violent struggle, forced entry through a kitchen window, and theft of several belongings. Reports say she had been sexually assaulted and either strangled or smothered, matching the pattern of two earlier victims found on March 1 and March 6 — all elderly African American women living alone whose homes had been ransacked.

An arrest in the case came on April 20, 1986, when 31-year-old Richard Louis Hunter was detained for a probation violation after an anonymous tip. Investigators reportedly linked him to the slayings through fingerprints and possession of items stolen from the victims’ apartments. Hunter was charged with multiple counts of murder, rape, and burglary and later pleaded guilty, receiving eight life sentences plus 80 years for the burglaries, with a minimum of 30 years before parole eligibility.

Did anyone in Atlanta at the time encounter Dena Mae Mike, know her routines, or have information about activity near her apartment in early March 1986?