| Victim/Crime Information |
| |
|
|
| Victim: |
Joseph Otero,
male, age 38 |
1, E4, E10 |
| Residence: |
803 N. Edgemoor |
1, E4, E10 |
| Date & Time of
Death: |
Jan. 15, 1974,
between 8:15 & 8:45 a.m. |
E4 |
| Occupation: |
Retired from
Airforce on August 31, 1973 |
E3 |
| |
At time of death,
was a mechanic and Flight Engineer at |
E3 |
| |
Cook Air Field,
Rose Hill |
|
| Items Stolen: |
Watch |
|
| Sexual Assault: |
No sign of
penetration, killer may have masterbated in |
K2 |
| |
victims presence.
Semen possibly found near body |
|
| Location of body: |
Victim found face
down at foot of bed (This may not be true, |
E2 |
| |
as his children
were the first to find him. It's possible that they |
|
| |
may have moved him
upon finding him, a natural reaction.) |
|
| Method of entry: |
Unknown. No sign
of forced entry. |
K2, E4 |
| Phone line cut? |
Yes |
E3 |
| Vehicle stolen? |
Yes, car was seen
leaving Otero residence with one person |
E1 |
| |
inside. It was
found around 7:00 p.m. in a "Dillons" parking
lot |
E2 |
| |
at Central &
Oliver, less than a mile from the home. The keys |
E3 |
| |
were either not
recovered, or were found on the store roof. |
33 |
| Drivers License? |
No info on whether
Mr. Otero's license was taken |
|
| Bags placed on
victim: |
No |
|
| Binding Material: |
Venetian blinds
cord and tape were brought to the scene by |
E1 |
| |
the killer. He was
bound, but not gagged. |
E4 |
| Cause of Death: |
Strangulation by
cord wrapped around neck. |
E3 |
| |
Son Charlie
removed a belt around neck. |
C2, 23 |
| Other Info: |
Possibility that
Joseph Otero had a broken rib from a recent |
2 |
| |
car accident. His son Charlie has stated
that he recalls no |
C3 |
| |
such injury, only
that his father was sore and had bitten his |
|
| |
tongue. |
|
| |
He had driven the
three older children to school that morning |
|
| |
at approximately 8
am. |
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| |
Some sources state
he was born and raised in New York, |
E1 |
| |
others state that
he was born and raised in Puerto Rico. |
E3 |
| |
According to his
son Charlie, in Oct. 2004, both Joseph & |
C1 |
| |
Julie were born in
Puerto Rico, and were raised as neighbors |
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| |
New York. |
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| |
The Social
Security Death Index notes only that his SS number |
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| |
was issued in NY. |
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| |
Otero entered the
Airforce May 28, 1952, and had at one time |
E3 |
| |
been stationed in
Wichita with
the 384th Flying Wing. According |
|
| |
to AFHSO Research,
there was no such group: "There was no |
|
| |
384 Flying Wing. The 384 Bombardment Wing Was
activated |
|
| |
on 1 Aug 1955 at
Little Rock AFB, AK and discontinued , and |
|
| |
inactivated on 1
September 1964. Redesignated 384 Air |
|
| |
Refueling Wing,
Heavy on 15 Nov 1972 and activated on 1 Dec |
|
| |
1972 at McConnell
AFB, KS." Special thanks to the member of C&J who
took |
|
| |
the time
to write to the Air Force Historian on this matter and
provided the information to |
|
| |
me to add
here. |
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| |
Note: I
have Joseph Otero's birthday as March, 18, |
|
| |
1935. If
this is correct, that would have made him just barely 17 |
|
| |
years old
when he entered the service, which doesn't seem |
|
| |
right to
me. Either the birthday or date of entry is incorrect, or |
|
| |
he
managed to enter the Airforce at a younger age than he |
|
| |
should
have been able to, or there was some type of delayed |
|
| |
enlistment,
I don't know which. |
|
| |
It is reported
that there was a break in Otero's service in 1956. |
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| |
|
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| |
| |
|
|
| Victim: |
Julie Otero, age
34 |
1, E4, E10 |
| Residence: |
803 N. Edgemoor |
1, E4, E10 |
| Date & Time of
Death: |
Jan. 15, 1974,
between 8:15 & 8:45 a.m. |
E4 |
| Occupation: |
At time of death,
Julie Otero had been laid off as a short term |
|
| |
assembler for
Coleman Co., with recommendation for rehire. |
|
| |
Layoff occurred
1/3/74 |
|
| Items Stolen: |
Unknown, purse was
turned upside down. |
|
| Sexual Assault: |
No sign of
penetration, killer may have masterbated in |
K2 |
| |
victims presence.
