Shirley Locks [4]

Summary

Monster: BTK – Episode: Shirley Locks [4] Summary

1. Introduction to the Episode

In this gripping installment of the "Monster: BTK" series, hosted by Susan Peters, listeners delve deep into the harrowing true story of Dennis Raider, infamously known as BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill), the serial killer who terrorized Wichita, Kansas, between 1974 and 1991. This episode focuses on one of his most tragic and unintended victims, Shirley Vianne Relford, and explores the profound impact of her murder on her family and the community.

2. The Murder of Shirley Vianne Relford

The episode begins with Steve Relford recounting the night his mother, Shirley Vianne, was brutally murdered by BTK. On March 17, 1977, St. Patrick's Day, Dennis Raider targeted the Relford family home under the guise of a private detective.

Steve Relford [03:13]: "He forced his way through, turned off the TV. I kept telling my mom, said, 'Shell, what the hell's going on here?'"

Raider methodically tied up Shirley and her children, subjecting them to unimaginable terror. Despite their pleas and attempts to escape, Raider ultimately strangled Shirley until she succumbed to her injuries.

3. BTK's Modus Operandi

BTK's approach was chillingly systematic. He meticulously stalked his victims, often selecting households with vulnerable individuals. His preferred method involved gaining entry under false pretenses, binding his victims, and inflicting prolonged suffering before ending their lives.

Steve Relford [13:51]: "The room became more chaotic when suddenly the phone rang. It startled Raider, and the kids started to scream and bang on the door."

BTK's psychological manipulation was a hallmark of his crimes, aiming to control and dominate his victims completely.

4. Impact on the Relford Family

Shirley Vianne's murder left Steve and his siblings in profound trauma. The episode poignantly captures Steve's struggle with grief and his subsequent descent into rebellious behavior.

Steve Relford [17:52]: "After that, we went to foster home and my grandparents, they had to sell a bunch of stuff. But they came got us from Oklahoma. And that's when my fucking troubles really started."

Despite facing immense hardships, Steve's journey toward healing highlights the enduring resilience of the human spirit.

5. Subsequent BTK Murders and Police Response

Shirley Vianne was not BTK's last victim. Shortly after her murder, Nancy Fox became another target, further cementing BTK's reign of terror in Wichita. The police, led by former Chief Richard Lamunion, began recognizing patterns that linked these heinous acts to a serial killer.

Chief Richard Lamunion [16:47]: "Law enforcement was hesitant to officially connect the crimes initially, fearing public panic and giving BTK additional motivation."

It wasn't until consistent patterns emerged that the police began to consider the possibility of a serial killer operating within the community.

6. BTK's Communication with Media and Public

BTK reveled in the attention his crimes garnered. He sent taunting letters and even poetry to local media outlets, such as KAKE Channel 10, further intimidating the community and law enforcement.

Dennis Raider (BTK) [32:31]: "Shirley locks. Shirley locks. Will thou be mine... Seven down and many more to go."

These communications were not only a means of asserting control but also a twisted attempt to engage with the public and the police, showcasing his desire for recognition.

7. The Involvement of the Media in the Investigation

The Wichita media played a pivotal role in the investigation, cooperating closely with law enforcement to track BTK's activities. Television stations like CAKE TV became conduits for public alerts and subliminal messages aimed at prompting BTK to communicate.

Steve Relford [41:07]: "As a journalist, it's a tricky balance when working with the police. On one hand, we have to be purely objective... On the other hand, when police need your help to track down a killer, you feel a certain responsibility to help them."

This collaboration between media and police underscored the community's united front against BTK, striving to prevent further atrocities.

8. Personal Reflections and Future Implications

The episode concludes with reflections from Dennis Raider's daughter, Carrie Raider, who grapples with her father's dark legacy. Her account provides a nuanced perspective on living with the knowledge of her father's actions and the lasting scars it has left on her family.

Carrie Raider [47:25]: "With my father, I have to put dad in BTK. I'm living my life as a mom and writer... My dad's my dad. He could be mean and mad, but most of the time, 95% of the time, he was like my best friend."

The episode emphasizes the far-reaching consequences of BTK's crimes, not only on his victims but also on their families and the broader community.

Conclusion

"Monster: BTK – Shirley Locks [4]" masterfully intertwines personal testimony with investigative detail, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of BTK's heinous acts and their profound impact. Through firsthand accounts and expert analysis, the episode sheds light on the complexities of tracking a serial killer and the enduring quest for justice and healing in the aftermath of unimaginable loss.

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For more episodes of "Monster: BTK," subscribe to iHeartPodcasts and Tenderfoot TV on your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

[Nancy Grace]

Beautiful young women full of life and dreams, murdered or vanished without a trace. Their families left with nothing but heartbreak, questions and memories. I'm Nancy Grace. This week on Crime Stories, we uncover the truth behind these unsolved cases. We work to bring justice and answers to grieving families. Please don't miss Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey listeners, I'm Lauren Brie Pacheco, host of the Murder on Songbird Road podcast and I'm excited to share this riveting story with you. I'm also excited to tell you that you can now get access to all episodes of Murder on Songbird Road 100% ad free and one week early through the iHeart True Crime plus subscription available exclusively on Apple Podcasts plus you'll get access to other chart topping true crime shows you love, like Betrayal, the Girlfriends, Paper Ghosts, Murder Homes, Unrestorable, the Godmother and more. So don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts, search for I Heart True Crime plus and subscribe today.

