Local News
Janice Hutchison (AJC)
Atlanta Police are investigating the homicide of 49-year-old Janice Hutchison, killed in her Bedford Pine Apartment Wednesday morning, August 6, 2014.
According to the AJC, the body of Janice Hutchison was discovered inside her Bedford Pine apartment, on Boulevard, just after 9:00am Wednesday morning. Ms. Hutchison appears to have struggled with her attacker in what may have been a robbery. Authorities believe several electronics were taken from her home in the assault.
The victim’s daughter, Shuwona Hutchison, is now seeking answers and justice in the death of her mother. She is calling for anyone with information to “come forward and share any little detail to find this person who murdered my mom….I’m without a mom, my kids are without a grandparent and my aunts and uncles are without a sister. And we’re left without a friend.”
Our Legal Take
As Atlanta Police continue to investigate, The Murray Law Firm is questioning whether a fatal security lapse at the Bedford Pine Apartments may have contributed to the death of Janice Hutchison.
Was the attacker a resident of Bedford Pine Apartments and, if not, how did the assailant gain access to the property? Does the complex offer an access-controlled gate or ID card entry system? Was their a security guard or police patrol on duty at the time of the assault?
Have their been previous incidents of violence on or near property and, if so, what security measures were implemented following the previous crimes?
What security measures, such as deadbolts, peepholes and security bars, were available to Ms. Hutchison in her apartment home?
By Georgia law, apartment owners are required to protect residents from foreseeable harm. If an apartment owner has knowledge of previous crime on or near property, it is their duty to implement extraordinary security measures to protect residents and deter future acts of violence.
Should the owner and management of the Bedford Pine Apartments have failed in their duty to protect Janice Hutchison, her family may elect to hold them civilly liable in her wrongful death. While legal proceedings are of little consequence to a grieving family, a claim of this magnitude will, most importantly, demand all local apartment owners finally make resident safety their first priority.
Photographs and a thorough inspection of the property will need to be performed on behalf of the Hutchison family immediately before any evidence, such as faulty or missing locks or surveillance footage, may be replaced, damaged or destroyed. The Hutchison family should retain an experienced premises liability firm without delay to ensure all evidence is properly preserved and their best interests are protected.
The Murray Law Firm has extensive experience in protecting victims of apartment violence and property negligence and we offer our legal expertise, if needed. Anyone seeking further information is encouraged to contact us at 404.842.1600.
