The Wichita Massacre: Inside the Brutal 2000 Crime Spree That Shocked Kansas | True Crime Documentary
In the quiet town of Wichita, Kansas, a seemingly ordinary December night in 2000 would forever be etched into the community's memory as the beginning of an unprecedented crime spree. Five friends – teachers Jason Befort and Holly, aspiring priest Aaron Sander, financial analyst Brad Heyka, and preschool teacher Heather Mueller – gathered for a cozy evening at a triplex condo on East Birchwood Drive. Their night of companionship and relaxation was violently interrupted when two armed intruders forced their way into the home after 11 PM, holding the group at gunpoint.
This horrific home invasion didn't occur in isolation. Just days earlier, a college baseball player had been robbed at gunpoint and forced to withdraw money from several ATMs before being abandoned in a field. Shortly after, a respected 55-year-old librarian was shot in her vehicle outside her home in what appeared to be an escalating pattern of violence. As investigators would later discover, these seemingly random attacks were connected, forming a chain of increasingly brutal crimes that would culminate in one of the most shocking acts of violence in Kansas history.
Key Takeaways
A group of five friends became victims of an armed home invasion in Wichita during December 2000, marking the escalation of a violent crime spree.
The same perpetrators had previously committed armed robbery and a shooting in separate incidents, showing a pattern of increasing violence.
Law enforcement recognized the dangerous escalation, correctly predicting the criminals would strike again with greater brutality.
Prelude to Tragedy
Holly's Journey to East Birchwood
On December 14th, 2000, 25-year-old schoolteacher Holly traveled through Wichita's snow-covered streets with her Schnauzer, Nikki. She was heading to her boyfriend Jason Befort's triplex condo on East Birchwood Drive, planning to spend the night. Jason, a 26-year-old high school teacher and junior basketball coach, shared the residence with two roommates: Aaron Sander, a 29-year-old aspiring priest, and Brad Heyka, a 27-year-old financial analyst.
Holly had her own key to the residence, allowing her to enter even though Jason wasn't home yet. Inside, she found Aaron and Brad, who warmly welcomed her. Shortly after, 25-year-old preschool teacher Heather Mueller joined the group. Heather and Aaron had previously dated, but their relationship had ended amicably as they pursued different religious vocations—Aaron intended to become a priest while Heather planned to become a nun.
While waiting for Jason to return from coaching basketball at Augusta High School, Holly spent time grading papers in his bedroom. The evening seemed ordinary and peaceful, with nothing indicating the horror that would unfold later that night.
Dinner and Evening Plans
When Jason finally arrived home, the five friends gathered for dinner, looking forward to a cozy night of good food, television, and conversation. As the evening progressed, their plans were simple—enjoy each other's company until it was time for bed. Before retiring, Jason checked that all doors were locked, a routine safety measure that would ultimately prove insufficient.
The sleeping arrangements were decided: Heather would take Jason's room, Aaron would sleep on the living room couch, while Jason, Holly, and Nikki the Schnauzer would share another bedroom. Just as Holly and Jason were getting comfortable, they noticed the porch light suddenly turn on. Jason commented that he would need to turn it off again, but before he could act, they heard what sounded like Aaron speaking to someone at the front door.
Holly glanced at the clock showing it was past 11:00 p.m.—an unusual time for visitors. The muffled voices grew louder, escalating into what sounded like shouting. Without warning, their bedroom door burst open with a loud bang. Two armed men entered—one tall and muscular, the other shorter—forcing Aaron into the room at gunpoint. These intruders were about to subject the five friends to unimaginable violence, continuing a crime spree that had already claimed one life and left a trail of trauma across Wichita.
Tense Moments
An Unexpected Night Visitor
The peaceful evening of December 14, 2000, took a terrifying turn shortly after 11:00 PM. Holly, Jason, Aaron, Brad, and Heather had settled in for the night at the triplex condo on East Birchwood Drive in Wichita. Jason had checked all doors were locked before everyone retired to their sleeping arrangements.
As Holly and Jason lay in bed with her schnauzer Nikki, they noticed the porch light suddenly illuminate. They could hear what sounded like Aaron speaking to someone at the front door. The muffled conversation quickly escalated into shouting.
Without warning, the bedroom door burst open with a loud bang. Two men stood in the doorway—one tall and muscular, the other shorter—both pointing guns at the terrified couple. The first intruder yanked the blankets off while his accomplice forced Aaron into the room at gunpoint.