[Jake Brennan]

Do you know about Jerry Lee Lewis wanting to murder Elvis? Or the hip hop star who cannibalized his roommate? What about the murders ACDC was blamed for? Or the suspicious deaths of Brittany Murphy in River Phoenix? Or about Anthony Bourdain's wild lust for life and untimely demise? These stories and more are told in the award winning Disgraceland podcast hosted by me, Jake Brennan every Tuesday where I dive deep into subjects from the dark side of music, history and entertainment. So follow and listen to Disgraceland on the Free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Susan Peters]

You're listening to Monster BTK, a production of iHeart podcasts and Tenderfoot TV. Listener discretion is advised.

[Steve Relford]

What happened first you were home from school about what time in the morning was it?

About 10 o'clock, I guess. Momma's sick.

This is Steve Relford who says one day when he was just a little boy, his mom sent him to the store because she was sick.

She's been dealing five get her a can of soup. You know. On the way back down on the sidewalk stopped me, shows me a photograph.

Dennis Raider showed you a photograph?

Yes ma'am. Asked me did I know who it was? I said no, said, are you sure? Look at it again. Took it, looked at it again. Get back to him. No. About 15 minutes later, come knocking on our door. Me and my brother raced to the door. I opened it.

When Steve answered the door, Dennis Raider was standing there.

Are you parents home? My mom, she's sick in bed. And proceeded to come on in.

He forced his way through, turned off tv.

I kept telling my mom, said, shell, what the hell's going on here? He reaches under his arm, grab the gun. Tells us kids to sit on the couch. He puts some toys in blankets. Made my mom put some toys in blankets in the bathroom. He ties one door shut, puts us in there, shoves us better against the other doors.

Steve and his siblings were trapped in the bathroom, helpless.

There was a crack in the door where I could look out. I could hear my mom pleading When I looked out. She beat my fucking. Her mom's hands. She broke every fucking bone in her hand and shit. Plastic bag over her head, roped out around her neck. Hog tied with tape. My brother, he broke fucking windows out in the bathroom, hollering for help. I think I scared him off. I broke through the fucking bathroom door, Ran over my mom was. Tried to untie the rope.

[Susan Peters]

I couldn't.

[Steve Relford]

Steve ran outside and tried to find help. He went to the neighbor's house.

I go outside, go to my neighbor's. Had a big, big window, plain glass door. Pounded on it, broke it. I come to the door, called 911, call police. My mom said. I tried to give him a calm down. I ain't got time to calm down.

The neighbor called the police and went next door.

He went down and checked, seeing what I was talking about. I'm dead.

Their mom, Shirley, was dead.

[Jake Brennan]

Someone killed four members of a family.

[Carrie Raider]

Hedge vanished from her home suddenly last weekend. Her phone lines had been cut, her door left open.

[Richard Lamunion]

You see the victims laying there with plastic bags over their heads, strangled. You could tell it was a planned scenario.

[Carrie Raider]

While police have said no more about the contents of the letter, it does.

[Steve Relford]

Contain some sort of threat.

[Jake Brennan]

An imp.

[Carrie Raider]

The killer may strike again.

[Jake Brennan]

He's gonna play with these victims. He'd get them to the point of death and then bring them back. And then brings him back to the point of death.

[Steve Relford]

For my heart podcasts and Tenderfoot tv. I'm Susan Peters, and this is Monster btk. The murder of Shirley Viann Relford was one of the most unusual and tragic murders committed by btk. And that's because she wasn't even the intended target. Vianne was never supposed to interact with BTK that terrible day in 1977. It was just another unfortunate consequence of Dennis Raider's lunacy and poor planning. Vianne was a young mother, just 24 years old, who was spending her days raising her three children, Bud, Stephanie and Steve.

I remember when we get in trouble in the corner.

This is Steve Relford, son of Shirley Vian. You heard him tell the harrowing story of witnessing his mother's murder. At the top of the episode, he said his mom was strict, but that all of her children adored her.

I'm a gospel singer. Church need anything? Take a shirt off her bag and give it to you.

When I talked to you years ago, you told me about a song your mama used to sing to you before you went to bed.

Sad and cheeks alone. That and pills gone.

Yep. Didn't she sing a song to you about tears on the pillow? Or do you remember that song?

Yeah, I probably sing it to you, but I'm not going to.

Go ahead so we can hear the words. Well, you want to just tell us some of the words?

Yeah, sure.

What'd she sing to you?

10 pedal cow, big long cattle. I'm still not happy. I don't remember all the words.

It was a country song.

Yeah.

What'd she cook for dinner? What'd you guys like? Do you remember any of that?

I'll tell you my favorite spaghetti. My mom cooks badass spaghetti. She'd always put barbecue sauce in it. That's. How are you.

While Shirley was raising her children, Dennis Raider was planning his next murder. It was 1977, and he hadn't killed since Katherine Bright in 1974. According to the book Confession of a serial Killer, he picked March of that year for his next murder because it relates to threes.

[Susan Peters]

It was the third month. It was also spring break at WSU and work vacation.

[Steve Relford]

On March 17, 1977, St. Patrick's Day, coincidentally, Raider left his house. Here's an excerpt from the book. Bind. Torture, Kill. The inside story of BTK.

[Nancy Grace]

His primary target this day lived at 1207 South Greenswood. If that target didn't work out, he had a backup just a block to the east at 1243 South Hydraulic. There was an alley behind that address, A place to hide. And if those targets didn't work out, he had another backup. And yet another. He stalked multiple women, switching surveillance from one to another for weeks, taking notes, pondering escape routes. His, not theirs.

[Steve Relford]

Raider's main target at this address was a woman named Cheryl Gilmore. He called her project Blackout because he had spied on her for weeks prior, drinking heavily at nearby bars. Raider also discovered that Cheryl lived with two other women. If Cheryl wasn't home, surely one of them would be there. Instead, here are Raider's own words, quoted in the book. Confession of a serial killer on that.

