A new true crime podcast, The Poet, offers a detailed investigation into one of Wichita’s most perplexing criminal cases.
The six-part series, hosted by award-winning journalist Rachel Browne, explores the decades-old story of Ruth Finley, who became the target of a persistent stalker during the period when the famous BTK killer was active in the city.
In 1977, as fear gripped Wichita due to the BTK serial killer, Ruth began receiving threatening phone calls from someone claiming to know a secret from her past.
The harassment escalated, with disturbing poems delivered to her home, violent attacks, and a lengthy investigation that became one of the most costly and notorious manhunts in Wichita’s history.
As the case unfolded, police were forced to consider whether the person behind the poems and attacks could be BTK himself.
The Poet uses extensive reporting, archival materials, and exclusive interviews to trace the twists and turns of the investigation that captivated the city for years.
Detectives and criminal profilers followed multiple leads, only for the case to take an unexpected turn that challenged everything they thought they knew.
The podcast moves beyond the search for a serial killer, delving into themes of trauma, memory, and the ways the mind seeks to protect itself.
Rachel said: “When I first heard about Ruth Finley’s story, I was struck by the important questions it raises – not only about crime and justice, but about the human mind and the stories we tell ourselves.
“This is a case that kept an entire city on edge and kept investigators on their toes for years. And the deeper we dug, the more complicated and surprising the story became.”
From Sony Music Entertainment, all episodes of The Poet are available now on The Binge, as well as on major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
