Notorious Serial Killer May Be Behind Girl's 1976 Disappearance

A 1976 cold case out of Pawhuska could be connected to one of America's most notorious serial killers, Dennis Rader, also known as BTK.

The Osage County Sheriff believes, without a doubt, he has uncovered who killed 16-year-old Cynthia Kinney.

Cynthia Kinney was last seen at her aunt and uncle's laundromat in downtown Pawhuska. She was a junior in high school. Investigators only found her purse, her pom pom, and a half-eaten doughnut. 

Sheriff Eddie Virden paid the serial killer a visit in prison, asking questions related to the 47-year-old cold case.

"Without prior knowledge of the case, he described this as a fantasy wanting to kidnap a girl from a laundromat." Said Osage County Sheriff Virden.

With that information, Sheriff Virden began to investigate Dennis Rader, also known as the BTK killer for Bind Torture and Kill. 

"We found the book he was creating when he was arrested. In that book, in 1976, he had a project named Bad Wash Day," said Sheriff Virden.

Inside the book, Sheriff Virden says BTK described watching women and girls at a laundromat.

Rader's house was two and a half hours away from Pawhuska, but he came to town for his work as an installer for ADT.

"A lot of the crimes he did, he did on Monday through Friday 8 till noon," said Sheriff Virden. 

Kinney disappeared on the morning of June 23rd.

Investigators initially talked with Rader in February.

By April, they began to search the site of Rader's former home.

"Under the concrete, we discovered pantyhose. That appeared to be very old and used to tie someone up," said Sheriff Virden.

The sheriff says they also found other items now being tested for DNA.

"I met with the family years ago and made her father a promise, we will follow up and lead," said Sheriff Virden.

Rader has not admitted to this crime. The sheriff believes that's because of Oklahoma's death penalty.

Kinney's body has never been recovered.