[Susan Peters]

Particular day, I drove to Dylan's and parked in the parking lot and watched this particular residence. And then I got out of the car and walked over to the door. I knocked, but nobody answered.

[Steve Relford]

No one was home. Raider got frustrated.

[Susan Peters]

I was all keyed up over not getting into that house on P.J. green. So I drove and then parked and started going through the neighborhood. I had on my James Bond jacket, a tweed jacket, and nice shoes. I had enough projects. I'd been watching that if one didn't work out, I could just go to another. But while I was walking away from the intended house and down Hydraulic, I saw a young boy coming back from Dillon's. I figured he had a mother in the house.

[Steve Relford]

That young boy was Steve Relford. His mother, Shirley, was sick with the flu. She had sent him on an errand to pick up some soup from the store. Dylan's Raider approached Steve on his way back home.

[Susan Peters]

I had a picture in my wallet of my wife and baby. So I used it to pretend I was looking for them. I asked if he had seen them. I knew he wouldn't know them. He told me he didn't. But I watched where he went next.

[Steve Relford]

Rader waited about 15 minutes before approaching the door. Finally, he knocked.

[Susan Peters]

This boy opened the door with his brother. I told them I was a private detective and showed them the picture. I carried a blue briefcase large enough for my hit kit. Cord, tape, plastic bags, a gun, but not too large to be noticed when I carried it on the street, like I was a salesman or businessman.

[Steve Relford]

Steve was just a little boy, 6 years old. He didn't know better. And even if he was older and more prepared, he couldn't have predicted that this man was a murderer. After Steve opened the door, he didn't really respond to Rader's speech about being a detective. So Raider forced his way through the doorway and brandished a gun. Shirley heard the commotion from the other room and came out to see what was going on.

[Susan Peters]

I told her I had a problem with sexual fantasies and I was going to tie her up. I pulled down the blinds and turned off the tv. I said I would tie up the kids first. I decided to put the kids in the bathroom and shut the door. We put toys and blankets in there for them. She told the kids to do whatever I said. I tied the door shut, but the kids were still yelling. She helped me to shove a bed against the door. Then I proceeded to tie her up.

[Steve Relford]

First, Raider used electrical tape to bind her hands and feet. Then he used cords and nylon stockings. To tie up her ankles and wrists even tighter, and he placed her face down on the mattress. All the while, Steve and his siblings were banging on the door and screaming. Raider threatened to shoot them, so they quieted down. And then Shirley Vianne got sick and vomited on the floor.

[Susan Peters]

I think my being there had made her worse. She was partially tied when I got her a glass of water and comforted her a bit.

[Steve Relford]

After Raider finished tying up Shirley Vianne, he pulled a plastic bag around her head and began to strangle her until she died.

[Susan Peters]

I used white plastic bags, Garbage size, that you could buy in a roll. I like the ones in a box. Using plastic gloves, I folded them neatly and placed them in another bag. That bag would go with me in case it had fingerprints or material on it.

[Steve Relford]

The room became more chaotic when suddenly the phone rang. It startled Raider, and the kids started to scream and bang on the door Once again, Raider decided it was time to go. He packed up his hit kit and left the house. He didn't realize the kids had escaped through the bathroom window and were running around the neighborhood yelling out for help.

[Richard Lamunion]

The kids were able to get out. They broke out the window and were able to escape. We worked with the children as best we could.

[Steve Relford]

This is former Wichita police chief Richard Lamunion. He says the Wichita police department was called by a neighbor who found Steve and his siblings running around outside. When police arrived, they questioned the children, but it was tough to get much out of them.

[Richard Lamunion]

One of the children, I think, was 6 or 8, but he was intellectually challenged, and so we did work with him to try to get some ideas. We did get the fact that it was a white male, which we knew. Also, he had a bag, which stands to reason, because he brings the tape, he brings the ropes, he brings the guns, he brings everything he needs the bags. So we were able to establish that we had specialists work with the children. But again, that was to no avail.

[Steve Relford]

Lamunion says the kids were too stunned to formulate coherent recollections, which is understandable given their age and the situation. Still, it took investigators a while to figure out what happened. As Lamunion says they discovered Vianne's body, along with all of the rope, tape, and one of the bags that BTK left behind. They also found semen at the crime scene where the killer supposedly masturbated. Police immediately noticed the similarities to previous BTK murders. Responding officer Raymond Fletcher was quoted as saying, it looks like the same thing as the Otero case. A few more officers reportedly also expressed their suspicions at the crime scene. But according to the book Bind, Torture, kill, Police were hesitant to officially connect the crimes.

[Nancy Grace]

Supervisors told them to stop guessing and work the evidence. If btk had killed Shirley Vian, it meant he was a serial killer. And the brass didn't want to leap to that conclusion or set off a panic.

[Steve Relford]

Lamuyon says he had a hunch it was the same person who killed the oteros. But ultimately, he decided not to release an official statement connecting the murders. He didn't want to give BTK any incentive to kill again, and he didn't want to create a frenzy. He says his main objective following the Vianne murder Was to protect the people of Wichita from further tragedy.

[Richard Lamunion]

The big thing that weighs on you Is the fact that this is going to happen again. You know it's going to happen again, and that's what frustrates you to the point that what else can I do to protect the community? It's not so much that I'm worried about my children, Because I can protect them, but it's the other single moms. It's the other people that can't protect themselves.

[Steve Relford]

While investigators were busy making sense of the Vianne murder, Steve Relford's life had been turned upside down.

