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Murder Kroger

Murder Kroger is the nickname of a Kroger supermarket in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It has been the scene of two fatal shootings and the discovery of a corpse. It is located at 725 Ponce de Leon Avenue in Poncey–Highland and has been known as "Murder Kroger" for decades.[1] In 1991, a 25-year-old woman named Cynthia Prioleau was shot and killed. In 2002, the malodorous corpse of a man was found inside a car. In 2015, an Alabama man, Joshua R. Richey, was shot and killed. The 2015 murder occurred after the store had been renovated and promoted by the company as "Beltline Kroger".

Even though the original store was demolished in 2016 and an entirely new store within a larger mixed-use development called 725 Ponce opened in 2019, "Murder Kroger" continued to be described as a nickname "that just won't die".

History

Prior to its construction, the store was originally occupied by land owned by Ford Factory Square.[2] The land was bought in the 1980s for $900,000.[3] The store opened on July 2, 1986.[4][5] From the 1990s,[6] and until at least 2002,[7] the store had drivers license renewal services. After two Publix supermarkets opened nearby, the store was refurbished around 2002.[8]

In January 1990, a bomb-like device was found inside the store. It did not go off.[9] In October 1999, a man robbed the Bank of America inside the store.[10] A song titled "Murder Kroger" by the group Attractive Eighties Women, which incorporates a mention of the nearby Clermont Lounge into the lyrics, is dedicated to shoppers who frequent the store.[11][12] Renovations were scheduled for completion in November 2014 at the market, including a bike/pedestrian ramp to the Atlanta BeltLine's Eastside Trail, a bike repair station, new curbs and sidewalks (including paved sidewalk access to Ponce de Leon Avenue), new trees and landscaping, a "water quality pond" in the parking lot to filter runoff, new LED parking lot lighting and repaving the front and back parking lots.[13][14][15][16]

Murders and victims

In 1991, a 25-year-old woman, Cynthia Prioleau,[17][18] was fatally shot in the parking lot.[19] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution attributed the nickname "Scary Kroger" to the store because of the event.[19] The murder was unsolved as of 2019.[20]

In August 2002, a strong odor raised the suspicions of a woman who reported her findings to police: a dead man was in a car in the parking lot.[21] In 2012, a 20-year-old male junior at Georgia State University, Lee Lowery,[22] was murdered just inside the Ford Factory Lofts, an apartment building which shares a parking lot with Murder Kroger.[23] On March 10, 2015, Joshua R. Richey,[24] a father of four from Alabama who was working on a construction project, was fatally shot in the chest in the parking lot beside the Kroger building.[25][26]

Demolition and new store

On January 15, 2016, Kroger announced that the location would be demolished to make way for 725 Ponce, a mixed-use development incorporating office space, a new Kroger store, and expanded parking.[27] The original Kroger building was demolished shortly after it was closed on October 28, 2016.[28]

Kroger opened a new store on October 16, 2019, at the same location, as part of the 725 Ponce development. Despite hopes from Kroger officials that the nickname "Murder Kroger" will not be applied to the new store, the name has already been adopted to refer to the new structure as well.[29] A headline from 11 Alive called it a former nickname[29] while a headline from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked "'Murder Kroger' no more?".[30] Decaturish, meanwhile, stated that "locals have a name for [the store] that just won't die".[31] Attempts to re-brand the location as "Beltline Kroger" proved unsuccessful, with the nickname instead being ascribed to another Kroger located several miles away, also on the Beltline.

