On January 15, 1974 in Wichita, Kansas Joseph Otero, Julie Otero, and their two siblings Josephine and Joseph II strangled to death in their home. Joseph was found lying face down on the floor with his hands and feet bound with a cord that had been ripped from a Venetian blind from one of the rooms. Julie was found in the bedroom, lying on the bed, bound in a similar manner. Both appeared to have been strangled by a strip of cord cut from the Venetian blind. The police began an investigation commenced into one of the most bizarre and long-lasting serial killing sprees. Police discovered 9 year old Joseph Jr. in his bedroom lying near the foot of his bed. He was also tied with cord but appeared to have been suffocated with a plastic bag placed over his head rather than choked with the cord itself. They found 11 year old Josephine in the basement hanging by a rope tied to a water pipe.
The Hunt for the BTK Killer
Official seal of Wichita, Kansas
The ConfessionPolice found that the phone lines leading into the home had been cut, disabling all communications to the dwelling. The family car, a 1966 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon, was also missing. Further investigation revealed semen in various locations around the house - concentrated mostly around the victims' bodies.
Later that day, sometime around 7:00 PM, the police found the Otero vehicle at a nearby Dillon's parking lot. The parking lot was less than one mile from the Otero's home. The vehicle was parked in the center of the lot near a light pole, easily visible from the street. The killer had apparently driven the vehicle into the lot entrance and parked the car in the first empty spot available. Police presumed the killer drove the vehicle directly from the scene of the...