After that, we went to foster home and my grandparents, they had to sell a bunch of shit. But they come got us from Oklahoma. And that's when my fucking troubles really started. Started smoking, shooting dope at 89, drinking age of 6, I think. I don't know. Became rebellious. Didn't give a shit about nothing or nobody.

When you went to your grandparents house after the foster home, Was there any kind of therapy or.

I mean, they tried to give me therapy and I become rebellious. Like I said, fuck you, I didn't care. My brother and sister, they both have drawn ssi all their life. Me, they said I was too fucking smart. What? Might be a smart ass, but I'm not smart.

My heart breaks for Steve Relford. Over the years, I've gotten to know this man well and watch him try over and over again to overcome the tragedy of his mother's death. Yes, it spiraled him out and sent him down a path of self destruction. But I've also watched him heal and come to terms with the events of his life. Steve has spent the last many years Slowly pulling himself up. And I'm just happy that I've gotten to know him and to be alongside him in his journey to recovery.

Nowadays, I got family. I got two kids to worry about. I can't do the shit I used to do. It's hard work. I gotta do it.

The unfortunate reality is that Steve was just one of many people whose lives would be destroyed by BTK Because Shirley Vianne was far from the last BTK victim. Only months later this time, BTK would strike again. Yes, you will find a homicide at 843 S. Virgin.

[Jake Brennan]

Nancy Fox.

[Steve Relford]

I'm sorry, sir, I can't understand. What is the address?

[Jake Brennan]

Do you want to know what it's like to hang out with Ms. 13 in El Salvador? How the Russian mafia fought battles all over Brooklyn in the 1990s? Well, what about that time I got.

[Susan Peters]

Lost in the Burmese jungle hunting the.

[Jake Brennan]

World'S biggest meth lab?

[Susan Peters]

Or why the Japanese Yakuza have all those crazy dragon tattoos? I'm Sean Williams.

[Jake Brennan]

And I'm Danny Golds and we're the host of the Underworld Podcast. We're journalists that have traveled all over reporting on dangerous people and places. And every week we'll be bringing you a new story about organized crime from all over the world.

[Susan Peters]

We know this stuff because we've been there, we've seen it, and we've got the near misses and embarrassing tales to go with it. We'll mix in reporting with our own experiences in the field, and we'll throw.

[Jake Brennan]

In some bad jokes while we're at it. The Underworld Podcast explores the criminal underworlds that affect all of our lives, whether we know it or not. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

[Nancy Grace]

Beautiful young women full of life and dreams, murdered or vanished without a trace. Their families left with nothing but heartbreak, questions and memories. I'm Nancy Grace. This week on Crime Stories, we uncover the truth behind these unsolved cases. We work to bring justice and answers to grieving families. Please don't miss Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, listeners. I'm Lauren Bright Pacheco, host of the Murder on Songbird Road podcast. Murder on Songbird Road revisits a controversial 2020 murder that occurred in southern Illinois. It divided a community and pitted families against one another. But questions remain as to whether the mother of four serving time for the crime is actually guilty. I'm excited to tell you that you can get access to all episodes of Murder on Songbird Road 100% ad free and one week before anyone else with an iHeart True Crime plus subscription. So don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts, search for iheart true crime plus and subscribe today.

[Richard Lamunion]

Shirley was killed in March of 77 and in December of 77, Nancy Fox. Nancy was killed.

[Steve Relford]

Raider had discovered Nancy Fox on another of his prowls through the streets of Wichita. He would drive around and scope out women that might make good targets. He was still reeling from the high of the Shirley Vianne murder. And one day he discovered Nancy walking into her apartment at 843 South Pershing. She was coming home from her job at the nearby mall. Raider spent weeks following her to and from work. He determined that she lived alone and would be the perfect project. On the evening of December 8, 1977, Raider left home, telling his family that he'd be studying at the WSU library. Around 9pm Raider left the library and parked two blocks down from Nancy's apartment building. He grabbed his hit kit and walked up to her door. Here are Raider's words from the book Confession of a Serial Killer.

[Susan Peters]

I knocked first to see if anybody was home. I had studied her work routines and knew she arrived at a particular time. I just wanted to be sure nobody answered the door. So I looked around, went around to the back of the house and cut the phone lines. I cut the window, broke in and waited in the kitchen.

[Steve Relford]

Raider recalls seeing Christmas decorations throughout the apartment. She was very clean and tidy. Something he liked about her. He waited and waited until finally she came in.

[Susan Peters]

She was startled. She asked what I was doing there. After we confronted each other, I told her I traveled a lot. I meant no real harm. I had a sexual problem. I wanted sex. I would tie her up and take a picture. She took her parka off. I believe it was white or cream colored. As she laid her parka down, I began to smoke. I sat on the couch and she sat on a chair on the west side of the living room. She was upset.

[Steve Relford]

According to Raider, Nancy said something to the effect of let's get this over with so I can call the police. That was a mistake.

[Susan Peters]

She sealed her doom for sure. When she told me she would contact the police. I wore no mask or anything to hide my face. I had to kill her.

[Steve Relford]

At this point, Raider says Nancy asked to go to the bathroom. He said yes, but instructed her to remove her clothes. After she returned, he handcuffed her, bound her feet at the ankles and gagged her.

[Susan Peters]

I got on top of her and then I reached over, took a belt and then strangled her with it. That's all I needed. With a victim in bondage, the act of strangling brought gratification quickly along with a victim struggling.

[Jake Brennan]

This guy wanted to be in a position almost like God. He's Going to determine whether or not you're going to live, when you're going to die. He's going to play with these victims and torture these victims psychologically and physically.

