It took more than 30 years. At least three police chiefs. Thousands of leads gone cold. And at least 10 dead victims.
But they caught the bastard. Wichita's serial killer is behind bars, say police.
Whatever you might think about the WPD—whether they're completely inept or simply bafflingly unlucky—the citizens of southcentral Kansas and the loved ones of those killed can rest a little easier tonight knowing a child-killing terrorist's reign has ended.
For the latest, most accurate, and most in-depth coverage, go to www.kansas.com. In particular, keep an eye open for bylines from Les Anderson. He is a former Wichita Eagle and Wichita Sun copy editor as well as former editor and publisher of The Ark Valley News, a weekly newspaper that covers the news of Park City—BTK suspect Dennis Rader's hometown. The Wichita Eagle called him in to help with the coverage. Les also was my college journalism professor, employer, mentor, and friend.
When I worked at The News, I actually covered Park City City Council. Drove within a quarter-mile of Rader's home frequently. Stopped at the QuikTrip around the corner from his street on more occasions than I'd like to think about. When I lived in an apartment on Douglas Avenue in Wichita in the early '90s, I was right in the geographic middle of BTK's stalking grounds from the '70s. I graduated from Wichita State University 16 years after Rader. Looking back on it all, I'm glad I didn't know all this back then, or I might have been paralyzed with fear. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.
Creeps me out that he lived among us all for 31 years, stalking and threatening and killing. Even more creepy, I predict that he's responsible for more murders than the 10 we expect him to be charged with officially early in the week. May his victims both alive and passed on find some peace. And I can't help but mention that Rader inflicted unimaginable pain on a whole new group of victims—the family and friends who loved him, trusted him, and apparently never suspected a thing. They have to come to terms with the fact that their son, husband, father, city officer, scout leader, church president...is Wichita's monster.
But they caught the bastard. Wichita's serial killer is behind bars, say police.
Whatever you might think about the WPD—whether they're completely inept or simply bafflingly unlucky—the citizens of southcentral Kansas and the loved ones of those killed can rest a little easier tonight knowing a child-killing terrorist's reign has ended.
For the latest, most accurate, and most in-depth coverage, go to www.kansas.com. In particular, keep an eye open for bylines from Les Anderson. He is a former Wichita Eagle and Wichita Sun copy editor as well as former editor and publisher of The Ark Valley News, a weekly newspaper that covers the news of Park City—BTK suspect Dennis Rader's hometown. The Wichita Eagle called him in to help with the coverage. Les also was my college journalism professor, employer, mentor, and friend.
When I worked at The News, I actually covered Park City City Council. Drove within a quarter-mile of Rader's home frequently. Stopped at the QuikTrip around the corner from his street on more occasions than I'd like to think about. When I lived in an apartment on Douglas Avenue in Wichita in the early '90s, I was right in the geographic middle of BTK's stalking grounds from the '70s. I graduated from Wichita State University 16 years after Rader. Looking back on it all, I'm glad I didn't know all this back then, or I might have been paralyzed with fear. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.
Creeps me out that he lived among us all for 31 years, stalking and threatening and killing. Even more creepy, I predict that he's responsible for more murders than the 10 we expect him to be charged with officially early in the week. May his victims both alive and passed on find some peace. And I can't help but mention that Rader inflicted unimaginable pain on a whole new group of victims—the family and friends who loved him, trusted him, and apparently never suspected a thing. They have to come to terms with the fact that their son, husband, father, city officer, scout leader, church president...is Wichita's monster.
Comments
But I think that they're finding out today that the daughter, in fact, did NOT turn him in. His own stupidity tripped him up. BTK sent someone a CD that had been written over, and the supposedly erased info included info on Dennis Rader. Oopsie.
Indeed, I'm glad he's behind bars. And that you're safer. However...don't go leaving your doors unlocked and your guard down. It's still a scummy world out there.