BTK (Dennis Rader) Address Code

[jwillx]

In the BTK Story, Chapter 11 ("BTK Returns") and Chapter 14 ("Name Games"), there is a reference to a letter sent by BTK to "The Wichita Eagle" newspaper. The Chapter 14 article shows the return address to be, "Bill Thomas Killman, 1684 Oldmanor, Wichita, KS 67218".

The article author speculates about this return address: "Some believe the name is a puzzle in itself and if arranged properly might spell out a hidden message or meaning. " and tries to relate it to the name of a forensic tool author.

However many the multiple meanings, I think the primary messages is a pun: "Bill Thomas Killman" can be rewritten as "Bill to Mass Kill Man" -- "send your bill to the mass-killer man"!

The 67218 is a real ZIP code for the street address; I don't know whether 1684 has any specific significance -- it might be a date in history or just a house number known to be in a vacant lot.

[lisaznola]

Bill Thomas Killman, 1684 Oldmanor, Wichita, KS 67218


The address is a real address, but it was a known vacant lot. With his job in the community he would have known it was a lot, that is probably why he picked that address.

I think that the name is a play on the BTK initials. Dennis seemed very proud of that name.

[jwill]

Yes, you are of course correct about the address. But, both (a) a simple liking for the "BTK" initials and (b) the encoded message probably are correct.

Rader was sending puzzles off to the police, even cryptographic puzzles. The address was a puzzle, like a crossword puzzle with two dimensions, two interdependent solutions, both required for completion.