Semen possibly found near body |
|
| Location of Body: |
Bedroom, laying
across bed |
E2 |
| Method of Entry: |
Unknown. No sign
of forced entry. |
K2 E4 |
| Phone Line Cut? |
Yes |
E3 |
| Vehicle Stolen |
Yes, car was seen
leaving Otero residence with one person |
E1 |
| |
inside. It was
found around 7:00 p.m. in a "Dillons" parking
lot |
E2 |
| |
at Central &
Oliver, less than a mile from the home. The keys |
E3 |
| |
were either not
recovered, or were found on a store roof. |
33 |
| Drivers License? |
No info on whether
Mrs. Otero's license was taken |
|
| Bags placed on
victim: |
No |
|
| Binding Material: |
Venetian blinds
cord and tape were brought to the scene by |
E1 |
| |
the killer. |
|
| Cause of Death: |
Strangulation by
cord around neck. |
E3 |
| Other Info: |
Julie was struck,
bound, and gagged. There were bruises on |
E4 |
| |
her cheeks. |
|
| |
Reportedly her
right cheekbone was broken, and her |
|
| |
fingernails were
torn and ragged. |
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| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| Victim: |
Josephine Otero,
age 11 |
1, E4, E10 |
| Residence: |
803 N. Edgemoor |
1, E4, E10 |
| Date & Time of
Death: |
Jan. 15, 1974,
between 8:15 & 8:45 a.m. |
E4 |
| Occupation: |
Student at Adams
Elementary, 1002 N. Oliver |
E3 |
| Items Stolen: |
Unknown. |
|
| Sexual Assault: |
No sign of
penetration, killer may have masterbated in |
K2 |
| |
victims presence.
Semen found on inner thigh. |
|
| Location of Body: |
Victim was found
hanging by neck from a pipe in the base- |
1, E1 |
| |
ment, wearing a
top and socks. |
|
| |
Some sources say
she was wearing a sweatshirt , |
1, E1 |
| |
others say it was
a sweater and that she was gagged. |
E2 |
| Method of Entry: |
Unknown. No sign
of forced entry. |
K2 E4 |
| Phone Line Cut? |
Yes |
E3 |
| Vehicle Stolen |
See Joseph &
Julie Otero |
|
| Bags placed on
victim: |
No |
|
| Binding Material: |
Venetian blinds
cord and tape were brought to the scene by |
E1 |
| |
the killer. |
|
| Cause of Death: |
Strangulation by
cord around neck. |
E3 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Victim: |
Joseph Otero II,
age 9 |
1, E4, E10 |
| Residence: |
803 N. Edgemoor |
1, E4, E10 |
| Date & Time of
Death: |
Jan. 15, 1974,
between 8:15 & 8:45 a.m. |
E4 |
| Occupation: |
Student at Adams
Elementary, 1002 N. Oliver |
E3 |
| Items Stolen: |
Radio |
33 |
| Sexual Assault: |
No sign of
penetration, killer may have masterbated in |
K2 |
| |
victims presence.
