The twisted truth behind a woman’s stalker | Forensic Files

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our website it was getting late on Tuesday October 15 1946 when 16-year-old Ruth's
smok was startled by the sound of a screen door creaking behind her Ruth had recently moved into a
rooming house in Fort Scott Kansas to attend a larger high school that offered more varied classes than the one in her
rural Missouri Hometown living in the city also allowed Ruth to work part-time as a telephone
operator for Southwestern Bell so she could save some money the problem was Ruth lived alone
and she wasn't expecting any visitors that evening a chilling realization quickly
set in she had left the front door unlocked after returning home from the grocery store
earlier an unfamiliar man was now standing in her apartment the man was tall appeared to
be in his 50s and was dressed in dirty bib overalls the kind typically worn by Farmers he greeted Ruth casually saying
hiis before reaching for a w switch and turning off the light moving quickly The Stranger
grabbed Ruth and tore at her clothes she fought back and managed to press her thumbs into his eyes this only
enraged him further I'll fix you so no one will look at you again he threatened shoving a rag
against Ruth's face Ruth felt herself growing dizzy into drowsy her vision blurred the last
thing she saw before her eyes closed completely was the man heeding a flat iron on the kitchen
stove by the time Ruth regained Consciousness it was 7:30 the next morning she was sprawled on the kitchen
floor her clothes torn with cuts and scratches across her legs neck and face these wounds were superficial
unlike the injuries to her thighs both of Ruth's legs bore painful first deegree Burns which had been
branded onto her flesh by the flat iron Ruth stayed silent on the floor until she was sure her attacker was no
longer there she then called her parents who contacted the police they deduced that Ruth's attacker
had soaked the rag he pressed to her face with chloroform a sweet smelling anesthetic before burning her legs while
she lay unconscious although a physician confirmed that Ruth hadn't been raped police were certain the crime was
sexually motivated Ruth was brought to her parents home to recover but later moved
in with a family friend as the thought of staying in her apartment overwhelmed her with such intense dread that it made
her physically ill meanwhile the violent incident made the local newspapers as authorities
worked to identify the man responsible [Music] [Music] by 1977 31 years had passed since Ruth smok
was attacked 47-year-old Ruth now went by the last name Finley after marrying her
high school sweetheart 49-year-old Ed the Finley lived in a modest singl story woodframe house on a dead end Street in
witchar Kansas 150 Mi west of Fort Scott one warm June afternoon Ed was taking a break from building a patio in
the backyard when he suddenly collapsed Ruth frantically called for an ambulance and Ed was rushed to the
hospital where he regained Consciousness in the emergency department it was initially thought that Ed had
suffered a heart attack due to the strenuous outdoor work but doctors kept him overnight for further tests to make
an official diagnosis in the meantime Ruth returned home alone overwhelmed at the thought of
almost losing her husband she called the couple's two adult sons as well as other family and
friends to update them on his condition as the night wore on Ruth anxiously waited for an update from the
hospital she kept herself occupied with the television and radio but this only made her anxiety
worse a serial killer had been targeting women in Kansas and the media was obsessed with reporting on the lurd
details of his crimes which involved breaking into victim's homes and committing gruesome acts of sexualized
violence being home alone at night did little to calm Ruth's nerves every Creek and crack she heard only
heightened her unease then at around 10:30 p.m. the phone rang when Ruth answered a male voice on
the other line asked is this Ruth smok from Fort Scott Kansas the question struck her as odd
Ruth had been married since 1950 and few people in her life knew her maiden name
the only connection she still had to her past in Fort Scott was her ongoing employment with Southwestern Bell though
she now worked as a secretary in the company's witchar office assuming the caller was an old
acquaintance Ruth confirmed her identity the man began asking about her past specifically the rooming house she
had lived in when she was 16 he then asked cryptically do you still wear your Brands feeling uneasy about his
intrusive questions Ruth cautiously gave a vague answers this irritated the caller who
snapped look I know all about that night confused Ruth replied I don't know what you're talking
about the man then read out what sounded like a newspaper paper article branded on both thighs by a hot
flat iron Ruth smok 16-year-old Fort Scott high school girl was resting today at the home of her parents following an
attack upon her early last night by a man police called a sex maniac the caller continued recounting
the violent assault against Ruth from over 30 years earlier while Ruth's physical wounds
from that night had healed the case had never been solved she had pushed the terrifying
experience to the back of her mind choosing to move forward with her life it wasn't something she discussed with
anyone not even her sons knew about it the caller explained that he worked for a construction company and had
recently discovered a stack of old newspapers while demolishing a building in Fort
Scott he claimed he'd found embarrassing story about three people and planned to
call them all starting with Ruth the caller told Ruth he knew where she lived and worked and threatened to
leave a copy of the article about her attack where everyone in her life could see
it however he said he'd reconsider if Ruth sent him money at that point Ruth hung up the
phone the the strange call left Ruth shaken not only did it force her to confront a part of her past she had long
since buried she feared the man trying to extort her might show up at her house to confront her in
person yet the night passed without incident and the next morning Ruth visited her husband in the
hospital by then Ed's sudden collapse had been linked to an untreated injury from a car accident the previous year
although Ruth was relieved to learn that Ed's heart was healthy he remained in the hospital for several more days to
recover meanwhile Ruth nervously waited to see if the exd daughter would contact
her again but he didn't by the time Ed returned home life for the Finley returned to
normal Ruth didn't tell Ed about the caller choosing to act as though nothing had ever happened
less than a month later in early July Ruth was sitting in her office at Southwestern Bell going through her
Daily Mail when she came across a peculiar brown envelope her name was written on it in
childlike handwriting but there was no address Ruth realized the envelope must have been hand delivered as there was no
way it could have made it to her through the postal system without an address printed on
it inside was a y bowed newspaper clipping from the Fort Scott Tribune it was the same article
detailing the 1946 attack on teenage Ruth that the anonymous caller had read to her weeks
before startled Ruth tore up the article and threw it in the trash Ruth's parents had raised her to
be self-reliant instilling in her the belief that emotions should be repressed and personal problems handled privately
as a result Ruth chose not to tell Ed about the harassment over the following months the
man called the Finley home six more times as soon as Ruth recognized his voice she hung up
immediately occasionally Ed answered the phone only to hear a dial tone he assumed there were being pranked
by mischievous children Ruth kept the truth Secret along with the fact that her chronic
headaches were getting worse she just hoped The Stranger would leave her alone once he realized she
wasn't willing to engage with [Music] him by August two months had passed since the anonymous caller first
