Wichita ? A lieutenant who was the public face of the Wichita police department during several high-profile investigations, including the capture of the BTK serial killer, has retired.

Lt. Ken Landwehr retired Monday after 35 years with the Wichita police force, the last 20 as commander of the homicide unit.

The Wichita Eagle reports Landwehr helped his unit solve most of 600 homicides it investigated. During a ceremony attended hundreds of co-workers and friends, he gave credit to the detectives in the unit.

He was best known for his work on the BTK case and the prosecution of Reginald and Jonathan Carr, who were sentenced to death for killing four people in 2000.

Speakers at his retirement ceremony praised Landwehr as a dedicated, top-flight detective who will be difficult to replace.