KS FEB-26-2005 Suspect in BTK Killings Arrested in Kansas

[AmyStrange]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050226/ap_on_re_us/btk_killings_12



What is the point of my post, you may ask, since it so clearly seems not to be political, and thus not really DU material in any way, shape, or form?

What is the point of ANY post, but to inform and/ or create discussion. Missing persons and the wrongly accuused deserve as much democratic consideration and justice as any other person.

Personally, I think they deserve it more so, because their voices (unless they are a young white college kid or white clean-cut mostly female rich person - for example, Smart, Sjodin, Levy, Peterson, Hacking etc.) are rarely heard from or written about or acknowledged in any way shape or form.

Do you know how many persons went missing in California at about the same time as Laci Peterson? Two that I know of specifically. One was hispanic (and also pregnant and also found murdered not too long AFTER Laci) and another was a prostitute, but guess which was talked about incessantly by the media?

And finally, missing persons and serial killers and miscarriages of justice are an example of why the budgets of LE (both here in the U.S and abroad) should be raised (and NOT just for homeland security) which is A VERY POLITICAL subject - in my opinion,

d

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. This story has received way too much attention

Sorry, Wichita folks, but there are serial killers all over the country and a few right here in KC who have more victims. I guess I don't understand the national attention this has received. It was the top story on the CBS News tonight!!

I don't mean to belittle this tragedy or to make the deaths of BTK's victims seem minor, but I just don't get why it's such a big deal. Maybe you can enlighten me.

[AmyStrange]

2. Maybe because...

it's the classic movie serial killer archetype. Very rarely does a serial killer play with the police and taunt them like BTK did by sending letters to the newspapers.

I agree that more media attention should be focused on the proliferation of serial killers around the world that have or have not been caught rather than focus on a select handful. There are more around than any LE agency is willing to admit exist,

d

EDIT: added a little more to the second paragraph

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Good point

I did hear on the news tonight that the Wichita police said they probably wouldn't have caught this guy if he hadn't taunted them.

[beyurslf]

4. It received so much attention because he fed on it. He mailed things

to news outlets and played with the police. The city was in virual terror 20 years ago when he was killing. My mom was afriad to go anywhere at night alone. I am really too young to remember most of it, but I do remember my dad changing jobs so he didn't work second shift anymore.

And when he resurfaced, those same fears came back. It isn't that he killed the most people--it is how he did it.... and how he eluded police... and how he played with the emotions of the whole city for 3 decades.

[AmyStrange]

5. UPDATE: KS FEB-27-2005 Source: BTK Suspect Confesses to Killings

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=2&u=/ap/20050228/ap_on_re_us/btk_killings

[AmyStrange]

6. UPDATE: KS MAR-01-2005 Prosecutors charge serial killings suspect with...

KS MAR-01-2005 Prosecutors charge serial killings suspect with 10 counts of first degree murder:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/11024667.htm

[AmyStrange]

7. UPDATE: KS MAR-06-2005 Defendant's darker side emerging in serial kill...

KS MAR-06-2005 Defendant's darker side emerging in serial killer case

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/03/06/defendants_darker_side_emerging_in_serial_killer_case/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+National+News