contacted Ruth she was walking the streets of downtown witchar after finishing work for the day waiting for
Ed's shift to end so they could carpool home together as she crossed the road at the corner of
Broadway and Douglas a male voice suddenly said you've done a good job at work this
week you can take the weekend off Ruth realized the comment was directed at her it had come from a
stranger who was walking alongside her he was tall lean and appeared to be in his late 40s with brown eyes and black
hair that was beginning to gray he seemed innocuous dressed in jeans a plaid shirt and white tennis
shoes the man tried to engage Ruth in small talk but she wasn't interested and barely acknowledged him undeterred he
kept pace his questions growing more pointed you work for the telephone company don't
you despite Ruth's clear disinterest he pressed on what do you do there are you an
operator Ruth remained silent as the man rambled on about his love of gambling in
Las Vegas even inviting her to join him for a trip there sometime he then began talking about his
interest in photography annoyed Ruth turned her attention to the nearby shop Windows
hoping the man would take the hint and leave her alone when it became clear that he
wasn't getting the message Ruth finally said she was waiting for her husband the man then asked are you still
married fed up Ruth said nothing the man's friendly demeanor abruptly changed he leaned in close and
said menacingly I like your face I'll see you again you can count on that some people's fan IES or other people's
nightmares with that he stormed off Ruth met up with Ed shortly afterward and told him about the
unsettling encounter despite his wife son e Ed assumed the man had been flirting with
her and had reacted poorly to her rejection privately Ruth couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that he might have
been the same man who had beeny trying to blackmail her but as the months passed the
troubling calls stopped and the Man in the city didn't [Music] reappear nearly a year later in July
1978 Ruth was walking the streets of witchar during her lunch break when a hand suddenly shot out from an Alleyway
and gripped her wrist tightly she turned to find the man who had accosted her 11 months earlier
frightened she broke free and sprinted across the street as the man yelled Ruth get back here you stupid [ __ ] and talk
to me Ruth darted into a nearby department store rushed into an elevator and frantically pressed the button for the
fifth floor when the doors reopened she hurried out and concealed herself among the shop displays hoping the man
wouldn't find her As Time passed Ruth's nerves began to settle eventually she left the store and
made her way to a pay phone she called her husband telling him to come and get her right
away when Ed arrived Ruth finally broke down and told him everything about the harassment she'd endured over the past
year Ed was shocked and upset to learn what his wife had been dealing with in silence he drove her to to the police
station to file a report but the officer the Finley spoke to never followed up with them leaving the couple uncertain
as to whether their case had been investigated or brushed aside months later Ruth was at home when
the mail arrived an envelope addressed to her in large black block letters caught her
attention inside was a single sheet of lined paper it featured the same childlike
handwriting that had been on the envelope she received the previous year that had contained the newspaper article
about her 1946 attack scrolled at the top of the page was the line [ __ ] You [ __ ] the Police [ __ ] the
telephone company the rest of the letters contents were a rambling mess filled with poor
spelling grammar and punctuation yet scattered throughout were several complex words that seemed
oddly out of place in essence the writer demanded money from Ruth and threatened to hurt
her if she didn't comply Ruth showed the letter to her husband and they took it to the witchar
police department headquarters Ruth was certain that she had no connection to her harasser she
was well-liked with no known enemies and couldn't think of a single person who would Target her so
maliciously the finleys were introduced to the seasoned detectives of the major crimes
division Ruth and Ed were surprised that their case had been escalated to such an
elite unit they would soon learn the troubling reason why witcha had spent the last three
years gripped by fear it had never felt before the city's first known serial killer had
claimed the lives of seven victims including four members of the same family the killer had adopted the Monica
BTK Strangler which was short for bind torture kill a reflection of his sadistic method of
attack his crimes made headlines and were a Hot Topic among locals who lived in a state of Perpetual Terror
uncertainty and suspicion by late 1978 police had no substantial leads on who the BTK Strangler was only
vague witness descriptions and a series of graphic taunting letters that he'd sent to authorities and metor
outlets in them the BTK Strangler detailed his crimes and sometimes included disturbing cryptic
poems most were handwritten in distinct blocky handwriting when witch's Major Crimes division
learned of Ruth Finley's case they noted troubling similarities to btk's emmo but
there were enough differences to prevent an unequivocal connection since Ruth didn't appear to
be in immediate life-threatening danger her case was relegated to the bottom of the pile of leads the division was
sorting through in the larger investigation a week later Ruth received another letter
filled with similar writing errors to the previous one this long-winded note demanded that Ruth leave $100 under a
seat in Ed's pickup truck and park it in a location where the cash could be collected the author made it clear that
they knew Ruth had Enlisted the help of her husband her colleagues at Southwest and bell and even the police
warning I can tell if anybody is watching me don't be a dumb [ __ ] again and blow this I will have to see you
soon if you do the letter ended with a poem wherever you go on water or land you still got to pay or I'll tell about
your brand I am smart and know things to do you talk to people I despise like police lieutenant and telly
spies Ruth took the letter to the police and soon more arrived each more erratic
elgible and profane than the last the writing featured near incomprehensible abbreviations and was
sometimes panned upside down backwards or scribbled in circles at the corners of the
page the police struggled to make sense of them Ruth took it upon herself to type
out the content of each letter in an effort to clarify and decode them though poorly written the letters
contained sophisticated words like prominis constantan and jactitation suggesting that the author
was more intelligent than they were letting on Ruth had to look up these words in
the dictionary to understand their meaning she also discovered that some of the Letter's elaborate terms like SED
and psychos theia were entirely made up the author remained fascinated by Ruth's past and frequently mentioned
wanting to see her Brands a reference to the burns she had sustained in her teens she passed her research on to the
police who were grateful for her help but still didn't treat the situation with urgency at the same time the troubling
phone calls resumed if Ruth answered the Man simply said Ruth before hanging up if Ed
answered the caller immediately hung up one day Ed decided to stay on the line and wait to see what happened
several minutes of silence passed before Ed was startled by a whistling sound blowing down the
line who is this he demanded an unfamiliar voice finally spoke up this is the damnedest thing I was
walking by this phone here at the post office downtown and it's just hanging off the hook who are
you it was a bust whoever had made the call had fled the area by October 1978 the call stopped
the Finley were relieved thinking the man had finally given up and moved on marking the end of their 16-month ordeal
it was cold and wet in witchar on the afternoon of Tuesday November 21 1978 when Ruth Finley stepped out on her
