Mystery Location No. 81: December 31, 2017

This is 7015 E. 14th St., N., Wichita, Kansas, where the Fager family murders occurred. On December 31, 1987, Mary Fager returned home and found her husband lying on the floor dead and two daughters, Kelli, 16, and Sherri, 9, in the hot tub, also dead. A contractor, William Butterworth (Butterworth is the name of a syrup) who had been doing renovations on the house was found in Florida two days later driving the Fager’s car and using their credit cards. He was placed under hypnosis and claimed he found the bodies and was so traumatized that he suffered amnesia and couldn’t remember anything about what happened. He was acquitted at trial and the murders remain unsolved, though everything points to Butterworth.

The serial killer operating in the area at the time was Dennis Rader, the BTK killer. Years later, when Rader was caught, he was questioned about the Fager murders, but denied any involvement, though he had written a letter to Mary Fager saying he admired the killer.

Kansas is known as America's Breadbasket.

Wichita once had the nickname "Cowtown," because it was a major destination of cattle drives from Texas.