Case 337

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*** Content Warning: child victims ***

[Part 2 of 4]

After claiming seven victims and terrorising Wichita for nearly three decades, the unidentified killer known as B.T.K. suddenly fell silent.

Then, in 2004, a letter bearing his unmistakable signature arrived at a local newspaper…

CREDITS

Casefile Presents

EPISODE

Research & writing – Milly Raso

Narration – Anonymous Host

MUSIC

‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com

Audio production – Mike Migas

Scoring – Mike Migas

Audio editing – Anthony Telfer

OTHER

Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska

PREMIUM

Although Casefile episodes are free for all listeners, those who want to support us financially can do so by becoming a member of Patreon, Apple Premium or Spotify Premium. Paid subscribers receive access to exclusive content including behind-the-scenes discussions with the Casefile team, interviews, early releases and ad-free episodes.

RESOURCES

BOOKS

Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Next Door – Roy Wenzl

Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, The BTK Killer – Katherine Ramsland

ARCHIVED ARTICLES

Four in Wichita family found brutally slain – The Wichita Eagle, Jan 16 1974

Victims’ children return home – The Wichita Beacon, Jan 16 1974

Doctors comb scene of slaying to give medical side of evidence – The Wichita Eagle, Jan 17 1974

Police baffled on motive in mass killing – The Wichita Eagle, Jan 17 1974

‘Otero proud, a comedian’ – The Wichita Beacon, Jan 17 1974

Venetian blind cord bound murder victims – The Wichita Beacon, Jan 17 1974

Police still blanked in probe of slayings – The Wichita Eagle, Jan 18 1974

Fingerprints yield a clue to slayings – The Wichita Eagle, Jan 19 1974

Reward offered in murders – The Wichita Eagle, Jan 20 1974

Hannon awaits break in case as Otero bodies flown home – The Wichita Eagle, Jan 22 1974

Otero survivors to move – The Wichita Beacon, Jan 22 1974

Talk of the town – The Wichita Beacon, Jan 22 1974

Otero car main clue to slayings – The Wichita Eagle, Jan 23 1974

Murder clues sparse – The Wichita Beacon, Jan 23 1974

Judicious Decision – The Wichita Beacon, Jan 24 1974

Neighbors jumpy after murders – The Wichita Beacon, Jan 25 1974

Obscene calls increase – The Wichita Beacon, Jan 29 1974

Rumors on Oteros dispelled – The Wichita Beacon, Feb 1 1974

Otero investigation leads Wichita police to Puerto Rico, Canal Zone – The Wichita Eagle, Feb 9 1974

Police find Otero leads – The Wichita Beacon, Feb 14 1974

Otero case reward put on deadline – The Wichita Eagle, Feb 23 1974

Girl, 20, fatally stabbed, brother shot by intruder – The Wichita Eagle, April 5 1974

Murder adds to theory – The Wichita Beacon, April 5 1974

No arrests in slaying – The Wichita Beacon, April 11 1974

Police release drawing of slay suspect – The Wichita Eagle, April 24 1974

‘Lucky’ – The Wichita Beacon, April 30 1974

Wichita police seek Otero slaying suspect – The Wichita Eagle, Oct 10 1974

Otero suspect examined at mental ward – The Wichita Beacon, Oct 18 1974

Talk of the town – The Wichita Beacon, Oct 31 1974

Letter may be from Otero killer – The Wichita Eagle, Dec 12 1974

Oteros found slain one year ago – The Wichita Beacon, Jan 15 1975

Police ask help in murder – The Wichita Beacon, March 18 1977

Ex-husband to be questioned in slaying – The Wichita Beacon, May 5 1977

Young woman found slain – The Wichita Beacon, Dec 9 1977

No suspect identified in slaying of woman in SE Wichita home – The Wichita Eagle, Dec 10 1977

Police seek caller in strangling – The Wichita Eagle, Dec 11 1977

Police beef up slayings probe – The Wichita Eagle, Dec 14 1977

City’s ‘BTK Strangler’ claims he’s killed 7 – The Wichita Eagle, Feb 11 1978

BTK Strangler has sense of grandiosity, psychiatrist says – The Wichita Eagle, Feb 11 1978

Separating the mail – The Wichita Eagle, Feb 12 1978

Mood in city – The Wichita Eagle, Feb 12 1978

Hundreds of phone tips pour in as police stalk ‘BTK Strangler’ – The Wichita Eagle, Feb 12 1978

No solid leads reported in BTK Strangler case – The Wichita Eagle, Feb 15 1978

Police say BTK is winning cat-and-mouse game – The Wichita Eagle, Feb 16 1978

Bright killing ‘most logical’ as BTK’s 7th – The Wichita Eagle, Feb 17 1978

‘I’m BTK,’ cranks say; police aren’t laughing – The Wichita Eagle, Feb 19 1978

Killer left many clues, police say – The Wichita Eagle, May 8 1985

After 13 years, BTK still baffles police – The Wichita Eagle, Oct 25 1987

Father, 2 girls are found dead – The Wichita Eagle, Jan 1 1988

Autopsies show cause of 3 deaths – The Wichita Eagle, Jan 2 1988

BTK case unsolved, 30 years later – The Wichita Eagle, Jan 17 2004

BTK resurfaces after 25 years – The Wichita Eagle, March 25 2004

BTK author: Parcel may be killer’s – The Wichita Eagle, July 20 2004

A friend recalls final chat – The Wichita Eagle, July 21 2004

BTK letter prompts security warnings – The Wichita Eagle, July 23 2004

BTK delivers self portrait – The Wichita Eagle, Dec 1 2004

Killer’s language raises doubts about his military background – The Wichita Eagle, Dec 1 2004

Final judgement – The Wichita Eagle, Aug 19 2005

ARTICLES

‘BTK’ made first contact through newspaper in ‘74 – The Wichita Eagle

Killer’s letter still haunting 30 years later – The Seattle Times

Startup paper was first to tell public of BTK – The Wichita Eagle

Survivor recalls serial killer’s attack – The Oklahoman

Teen’s death stuns town – Lawrence Journal-World

How legal tech helped catch the BTK Killer – Legaltech News

How vanity and a rogue Microsoft Word document led to the capture of evil ‘BTK’ serial killer – Nine News

BTK victims’ families speak out in hearing – CNN

Families of BTK serial killer’s victims remember their loved ones: ‘My life changed instantly’ – ABC News