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Man acquitted of College Park killings

By Bill Rankin
March 12, 2012

A Fulton County jury recently found Anthony Wilder not guilty on all counts in the killings of two College Park women in 2009.

Wilder, indicted for murder, armed robbery and burglary, faced a life-without-parole sentence if he had been convicted, his lawyer, Kenneth Sheppard of Smyrna, said. Wilder and three others were charged with the killings of Lanaetria Butler and Karida Winkler inside their apartment on Godby Road. Fulton prosecutors have yet to try the other co-defendants, including Christopher Varner, who faces a death penalty trial.

About the Author

Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.

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