Possible Suspect Questioned in BTK Serial Killer Case

Feb. 25, 2005 — -- Police are questioning a possible suspect in the BTK serial killer case that has terrorized Wichita, Kan., for decades, ABC News has learned.

The person, who was taken into custody at about noon today, has not been charged in the case.

BTK -- the nickname, which the killer coined, stands for Bind, Torture, Kill -- has been linked to eight unsolved homicides that occurred in Wichita between 1974 and 1986.

The killer remained silent for 25 years until last March, when authorities believe he sent The Wichita Eagle a letter that detailed an unsolved 1986 slaying and contained the victim's driver's license and photos of her body. BTK has since sent various letters to police and the media that have been authenticated by the FBI.

ABC News has learned that along with this significant development in the BTK serial killer case, a search is under way of a home in Park City, north of Wichita, that also may be linked to the killer.

Although investigators had no confirmation yet that the person being questioned is in fact the killer, police do say they are questioning "a person of interest" and that person is clearly being treated as suspect. Additional law enforcement sources say this person is one who is a very strong suspect.

However, investigators are expected to proceed carefully in their investigation. They have been flooded with false leads over the years and want to make sure that no mistakes are made as they try to bring a decades-old manhunt to a conclusion.

ABC News' Pierre Thomas and Jason Ryan at the Justice Department contributed to this report.