[Steve Relford]

This is former FBI profiler John Douglas. He says that the murder of Nancy Fox was a prime example of Raider's peculiar M.O. because Raider didn't just strangle Nancy until she died.

[Jake Brennan]

This guy wasn't killing him right away. He'd get him to the point of death and then bring him back, and then brings him back to the point of death.

[Susan Peters]

Fox passed out. I had her come back, and I whispered in her ear a little bit. I told her I was btk. I was a bad guy. This was the torture thing. You can visualize being tied up and knowing that something's going to happen to you and you can do nothing. That's my torture.

[Jake Brennan]

What he was doing. It was very similar to some other cases we've seen, like this kind of torture where they'll strangle. And you can see marks on the. Where there's kind of like skid marks. And what it is, it's. They're using ligature strangulation. And then the ligature will be released at the point where they're unconscious. They wait for them to remain conscious, and then they put it on their neck again. And so you see there'll be several marks on the victim's throat. It's just for the sake of, again, playing God as part of the torture.

[Steve Relford]

The murder of Nancy Fox was also another example of Raider killing a woman in a sexual way without actually having sex with them. He once again chose to masturbate rather than engage in penetrative sex. And for someone like John Douglas, this was telling.

[Jake Brennan]

He was getting a sexual euphoria from the acts that he was doing. And killing was part of that. Sexual penetration on the victims was absent. He would stand over them and ejaculate onto the victims. Well, I would find out later on sexually penetrating or having sex with them. That would be like cheating on his wife. This was the thinking of these people. I'd be cheating on my wife if I do that. But if I masturbate at the scene, I mean, that's okay.

[Steve Relford]

The murder of Nancy Fox was also yet another example of Raider trying to deceive the victim. Remember, he told Nancy Fox some story that he was just passing through. He had told Steve Relford he was a private detective for Douglas. This was also a good indicator of the type of killer that Raider was.

[Jake Brennan]

Him and other cases, they'll come up with a Story to control them, to make them settle down. Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. The story was he would go in there like he's escapees, committed a crime. I need your car, I need your food, and I'm not going to hurt you. I want some money. Then they will allow him. When they hear that, the emotion goes down and he starts binding him up and then decides to do the things he really wants to do with them. And that is to bind him up and kill him. Kill him slowly.

[Steve Relford]

Clearly, the goal in each of these cases was twofold. One, to calm the victim down and keep the situation under control. Two, to feel a twisted sense of power by lulling the victim into a false sense of security. According to John Douglas, Raider's pattern should have been clear to the local investigators by this point. And in fact, Wichita PD could no longer ignore the fact that this was btk.

[Richard Lamunion]

He left semen in a negligee beside her. She was laying face down on the bed. And he obviously took some pictures while he was in there. Took a driver's license.

[Steve Relford]

This is retired Wichita Police Chief Richard Lemonion. Again, he said he was shocked to find another BTK murder so soon. And this time his attitude changed about addressing the BTK protest problem publicly.

[Richard Lamunion]

It was after Nancy that I made the decision we needed to officially give him credit, stop him, keep him from doing anything else.

[Steve Relford]

And police would get plenty of opportunities to do just that because BTK decided he wanted to communicate once again first. Not long after the murder when 911 dispatch received a strange phone call. Dispatcher yes, you will find a homicide.

[Richard Lamunion]

At 843 S. Virgin. Nancy Fox.

[Steve Relford]

I'm sorry, sir, I can't understand you.

[Susan Peters]

What is your address?

[Richard Lamunion]

The dispatchers received a call indicating he said, you will find a homicide and gave the address and her name. That's the communications that we got from him through the dispatch, which was obviously taped, so we tried to follow up on that.

[Steve Relford]

Lamunion says the call came in just after 8am on the morning of December 9th. They immediately sent someone to investigate the source of the pay phone call.

[Richard Lamunion]

The phone that he used was outside of a grocery store. It was on Central street. And there was a firefighter who was off duty and then he had just walked out of there. The investigator went back about the time the call came and firefighter came up and said, yeah, I saw a guy. And he was able again to tell us about a white male. That's when it became so clear that this was a game that he was playing. But he was using innocent people and he was killing them. And he was going to kill again. We had to gear up. What else can we do? And that's the frustrating part. What else can we do?

[Steve Relford]

Using a public payphone and his own voice was a monumental risk. But BTK loved the thrill. He loved it so much, in fact, that he followed it up with another letter In January of 1970 78, once again addressed to the Witchita Eagle.

[Richard Lamunion]

Actually was a poem. He sent us a poem on Shirley. Shirley Vian, sure. You've seen the poem.

[Susan Peters]

Shirley locks. Shirley locks. Will thou be mine, Thou shalt not scream, nor yet feel the line, but lay on cushion and think of me and death and how it's going to be.

[Steve Relford]

For whatever reason, this poem flew under the radar. Perhaps the mailroom team at the Eagle thought it was just some bizarre prank. And so it wasn't reported to police or connected to btk, at least not yet.

[Richard Lamunion]

And then in February, a letter from BTK was sent to Cake TV claiming responsibility for Shirley and for Nancy.

[Jake Brennan]

Good afternoon. This morning, K TV was contacted by the person who police say they believe murdered four members of the Joseph Otero family in January of 1974. Executive producer Ron Lohan received the letter. He's with us today to give us the information. Ron?

[Susan Peters]

Jack. The communication came in the form of a two page typewritten letter addressed to KAKE, Channel 10. It was signed with the initials BTK. BTK claims to have strangled a total of seven women.

[Jake Brennan]

Seven people, rather, mostly women. He provided a list of his victims.

[Steve Relford]

Beginning with the number five, where he.

[Susan Peters]

Wrote, you guessed the victim and the motive.

