The History of Murder Kroger

It's one of Atlanta's more iconic landmarks, though any visitors might scratch their heads when they hear the name. "Murder Kroger," as it has come to be known, is a Kroger supermarket located on Ponce de Leon Avenue, right next to Atlanta's highly walkable Beltline trail. 

The original building has been demolished and replaced with a fresher, newer Kroger in 2019 in hopes of shedding the sordid reputation, but the epithet persists among locals.

Origin of the Name

So why was the nickname bestowed in the first place? Over the decades, the grocery store became the site of several notable instances of violence. It began in 1991, when a gunman harassed and then fatally shot victim Cynthia Prioleau. The shooter was never caught. 

Nine years later, a dead body was discovered inside one of the cars in the Kroger's parking lot. And then in 2012, twenty year old Lee Lowery was killed outside Ford Factory Lofts, a nearby apartment complex. It shared a parking lot with the Kroger. The most recent murder occurred in 2015, when Joshua R. Richey was shot in the Kroger parking lot. 

This series of violent happenings led locals to coin the nickname "Murder Kroger," which has proven difficult for the supermarket chain to distance itself from. 

Legacy

Understandably, the location and its reputation is a source of mixed feelings for Atlantans. It has largely been adopted as an iconic piece of Atlanta history and embraced with the same macabre fascination that has made true crime such a prolific genre in recent years.

Before the original building was demolished, locals organized a candlelight vigil, during which many ironic Murder Kroger tee-shirts were on display. 

To some, the replacing of the original store represents a shift toward gentrification and is emblematic of corporate efforts to strip Atlanta's grit and character in favor of rising costs of living. 

To others, the morbid celebration of Murder Kroger's legacy demonstrates a lack of respect and reverence for the real lives lost and families affected by the murders.

In either case, the name lives on; while Kroger was hopeful about rebranding the new building as the "Beltline Kroger," it comes as no surprise that the moniker "Murder Kroger" has persisted. Love it or hate it, it's hard not to perk your ears up when you hear the name.