Semen possibly found near body |
|
| Location of Body: |
Bedroom |
E2 |
| Bags placed on
victim: |
A pillowcase, 2
white bags, and a blue t-shirt were found on |
33 |
| |
victims head,
resembling a hood or hoods. WPD was not |
|
| |
able to trace the
bags to a manufacturer anywhere in the world. |
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| |
|
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| |
|
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| |
|
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| |
|
|
| Otero Family: |
The bodies of the
four family members who were killed were |
1, E1 |
| |
flown to Puerto
Rico for burial. Joseph Otero had been |
|
| |
stationed in the
Panama Canal Zone for 6 years, just prior to |
|
| |
moving to Kansas. |
|
| |
In February, Chief
Floyd Hannon & Major William Cornwell |
1, E1 |
| |
flew to Puerto
Rico to interview relatives. They returned after |
|
| |
8 days, concluding
that the murders may have been motivated |
|
| |
by a dispute over
money in Central America. |
|
| |
The Otero dog was
found fenced in the back yard when the |
|
| |
other children
returned home from school. |
|
| |
The family had
moved to Wichita 4 months earlier |
E1 |
| |
The other Otero
children were Charlie (15), Danny (14), and |
E4 |
| |
Carmen (13) |
|
| |
Julie was a brown
belt in judo and the children took classes |
C3, E4 |
| |
in judo in Panama |
|
| |
Wirecutters,
venetian blind cord, and tape were brought to |
E4 |
| |
the scene by their
killer. |
|
| |
John Douglas
talked about how the killer cut through the phone |
|
| |
lines, how he
brought a gun and knife to the scene, how he got |
|
| |
family members to
tie each other up. |
|
| |
Investigators said
the knots used to bind the victims hands |
E2 |
| |
and feet appeared
to be tied by an expert |
|
| |
One source said
that victims were bound using material found |
10 |
| |
in the home. This
was in comparison to a case in Oregon that |
|
| |
was found to not
be related to the Otero killings. |
|
| |
Bernie Drowatzky
and Detective Caldwell sat in the Otero |
E1 |
| |
house that night with a psychic, watching traffic and
hoping that |
|
| |
the killer would
return. |
|
| |
The rumor that a
set of car keys belonging to the Oteros was |
31 |
| |
recovered proved
to be false. A set of keys was found in a car |
|
| |
at Lincoln &
Woodlawn by a Wichita youth. They did start the |
|
| |
ignition, lock
& unlock doors, and operated the tailgate of the |
|
| |
Otero vehicle, but
the keys turned out to belong to a friend of |
|
| |
a friend of the
youth, said friend also being the owner of a '66 |
|
| |
Vista Cruiser
station wagon. |
|
| |
Robert Beattie
states in his book that the keys were recovered |
33 |
| |
on the roof of
Dillon's, but that the keychain was missing. |
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| |
|
|
| |
|
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| |
|
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| |
|
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| |
|
|
| Victim: |
Kathryn Bright |
E6 |
| |
sources report her
age as 20 or 21 |
E6, E10 |
| Residence: |
3217 E. 13th St |
|
| Date & Time of
Death: |
April 4, 1974,
shortly after 2:00 p.m. |
1, E1, E11 |
| |
one source says
shortly after 1:00 p.m. |
E6 |
| Occupation: |
Short term
assembler for Coleman Co., same assembly line |
1, E1 |
| |
as Julie Otero as
of March '74. Prior to that she worked |
|
| |
elsewhere in the
company. |
|
| The Attack: |
Kathryn and her
brother Kevin entered her apartment and were |
K1 |
| |
confronted by a
man with a gun. He forced Kevin to tie Kathryn |
|
| |
up, then forced
him to another room. When he began to pull |
|
| |
cord around Kevins
neck, Kevin struggled. Kevin managed to |
|
| |
grab the killers
gun, and attempted to fire it twice into their |
|
| |
attackers stomach.
When the gun failed to fire, the killer took it |
|
| |
back and shot
Kevin twice in the face. |
|
| |
Leaving Kevin for
dead, the killer went back into the room with |
|
| |
Kathryn. Kevin
escaped and flagged down a car for help. One |
|
| |
occupant of the
car drove Kevin to the emergency room while |
|
| |
the other called
the police. Katheryn was pronounced dead |
|
| |
around 7:00 p.m. |
|
| Items Stolen: |
None known of |
|
| Sexual assault? |
No sign of
penetration. |
|
| Location of Body: |
Miss Bright was
found still tied to a chair and unconscious on |
11 |
| |
her living room
floor. She was partially undressed. |
25 |
| Method of Entry: |
There was broken
glass in a back window, and the killer |
1, E6 |
| |
hid in the back
bedroom until the victims arrived. |
|
| Phone Line Cut? |
No info |
|
| Vehicle stolen? |
No, but the killer
told them he was wanted in California and |
12 |
| |
wanted their car.