[Jake Brennan]

Then he listed Shirley Vianne as his.

[Susan Peters]

Sixth victim and provided a paragraph of.

[Steve Relford]

Details concerning the murder, with many details.

[Susan Peters]

Known only to the police.

[Steve Relford]

Cake received the letter on February 9, 1978, along with the poem we told you about in episode one called oh, Death to Nancy. It also included crude hand drawings of the Nancy Fox crime scene. The letter started, I find the newspaper.

[Susan Peters]

Not writing about the poem on Vienne unamusing. A little paragraph would have been enough. I know it's not the news media's fault. The police chief, he keeps things quiet and doesn't let the public know there's a psycho running around loose, strangling mostly women. There's seven in the ground. Who will be next?

[Steve Relford]

Later in the letter, he mentioned Nancy Fox by name.

[Susan Peters]

There is no help, no cure, except death or being caught and put away. It's a terrible nightmare. But you see, I don't lose any sleep over it. After a thing like Fox, I come home and I go about life like anyone else.

[Steve Relford]

Then he brought up the matter of his own moniker.

[Susan Peters]

Before a murder or murders, you will receive a copy of the initials btk. You keep that copy. The original will show up someday on and guess who you may not be the unlucky one. P.S. how about a name for me? It's time. Seven down and many more to go. I like the following. How about you? The BTK Strangler. Wichita Strangler. Poetic Strangler. Bond Age Strangler. The Wichita Hangman. The Wichita Executioner. The Garrotte Phantom. The Asphyxiator.

[Jake Brennan]

It was a Saturday morning and the postcard had come into our mailroom. And so the station manager and I took the postcard down to the Wichita Police Department and we gave it to the police chief. And we asked to talk to him about this because obviously something was up.

[Steve Relford]

This is Cake TV anchor Larry Hatteberg.

[Jake Brennan]

And so he went into a room with his chief of detectives, shut the door after about a half hour, came out and he told us that he wanted to go on our air that night at about 6 o'clock in the evening and tell the people of Wichita that the serial killer was loose. We were shocked. Wow, this is. This is incredible.

[Richard Lamunion]

I went to K TV with the idea that what we wanted him to do was communicate with us. And I have to tell you, at that time we had great rapport with the reporters at ktv, their higher ups, and with the newspaper. I mean, that's the time in history when really we were partners. We had to have the media. This was his communication network. So we encouraged him to communicate until we could find out who this individual was.

[Jake Brennan]

So obviously we went back to this television station, prepared the newscast and waited for the police chief to come. And sure enough, he shows up, goes on the air and says, we have a serial killer in Wichita. Here's what we know about him. But with us right now is Chief.

[Steve Relford]

Of Police Richard Lamunion, who has been.

[Jake Brennan]

Reviewing the letter since this afternoon. And I have a couple of questions.

[Susan Peters]

Chief, how can you be sure that the BTK letter is authentic?

[Richard Lamunion]

Ron, after reviewing the contents of the letters, absolutely no question that the only person who would have the type of information that was included in the letter would have to be the killer himself.

[Jake Brennan]

Do you know what the. The initials BTK stand for?

[Richard Lamunion]

Yes, it's our feeling that the initials that were placed there stand for bind, torture and kill. We have an individual who apparently has the uncontrollable desire to kill at times. He is not a rational person during that frame of mind. Mind so I think an undo or a special awareness on the part of the citizens. Be alert. Call us when they have any type of information that they feel could be relevant, even if it seems at the time very insignificant. It might be just exactly what we need.

[Jake Brennan]

Do you want to know what it's like to hang out with Ms. 13 in El Salvador? How the Russian mafia fought battles all over Brooklyn in the 1990s? Well, what about that time I got.

[Susan Peters]

Lost in the Burmese jungle hunting the.

[Jake Brennan]

World'S biggest meth lab?

[Susan Peters]

Or why the Japanese Yakuza have all those crazy dragon tattoos?

[Jake Brennan]

I'm Sean Williams. And I'm Danny Golds and we're the host of the Underworld Podcast. We're journalists that have traveled all over reporting on dangerous people and places. And every week we'll be bringing you a new story about organized crime from all over the world.

[Susan Peters]

We know this stuff because we've been there, we've seen it, and we've got the near misses and embarrassing tales to go with it. We'll mix in reporting with our own experiences in the field, and we'll throw.

[Jake Brennan]

In some bad jokes while we're at it. The Underworld Podcast explores the criminal underworlds that affect all of our lives, whether we know it or not. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

[Nancy Grace]

Beautiful young women full of life and dreams, murdered or vanished without a trace. Their families left with nothing but heartbreak, questions and memories. I'm Nancy Grace. This week on Crime Stories, we uncover the truth behind these unsolved cases. We work to bring justice and answers to grieving families. Please don't miss Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey listeners, I'm Lauren Bright Pacheco, host of the Murder on Songbird Road podcast. Murder on Songbird Road revisits a controversial 2020 murder that occurred in southern Illinois. It divided a community and pitted families against one another. But questions remain as to whether the mother of four serving time for the crime is actually guilty. I'm excited to tell you that you can get access to all episodes of Murder on Songbird Road 100% ad free and one week before anyone else with an iHeart True Crime plus subscription. So don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts, search for IHEART True Crime plus and subscribe Today.

[Steve Relford]

The race to catch BTK now included the media as purveyors of public information. They cooperated with police to try and find the now infamous killer.

[Jake Brennan]

Last February, Police Chief Richard Lamunion asked CAKE TV to run a split second picture in one of our news reports. Psychologists were hoping BTK would unconsciously detect the subliminal message and follow its instructions. It's the same principle as splicing shots of popcorn into a movie to make the viewer hungry. Subliminal messages of all kinds are illegal. But CAKE was given special permission by the FCC to air the report. And here's what it looked like.

