Olathe ? The Wichita police detective leading the investigation of the BTK serial killer helped suburban Kansas City authorities a decade and a half ago investigate a man who was convicted of killing three young women whose bodies have never been found.

Richard Grissom Jr. became a suspect in 1989 after the disappearance of Joan Butler, who lived in Overland Park, and roommates Christine Rusch and Theresa Brown of Lenexa. Grissom was also a suspect at Wichita in the death of Terri Maness several weeks before the Johnson County women disappeared.

Wichita Police Lt. Ken Landwehr worked with detectives from Lenexa and Overland Park, and Johnson County prosecutors, to help them build the case that led to Grissom’s conviction and imprisonment for the murders of the three women. Nobody was ever charged in the Wichita murder.

Those who worked with Landwehr have high praise for him, with Dist. Atty. Paul Morrison calling him “one of the finest detectives I’ve ever known.”

“He eats, sleeps and breathes cop work and is relentless,” Morrison said. “He’s also a great guy.”

Morrison said the three lead detectives in the Grissom case, which he prosecuted, were Bill Batt of Overland Park, Pat Hinkle of Lenexa and Landwehr.

Hinkle, now a lieutenant, said Landwehr had a “phenomenal mind” for recalling details off the top of his head, and that without him investigators might not have been able to make the case against Grissom.

“He’s by far the brightest and most competent detective I’ve ever been associated with,” Hinkle said.

Hinkle said Landwehr was responsible for finding a piece of stolen jewelry that Grissom had given to a girlfriend, which he said was a key piece of evidence in the case. Hinkle said that because of Landwehr’s knowledge of how serial killers often work, he told investigators to keep an eye out for gifts that might have been connected to the crimes.

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Morrison said Landwehr gave the Johnson County detectives “a whole lot of insight” into Grissom’s behavior and methods.

Grissom, now 44, was convicted on three counts of first-degree murder in the Johnson County case and will be in prison the rest of his life.