Possibility that car was left due to fact that |
|
| |
Kevin escaped. |
|
| Drivers License? |
No info. |
|
| Bags involved? |
No |
|
| Binding Material: |
Some type of cord
or rope. I cannot seem to find a report of |
|
| |
a specific type. |
|
| |
Kevin was tied
with a knotted up stocking |
K4 |
| Cause of Death: |
Victim was stabbed
3 times in the abdomen. |
1, E1 |
| |
Obvious signs of
ligature activity. |
25 |
| |
Kevin was shot
with a .22 caliber pistol. |
E1, K1 |
| |
|
|
| More Information: |
At the time, media
reports said that Kevin claimed their |
E1 |
| |
attacker was
wearing a black stocking cap, orange shirt, and |
|
| |
orange jacket. |
|
| |
In an interview in
2004, Kevin remembers the jacket was not |
K4 |
| |
orange, but camouflage |
|
| |
There were reports
that a quantity of drugs was found in the |
12 |
| |
home, but what
drugs was never revealed. |
|
| |
Kathryn Bright has
never been officially publically claimed by |
E5, E9 |
| |
BTK. |
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| |
It is believed
that some knots used here were similar to those |
|
| |
at the Otero
murders. |
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| |
There are rumors
that a "murder kit" was found in the back of |
|
| |
a pick-up truck
near the Bright home. |
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| |
|
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| |
| |
|
|
| Victim: |
Shirley Relford,
commonly referred to as Shirley Vian, age 26 |
8, E10 |
| Residence: |
1311 S. Hydraulic |
|
| Date & Time of
Death: |
Mar. 17, 1977,
between 11:45 and 1:00 pm |
E1, 8, 24 |
| Occupation: |
Mother of 2 boys,
age 8 & 6, and 1 girl, age 4 |
8, E13 |
| |
Ms. Relford's
younger son was actually just shy of his 6th |
|
| |
birthday, making
him 5 at the time of the murder. |
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| |
(Thank
you to Mr. Beattie who gave me this fact. KAKE-tv has
recently been reporting that |
|
| |
he was 5
then, 34 now, and the difference in numbers has been
bothering me.) |
|
| Items Stolen: |
Two money orders,
totalling $40 |
29, E1, 24 |
| Sexual Assault: |
No sign of
penetration. Semen found at scene |
7, E10 |
| Location of Body: |
Found nude, face
down on bed |
7, 8 |
| Method of Entry: |
Ms. Relford's
children answered the door to a man with a gun |
24 |
| |
and a
small bag, which has been described as similar to a |
|
| |
bowlingbag or
small suitcase. The opinion has also been |
|
| |
offered that it
may have been a doctors bag or duffel bag. |
|
| Phone Line Cut? |
No |
|
| Vehicle Stolen? |
No vehicle |
|
| Drivers License? |
No info on whether
Ms. Relford had one or if so, whether it was |
|
| |
taken |
|
| Bags on Victim? |
Yes. A single
garment bag was found over the victims head |
7,8 |
| Binding Material: |
Venetian blinds
cord was brought to the scene by the killer. |
7 |
| |
Her hands and feet
were bound, with cord looped around her |
E1, 7 |
| |
neck |
|
| Cause of Death: |
Strangulation |
|
| Other Information: |
Ms. Relford's
children were locked in a bathroom by the killer |
24, |
| |
but left alive. He
wedged one door closed, and tied a second |
|
| |
door. In a later communication,
the killer claimed that the |
|
| |
children were
spared by a ringing phone. |
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| |
The killer had
approached one of her sons earlier in the day |
24 |
| |
and asked the
child if he knew someone in a picture. |
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| |
|
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| |
| |
|
|
| Victim: |
Nancy Fox, age 25 |
E7, E10 |
| Residence: |
843 S. Pershing |
|
| Date & Time of
Death: |
Dec. 8, 1977,
shortly after 9:00 p.m. |
E1 |
| Occupation: |
Secretary for a
construction co. Part time at Helzburgs |
E11 |
| |
Jewellers. |
|
| Items Stolen: |
Purse contents
were dumped on coffee table, evidence of |
E7 |
| |
burglary. |
|
| Sexual Assault? |
Victim was found