[Richard Lamunion]

That's the Katherine Bright murder that occurred in April of 74.

[Jake Brennan]

When we slow the picture down electronically, you can see the subliminal message.

[Richard Lamunion]

The message shown here, still framed, urged.

[Jake Brennan]

BTK to call the chief. He did not.

[Steve Relford]

As a journalist, it's a tricky balance when working with the police. On the one hand, we have to be purely objective and remain independent from any agency, authorities included. On the other hand, when police need your help to track down a killer, you feel a certain responsibility to help them.

[Jake Brennan]

We had, for the most part, good relations with the police department. But in journalism, you're always going to rub knuckles with them at some point. And we did.

[Steve Relford]

This is former CAKE TV anchor Larry Hatteberg.

[Jake Brennan]

Again, anytime we got anything related to btk, we turned it over immediately. We would get it, we would photograph it, we would call the PD and they would have it. So we turned everything we had, everything we knew over to the police department because we wanted to cooperate. I mean, we're not standing in the way of, of catching anybody. And I think it's important for a local television station to be part of a solution. We tried to work with them and the FBI and anybody else, and at the same time, be professional journalists. There's no manual written on how when you become part of the story that you react to every given situation, you're really flying by the seat of your pants and trying to make the right, most honest decision at every point in time and hoping you're doing the right thing.

[Steve Relford]

Following that big news broadcast, a tip line was made public. And Richard Lemonyon says it blew up.

[Richard Lamunion]

Almost immediately when we announced the fact that we did have a serial killer. We had hundreds, literally hundreds of tips. And we put additional officers, additional detectives to run every one of those tips down.

[Steve Relford]

Meanwhile, Dennis Raider was getting scared once again. The overwhelming attention spooked him, so he decided to lay low and stop sending letters temporarily. Besides, he had other matters to worry about. His second child and only daughter, Carrie, was born in 1978.

[Carrie Raider]

So I grew up in Wichita, Kansas. We lived in Park City. It's a small northern suburb of wichita, so about 5,000 people. I lived nine houses down from my mom's parents, Eileen and Palmer Dietz.

[Steve Relford]

Carrie recently visited the Tenderfoot studio to talk with Payne Lindsay. She says she has fond memories of growing up in Wichita. Obviously, she was unaware of the chaos of the time. She only knew her father, Dennis, as a regular dad.

[Carrie Raider]

By the time I was toddling, he would, like, take me out gardening. I was three or four. He was teaching me about all the plants, the vegetables, growing seasons, soil. Anything dad was doing, I wanted to do. He loved the outdoors, so he was cool and let me get muddy. He had this big, huge, like, green gardening book. And in the winter, we would, like, do Burpee's catalogs. So we would, like, pick out seeds and plan. He was obsessed with gardening when I was little.

[Steve Relford]

But Carrie also remembers peculiar things about Dennis from her childhood. For example, he would have these unpredictable bursts of rage and anger, and he could never sit still.

[Carrie Raider]

My mom would always tell him, when we were growing up, can't you just sit down for five minutes? You know, you always had to be busy, always active. He always had, like, the Wichita eagle out. Like, he was marking it with these markings or cutting things out of it, or he was always messing with something. Later on, he would have his stamps out. Saturday nights, we're sitting down to watch a movie. We're popping popcorn and having pop. Everyone else is just choosing a comfortable chair to watch a movie in. Now he's setting up the card table to do something. Like, he had to do something. He did. Couldn't just, like, relax because he could be controlling and angry and verbally abusive at times. I learned early how to, like, get him to relax.

[Jake Brennan]

Which was how?

[Carrie Raider]

Well, like, with my mom, she knew how to say, dennis, just go outside to your garden. Why don't you take the dog for a walk? Or why don't you go fishing this weekend?

[Jake Brennan]

How did your mom know when to say that?

[Carrie Raider]

Because he was. He was tight and he was tense. His eyes would narrow, and, like, he's about to yell, or he is yelling, he's making your life uncomfortable. Like, later we said it was like walking on eggshells at times with him.

[Steve Relford]

Ironically, Carrie says Dennis was very protective over her and her mother. He was obsessed with safety. Always worried that an intruder might break in and harm them.

[Carrie Raider]

He had deadbolts on our front door and our back door in the kitchen.

[Jake Brennan]

And why was that?

[Carrie Raider]

So he worked for adt, so I figured he was security conscious because he knew about alarm systems. He knew about people breaking into homes. He was making homes more secure with alarm systems.

[Jake Brennan]

But what do you think he was protecting you from?

[Carrie Raider]

Bad guys. But literally, it's like he's so messed up, it was almost like he was protecting us from him. But it's because he knew how bad people could be. When I'm little, he's teaching me these things. So you're not supposed to be telling kids about like home invasions. He's telling me like, well, the kitchen door isn't that great because the window's too big and somebody can just punch out the glass and then they can reach in. But if it's deadbolted and the key's not in, then they can't get in. They gotta like jam the door more. I'm learning this when I'm like little and it's imprinting because it's over and over and over with this man. He's telling me when I'm little, don't open the door to strangers. Question them, make them show you. Like they're badger. They're telling you they're a cop or a maintenance man. Check their uniform. He is obsessively trying to keep me safe.

[Jake Brennan]

It seems like, at least from what I'm picking up, that you sort of look at your dad as two different people. So my question is, this is kind of weird, but going back to being like a six year old, and in hindsight looking back, do you feel like the BTK killer would have ever harmed you?

