Despite an ice storm that made traveling treacherous, about 150 people gathered Jan. 11 at a downtown church for an unusual purpose – to pray that a serial killer would be captured. Hosted by the Heart of Kansas Southern Baptist Association, the noon-hour meeting attracted pastors and members of numerous denominations. Representatives of local, state and federal police and government agencies also attended.
“When we announced we were doing this people asked me, ‘Why is the church getting involved in trying to capture a serial killer?’” said Terry Fox, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, Wichita, where the session convened.
“My answer was: ‘Why wouldn’t we get involved? It’s something that’s affected our community.’”
The association decided to hold the event after news of an early December arrest of a possible suspect turned out to be a false alarm.
Known as BTK – a grisly acronym for bind, torture, kill – the man is believed to be responsible for eight killings between 1974 and 1986, according to The Wichita Eagle.
The case has been featured twice recently on the popular TV show, “America’s Most Wanted.”
Fox said the killer resurfaced last March by sending the first of several letters to police with evidence form crime scenes. Since then the topic has been discussed constantly throughout the region, the pastor said.
During a press conference that kicked off the event, the Southern Baptist pastor asked BTK to surrender.
(BP)
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