Richard Louis Hunter

Serial Killer

Richard Louis Hunter: The 1986 Atlanta Murders

Background

Richard Louis Hunter, whose middle name has sometimes been reported as Lewis, is an American serial killer and convicted forger born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1955. In March and April 1986, Hunter targeted four older Black women living alone in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods west of downtown Atlanta. The closely spaced murders frightened elderly residents and led police to establish a task force devoted to determining whether one offender was responsible. Hunter was a day laborer with a prior criminal record for forgery. He lived near the neighborhoods in which the women were killed and was familiar with the surrounding streets and housing developments. His victims were attacked inside their homes, where they should have been safest. Their residences were searched and valuable belongings were taken, suggesting that robbery was one motive. Investigators also determined that the victims had been sexually assaulted or subjected to circumstances indicating a sexual element to the crimes.

Victims

• Annie Rochelle Copeland Age 85. Killed or found dead on March 1, 1986, in her apartment in southwest Atlanta, Georgia, near the Clark University area. A minister who lived nearby discovered her after becoming concerned when she did not answer her door. Copeland was found on her bed, covered with bedding, with a pillow over her face. Her apartment had been ransacked, and investigators believed the killer entered by cutting a living-room window screen and removing or manipulating the windowpane. Property was taken from the residence.
• Aretha Clements Age 60 or 61 in contemporary reports. Found dead on March 6, 1986, in her apartment in northwest Atlanta, Georgia. Her son, Felton Clements, discovered her when he came to check on her. She had been manually strangled, and her body had been wrapped in a bedspread. The apartment was in disorder: drawers had been emptied, plants were overturned, and personal property was scattered. A color television and her pocketbook were reported missing.
• Dena Mae Mike Age 62. Records indicate that she died on March 10, 1986, and she was found on March 11, 1986, in her apartment in northwest Atlanta, Georgia. Mike was blind, lived alone and had not been seen for approximately two days. Her body was covered by several objects, including clothing, a pillow, a garment bag and a duffel bag. Investigators believed the killer entered through a kitchen window. The condition of the apartment and the disappearance of property resembled the earlier crimes.
• Grace Hill Reported as being between 65 and 68 years old. Found dead on April 9, 1986, in her residence at the Herndon Homes housing complex in northwest Atlanta, Georgia. Friends discovered her partially unclothed on the living-room floor. She had been suffocated or strangled and was believed to have been sexually assaulted. Investigators concluded that the killer probably entered through an unlocked rear door. A newspaper had been placed over part of her body, and a doll had been positioned nearby in a manner that police considered significant.

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Confirmed Victims: (4)

Annie Rochelle Copeland Age: (85), Date of Death: 1986-03-01

Richard Louis Hunter - Wikipedia