WICHITA Police have uncovered new evidence in the decades-old BTK serial killer case and were questioning a person of interest, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.
Authorities scheduled a news conference Saturday to make an announcement in the case, and relatives of the killer's victims would be briefed beforehand, said Dale Fox, whose daughter was believed bound and strangled by the BTK killer in December 1977.
"I just hope it is him and it all gets settled and done for and squared away," Fox said. "We will find out."
[Some police sources have said that a 59-year-old man was arrested Friday and linked to the case by a DNA sample.]
The killer known as BTK -- which stands for "Bind, Torture, Kill" -- has been linked to eight unsolved killings in Wichita from 1974 through 1986. BTK resurfaced last March with letters to Wichita media and police.
Surveillance gave police their "first big piece" of recent evidence, leading authorities to a vehicle and the person of interest, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Investigators also searched a house in a Wichita suburb Friday, seizing computer equipment. Police, prosecutors and the FBI all declined to comment about the activity or any possible connection to the BTK case.
Wichita Mayor Carlos Mayans announced the news conference but would not elaborate.
I read a lot about this after BTK started contacting newspapers again, 25 years after he dissappeared. Its like out of a Stephen King novel the stuff that happened around this case. I hope it IS him, and I hope he answers all the questions. The why's of this case are endless but on the top of the list ........ why did he dissappear for 25 years ?
Never head of this before. Unfortunately I think the authorities keep serial killers and the like under wraps so they can gain more info on them - but this places the general population in danger.
I heard yesterday on the radio that we had a local child molester, who had an order to stay away from children, hanging around grade schools in Waukesha. No one knew anything about this dirt bag until he was seen stalking some kids on a playground.
These types are a great example of what vigilante justice is designed for.
tardfarmer - its a freaky story that kept me up at night, seriously. A serial killer that was brilliant, methodical, unpredictable and he taunted police to catch him. His crimes were brutal, thus his self given name (B) Bind (T) torture (K) kill. Literally I had trouble sleeping for nights. Best I remember one of the last times they heard from BTK he had been inside a womans house waiting all night for her to come home and she didn't. He sent one of her scarf's along with a note saying " "Be glad you weren't here," he wrote, "because I was." Is that not freaky or what ?
When I first read of this I researched it and several other serial killers. Herb Baumeister was another that will freak you out (he is dead now though)
just heard about him on the radio this morning. They made it seem like he's been killin steadily the whole time 34 or 39 years or something--you're right tfarmer--get a rope and look for a stout tree
"He's gone to pick out a tree to hang you from, son" ---Augustus Mcrae--Lonesome Dove
__________________
Looney tunes deductive reasoning:
--Me smell Mohican burning
--Me last Mohican
--Must be me!!!
--EEEOOOWWW!!!!!
A serial killer that was brilliant, methodical, unpredictable and he taunted police to catch him.
But that is the issue. Now that it is known he's out there, the turd will get caught by some normal guy "hunting" him down. More than likely this guy will end up moving to another area.
I have a very vivid imagination of the types of punishment that people like this should have inflicted upon them. I would have no moral qualms either.
tardfarmer - no, he's been in the Witchita area for decades. He killed for years, killed during the years they were looking for him - then dissappeared for 25 years then reappeared last year.
news is now that the DNA matches, 99% sure they got him.
Thing is ............ they'd never have caught him if he hadn't taunted police over the past year. He almost BEGGED them to catch him .......... I'm wondering why ?
He almost BEGGED them to catch him .......... I'm wondering why ?
From what I understand almost all serial killers have massive egos and it's their way of saying 'ha ha, look you're too stupid to catch me'.
Ultimately their egos are what gets them caught, they think they're so invincible that they start slipping up and walk right into the noose.
What I find baffling is the fact that they classify these turds as "brilliant" - there is no brilliance involved! The only reason that these sociopaths remain elusive is that their targets are random. If it was, for instance, all women that he has dated in the last 5 years or all the women in the neighborhood that he had a fight with, he'd be nailed in a heartbeat.
Anyone with 1/2 a brain cell and the twisted mind to do it could become a "brilliant" serial killer.
tardfarmer - some serial killers ARE brilliant and only by mistakes are they caught. Some are never caught. BTK is one of those. He escaped - for 30 years he killed and got away with it. He laid out a trail so evident that he KNEW they'd catch him. Brilliant ? I'd say so, yes. Why ? The police never caught him - he basically turned himself in.
I'll be glued to this over the coming weeks. I'm very curious to know his story. Why ? I don't know. That someone has that capacity is beyond me. I mean, at least Gacy had brain damage that could have triggered his demon inside, you know ? But others ............... who knows what makes them tick ?
BTK killer captured
