KS KS - DENNIS LYNN RADER, BTK Serial Killer

After 25 years of silence, police have apparently heard again from the BTK Strangler, a serial killer who terrorized the city during the 1970s.

A letter sent last week to The Wichita Eagle contained information on a 1986 killing and included photos that appeared to be of the victim's body. Police are examining the letter for DNA and other evidence.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...e=10&u=/ap/20040325/ap_on_re_us/btk_strangler
 
I lived in Wichita about 3 years ago. I had no idea that a serial killer lived there until reading about the BTK case at The Crime Library.

I sure hope they can finally catch him. I really have to wonder, if he isn't in jail, has he REALLY stopped killing?

d
 
Doyle said:
After 25 years of silence, police have apparently heard again from the BTK Strangler, a serial killer who terrorized the city during the 1970s.

A letter sent last week to The Wichita Eagle contained information on a 1986 killing and included photos that appeared to be of the victim's body. Police are examining the letter for DNA and other evidence.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...e=10&u=/ap/20040325/ap_on_re_us/btk_strangler


Hi Doyle, I had started a thread prior to this under "serial killer sends letter 25 years later"

Just wanted to let you know as I know how MODS don't like dual posts.
 
This is definitely an odd one. I've read that police theorize that maybe he's been in jail all this time and only recently got out. This just doesn't seem plausible to me for one reason -- with his letter to the newspaper, he also sent along a photocopy of the victim's drivers license and photos of her deceased body. Where would one keep such items for 25 years without someone else finding them or looking? If he has these things from this victim, then he must have the same sort of things from the others also. I dunno. It also is creepy that he sent this along about a victim they didn't even know had been a victim of this killer, sorta like he wanted to be sure he got credit for that one, too. Classic serial perp it seems.
 
I DUNNO LVSAMYSTRY, my dad is such a clutter king, he's finding things from my grade 1, 2 & 3 school years lately. That's over 25 years. If he hid items in his parents house, it is possible. OR if he dug a deep hole in a very remote place? Who knows. The question is, why is he choosing now to start writing again and did he stop killing all this time.
 
I saw an A & E special on this BTK murdere with Bill Curtis (love him) a year or so ago.

The one with the children home was especially bad, they had stayed home from school sick that day.

The brother arrived home from school in the afternoon to find his parents both murdered and ran out of the house for help. When the police searched the also found his 9 year old brother dead on the floor of his room and his 11 year old sister hung from a pipe in the basement.

There was semen on the victims and through the house, they found the public telephone lines had been cut.

What a whack job this guy is and he gets off on sending letters to the media. They are going to get him this time!!!

I wonder how old he will be ~ was he in his 20's in the 70's? or in is 30 or 40's? This case is fascinating but they need to find him quick in case he decides to get some more jollies.
 
If anyone knows if there are any books or movies about about this BTK serial killer, please post it here. TIA.

I was too young in the 70's and have never heard of this case before either. Very interesting.

Been reading that police say they hadn't heard from him since like 1979 (?) or something, but if he just sent pictures of a victim murdered in 1986, then we know he wasn't in prison at that time. Maybe he served two sentences, for different things. The first one from 1980 - 1985 (guessing), he gets out on parole and then kills again in 1986. There may be more that we don't know of yet, but perhaps he does something stupid (besides the murder, obviously) and lands himself in jail again, this time for a longer time - and now he's back out again. Anything's possible, I guess.
 
Hi ya Misty :)

We have a thread going on this in "crimes in the news"... but I think Cold Cases is a better forum for it.

Here is the link http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6149

Maybe Doyle can combine the threads...

I wonder if BTK has been in prison all these years?... I hope they crack this case soon.
 
Misty said:
Oh darn, sorry, didn't see there was already a thread for this.
It was not titled so anyone could find it! Anyway, cold cases is a better spot for it.... after 25 years.. it its not cold ~ I don't know what is!
 
what if he had a safety deposit box or had someone hide the stuff for him and while he was in jail if he ever was called someone on the phone do they have the payphones tapt? he could have told them to send it out he could have wrote the letter and dated it on the exact day he wanted to send it out years later or he could have been in hiding so that they would forget which they dont and then come back out of hiding and strike again?
 
If you make phone calls from jail you do not have "reasonable expectation of privacy" That means the phones may be tapped.
 
They did a recent America's Most Wanted on the BTK killer who has recently re-emerged by sending a letter detailing his past crimes and using info only the killer would know. The people of Wichita must be scared to death. I hope LE is following up on all people who have been recently paroled.
 

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