The Otero family resided in a single family home at 803 N. Edgemoor, located in a predominately White, blue collar, middle class neighborhood.  Some time between 8 a.m. and 3:40 p.m. on January 15, 1974, the suspect entered the Otero home and murdered the four family members who were at home.

The three surviving Otero children returned home from school to find their family members strangled including Joseph Otero, a 38-year-old male; Julie Otero, 34-year-old female; Josephine, age 11; and Joseph II, age nine.

The phone lines to the house had been cut, according to Lt. Ken Landwehr, who is heading the BTK investigation. The Otero family vehicle, a beige 1966 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon, was located less than a mile away from the Otero home, at the Dillons parking lot at Central and Oliver.  Police found the car around 7 p.m. on January 15, 1974, parked next to the center light pole of the parking lot, facing west.  There was no apparent damage to the car, according to Lt. Landwehr.

Lt. Landwehr, who has worked on this investigation from its beginning, stated, “This is the most challenging case I have ever worked on, and the individual would be very interesting to talk with.”

“Since this was the first in a string of homicides related to BTK, we believe that it has special significance and we want to hear from anyone who may remember anything related to the Otero homicides,” said Lt. Landwehr. “We want to hear specifically from anyone who may have seen someone around the Otero residence or around their vehicle at the Dillons parking lot.”

As of Friday morning the Department has received 1,043 phone tips, 575 tips through the e-mail address and 25 letters. Some of the Department’s investigators continue to man the tip line, while others are busy following up on leads. Investigators are doing interviews and conducting background checks.

“We are using all available resources, and we continue to work closely with the FBI, the KBI, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department, the Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center and the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office,” said Lt. Landwehr. “We are very grateful for the assistance that we have received from those agencies.”

“We also appreciate all the tips and leads we have received from the public,” Lt. Landwehr said. “The overwhelming response we have received from citizens is reflective of our city’s community policing philosophy, and we could not effectively pursue this investigation without their help.”

The tip line hours will be changing to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. That number is (316) 268-4174 . Anyone wanting to call in tips outside those hours is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 267-2111. Citizens can e-mail information to coldcase@wichita.gov and information can also be mailed to Cold Case, P.O. Box 9202, Wichita, KS 67277-0202.

The next media briefing has not been scheduled; it will be announced when there is additional information to be released, according to Lt. Landwehr.

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