lunch break to run a few errands after picking up a birthday card for a friend she crossed North Market
Street and was struck by an unnerving feeling that she was being followed she turned around but no one
was there Ruth continued on her way when all of a sudden an old blue green 196 before
Chevrolet Belair pulled up to the curb blocking her path A man jumped out of the vehicle and
demanded have you got my money it was the man Ruth had encountered twice before this time
wearing a denim jacket over a sweater and black framed glasses he demanded that Ruth get into
his car but she froze in fear unable to move or speak the man kicked Ruth hard in the
shin causing her to double over in pain he then forced her into the back seat of
the Bair and climbed in beside her a second man sat behind the wheel he hit the accelerator and the car
shot forward the car had seen better days the tattered back seat was cluttered with
the junk that Ruth assumed had come from a Farm gas cans chunks of concrete chains and rags
the left rear window was taped with plastic the passenger door was bashed in and the dashboard was patched with white
tape as they drove along the two men talked incessantly taking long swigs from a bottle wrapped in brown paper
that they passed between them Ruth strained to catch as much of their conversation as she could she
deduced that the driver was called buddy but she didn't catch the name of the man
who'd grabbed her the man soon turned his attention back to Ruth and demanded she give him her
purse Ruth handed it over and the man rummaged through it before announcing gleefully we've struck it
rich but his mood soured when he found a business card for one of the detectives
working on her case he showed it to Buddy and the two men exchanged a volley of angry
profanities without warning the man struck Ruth in the side of the face with a chunk of concrete barking you damn
stupid [ __ ] Ruth sat back dazed and silent while buddy drove aimlessly through the
city she occasionally caught glimpses of her cap door wielding a switchblade thoughts of Escape crossed
her mind but the door handle next to her was broken and she wasn't sure she'd survive if she jumped from the speeding
car her purse had been returned and inside it was a can of ma but she couldn't figure out how to retrieve it without
the men noticing at one point Ruth overheard buddy ominously say wait until dark her anxiety sparked when he pulled
into the parking lot of the Twin Lakes Shopping Center the other man muttered we'll get
rid of her but not here meanwhile back at Southwestern Bell Ruth's colleagues noticed that she
hadn't returned from lunch calls were made to Ed Finley and then to the police but without anyone
knowing Ruth's exact location her situation grew dire hours passed and the sunset as
Ruth's captors continued driving her around the town all the while Ruth despaired over
what might be in store for her at one point the man in the back seat sneered do you like beer we'll get some
beer and have a party I'll be real nice to you by the fourth hour of her ordeal Ruth Finally Found the courage to speak
up telling the men that she needed to use the restroom they laughed at her so Ruth
forced herself to gag explaining that she would throw up if she didn't get to a toilet although they seemed dubious
buddy pulled up at a small park near West 21st Street and Selena close to the little Arkansas
River to prevent Ruth from fleeing the men ordered that she hand over her coat and
shoes Ruth's captor got out of the car and dragged her by the arm into the park remarking I'll watch you and you'll
watch me doesn't that sound like fun as they walked Ruth discreetly tucked her hand into her purse gripping
the can of Mace when they reached a small Lake The Man released his hold on Ruth so that he
could urinate first as he unzipped his pants Ruth grabbed the mace and sprayed it at
him the man collapsed in a coughing fit giving Ruth the opportunity to flee be their foot she darted across the
muddy ground slid down an embankment and crouched behind a large Bush she heard the man yell you'll
freeze if we leave you here come and get your shoes and your coat and we won't bother you
anymore Ruth remained silent her body shivering and her feet numb from the cold she stayed hidden in the dark until
the man stopped shouting and she sensed he had gone Ruth crept out from behind the bush and
climbed back up the small rise scanning the area for the B air it was nowhere to be
seen she quickly left the park and ran to a liquor store across the road yelling someone's after
me the store clerk immediately called the police who arrived to collect Ruth and take her to the station where she
was reunited with her husband dad Ruth learned that her abductors had stolen her $315 paycheck a $100 US
savings bonds and a few other random items including some stationer police examined the park where
Ruth had been taken they found her shoes and coat near the embankment she had fled down along with Footprints showing
her Escape Route however the asants had left behind no other Clues a localized check on every model of
Chevrolet that matched Ruth's description was conducted with each vehicle tracked down and ruled
out detectives also Revisited the 1946 attack on Ruth traveling to Fort Scott to search for
leads in the meantime Ruth continued to receive long rambling letters from her Tormentor in one he enclosed the
stationer that was stolen from her purse confirming that the letter writer and the abductor were one and the
same in another letter he accused Ruth of deliberately confusing him he claimed to have mistaken Ruth's sister Jean for
her a common mistake as the Two Sisters looked alike Jean was rattled when she learned
that the man had been mistakenly stalking her as well Ruth tried to reassure her saying he doesn't want you
he wants me Ruth was in a state of despair her headaches were now a daily occurrence
and accompanied by crippling abdominal pain things worsened when the man began leaving letters about Ruth throughout
witchar and writing to the local papers this thrust Ruth into the spotlight and made the otherwise private
and reserved woman the subject object of local gossip the man claimed he was a poet
though people didn't know it this along with his habit for Penning violent and sexual Rhymes led to him
being referred to as the poet sometimes his poems were long and elaborate other times they were short
and simple resembling children's Rhymes in his writings he called Ruth a [ __ ] an accusation that seemed
completely unfounded detectives spoke at length with Ruth and concluded that she was a
kind upstanding churchgoing woman who was fiercely devoted to her husband this wasn't a case of a married
woman living a secret double life they could tell Ruth's fear was genuine and that she truly had no idea
who the poet was or why she was being targeted despite this the poet continued to apply a personal connection between
them writing you know in your [ __ ] up mind you are going to die you don't know when
but you do know why in a letter to local newspaper the eagle Beacon the poet gloated about his
anonymity good or evil my secret shall not be known I unnoticed go my way I may just Prosper for one day
he also scolded the publication for mentioning both him and the BTK Strangler in the same article warning
them not to confuse the executioners again I am not dangerous he claimed just to those who are too dumb to do what
they are told he even sent a letter to a detective overseeing Ruth's case accusing him of protecting a quote [ __ ]
from death in an effort to generate more leads the detective appeared on a live radio talk
show and described Ruth's ordeal in detail during the broadcast Ruth listened closely to each incoming call
to the radio station but none of the callers sounded like her stalker each night while Ruth slept Ed
kept watch over the house hiding in the bushes armed with a 12 gauge shotgun and
a revolver the Finley continued to receive letters sporadically into 1979 sometimes as many as two at a time
they tried to maintain a sense of normaly in their lives even preparing for their annual trip to a Ranch Resort
in western Colorado on Monday August 13 while Ruth was packing for the trip she realized
