Ethics Media\'s Role in Btk Killer Case

¶ … Media's Role in the BTK Killer Case

There have been several serial murder cases which feature killers who play with the attention of the public through their manipulation of the media for various reasons. However, with the actual publication of messages supposedly from mass murderers, the ethical role of the media is put to the test. Many believe that publishing these messages increases the chances of catching the murderer in question; but in the case of the BTK Killer in Wichita Kansas, the publication of such messages by a local newspaper The Eagle provided little information to law enforcement officials and an arrest was made decades after the onslaught of the murders. Examples such as these show how publishing such communications may in fact be too much information for the public to handle and at the same time just continues to encourage the killer to commit more and more violent crimes. This specific case shows that the media's role in such events is sometimes just as hindering, if not more so, than it is helpful with the actual investigation.

The case of the BTK killer in Wichita Kansas is one of gruesome murders and little success from law enforcement until thirty years after the first murder was committed. Over the span of eight years the BTK killer is known to have tortured and murdered at least eight people. From 1974 to 1986, the killer committed murders within the Wichita Kansas area. About ten months after the occurrence of the very first murder, the killer was sending material to the local press as well as to the authorities. He had used several different media facets in order to give himself a sick and twisted publicity. However, he focused mainly on dealing with the editor and publisher of the local paper, The Eagle. His first letter to the paper was a confession to killing an entire family, (Maher, 2005). Two decades after the letters stopped, the paper received one again in 2004. Also sent was a package which contained the identification of a murdered women who had been previously unassociated with the earlier BTK murders. In fact it was these later letters which finally sealed the fate of the BTK killer. FBI analysis of the newest material sent to the paper and elsewhere revealed for the first time since the event began a name to the cold blooded murder spree -- Dennis Roder.

Yet, there are those who believe strongly that the media played an important positive role in the case of the BTK killer, despite the failure to apprehend a suspect for so long of a time period, "News of the killer broke over thirty years ago, and since then media organizations have played key roles in the investigation," (Maher, 2005). The paper also offered a $5,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer. This shows how they were not completely in it simply for the publicity, but also had a sense of community awareness. The paper showed a concern and desire to catch this serial murderer in the mist of popularizing his name just as he had initially wanted. Staff at the paper have justified their actions as helping the investigation without being viewed "as an arm of the police," (Maher, 2005). The paper was careful what to print and what not to print. Everyone did as law officials asked, and nothing was published which was not approved by law enforcement. Even without such legal restrictions, staff members admit to editing material in order to shield the public from some of the shock. Some local law enforcement has admitted that making an arrest on the case would have been difficult without the help of the media in the case.

However, The Eagle's editor Rick Thames and publisher Joe Strupp have been heavily criticized for their loose publication of the killer's letters and poems. In fact, one poem from the killer actually slipped through the both of them to appear unaltered within the romantic section on the Valentine's edition, showing some carelessness on the paper's parts. During the height of the murder spree, The Eagle was allowed by local law officials to publish the material sent to the paper supposedly by the killer himself. These publications which eventually reached the public eye were edited in order to keep out certain details of the case. The killer came to use the paper and the publications as his own speaking ground, toying with the magazine knowing that the eager journalists would bite, "Throughout the 1970's, the BTK killer sent letters to several media outlets as well as to police, apparently in an attempt to taunt the public and bait officials," (Maher, 2005). AT times during the investigation, the staff at The Eagle was brought into suspicion due to their heightened knowledge of the case and the letters being addressed to specific staff members. Although the local law officials allowed for the edited publication of the letters sent by the killer, they have recently been asked to completely refrain from further publication or news coverage of such material and this specific case, (Maher, 2005). Recently, The Eagle has received even more criticism based on an internet message board on their site. This message board is reportedly the last publicity stunt of the killer, and therefore received much backlash by law officials. The paper was actually asked to remove specific content and further criticized the staff when the broke a story in their defense. This just shows the need for their own publicity despite the needs and safety of the community. Due to the suspected murderer having been apprehended, officials in Kansas want The Eagle to stop all previously allowed publications regarding the murderer and all of the gruesome details which were produced within his letters and poetry. When the letters returned, staff writers ignored police advice and published a breaking story about the return of the dreaded murderer, (Maher, 2005). This blatant disrespect for the credibility of local law enforcement's investigation further jeopardizes the honesty of the publications on behalf of the paper. This could have had serious consequences, the killer could have been flattered enough to once again begin his quest for murder and fame.