Introducing “The Poet” from The Binge
Summary
Red Handed hosts share an episode of "The Poet," a true crime series investigating Ruth Finley, a Wichita woman stalked by a poet in 1977. The stalker exploits her past trauma, sending threatening poems that escalate from extortion to violence. Police suspect the stalker is the notorious BTK killer due to similar writing styles and modus operandi. The episode details Ruth’s harrowing experience and the police’s struggle to connect the harassment to the serial killer case.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Midas and Sherwin-Williams
Intro: The Poet series and BTK context
The first threatening phone call to Ruth
Host Rachel Brown introduces the investigation
Ruth and Ed Finley's normal life in Wichita
The 1946 assault and branding incident
Public humiliation and family silence
Escalation: Street encounters and stalking
Police dismiss initial reports of harassment
The threatening letter arrives at Ruth's home
Background on the BTK killer's crimes
BTK's return and community fear in 1977
Lt. Drowatsky investigates Ruth's case
Poems escalate and preview of next episode
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