she needed a new pair of jeans putting her fears aside she drove to Town East Mall and bought what she
needed by the time she finished shopping it was late and the sun was setting as she walked back to her car
Ruth was struck by the unsettling Sensation that someone was following her however each time she turned around
the parking lot seemed deserted with no one Insight nervous Ruth hurried toward her
car when a familiar voice called out hey Ruth I didn't know you were going to make this so
easy Ruth broke into a Sprint she reached her car and jammed a key into the door but it wouldn't open she had
used the wrong key a gloved hand appeared from behind her and grabbed her WR it was the same
man who had abducted her the year before he pushed Ruth's head against the car and ordered her to get in tossing a
brown paper shopping bag through the partially open rear window we'll go to a nice little place
where it says keep out he said Ruth pushed the man away and tried to run but within seconds he pulled an 8
in boning knife from his pocket and stabbed her twice in the back and once in the
S fueled by adrenaline and a desperation Ruth scrambled into her car the man reached through the open
driver side window but she managed to wind it up quickly trapping his hand for a moment before he
withdrew Ruth started the engine and sped off the boning knife still lodged in her
sight blood soaked into the car seat as she fought back tears her body racked with
pain she pulled into a gas station and called the police from a p phone they urged her to stay Port but
terrified that the man might be following her Ruth got back into her car and drove
home by the time she arrived her vision blurred and she was on the verge of passing
out Ed rushed to Ruth the moment she pulled up he gently moved her into the passenger seat and drove to the hospital
while Ruth drifted in and out of consciousness [Music] the doctors concluded that Ruth had been
incredibly lucky if the knife had been a fraction of an inch deeper her kidney would have been punctured and she would
have died the paper bag her attacker threw into her back seat painted a harrowing
image of his intentions it contained clothesline rope white tape a red bandana and a half
empty bottle of wine after a successful surgery and 9 days of recovery under 24-hour police
protection Ruth was cleared to return home before she arrived the police thoroughly examined every inch of the
Finley's house and deemed it safe not long after Ruth was released from hospital a detective arrived at the
Finley's door visibly shaken he explained that he'd received a call from the hospital where Ruth had
been treated a man had shown up asking specifically for her a nurse believed he might have been
Ruth's as salant but by the time authorities arrived he'd already left fearing for her safety police
quietly moved Ruth to a safe location in the days that followed they kept the Finley's house under constant
surveillance but the man didn't appear news of Ruth's stabbing made headlines across witchard with composite
sketches of the offender widely circulated and a $3,000 reward offered for information leading to his
capture at one point the poet case generated more tips than the higher profile BTK Strangler
investigation detectives began looking into individuals with criminal backgrounds that matched the poet's
Behavior they showed Ruth photos of potential suspects but she ruled each of them out
at one stage the investigation turned toward the Finley themselves Ed was questioned thoroughly
but he assured the police that he would never hurt his wife the FBI compared his handwriting
with that of the poet and determined it wasn't a match additionally a medical report
ruled out the possibility that Ruth could have inflicted the stab wounds to herself at such an angle and with such
Force an independent doctor reached the same conclusion for a while Ruth was closely
monitored by eight plain clothes police officers as she went about her daily activities outside the
home on some occasions a detective hit out of sight in the back of her car armed with a
shotgun others patrolled the city in unmarked police cars or went undercover spending weeks lurking through witcha
keeping an eye out for the poet but he managed to elude them in an attempt to lure him out Ed
Finley posted a coded message in the classified section of the eagle Beacon the ad
read poet tell me what I owe you it was signed with Ruth's initials rsf to Ed surprise the poet seemingly
responded to rsf the price of my service to stay alive can now be settled at five the cryptic nature of the message
left Ed and the police baffled the poet continued to communicate to them through the
newspaper though his messages offered no new or helpful [Music] information as time wore on Ruth's fear
gave way to profound depression she felt utterly helpless resigned to the belief that the poet
would eventually get her the sense of dread grew when the Finley found another letter from the
poet wedged in the slats of their front porch marking the first time he'd personally delivered a letter to their
home at night they began hearing strange noises coming from their garage leading
them to believe someone was lurking there then on Christmas Eve of 1979 their phone lines were
cut Ruth agreed to undergo hypnosis in an attempt to uncover any suppressed memories of her abduction and
stabbing in the first session she quickly slipped into a trance and recounted the events in Vivid detail
even shouting I want out of the car as she relived the abduction however no new insights
emerged from this first session during her second session a few days later Ruth recalled that her
attacker had mentioned something about a bridge over a river near the Airfield east of
town detectives followed this fresh lead and eventually located a bridge matching
Ruth's description but they couldn't determine its relevance to the case later the poet sent the police
written instructions to meet him at the bridge but he never showed up in another letter he referred to a
box full of things the police would love to find allegedly near a rocky stream officers spent 8 hours digging
along a dry riverbed near the Airfield but found nothing the psychologist who had
hypnotized Ruth suggested that the poet might have received psychological treatment or spent time in a state
Institution he described the attacker as withdrawn seclusive secretive and suspicious after reviewing the poet's
letters the psychologist confirmed that the author was highly intelligent a prominent psycholinguist
created a psychological profile of the poet describing him as severely psychotic schizophrenic pathologically
paranoid and a loner with a deep sense of persecution although he acknowledged that the poet
and the BTK Strangler shared a highly similar style and pathology he didn't believe they were the same
person while the investigation kept stalling the letters to Ruth continued to arrive one
read you'll not go directly to your tomb your mind must give thought there will be Gloom your face no more will anyone
meet at home day or night or in the street your mind is beaten dark forever more hid all because of what you did
this game is fun to plan and plot but can you stop me no you [Music] cannot the poet remained active into
1980 and a new officer in command was assigned to oversee the case the poet mocked him in a letter
writing there once was a captain who had an [ __ ] for a heart the Finley's house gate was rigged
with an alarm and the police hit a surveillance camera in a birdhouse in the backyard the wires snaked through a
garden hose leading to a monitor on the Finley's dining table producing a live feed police officers worked Round the
Clock to monitor the feed 24/7 but eventually the poet managed to inconspicuously cut the garden
hose in January Ruth received a call at work I have a surprise for you in the lobby the poet said before abruptly
hanging up Ruth immediately contacted the police who arrived to find a 12-in butcher
knife wrapped in a red bandana in the Lobby's phone booth two witnesses reported seeing a
man matching the poet's description near the booth but he had left by the time authorities
