Jennifer Lynn Stone

Jennifer grew up in Roswell, Georgia. She was a talented photographer and a passion for life like no one else. Her headstone reads "To know Jenny is to love Jenny".

Jennifer was a at her home on North Hull Street, just a few minutes away from UGA campus, she had been living in her apartment for about eight months, alone. Her friends left around midnight on April 23rd, 1992, after working on a project for class. Her boyfriend called around 1 am to check in on her, she then decided to take a break from the project, leaving her door unlocked so she could return without hassle, a short time later she returned home to a terrifying situation. 

An unknown man had broken into her quiet little home, assuming through the unlocked door.  when the man seen her, a struggle began in the kitchen. Jennifer tried to get out and way from this man. However, he overpowered her into her bedroom. She was sexually assaulted then strangled to death. The man then left out the front door around 3am taking a Cannon and Nikon camera with him, He walked down west Hancock Avenue, stopping at a pool hall, where known drug dealers liked to hang out. He sold one of the cameras to then drug dealers there, for some crack. then crossed West Broad Street to trade off the other camera, for drugs, at least that's what the Athens police believe. The Killer then ended up at the Parkview Homes housing complex.  3 months later both cameras were found during a drug raid on Jefferson Rd. Film on the cameras showed Jennifers niece and nephew acting out a peanut butter commercial. 

Later in the day on April 23rd, Classmates of Jennifers noticed she missed the 10 am meeting not thinking too much into it, they went on with their day, that is until the 6pm meeting when Jennifer still was not there, and no one had heard from her, when they arrived at Jennifers home around 7pm they noticed the sliding doors, were slightly open, when they went inside to see where Jennifer was, they seen her lifeless body lying on her bed. They immediately left and called Police. Lt. W.J. Smith was the lead detective on the case. 

The police collected DNA evidence from the scene, this included hair on the bed, and fingerprints. The autopsy proved sexual assault and strangulation.  They were able to collect semen from her body. 

Witnesses interviewed by the police included the drug dealers at the pool hall and Parkview homes, all of which stated they did not know this man and described him as around Five foot ten inches, a light skinned man with a slight mustache most likely in his 30s. No sketch was ever made. 

DNA testing only told police that it was male DNA and of the same man. No match was ever made. 

Police believe he was a transient who left the area on the Greyhound bus that was close by after killing Jennifer and getting his drugs. 

Each month, each year, the police resubmit the DNA hoping for a match. Some Police officers believe that the killer is long dead, more than likely from a drug overdose. 32 years later, they may just be right. 

The Athens-Banner Herald sued the PD for filed on the case under the open records law, however they lost this suit, so information that police have and have not released to the public will stay a secret, at least until the killer is caught or matched to the DNA.