On April 15, 1981, 22-year-old Louise Ann Dal Santo was found dead in her Clarkston, Georgia, apartment at the Woodcreek complex. Her brother, Dario Dal Santo, discovered her lying face down in the bathtub; she had been sexually assaulted, strangled by hand, and left submerged in scalding water.

Investigators noted strong similarities between Louise’s killing and two other Atlanta-area cases that spring: 22-year-old Giselle Yvonne Clardy in May and 22-year-old Patricia Berry in June, both sexually assaulted, strangled, and left in bathtubs. Several surviving women later reported attacks or attempts by a man using ruses to gain entry, including posing as a maintenance worker and as a floral delivery person; their statements contributed to a composite sketch.

On July 14, 1981, 32-year-old James Samuel Walraven of Decatur was arrested and identified by witnesses and surviving victims. He allegedly made incriminating statements during interrogation and reportedly confessed to a jailmate. Walraven was tried in November 1981, initially sentenced to death, then retried and resentenced to life in 1983 after his conviction was overturned on admissibility issues; no physical evidence directly tied him to the murders. Does anyone have memories or information about Louise, her neighborhood, or the attacks that could help clarify what happened?