arrived 2 Days Later Ruth received another chilling poem shut your eyes and think of the
12-in blade will you remember the hole It Made dream of me and obey my commands think of me with a knife in my
hands in February the poet sent Ruth a strip of red bandana tied with twine accompanied by a letter that
read Here's to You tender Valentine read with blood and tied with twine nothing too much for a valentine gone from here
by whim of Mind by this point the Finley's entire life was consumed by the poet much of
their day was spent examining their home for letters attempting to decode his latest ramblings speaking speaking with
the police and worrying about his next move they barely slept with Ed reaching for his gun at every Creek in the
night the poet went to Great Lengths to upend every facet of Ruth's life he sent
a letter to a local florist instructing them to deliver a single black flower to
her he wrote to Ruth's Bank demanding the transfer of all her funds he contacted the Kansas dep
Department of Motor Vehicles falsely claiming that Ruth had been driving recklessly and urging them to revoke her
driver's license utility providers received a letters requesting that the Finley
household's gas and electricity be shut off a locksmith was asked to create a new set of keys for their home while a
construction company was instructed to dump am Mount of dirt in their driveway a towing company was told to
collect the Finley's vehicles and the Health Department was falsely informed that Ruth was spreading venial
diseases the most chilling correspondence was sent to a local Mory warning them that Ruth would soon be in
need of their services detectives compared the poet's handwriting to samples from a wide range
of sources but no match was found the letters underwent extensive analysis focusing on word choice
phrasing and writing patterns but these efforts also yielded no results Chemical Testing for
fingerprints or saliva on the envelopes came up inconclusive at one stage the police
received a call from someone claiming to be buddy one of the men who had abducted
Ruth back in November 1978 the men promised to call back but never followed through numerous hoaxes and mentally ill
individuals also claimed to be the poet further complicating the investigation in early June 1980 the
first letter from the poet arrived that wasn't postmarked from witchar but from Oklahoma City 160 Mi to the
South around the same time police received an anonymous tip saying that a man resembling the poet was living in a
trailer west of the city having been fired from his job 7 months earlier detectives looked into his
psychological profile which appeared to match the poets hopeful that they finally had a
promising lead they organized for Ruth Finley to view the man in a police lineup she determined that he was not
her stalker over a month and a half later the poet escalated once more leaving a
bottle of urine on the Finley's front porch this was just one of many disturbing items he had placed on the
couple's property during his reign of terror among the other objects were an ice pick firecrackers cigarettes hair
matches and trash on several occasions the Finley discovered ingredients for Molotov
cocktails eggs were thrown at their house broken glass was scattered on their front steps and the lock on their
gate was damaged Ed was horrified when he found a bag containing feces the situation reached a horrifying
peak in December 1980 the Finley were watching television in their basement one Sunday night when
they were startled by the sound of glass smashing rushing upstairs they found that the Christmas wreath on their front
door had been set a light the Flames cracking the glass in the door Ed quickly put out the blaze then
grabbed a pair of garden shears and sprinted down the road intent on confronting the poet but he never caught
up with him afterwards the poet sent the couple a chilling poem written in the style of
the famous Christmas classic toward the Night Before Christmas the verses ominously warned of
Ruth's impending death it was the night before Christmas and all through the house Ruth wasn't
stirring you're as quiet as a mouse your stocking was tight around your neck with
care I hoped the lieutenant would not soon be there fearing an attack a detective
spent Christmas Eve at the Finley's home as they hosted a family get together during the night the Finley's
phone lines were cut for a second time without anyone hearing a thing another holiday themed poem alluded to
Ruth's seedy past of sexual impropriety saying once upon the night so dreary premonitions of disaster keep you weary
the [ __ ] bore her guilt in her bed of slime from selling her ass and not charging a dime slept with strangers in
evil bed enraged demon Hunters saw blood was red all [ __ ] should keep their names and faces secret defenseless
instincts released with demonic [ __ ] threats blur Division and suffering in accusers cage umbilical cord connected
by seed in a rage in January 1981 the Finley's phone lines were cut for a third time however
after the poet's previous attack Southwest and Bell had buried the replacement line underground and
installed dummy wires to prevent further sabotage it was only those dummy wires that were
SED in February investigators set a trap for The Poet by fitting Ruth with a bulletproof vest and letting her walk
around downtown witcha accompanied by an undercover detective the poet never appeared but he
wrote a letter after which read I saw her Friday but she was with some other female this confirmed to detectives that
the poet was observing Ruth in real time in March the poet threatened to kill Ruth on St Patrick's Day on April
fo's day he threw pieces of concrete at the Finley's house by this point police had
investigated over 300 individuals amassing 14 large binders of information weeks were spent surveilling
potential leads examining criminal histories and executing search warrants yet all their efforts proved
futile despite the significant time and resources invested the police were left with nothing but the growing pile of
anonymous letters Ruth Finley kept all of the poet's letters stored in a notebook
telling the Press I wonder how long it takes him to write this crap he doesn't do a bad job
job of writing poetry some of them are kind of funny however she admitted that the
contents of some of the letters made her stomach ache particularly the one sent at Christmas which frightened her the
most Ed Finley said of the poet I don't think he's crazy or insane I'm sure he's
a coward he knows what he's doing what the risks are as time dragged on and the poet
remained unidentify ified Ruth's mental and emotional health spiraled she confided in her sister that
she felt as though she were coming out of her body though she struggled to articulate what that
meant Ruth often spent hours staring blankly out of the windows of her home disconnected from the world around
her the constant anxiety and fear left her body aching with persistent cramps and pains which she believed were
physical manifestations of the overwhelming stress she was under Ruth was also plagued by Vivid
nightmares in one she reached the top of a stairwell with the poet close behind her only to find that the door at the
top wouldn't open allowing him to grab her in another she was surrounded by police but couldn't get their attention
as the poet closed in panicking Ruth ran into the street only to be struck by a bus
us there were also moments where Ruth's sense of reality seemed to slip she could be going about her daily routine
when she'd suddenly feel as though the world was spinning out of control after one of these dizzying
episodes she woke up on the bathroom floor disoriented and Confused privately Ruth had reached a
Breaking Point and was planning to take her own life on Wednesday October 1 1981 just over 4
years after Ruth Finley's ordeal began her husband Ed arrived at the witchar police department headquarters with
another letter from the poet this one contained a poem resembling Shirley locks a piece penned
by the still unidentified BTK Strangler in 1978 Ed intended to Simply hand the letter over for the police's records and