See also

External links

References

  1. Thomas Wheatley. Murder Kroger to get a makeover? Grocer says 'no' Creative Loafing, April 6, 2011^
  2. Tom Walker. Ford Factory Square work starts this week The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 24, 1986, retrieved May 2, 2023^
  3. Dan Baum. A Better Idea for Old Ford Factory Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 28, 1986, retrieved May 2, 2023^
  4. Peter Mantius. Citizens Trust plans branches at 2 Kroger stores The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 12, 1986, retrieved May 2, 2023^
  5. Hall, Beverly Y. Kroger on the move in Atlanta The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 16, 1986, retrieved January 24, 2022^
  6. Colin Bessonette. Q & A on the News - Kroger Stores Driver's License Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 1, 1997, retrieved May 2, 2023^
  7. 2002 Ultimate Guide: South Metro: Your Government Atlanta-Journal Constitution, July 25, 2002^
  8. Renee Degross. Grocery Gladiators: Kroger, Publix raise the stakes - No. 1, No. 2 go all out as new rivals invade Atlanta-Journal Constitution, May 12, 2002^
  9. Gail Epstein. Agents investigating use of late Columbus lawyer's name in bomb letters (2/2) Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 5, 1990, retrieved May 2, 2023^
  10. Suspect sought for Kroger bank heist The Atlanta Journal, October 9, 1999, retrieved August 14, 2025^
  11. Attractive Eighties Women - Atlanta's Biggest Boobs Atlanta-Journal-Constitution, January 10, 2008, retrieved May 2, 2023^
  12. Kroger on Ponce has notorious nickname Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 5, 2016, retrieved May 2, 2023^
  13. Collin Kelley. 'BeltLine Kroger' to get ramp connection to Eastside Trail Atlanta INtown Paper, August 13, 2014, retrieved March 9, 2018^
  14. Josh Green. Behold, the new Look of 'Beltline Kroger'! Curbed Atlanta, August 13, 2014, retrieved March 9, 2018^
  15. 'Beltline Kroger'? Atlanta grocery store could get new nickname 11 Alive (NBC Atlanta), August 15, 2014, retrieved March 9, 2018^
  16. Kroger store tries to shake off 'murder' moniker Marketplace, retrieved March 9, 2018^
  17. Bill Montgomery. Slain woman loved Atlanta's warmth, people The Atlanta Journal, April 3, 1991, retrieved August 14, 2025^
  18. Murder at Atlanta Kroger highlights perception, reality of crime WXIA 11Alive, March 11, 2015, retrieved March 9, 2018^
  19. Renovations changing 'Scary Kroger' image The Atlanta Journal, August 24, 2000, retrieved August 14, 2025^
  20. https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/19/us/murder-kroger-atlanta-beltline-trnd^
  21. Man found dead in store parking lot Atlanta-Journal Constitution, August 4, 2002, retrieved May 2, 2023^
  22. Isabelle Taft. Lee Lowery remembered for bright smile, big heart The Southerner Online, December 13, 2012, retrieved March 9, 2018^
  23. Kimberly Turner. How 'Murder Kroger' got Its nickname and why it won't change Curbed Atlanta, April 11, 2017, retrieved March 9, 2018^
  24. Officials ID construction worker killed confronting man in Kroger lot The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 10, 2015, retrieved August 14, 2025^
  25. Max Blau. Man killed outside Kroger on Ponce (Update) Creative Loafing, March 10, 2015^
  26. Father shot, killed outside NE Atlanta Kroger WSB-TV, March 10, 2015, retrieved March 10, 2015^
  27. Julia Sirb. 'Murder Kroger' To Morph Into Mixed-Use Project 725 Ponce (Renderings) What Now Atlanta, January 15, 2016, retrieved March 9, 2018^
  28. Becca J.G. Godwin. End of an era: 'Murder Kroger' to close for good this week The Atlanta Constitution, October 24, 2016, retrieved August 14, 2025^
  29. Jason Braverman. Formerly known as 'Murder' Kroger, brand new '725 Ponce' Kroger set to open this week WXIA-TV, October 14, 2019, retrieved October 16, 2019^
  30. Raisa Habersham. 'Murder Kroger' no more? New site opens near Atlanta Beltline The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 15, 2019, retrieved August 14, 2025^
  31. Dan Whisenhunt. With second reboot, Kroger on Beltline looks to shed 'murder' from store's moniker Decaturish, October 15, 2019, retrieved 2019-10-17^