Oklahoma prosecutor says Wichita serial killer BTK is not lead suspect in cold case

An Oklahoma district attorney said Wichita serial killer Dennis Rader — also known as BTK — is not the lead suspect in Cynthia Kinney’s unsolved 1976 disappearance, undermining a sheriff who said he is “100% certain” Rader was involved in her disappearance.

Mike Fisher, district attorney for Osage and Pawnee counties in Oklahoma, called a news conference Monday morning to dispute public statements by Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden, who has been leading the investigation into Kinney’s disappearance and said Rader is the prime suspect. Fisher said he’s not convinced Rader is a suspect at all.

“At this point, no,” Fisher said when asked if he viewed Rader as a suspect. Fisher said he believes a more likely suspect is a different man, who is dead. He would not name that person.

Virden, in response to Fisher’s news conference, accused Fisher of interfering in the investigation and scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon to more fully respond.

Fisher said he decided to go public with his disagreement after talking with Kinney’s parents, who are in their 80s. He said speculation about Rader’s involvement has forced them to imagine their daughter being raped, bound and killed by one of the most notorious serial killers in the United States — without enough evidence to support criminal charges. He said the Kinneys have each lost weight from the stress.

“I made this decision because I’ve got a family of a young girl who’s been missing for 47 years who are heartbroken and are dying as a result of this investigation,” Fisher said. “They have no answers. And I’m afraid I’m not going to get the answers that I need to get from the sheriff’s office. The only way to get those answers is to do SBI, with whom I have a great working relationship. And so I’ve asked for their help.”

Fisher accused Virden of trying the case in the press for publicly sharing information on the investigation.

“I’m very old fashioned,” Fisher said. “I’ve been a prosecutor in Oklahoma for 25 years. I don’t like trying a case to the press, and I’m afraid that’s what he’s doing. And I don’t mind him being aware of that. . . . There’s a way to do this, and there’s a way not to do this, and I don’t believe it’s being done properly.”

Fisher said he has not had any direct communication with Virden about the evidence in the case and acknowledged that the sheriff’s office could have evidence that has not been publicly released. He has asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to conduct a separate investigation into Kinney’s disappearance.

“The sheriff and I don’t have the best relationship in the world,” Fisher said. “We haven’t since I took office. But that being said, this is not political. On my part, I did not make this decision for political purposes.”

Fisher and Virden, both Republicans, are the top law enforcement officials in Osage County, where Kinney disappeared.

Virden’s office approached Fisher early in the investigation, which started around December 2022, seeking to offer Rader immunity from the death penalty in exchange for a confession. Fisher declined to offer immunity, saying it would cast doubt on the sincerity of any confession.

“...The courts are very suspect, as you can imagine, of any confession that results from that type of an agreement. When the court hears that someone says, ‘Oh, you know, I didn’t do it, didn’t do it, didn’t do it — Oh, you’re not going to charge me with the death penalty? Sure I did it.’”

Kinney was 16 years old when she was apparently abducted from a laundromat in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Her body has never been found, but authorities say they have reason to believe she was killed.

Virden thrust Rader back into the spotlight last month when he confirmed that his investigators had been involved in multiple searches of the site of Rader’s former home in Park City for evidence related to Kinney’s disappearance. He has since indicated he has evidence in the case that includes prison letters, a jailhouse interview with Rader where he said he fantasized about kidnapping a girl from a laundromat and a book Rader was working on when he was arrested in 2005.

Virden’s theory is that Rader targeted Kinney while he was working for ADT, a company that installed a security system at a bank across the street from the laundromat. Fisher said there’s no evidence Rader was ever in Pawhuska.

Virden also suggested Rader is a suspect in other cold cases in Kansas and Missouri.

The disagreement between Virden and Fisher brings additional attention to Osage County ahead of the release of the highly anticipated “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a film directed and produced by Martin Scorsese based on a 2017 book by David Grann. It focuses on a series of murders in Osage County in the 1920s that were part of a scheme by William Hale, a white man, to steal money and oil from wealthy members of the Osage Nation.

Amid the focus on northeastern Oklahoma, Virden has landed a potential deal for a television series for the sheriff’s office called “The Force,” where a film crew would follow the sheriff’s department. The Osage County Commission tabled discussion of the contract on Sept. 5. Fisher said he has some concerns about giving camera crews access to crime scenes and evidence.

“I have some legal concerns,” Fisher said during his news conference, adding that the sheriff’s office is aware of his concerns and told him they “were probably a bit overblown.” Fisher said he has had discussions with the show’s producers about giving the district attorney’s office some say in “what is actually put out there.”

In a written statement, Virden’s office accused Fisher of trying to derail the investigation and attempting to block him from interviewing Rader.

“It is important to note that District Attorney Fisher has not reached out to the OCSO to discuss the details or developments of this investigation,” the statement, signed by Undersheriff Gary Upton, says. “Therefore, his comments regarding the case are based on incomplete information and do not accurately represent the OCSO’s efforts or the progress made. District Attorney Fisher attempted to derail the investigation by contacting the prison where Dennis Rader (BTK) is held in an attempt to halt further interviews between Dennis Rader and our Investigators.”

The statement said the Osage County Sheriff’s Office is focused on “finding the truth and bringing closure to the families affected by these crimes.”

“Any actions or statements that may cause further distress to the victims’ families are deeply regrettable and contradict our commitment to compassion and professionalism,” the statement says.

“The OCSO remains dedicated to the pursuit of justice in the disappearance of Cynthia Dawn Kinney. We will continue to work diligently with all relevant agencies, including the OSBI, the KBI, and federal authorities, to solve this case. It is our hope that by conducting a thorough investigation, we can bring answers to the Kinney family and provide closure for them and the community.”

Kerri Rawson, Rader’s daughter who has become an outspoken advocate for murder victims in cold cases, defended Virden’s work in a written statement to The Eagle.

She said the Osage Sheriff’s Office is “doing a fantastic job working these cold cases and trying to get justice” for Kinney’s family “and all the other families awaiting answers for decades, in multiple Midwest states.”

“I’m actively working hard with Osage,” she said. “I can’t speak for what is happening with the Pawnee County DA, but it’s a disgrace to see someone placing politics on the backs of victim families including mine.”

Michael Stavola of The Eagle contributed.