return to work but instead he was escorted into an interview room confused and taken off guard Ed was
immediately read his rights he was then questioned about his relationship with Ruth from their first
meeting to the recent attacks after he answered to their questions the detectives delivered a
shocking statement we know who the poet is Ed a few weeks earlier a letter had arrived
from the poet that differed from the others in it he claimed that once he was finished with Ruth Finley he would be
turning his attention to a new Target the wife of witch's chief of police Richard
lanan the letter included personal details about Chief Lan's wife including the make a model of her car and the
route she regularly drove home from the city normally Chief lanan adopted a hands-off approach trusting his officers
to manage their investigations independently however with the poet case now striking close to home he took the
threat personally over the weekend Chief lyion immersed himself in the poet's massive
case File meticulously combing through every little detail but by Sunday evening he was convinced he had solved
the case Chief lanan held a confidential meeting with 16 of his officers who had
worked tirelessly on the PO case over the years many of them had become personally
acquainted with the Finley some even forming close friendships with Ruth and Ed beyond the confines of the
investigation by all accounts the Finley were warm hospitable people who were deeply grateful for the dedication the
police had shown in trying to bring their Tormentor to Justice the only person in the room who
hadn't met the Finley was Chief lanan himself the officers sat in stunned silence as Chief lanan presented his
theory he pointed out that the Finley lived on a quiet Dead End Street yet none of the neighbors or the police
surveillance team had ever cided any one suspicious in the area when the poet struck similarly there were no witnesses
to the times Ruth had been confronted in public despite these incidents occurring
in heavily frequented areas when the police installed the clandestine security camera in the
Finley's backyard the only other people who knew about it were Ruth and dad this raised the question of how the
poet had managed to avoid it entirely moreover the poet struck at the Finley's house when there wasn't a detective
present to guard them how did he always seem to know when the Finley were unprotected whenever the couple went
away for extended periods the poet's Communications in the eagle Beacon's classified section immediately ceased
only to resume once the Finley returned when a new detective took over the case in 1980 he received a taunting
letter from the poet yet the Finley were the only ones who knew about the change
in leadership at the time as for the November 1978 abduction there were inconsistencies in Ruth's
story such as the time the attack took place she also described the backseat of the belir as being filled with random
farmyard junk including gas cans and chunks of concrete but as Chief lanan pointed out
if the car was packed with such items how could two people fit in the back seat Ruth claimed that one of the
captors had chased her through the muddy park yet when police examined the park only one set of footprints were
uncovered ruths Ruth claimed to have been struck in the face with a piece of concrete
during the attack but she had no injuries consistent with such a blow as for the stabbing attack Ruth said she
rolled up her car window after fighting her way into the car yet the door had been locked when she
arrived Chief lanan found it strange that she had left her car locked but with the window down to him nothing
about the case made sense Chief lamion announced to the group The Poet is Ruth Finley
herself the claim flew in the face of everything the case detectives believed as well as the information gathered from
medical personnel and other experts doctors were certain Ruth couldn't have stabbed herself Chief
lanan disagreed he insisted that Ruth had inflicted the wounds on herself and everything else about the situation had
been fabricated he felt the same way about the abduction and all the other acts attributed to the
poet Chief leion sensed the other detectives incredulity and reluctance to accept his
theory what he was suggesting contradicted everything they knew about the Finley Ruth was neither unstable nor
attention seeking she was modest and gentle and her distress seemed undeniably genuine Chief Lund believed he could
view Ruth with suspicion because he'd examined the case File objectively without biases that might come from
knowing her personally Chief lanan proposed 24-hour covert surveillance of the Finley
starting that very night while the other detectives remained uncertain about his assertions
they ultimately agreed to his plan on Thursday September 17 Ruth and dead Finley drove to Eastgate Mall
oblivious to the fact that they were being tailed by an unmarked police car Ed pulled into the malls parking lot
and stopped at a mailbox Ruth got out and deposited several letters before returning to the
vehicle after the Finley drove off officers converged on the mailbox and retrieved five letters that Ruth had
mailed three were identified as personal business or private correspondence one was addressed to a police reporter
at a local television station and the final one was addressed to Ruth herself both of these letters were from
the poet and featured his unmistakable handwriting the one to Ruth was written in the style of the children's poem
Hickory Dickory Doc and referenced her attack in 1946 Hickory Dickory doc the name on
this face is smok heat the iron for the brand cooperate for games planned Hickory Dickory
Dock the next day Ed and Ruth continued with their normal routine then on Saturday Ed drove Ruth to Eastgate Mall
once again this time she deposited four more letters another of which was addressed
to herself from the poet Dark Eyed [ __ ] sat all alone near the river and tied to a stone sink in
the water and in fear call for help and no one's near weep no more the race is run you lost the battle and I have
won a search of Ruth's office at Southwestern Bell uncovered a book of pros and poetry a Swatch of red bandana
and a sheet of carbon paper bearing the poet's handwriting it was not uncommon for the poet to send
an original letter to the Finley and a carbon copy of the same letter to the police for chief Richard lanan these
discoveries Vindicated his controversial belief that Ruth Finley was indeed the poet however the question of what role
if any Ed Finley played in this game lingered when Ed arrived at the witchar police department headquarters on
Wednesday October oober 1 1981 to hand over the Shirley loock style letter from the poet he was led into an interview
room and asked several questions about his wife and their recent experiences afterwards Ed was hit with a
bombshell the detectives knew who the poet was Ed stared at them processing the statement before
responding I hope the hell you do let's go get him then but the detectives had other
plans they showed Ed some photographs the first of which was a candid shot of Ruth as she mailed letters at the
Eastgate Mall the detectives told Ed they'd caught Ruth mailing five letters from
the poet in the past two weeks the poet is Ruth they told him matter of factly Ed seemingly couldn't believe
what he was hearing he repeatedly muttered oh my God as the detectives informed him of all the
evidence they'd uncovered in Ruth's office Ed agreed to take a lie detector test to eliminate himself from the
investigation during the test he firmly denied knowing that Ruth was the poet or
helping her carry out the scheme The Examiner found that Ed was telling the truth and chief lanan
agreed after conducting his extensive research into the case Chief Leman was confident that Ruth had acted
alone a search of the Finley home uncovered another book of poetry more pieces of carbon paper and scraps of red
bandana meanwhile detectives approached Ruth at work and requested she come to the station under the pretense of
looking at mug shots of potential poet suspects Ruth happily agreed read she arrived at the station and
