Atlanta's new serial killer exhibit looks beyond the crimes
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People viewing artifacts and panels on display at Serial Killer: The Exhibition. Photo: Courtesy of Serial Killer: The Exhibition
A new exhibit in Atlanta explores the psychology behind some of history's most horrific murders — and pays tribute to the victims.
The latest: Serial Killer: The Exhibition opened during the weekend at Pullman Yards in Atlanta — its first U.S. city — after captivating visitors in Berlin, London and Paris.
- The self-guided exhibit, which takes about two hours to complete, takes visitors through the history of serial killers and how they intertwined with pop culture, the forensics used to crack cases and capital punishment methods.
- At the end is a victims' wall where observers can learn more about the people whose lives were cut short by the serial killers featured in the exhibit.
By the numbers: More than 2,100 original artifacts are on display in the exhibit, which features 150 serial killers from 25 countries.
What they're saying: Bill Kimberlin, an author and clinical psychologist who has researched and interviewed death row inmates, said the exhibit is not about glorifying or sensationalizing the crimes.
- He told Axios that people who are coming for the shock value will be "surprised by what they learn."
- "I think they are going to come in in one frame of mind, but they are going to leave much more educated," said Kimberlin, who helped establish the exhibit.
Zoom in: Visitors will walk through dimly lit spaces where they can view Jeffrey Dahmer's glasses, a dental mold of Ted Bundy's teeth and a bone saw used by Bob Berdella.
Yes, but: Things get a bit creepy. One room documenting John Wayne Gacy's crimes includes a replica of his kitchen — with a body (not real, of course) nestled in the crawl space under his home.
- Another space informs you about Leonarda Cianciulli, the Italian serial killer who used a cauldron to make soap that included her victims' body parts.
- A mannequin-like replica of Ed Gein sits at a table with a sewing machine — a body part (fake, of course) is in front of him.
Between the lines: The exhibit does not include artifacts related to the Atlanta Child Murders case.
- There is a panel on display that mentions the crimes and Wayne Williams, who was convicted of two of the killings, but Kimberlin told Axios they left out artifacts because they did not want to upset victims' family members.
- Atlanta police in 2021 submitted DNA samples from some of the victims to a private laboratory for further analysis and those results remain outstanding.
The bottom line: John Borowski, a filmmaker and author who helped curate the exhibit, said he hopes it will also make true crime fans think beyond the people who made history for all the wrong reasons.
- "There's so much more to learn about the legalities of the cases," he said. "There are many aspects of these cases that I think everyone would find a little bit fascinating."