Murder Kroger Explained

Murder Kroger is the nickname of a Kroger supermarket in Atlanta which 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 for decades.^{[1] [2]} 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.^[3] The land was bought in the 1980s for $900,000.^[4] The store opened on July 2, 1986.^{[5] [6]} From the 1990s,^[7] and until at least 2002,^[8] the store had drivers license renewal services. After two Publix supermarkets opened nearby, the store was refurbished around 2002.^[9]

In January 1990, a bomb-like device was found inside the store. It did not go off.^[10] In October 1999, a man robbed the Bank of America inside the store.^[11] 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.^{[12] [13]} 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.^{[14] [15] [16] [17]}

Murders and victims

• In 1991, a 25-year-old woman, Cynthia Prioleau,^[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 .^[18]
• 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.^[20]
• In 2012, a 20-year-old male junior at Georgia State University, Lee Lowery,^[21] was murdered just inside the Ford Factory Lofts, which shares a parking lot with Murder Kroger.^[22]
• On March 10, 2015, Joshua R. Richey,^[23] 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.^{[24] [25]}

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.^[26] The original Kroger building was demolished shortly after it was closed in October 2016.

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.^[27] A headline from 11 Alive called it a former nickname^[27] while a headline from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked "'Murder Kroger' no more?".^[28] Decaturish, meanwhile, stated that "locals have a name for [the store] that just won't die".^[29] 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.

External links

• Marketplace and WABE audio coverage (3 min 6 sec)
• 725 Ponce website

33.7717°N -84.3635°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Store Details . March 16, 2015 . Kroger.
2. News: Wheatley . Thomas . April 6, 2011 . Murder Kroger to get a makeover? Grocer says 'no' . Creative Loafing . https://web.archive.org/web/20110410142357/http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2011/04/06/murder-kroger-to-get-a-makeover-grocer-says-it-has-no-immediate-plans . April 10, 2011 . live . ...one of the city's quirky charms that Atlantans seem to both love and hate at the same time..
3. News: Walker . Tom . Ford Factory Square work starts this week . May 2, 2023 . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Newspapers.com . March 24, 1986.
4. News: Baum . Dan . A Better Idea for Old Ford Factory . May 2, 2023 . Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Newspapers.com . January 28, 1986 . 26-A.
5. News: Mantius . Peter . Citizens Trust plans branches at 2 Kroger stores . The grocery stores are scheduled to open at 699 Ponce De Leon Avenue on July 2 and at 2865 Stewart Avenue next January . May 2, 2023 . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Newspapers.com . May 12, 1986.
6. News: Hall, Beverly Y. . March 16, 1986 . Kroger on the move in Atlanta . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . 2M . Newspapers.com . January 24, 2022 . Kroger plans to open a 45,000-square-foot store at Ponce de Leon Place and Ponce de Leon Avenue this year, three blocks from that Big Star..
7. News: Bessonette . Colin . Q & A on the News - Kroger Stores Driver's License . May 2, 2023 . Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Newspapers.com . January 1, 1997.
8. News: 2002 Ultimate Guide: South Metro: Your Government . Atlanta-Journal Constitution. . July 25, 2002 . GD24 . Renewals and handicap parking permits: Kroger store, 725 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta 30308.
9. News: Degross . Renee . GROCERY GLADIATORS: Kroger, Publix raise the stakes - No. 1, No. 2 go all out as new rivals invade . Atlanta-Journal Constitution. . May 12, 2002 . Q1 . When Publix tore down an old A&P and built a new store on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta last year, it also decided to open a store less than two miles away at North Avenue and Piedmont Road. The move put Publix on both sides of an older Kroger on Ponce. Kroger responded by renovating that store..
10. News: Epstein . Gail . Agents investigating use of late Columbus lawyer's name in bomb letters (2/2) . May 2, 2023 . Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Newspapers.com . January 5, 1990.
11. "Law and Order." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. October 9, 1999. p. F6.
12. News: Attractive Eighties Women - Atlanta's Biggest Boobs . May 2, 2023 . Atlanta-Journal-Constitution . Newspapers.com . January 10, 2008.
13. News: Kroger on Ponce has notorious nickname . May 2, 2023 . Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Newspapers.com . July 5, 2016 . B6.
14. Web site: Collin . Kelley. 'BeltLine Kroger' to get ramp connection to Eastside Trail . August 13, 2014. Atlanta INtown Paper. March 9, 2018.
15. Web site: Josh . Green. Behold, the new Look of 'Beltline Kroger'!. Curbed Atlanta. August 13, 2014. March 9, 2018.
16. Web site: 'Beltline Kroger'? Atlanta grocery store could get new nickname . https://archive.today/20140816132306/http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/virginia-highland/2014/08/14/atlanta-beltline-kroger/14093207/. dead. August 16, 2014. August 15, 2014. 11 Alive (NBC Atlanta). March 9, 2018.
17. Web site: Kroger store tries to shake off 'murder' moniker. Marketplace. March 9, 2018. November 6, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151106171249/http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/kroger-store-tries-shake-murder-moniker. dead.
18. News: Murder at Atlanta Kroger highlights perception, reality of crime. WXIA 11Alive. March 11, 2015. March 9, 2018. March 13, 2015. https://archive.today/20150313054706/http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/old-fourth-ward/2015/03/10/atlanta-kroger-shooting/24710551/. dead.
19. "CityLights." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. August 24, 2000. JD; 1.
20. News: Man found dead in store parking lot . May 2, 2023 . Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Newspapers.com . F8 . August 4, 2002.
21. Web site: Lee Lowery remembered for bright smile, big heart. Isabelle. Taft. The Southerner Online . December 13, 2012. March 9, 2018.
22. Web site: Turner . Kimberly. How 'Murder Kroger' got Its nickname and why it won't change. Curbed Atlanta . April 11, 2017 . March 9, 2018.
23. News: Officials ID construction worker killed confronting man in Kroger lot . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . March 10, 2015.
24. Web site: Blau . Max. Man killed outside Kroger on Ponce (Update) . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402090906/http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2015/03/10/man-killed-outside-kroger-on-ponce . March 10, 2015. April 2, 2015. live . Creative Loafing.
25. News: Police investigate shooting at Northeast Atlanta Kroger . March 10, 2015 . March 10, 2015 . Atlanta, GA . WSB-TV.
26. Web site: Sirb. Julia. 'Murder Kroger' To Morph Into Mixed-Use Project 725 Ponce (Renderings) . January 15, 2016. What Now Atlanta . March 9, 2018.
27. News: Braverman . Jason . October 14, 2019. Formerly known as 'Murder' Kroger, brand new '725 Ponce' Kroger set to open this week . WXIA-TV . Company officials are highlighting the many new features of the store, hoping to leave the old nickname in the rear view mirror. . https://conifer.rhizome.org/Biosthmors/murder-kroger/20191016130013/https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/725-ponce-kroger-murder-kroger-beltline-atlanta/85-3ffe37fc-2850-43e4-ac5c-598539a5d790 . October 16, 2019 . October 16, 2019 .
28. News: 'Murder Kroger' no more? New site opens near Atlanta Beltline. October 15, 2019. Habersham. Raisa. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. en. 2019-10-16.
29. News: With second reboot, Kroger on Beltline looks to shed 'murder' from store's moniker. Whisenhunt. Dan. October 15, 2019. Decaturish. 2019-10-17.