cheerfully greeted officers there asking how they were and flashing her trademark
kind smile she was then led into an interview room the detectives informed Ruth that
they were about to ask her some tough questions starting with the 1946 attack in Fort
Scott as they worked their way up to the stabbing incident of 1976 the detective's tone shifted
because BEC more pointed and accusatory sensing the change in atmosphere Ruth's smile
faded she slumped in her seat her expression turning cold have you ever written any of the
poet's letters the detective asked point blank no sir Ruth replied staunchly the detective pressed
on what if I told you I have evidence that shows you did it's time to come clean Ruth appeared puzzled and
struggled to respond the detectives weren't convinced they asked Ruth do you want to
keep playing your game telling her you got a problem lady Ruth seems confused when did I mail those letters
she asked softly the detectives showed her the photos they took of her at the Eastgate
Mall Ruth shook her head refusing to meet their eyes as tears began to well do you need help the detective
asked gently in a quiet voice Ruth responded Yes Ruth gradually admitted she was
responsible for all of the incidents attributed to the poet except for setting fire to the Christmas wreath on
her front door the abduction in 1978 had never happened either in reality Ruth had taken the bus
to the park where she planted her coat and shoes and staged the scene of her Escape she based the description of her
abductor on an unrelated man who once stopped her on the street as for the stabbing Ruth admitted
that was a lie too but she claimed to have no recollection of it whatsoever when asked why she made the whole thing
up Ruth buried her head in her hands and responded I don't know Ruth claimed she couldn't remember
what was going through her mind when she wrote the letters from the poet regarding the single letter sent
from Oklahoma City she explained that she had mailed it directly to the post office there requesting that they
forward it back to witchar detectives didn't even know such a scenario was possible they remained perplexed as to
why Ruth had gone to such a lengths to manipulate those around her and she seemed equally
puzzled she denied ever wanting the publicity that came with her ordeal and could offer no explanation as to why she
had done it when asked if Ed was involved Ruth firmly replied absolutely not she maintained that he had always
been a good husband and that he' done nothing to influence her behavior detectives worked to uncover
more information about Ruth's scheme but she only gave vague responses in an effort to reassure her
the detectives said there were no hard feelings between them there should be Ruth replied
quietly when asked how she felt Ruth admitted I wish I was dead [Music] a doctor arrived to assess Ruth but he
was unable to provide a clear explanation for her behavior either I guess I am just crazy Ruth told
him sadly she was subsequently admitted to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation where she said she remembered
some flashes of things such as writing a letter while seated next to her washing
machine overall though Ruth could recall very little about her time as the poet regardless she maintained that her
actions hadn't been willful and that something else entirely was at play Ruth was eventually deemed stable
enough to return home though she continued to work with a psychiatrist named Dr Andrew Pickins to better
understand herself and her actions during one of their therapy sessions Ruth broke down in tears as she
grappled with the profound humiliation of her deception being exposed she referred to herself as a bad
person before suddenly composing herself and saying I'm a bad little girl for crying this moment sparked a crucial
conversation with Dr Pickins about the Deep shame Ruth felt whenever she expressed
emotions she traced this shame back to her mother's dismissive attitude toward her feelings during
childhood Ruth had initially described her mother with reverence remembering her as strong confident and Flawless an
ideal she admired and sought to emulate but as Dr Pickins gently guided Ruth through her feelings it became
clear that she held conflicting emotions Ruth had been told she was an unplanned pregnancy one that led to a
difficult birth that traumatized her her mother who then developed a drinking problem her parents also expressed the
disappointment that she hadn't been born a boy and Ruth felt her mother favored her
sister sex was a forbidden Topic in the smok household and whenever Ruth expressed curiosity her staunchly
religious mother would snap why do you have to talk this filth when speaking with Dr Pickins Ruth
often apologized for any negative comments about her mother before recounting more positive
memories during a therapy session Ruth recalled an uncomfortable childhood memory of sitting naked on someone's lap
she couldn't remember who it was but the thought made her feel terrible she broke into tears before
quickly dismissing the memory saying it's not right to cry it took time for Ruth to open up
about her negative feelings toward crying and expressing emotions she eventually admitted that as
a child she was very clingy and emotional which she believed embarrassed her mother Dr Pickins understood that
clinging in children often stems from overprotective parenting or from feeling rejected by
caregivers in Ruth's case he believed her mother fell into the latter category whenever Ruth cried her mother
mother scolded her saying it made her look ugly Ruth recalled how her mother displayed an unflattering photo of a
child screaming in a picture frame at home claiming it was a picture of Ruth herself what a big crybaby you are her
mother would say Ruth later realized the photo wasn't of her at all but her random child
clipped from a magazine Ruth also remembered an incident from her her childhood where a
man took her into a room and tied her to a bed though she couldn't remember what
happened next she vividly recalled the fear she felt sobbing in the dark until the man untied her and let her
go when Ruth later told her parents about the ordeal they showed no concern and were instead irritated by her
crying when Dr Pickins asked how she felt about this incident as an adult Ruth starkly
replied I don't have any feelings about it but as therapy progressed Ruth began to express anger at her parents lack of
care that poor little girl she said aloud why didn't her parents do something yet she quickly blamed herself
saying her parents were right and that she shouldn't have cried it was determined that Ruth had
used repr depression since childhood to bury what she had been taught were unacceptable feelings hiding her true
emotions and needs behind a mask of being agreeable over time Ruth unlocked more
repressed memories until she came to the painful realization that she had been the victim of severe childhood sexual
abuse the perpetrator was an adult neighbor with most of the abuse taking place in a barn near her family's
Farm during each attack Ruth was filled with fear and often cried which angered her abuser he threatened to put her in a
sack and throw her into a river if she told anyone terrified Ruth stayed silent when her parents noticed her
distress they called her a crybaby instead of offering support or trying to understand the cause
Ruth blocked out these painful memories only confronting them years later in therapy at the time recovered memory
therapy was a popular form of psychotherapy it is worth noting however that it has since been widely
discredited and its legitimacy remains Up For Debate among clinical and legal professionals recovered memory therapy
is no longer recommended by professional mental health associations as evidence has shown it can result in patients
developing false memories Ruth told Dr Pickins that during the abuse she would Envision a
beautiful young girl like a guardian angel who distracted and comforted her Dr Pickins believed this was an
early sign of Ruth disassociating from reality during trauma he also believed that the poet
was another psychological manifestation born from trauma the poet first appeared the n of
