If you live in the U.S. and pay attention to news, you've probably heard about the "BTK" guy accused of 10 Kansas killings. What made this suspect stand out was the fact that he communicated with the media and law enforcement, then went silent for 25 years until resurfacing a year ago. Well, police say they've finally captured the man who gave himself the "Blind, Torture, Kill" nickname. Not only was the man involved with his church, but he was also a city employee who was recognized last year for 10 years of service.
The story is all over the place, and a search on Google News for BTK already yields 1,290 results. A similar search for the suspect's name, Dennis Rader, brings up 110 results, but I expect both numbers to increase drastically as the news spreads.
What I find interesting is the message board run by the Wichita Eagle newspaper. The reactions are almost all ones of happiness and relief, since most of the posters are locals who worried that the killings might resume. Some are praising the police, some are asking why it took so long, but nearly all are united in one thing: Out of compassion, they're not naming the suspect's grown children. Nobody has told them not to post the names, and it's certainly not an issue of juvenile privacy. However, the posters (most of whom don't seem to be affiliated with the newspaper) are trying not to victimize the suspect's children. I find that both impressive and surprising.
(Note: Comments still aren't being posted, though if you make a comment, preview and then post it, I get it in my e-mail. Of course, it might be simpler to just e-mail me...)
(If you're just tuning in to my blog, I'm a big fan of Sacramento Kings basketball. My blog might not have comments working, but there's no way that's going to stop me from posting this kind of news. Also, that article was written by a fellow alum who left the college paper a year before I got there.)
If you found this blog because of my column in today's paper, I either welcome you or give you my condolences, since you'll most likely be disappointed. At any rate, I'm off to an all-day seminar on investigative reporting but I wanted to give you one warning: Comments are still not working. It may seem that they are, but anything you type won't appear on this site yet. In the meantime, feel free to e-mail me at the address listed to the left.
I still haven't finished fixing my blog, but I couldn't help but post. One of the better teachers I had in elementary school has died, and when I saw the obituary, it just stunned me. He was only 57 -- too young to die.
It seems like just yesterday that Mr. Jones was getting tears in his eyes as he told my seventh-grade class about the death of John F. Kennedy, and how he had missed an opportunity to meet him in person shortly before Kennedy was killed. Mr. Jones was on the football team and had gotten back from a far-away game in the early hours of the morning. He overslept and missed a bus that would have taken him to see the president. It was something he always regretted.
It also seems like just yesterday that Mr. Jones was teaching us how to diagram sentences. Everyone hated it, but I was the exception. I loved diagramming, and Mr. Jones was so thrilled that a student actually like it.
Mr. Jones, I'm sorry time went by so fast, and that I didn't take the time to send you a note at some point over the years. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson a few months ago when another influential person died. I regret to say that I didn't. Maybe this will be enough to make me stop, think and then send a few notes to people who had such an impact on my life.
BTK arrest
If you live in the U.S. and pay attention to news, you've probably heard about the "BTK" guy accused of 10 Kansas killings. What made this suspect stand out was the fact that he communicated with the media and law enforcement, then went silent for 25 years until resurfacing a year ago. Well, police say they've finally captured the man who gave himself the "Blind, Torture, Kill" nickname. Not only was the man involved with his church, but he was also a city employee who was recognized last year for 10 years of service.The story is all over the place, and a search on Google News for BTK already yields 1,290 results. A similar search for the suspect's name, Dennis Rader, brings up 110 results, but I expect both numbers to increase drastically as the news spreads.
What I find interesting is the message board run by the Wichita Eagle newspaper. The reactions are almost all ones of happiness and relief, since most of the posters are locals who worried that the killings might resume. Some are praising the police, some are asking why it took so long, but nearly all are united in one thing: Out of compassion, they're not naming the suspect's grown children. Nobody has told them not to post the names, and it's certainly not an issue of juvenile privacy. However, the posters (most of whom don't seem to be affiliated with the newspaper) are trying not to victimize the suspect's children. I find that both impressive and surprising.
(Note: Comments still aren't being posted, though if you make a comment, preview and then post it, I get it in my e-mail. Of course, it might be simpler to just e-mail me...)
Posted by Layla at 11:38 AM, February 26, 2005. Comments (0)