partially clothed, no sign of penetration. |
E1, E7, 5, |
| |
Semen found at
scene. |
E10 |
| Location of Body: |
Found face down on
bed |
E1, 4 |
| Method of Entry: |
A rear window was
smashed |
E1 |
| Phone Line Cut? |
Cut outside, plus
phone was found off the hook |
E1, E7 |
| Vehicle Stolen? |
No. Her car was
found in her driveway the next morning. |
|
| Drivers License? |
Stolen |
25 |
| Bags placed on
victim: |
No |
|
| Binding Material: |
Her own nylon
pantyhose were used |
E10 |
| Cause of Death: |
Strangulation with
a stocking |
7, E10 |
| Other Information: |
On December 9th,
at about 8:20 a.m., a phone call was |
E7 |
| |
placed through the
operator to the police, reporting the |
|
| |
murder of Nancy
Fox. The caller is believed to be her killer. |
|
| |
She had lived in
her home for about 2 1/2 years, the other half |
E7 |
| |
of the duplex was
empty. |
|
| |
Her sweater was
found neatly draped over a chair, indicating |
E7 |
| |
that she was
unaware of an intruder immediately. |
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| |
|
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| |
| |
|
|
| Intended
Victim: |
Anna Williams, age
63 |
E10 |
| Residence: |
615 S. Pinecrest |
|
| Date and Time: |
April 28, 1979,
killer was present at house at some point |
E8 |
| |
between 7:00 p.m.
and 11:00 p.m. |
|
| Items Stolen: |
Several articles
of clothing, some jewelry, $35 in cash. |
E1 |
| Method of Entry: |
Basement window
broken |
E8 |
| Phone Line Cut? |
Yes |
E10 |
| Other Information: |
Anna Williams was
out at a dance that evening. When she |
E1 |
| |
returned home
around 11:00 p.m. she found evidence of |
|
| |
burglary and
police were dispatched to her home. |
|
| |
On June 15th, an 8
1/2" x 11" manilla envelope was delivered |
E1 |
| |
to her home by the
postman. It contained a poem, a sketch, |
|
| |
and clothing and
jewelry that had been taken during the |
|
| |
break-in. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| Possible Near
Victim: |
"Sandy",
age 20 |
20 |
| |
The only
iformation I have on this can all be found at the |
|
| |
referenced
article. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| Victim: |
Marine Hedge, age
53 |
|
| Residence: |
6254 Independence,
Park City |
|
| Date & Time of
Death: |
April 27, 1985,
between 1:00 and 7:00 am |
|
| Occupation: |
unknown by me at
this time |
|
| Items Stolen: |
It was determined
at the time that nothing was stolen from the |
|
| |
home itself, but
her purse was found in a ditch near 143rd St. |
|
| |
East and 37th St.
North on May 6th by a woman who did not |
|
| |
turn it in to
authorities until the following Friday. Mrs. Hedge's |
|
| |
ID was missing,
and the purse was identified by papers inside. |
|
| Sexual Assault: |
No sign of
pentration. She was nude when found. |
|
| Location of Body: |
Found .2 miles
east of Webb rd. on 53rd St. North on May 5th, |
|
| |
covered by an
evergreen tree and tall grasses. She was not |
|
| |
bound when found,
but a pair of pantyhose was found nearby. |
|
| Method of Entry: |
Unknown. Her front
door was left open when she disappeared. |
|
| Phone line cut? |
Yes |
|
| Vehicle Stolen? |
Yes, her 1976
Monte Carlo was found the following Thursday |
|
| |
in Wichita in the
parking lot of Brittany Square Shopping Center |
|
| |
at 2120 N.
Woodlawn, with a blanket & bedspread in the trunk. |
|
| |
The car had
apparently been wiped down for fingerprints. |
|
| |
Police found
evergreen needles in the car, and noted that there |
|
| |
were no evergreens
near the body other than the one covering |
|
| |
her, indicating
that the body was transferred. |
|
| Drivers License? |
Missing from purse |
|
| Bags on victim? |
No |
|
| Binding Material: |
Unknown, possibly
pantyhose since a pair was found nearby. |
|
| Cause of Death: |
Manual
strangulation (by hand) |
|
| Other Information: |
Mrs. Hedge dined
the previous evening at a local restaurant, The |
|
| |
Red Coach Inn.