Ed Finley's suspected heart attack in 1977 the presence of the BTK Strangler in witchar at the time likely
contributed as his crimes resembled Ruth's childhood abuse like the guardian angel from her
childhood the poet felt very real to Ruth however unlike the angel he appeared as a figure to punish her
embodying her repressed guilt and anger elements TI to the poet such as the red bandana chunks of concrete and
the bridge over the river were connected to the man who had abused her one of the earliest memories Ruth
could recall hinted at why her Punisher took on the identity of a poet one day while flipping through a
cherished book of children's poems something strange happened the familiar Rhymes Like Hickory Dickory Doc and Mary
had a little lamb were replaced by dark unsettling verses that told Ruth she was
a bad little girl the poems frightened her so deeply that she hid the book away and never
opened it again Ruth was ultimately diagnosed with a typical impulse disorder with the
disassociative and depressive features a condition marked by sudden temporary changes in Consciousness Identity or
motor Behavior this can cause memory loss confusion about one's identity or a distorted sense of
reality in hindsight the connection between the poet and Ruth was clear one letter
stated a [ __ ] up childhood causes anger and hate while another described two fiends housed in a throbbing head
one with fumbling and weaken grasp winning one tighten to the ropes strangling clasp
the poet also wrote that it felt like people were exploding to get out of his head in another letter he
asserted dear Ruth the game is over the players are dead I can play any part coming out of my head blunder on and win
the fight stealthily unquestioned day or [Music] night Ruth claimed to remember nothing
about the stabbing incident at Town East Mall as part of her recovery she returned to the scene and envisioned
snakes ring on the parking lot ground over time through therapy her memories of that day became
clearer she recalled hearing the words you have to do it as she looked down at a knife in her hands before stabbing
herself Ruth accepted that the acts she had attributed to the poet were either fabricated or committed by
her however her unreliable memories left many questions about what was real she maintained that the 1946 attack
in her Fort Scott apartment had happened and that the burns on her thighs were caused by an intruder though some
questioned the truth of these claims despite the uncertainty the realization that she and the poet were
the same person brought the sense of wholeness still she feared he might resurface and take control again if she
experienced further trauma the poet's dark verses continued to surface in Ruth's mind though they
now focused on her unloving mother and childhood abuse Ruth would sit at her table
letting the words flow onto paper without consciously thinking about them sometimes these poems exceeded
2,000 words she brought them to therapy reading them aloud and discovering their
content for the first time this process provided insight into how she had written as the poet without
remembering it at first the poems were incredibly dark and self-critical a little girl alone in
tears the worst person born in years I don't have a mother I I am not born no one upset and she's not
forlorn in time however the poems began to reflect feelings of self forgiveness and a Readiness to
heal one read a child was born but was not anywhere she wanted you to find her she
was so sad she wished you would not think of her as bad she searched for you but then she knew knew her childish ways
it was time she outgrew but just the same I dread the day when I remain and you Fade
Away in total the witchar police had spent over $370,000 investigating the poet the
equivalent of over a million dollar today after reviewing Ruth Finley's psychiatric reports authorities found no
evidence of malicious intent and concluded that she wasn't a threat to the community only to
herself prosecutors decided not to press charges after 6 years of therapy Ruth worked to repair her reputation in
witchar outraged locals misunderstood the context believing she had acted intentionally Ruth was initially
reluctant to speak publicly about her childhood trauma but read to a televised interview for the local news accompanied
by her therapist Dr Andrew Pickins in the interview Dr Pickins expressed his belief that the poet no
longer existed a sentiment Ruth shared following the broadcast Ruth received overwhelming
support it inspired many people to share their own stories of childhood abuse for
the first time Ruth publicly thanked every one who had helped her during the four years she
had been taunted by the poet including the doctors and nurses who treated her and her family who continued to stand by
her she expressed immense gratitude to the officers of the witchar police department
saying in the end they saved me from either a mental breakdown or my own self-destruction Ruth later shared her
experience with author Jean Stone who released an depth book on the case titled little girl fly away with
additional input from Dr Pickins in 20124 a film based on Ruth's story The Killer Inside the Ruth Finley
story was released Ed Finley remained unwaveringly supportive of his wife even after
learning the truth they went on to live a stable and happy life together Ruth Finley dedicated her life
to advocating for mental health awareness and encouraging others to seek therapy she also learned to write
Braille and volunteered for the Braille Association of Kansas manually transcribing textbooks for people with
vision impairments a lover of needle work and knitting she donated handmade hats and
scarves to US troops in Afghanistan Ruth passed away in May 2019 at the age of 89
during her final therapy session with Dr Andrew Pickins Ruth read a poem she'd written for the
occasion thank you for helping me see as a goal having the little girl melted into me and being
whole I can't be rescued except in my mind but that's only possible because you have been so
kind my heart feels it might break on this sad day as I leave here and you go away but my heart is also happy inside
that I gained my freedom and also some pride in my mind when the need may arise I'll be with you and I'll shut my eyes
in my heart your spot will always be there close to a little girl who felt you did
care after that Ruth never wrote another poem again [Music] [Music]

In the late 1970s, Wichita secretary Ruth Finley began to receive cryptic letters and chilling threats from a mysterious figure known only as ‘The Poet.’ For years, The Poet tormented Ruth and her husband, Ed, leaving them in a constant state of confusion and fear. Despite relentless efforts from the police, The Poet continued to evade detection. But as the investigation unfolded, the truth that emerged left everyone questioning what was real.

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Milly Raso Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn Audio editing – Anthony Telfer

SOCIAL LINKS

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources, please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-308-ruth-finley

Brief Summary

Ruth Finley's traumatic past leads to a fabricated stalker, revealing deep psychological struggles and the impact of childhood abuse.

Key points

Ruth's Attack. In 1946, 16-year-old Ruth was brutally attacked in her apartment.
The Mysterious Caller. Decades later, Ruth receives a call from someone who knows her dark past.
The BTK Strangler. Ruth learns about the serial killer terrorizing her city, raising her fears.
Ruth's Escape Attempt. Ruth seizes a moment to spray mace at her captor and flee.
The Poet's Chilling Letters. Ruth receives disturbing letters from her tormentor, revealing his obsession.
A Disturbing Christmas Eve. The Finleys face a terrifying attack when their front door is set ablaze.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Look, I know all about that night.

The caller reveals knowledge of Ruth's past attack.

7:18WatchMar 1, 2025

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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