[Carrie Raider]

I don't know. That's one of those big questions. Part of my ability to survive and do what I need to do now is to compartmentalize. So like with my father, I have to put dad in btk, like day to day. Now I don't think of my dad as btk. I can separate it or I'm not really even thinking about my dad. I'm living my life as a mom and writer and whatever I'm doing right. My dad's my dad. He could be mean and mad, but most of the time, 95% of the time, he was like my best friend. And my brother will say the same thing. He was like his best friend.

[Steve Relford]

While Raider was raising his daughter, he was also planning yet another murder. By April of 1979, he was still taking classes at Wichita State. And he used this as an excuse to his family for late night absences. One night, he spotted a 24 year old woman named Rebecca walking into a nearby house. A few nights later, Raider got to work after classes on the night of April 28, Raider approached the home. Here again are his words from the book, Confession of a Serial Killer.

[Susan Peters]

I also cut the phone line, my trademark. I used tape on the window where I broke in and perhaps a glass cutter which I now carried in my kit. Since the house was dark when I came, I thought perhaps she was asleep. Further, I saw a car in the garage. So I tried a cat burglar approach going through the basement window, but the house was empty.

[Steve Relford]

Raider waited and waited. What he didn't know at the time was that this was actually the home of 63 year old Anna Williams. The young woman named Rebecca that he'd seen was her granddaughter. Williams was out square dancing on this night and wouldn't be home for quite a while. Raider busied himself by rummaging through her drawers and stealing various articles of clothing. He claims he scribbled something on her bathroom mirror in lipstick. Something to the effect of BTK was here, though this was never confirmed or included in the police report. He laid out all of his instruments of murder on the bed to prepare. And then he ran out of time. He had to get home before his wife became suspicious. So he packed up and left. A failed attempt. Anna Williams returned home just after 11pm to discover that someone had cut her phone line, stolen some jewelry and clothing and broken a window. She called the police who determined it was just a regular burglary. But weeks later in June, she got a strange package in the mail. It included a crude drawing of a hogtied woman naked on a bed. The package also contained some of the stolen items from around her home. And scariest of all, it came with a handwritten letter.

[Susan Peters]

Twas a perfect plan of deviant pleasure so bold on that spring night My inner felling hot with propensity of the new awakening season Warm, wet with inner fear and rapture My pleasure of entanglement like new vines at night oh Anna, why didn't you appear Alone now in another time span I lay with sweet enrapture garments across most private thought Bed of spring moist grass clean before the sun Enslaved with control Alone again I trod in past memory of mirrors and ponder why for number eight was not oh Anna, why didn't you appear?

[Steve Relford]

Next time on Monster btk.

[Carrie Raider]

He broke into her house expecting her to be home because her car was there. But she had gone with this man. She's not home, so he hides in her closet.

[Steve Relford]

The body was discovered here at 53rd Street north, just east of Webb Road.

[Richard Lamunion]

Before she died, we had a very, very close relationship.

[Jake Brennan]

He killed a woman in his own.

[Richard Lamunion]

Neighborhood that violated his own rules.

[Nancy Grace]

Don't kill close to home.

[Richard Lamunion]

If he was dead, we knew that we would find the trophies sometime or if he was still alive at some point, he's going to come back.

[Jake Brennan]

When you have an offender who starts to communicate, I want him to communicate with a person affiliated with the investigation. I called the Super Cop.

[Susan Peters]

Monster BTK is a production of Tenderfoot TV and iHeart podcasts. The show is written by Gnomes Griffin, Trevor Young and Jesse Funk. Our host is Susan Peters. Executive producers on behalf of Tenderfoot TV include Donald Albright and Payne Lindsay alongside Supervising Producer Tracy Kaplan. Executive producers on behalf of iHeart podcasts include Matt Frederick and Trevor Young alongside producers Nomes Griffin and Jesse Funk and supervising producer Rima Il Keali. Marketing support by David Wasserman and Alison Wright at iHeart Podcasts and Caroline Orejema at Tenderfoot TV. Additional research by Claudia Dafrico original artwork by Kevin Mr. Soule Harp original music by Makeup and Vanity set. Special thanks to Oren Rosenbaum and the team at UTA and the Nord Group. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio and Tenderfoot TV, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Thanks for listening.

[Nancy Grace]

Beautiful young women full of life and dreams, murdered or vanished without a trace. Their families left with nothing but heartbreak, questions and memories. I'm Nancy Grace. This week on Crime Stories, we uncover the truth behind these unsolved cases. We work to bring justice and answers to grieving families. Please don't miss Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey listeners, I'm Lauren Bright Pacheco, host of the Murder on Songbird Road podcast and I'm excited to share this riveting story with you. I'm also excited to tell you that you can now get access to all episodes of Murder on Songbird Road 100% ad free and one week early through the I Heart True Crime plus subscription available exclusively on Apple Podcasts Plus. You'll get access to other chart topping true crime shows you love like Betrayal, the Girlfriends, Paper Ghosts, Murder Homes, Unrestorable, the Godmother and more. So don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts, search for I Heart True Crime plus and subscribe today.

[Jake Brennan]

Do you know about Jerry Lee Lewis wanting to murder Elvis? Or the hip hop star who cannibalized his roommate? What about the murders AC DC was blamed for? Or the suspicious deaths of Brittany Murphy in River Phoenix or about Anthony Bourdain's wild lust for life and untimely demise. These stories and more are told in the award winning Disgraceful Land podcast hosted by me, Jake Brennan every Tuesday, where I dive deep into subjects from the dark side of music, history and entertainment. So follow and listen to Disgraceland on the free Odyssey app for wherever you get your podcasts.