Small drops of blood were found in the home. |
|
| |
She was a neighbor
of her killer. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| Victim: |
Vicky Wegerle, age
28 |
E10 |
| Residence: |
2404 W. 13th |
|
| Date & Time of
Death: |
Sept. 16, 1986,
sometime between 9:00 a.m. and noon |
9 |
| Occupation: |
Homemaker |
|
| Items Stolen: |
Drivers license. |
|
| Sexual Assault: |
No sign of
penetration. Unknown if there was semen at the |
E1, E10 |
| |
scene |
|
| Location of Body: |
Found on bedroom
floor |
E1, 9 |
| Method of Entry: |
Unknown, no sign
of forced entry |
E10 |
| Phone line cut? |
No |
E10 |
| Vehicle Stolen? |
Yes, the car was
seen pulling out of the driveway at about |
9 |
| |
10:30 a.m. It was
found about 2 blocks away at around |
|
| |
12:10. p.m. in the
1300 block of N. Edwards. |
|
| Drivers License? |
Stolen |
E10 |
| Bags on victim? |
No |
|
| Binding Material: |
Unknown by public.
Bound at ankles and wrists |
E1, E10 |
| Cause of Death: |
Strangulation |
E10 |
| Other Information: |
Ms. Wegerle's
2-year-old son was present at the time of her |
|
| |
murder. |
|
| |
A friend saw her
taking children to school at about 9:00 a.m. |
9 |
| |
One neighbor heard
an unusual amount of barking at |
9 |
| |
approximately
10:15 a.m. |
|
| |
She was a
volunteer babysitter at two local churches, St. |
9 |
| |
Andrew's Lutheran
and Asbury United Methodist. |
|
| |
A witness reported
seeing a man in jeans and a t-shirt get |
|
| |
out of the car
where it was left. |
|
| |
Her killer took
photographs of her body, posed in different |
15, 16, 19 |
| |
positions, and
with her clothes arranged differently in each, |
|
| |
at the crime
scene. |
|
| |
Husband hired a
private detective. |
|
| |
Murder was
originally looked at as possibly BTK related. |
17 |
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| Victim: |
Delores
"Dee" Davis, age 62 |
|
| Residence: |
6226 N. Hillside,
Park City |
|
| Date & Time of
Death: |
January 18th or
19th, 1991 |
|
| Occupation: |
Unknown to me at
this time |
|
| Items Stolen: |
Several small
items, including costume jewelry and her purse. |
|
| Sexual Assault: |
No sign of
penetration, unknown whether semen was recovered. |
|
| Location of Body: |
Her body was found
under a bridge in the 3600 block of 117th |
|
| |
St. North near
Meridian in Northern Sedgwick Co. on Jan. 31, |
|
| |
1991, wearing a
blue flannel nightgown and white underwear. |
|
| Method of Entry: |
A brick or
cinderblock was thrown through a glass rear door. |
|
| Phone line cut? |
Outside lines cut |
|
| Vehicle Stolen? |
No, but it
appeared to have been wiped down for fingerprints |
|
| Drivers License? |
Unknown if stolen.
If it was in her purse, then it probably was |
|
| Bags on victim? |
No |
|
| Binding Material: |
Bound at hands,
feet and knees with pantyhose |
|
| Cause of Death: |
Strangulation |
|
| Other Information: |
A
"porcelain-type" decorative mask was found near
her body. |
|
| |
According to
sherriff's Capt. James Elvin, it had a female |
|
| |
appearance, and
was of the type you would hang on a wall, not |
|
| |
wear. It was also
reported that shoes in the home were piled |
|
| |
in a pyramid
formation and her car keys were missing. She, |
|
| |
like Marine Hedge,
dined at the Red Coach Inn the night she |
|
| |
disappeared, and
small amounts of blood were found in her |
|
| |
home as well. She
was last seen at 7:30 pm on the 18th. |
|
| |
|
|
| I don't have the specific sources
on items regarding Marine Hedge and Delores Davis at this
time, due to the |
| fact that they were connected to
this killer after his arrest on 2/25/05. All information
on their murders was |
| obtained through articles online,
and I will try to provide links to the information over
time. |
