A former Emporian and a KBI special agent will speak Monday in Emporia about their experiences in Wichita’s BTK serial-killer case.
The presentation is a fund-raising event for Lyon County Crime Stoppers, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The speakers are Special Agent Ray Lundin and public defender Steve Osburn, a former Emporia police officer who was Dennis Rader’s court-appointed attorney. Rader pleaded guilty last year to 10 counts of murder.
Tickets for the Crime Stoppers event are $5 at the door. Those wanting advance tickets may call 343-2232 or 366-2127. The event will be at 7 p.m. at Flint Hills Technical College. Seating is limited.
Rader’s murders went unsolved for 31 years. When he was finally caught, the “Bind, Torture, Kill” strangler turned out to be a former church council president, Boy Scout leader and suburban dog catcher.
“What we’re trying to get at here is for the public to be aware of their surroundings, of what’s going on around them,” Evora Wheeler of Crime Stoppers said. “There were several clues through the years with the BTK killer that people missed when he was in his various identities.”
“It’s a very important program and something the general public needs to be aware of,” Wheeler added. “It can happen anywhere.”
Lyon County Crime Stoppers is a non-profit group that takes anonymous tips from anyone who has information about a crime. Cash rewards of up to $1,000 are paid on calls that help solve a crime. Those with information can call 342-2273.
Wheeler urged anyone who even thinks they might know something to call.
“We’d much rather have a ton of calls with lots of information that isn’t relevant than to let things go,” she said.