The 'BTK' Case: Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer
Dec. 2, 2004 — -- Some believe Wichita's mysterious "BTK" serial killer has taunted investigators since he resurfaced almost nine months ago after a 25-year absence. But will his taunts lead to his arrest?
In an appeal for help, Wichita, Kan., police on Tuesday released some of the information provided in recent letters sent by the person they believe is the BTK serial killer.
BTK -- the self-coined nickname that stands for "Bind, Torture, Kill" -- has been linked to eight unsolved homicides in Wichita between 1974 and 1986. He had remained silent for 25 years until last March, when 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 stayed in the spotlight since then, sending various letters to police and the media. The letters have been authenticated by the FBI.
In a statement read at a news conference, Lt. Ken Landwehr said the BTK killer claimed he was born in 1939, making him either 64 or 65 years old. BTK said he had served in the military in the 1960s and has had a lifelong fascination with trains. Though his family moved frequently when he was a child, BTK said he always lived near railroad tracks.
Some experts believe the information BTK provided is a challenge to police to catch him. Investigators believe BTK may still live in Wichita and hope the information he has provided -- and his arrogance -- will lead to his capture.
"One thing about serial killers is that they will always tend to make mistakes," said Tod Burke, professor of criminal justice at Radford University and a former police officer. "Whether it's a situation where they get a parking ticket and the arresting police officer makes the discovery when he apprehends him or whether they run a traffic light, they will make a mistake. The BTK Killer's been taunting police. And with serial killers, greed almost always takes over. They give one too many clues."
Why the Trail of Alleged Clues?
BTK also revealed that his father died in World War II. Police said he wrote about a cousin named Susan who moved to Missouri, and of a female acquaintance named Petra who had a younger sister named Tina. Police said BTK has shown a basic knowledge of photography and that he claimed his first job was as an electro-mechanic.
Besides communicating with the Eagle, BTK sent a letter last spring to ABC News affiliate KAKE-TV. The letter contained photocopies of I.D. cards of a former employee of the Wichita public school district and a Southwestern Bell employee who retired 20 years ago and a couple of word puzzles that spell out "wrong address" backward and "ruse."
KAKE-TV also said the letter has a page titled "The BTK Story" that lists what appears to be chapter titles. The final chapter title, according to KAKE-TV, reads "Will there be more?"
Some experts believe BTK's communications may be part of a cat-and-mouse game he has been playing with investigators for 30 years. However, former Wichita police chief Richard Lamunyon, who was involved in the BTK investigation in the 1970s, told KAKE-TV that BTK either wants to set the record straight or be caught. However, they are racing against fears that BTK will claim another victim.
"I think he'll kill again if he's not caught first," Steve Egger, professor of criminology at the University of Houston.
Still, analysts say, BTK, like other serial killers, is driven in part by power fueled by the fear he inspires in a community and by investigators' inability to capture him. Police may have had two goals in releasing BTK's communications Tuesday: to jar the memory of anyone with information and to draw more correspondence with BTK.
"In general, serial killers are very media-conscious and he's [BTK] reading the newspapers and watching the [news] broadcasts," said Burke. "If police give inaccurate information, he may say, 'Hey, that isn't right. You got it wrong' and slip up, give that clue too many."
Police Hope for Big Break
Police also believe BTK has written, or still writes, poetry.
In the 1970s, he released poems he called "Oh Anna, Why Didn't You Appear" and "Oh! Death to Nancy" in letters to the media. "Oh! Death to Nancy" referred to Nancy Fox, one of BTK's alleged victims, and police believe the poem has similarities to the lyrics of the folk song "Oh Death."
Based on BTK's writings, investigators also suspect he was familiar with P.J. Wyatt, a former Wichita State University professor who died in 1991 and discussed "Oh Death" in her American folklore class in the 1970s.
It is unclear why BTK has resurfaced now after so many years of silence. Burke said BTK has likely continued killing and may be linked to other unsolved slayings during the 25-year period they did not hear from him.
"Serial killers just don't stop and then start again," Burke said. "Usually if you don't hear from a serial killer, that means he has either died, or he has moved or something has happened to him -- like imprisonment for another crime -- that would prevent him from killing. It would be interesting if police find other unsolved similar killings in other regions."
Since BTK's return, Wichita police have received thousands of tips but they say they need more help. Authorities have asked people with information or those who know anyone with a background similar to that of the man described at Tuesday's news conference to call 1-866-765-8285, send an e-mail to coldcase@wichita.gov, or write to Cold Case, P.O. Box 9202, Wichita, KS 67277-0202. People can also call Crimestoppers at (316) 267-2111.