Realization of Danger
The situation grew increasingly dangerous when Nikki began growling and barking at the intruders. One gunman coldly threatened to shoot the dog unless Holly controlled her. The frightened group had no choice but to reveal that Brad and Heather were also in the apartment.
The armed intruders soon gathered all five friends together—Holly, Jason, Aaron, Brad in his boxer shorts, and Heather. With weapons trained on them, they ordered everyone to remove their clothing, marking the beginning of what would become one of Kansas' most brutal acts of violence.
These intruders weren't random criminals. They had been escalating their criminal activities in the area during the previous week. On December 8th, they had robbed a university baseball player at gunpoint, forcing him to withdraw $800 from various ATMs. Just three days later, they shot 55-year-old librarian Anne Walenta in front of her home, injuries from which she would later die.
Law enforcement had already recognized the pattern of escalating violence. Detective Kevin Brasser had feared the perpetrators would strike again with increasing brutality—a prediction that proved tragically accurate as the night's events at East Birchwood Drive unfolded.
Violent Beginnings
The night of December 14, 2000 began peacefully for five friends gathered in a triplex condo on East Birchwood Drive in Wichita. School teacher Holly, her boyfriend Jason Befort, roommates Aaron Sander and Brad Heyka, along with their friend Heather Mueller, had settled in for a cozy evening together. After dinner and conversation, they prepared for bed, with each person finding their place to sleep for the night.
Initial Confrontation
Shortly after 11:00 PM, the peaceful night was shattered when two armed intruders forced their way into the home. The first indication of trouble came when Holly and Jason heard voices at the front door while lying in bed. Moments later, their bedroom door burst open, revealing a tall man pointing a gun directly at them.
A second, shorter accomplice dragged Aaron into the bedroom at gunpoint. When Holly's dog Nikki began barking at the intruders, one coldly threatened to shoot the animal unless Holly controlled it. Under threat, the captives revealed that Brad and Heather were also in the home, and soon all five friends were gathered in the bedroom at gunpoint.
The assailants immediately established control through intimidation and force. They ordered all five victims to remove their clothing, leaving them vulnerable and terrified as they complied with the demands. This horrifying home invasion would soon become one of Kansas' most brutal crimes.
The Demand for Valuables
The armed intruders ransacked the residence in search of money and valuables. Finding little of immediate value, the taller gunman aggressively demanded information about a safe, convinced the home contained one. In desperation, the captives offered their bank cards, listing the amounts available in their accounts and begging the men to take whatever they wanted.
Financial gain, however, was not the intruders' only objective. They proceeded to separate the victims, forcing Holly and Heather to a wet bar area outside the bedroom where they were made to perform degrading sexual acts. The assailants then attempted to force the male victims to participate in sexual assault, creating a situation of extreme psychological torture.
When Brad and Jason were physically unable to comply with these demands due to fear and revulsion, the attackers grew increasingly agitated. Aaron actively refused to participate in the sexual assault, which resulted in one of the gunmen striking him violently in the head with a weapon. The escalating violence demonstrated that these were the same perpetrators connected to two recent crimes in the area—an ATM robbery on December 8th and the shooting of Anne Walenta on December 11th, who later died from her injuries.
Violence Intensifies
The situation at East Birchwood Drive rapidly deteriorated as the armed intruders took control of the residence. After forcing their victims to undress at gunpoint, the perpetrators moved beyond simple robbery into territory far more sinister. Their actions demonstrated a clear pattern of escalation compared to their previous crimes, showing a disturbing progression of violence.
Deliberate Degradation
The attackers forced Holly and Heather to perform intimate acts on each other at the wet bar area outside the bedroom. This sexual humiliation occurred while the men were held separately at gunpoint. The perpetrators systematically cycled through the male victims, attempting to force participation in sexual assaults. Their methodical approach suggested a calculated effort to dehumanize and control their victims beyond what would be necessary for robbery alone.
Resistance and Repercussions
When Brad was commanded to assault Holly, he was physically unable to comply due to the traumatic circumstances. The gunmen responded with increasing frustration and aggression, quickly substituting Jason in his place. Upon realizing Jason was Holly's boyfriend, the taller attacker prohibited him from the forced act, demonstrating a twisted logic within their brutality. Aaron's direct refusal to participate resulted in immediate physical violence - a pistol-whipping that left him collapsed on the floor. Despite this brutal response, the victims found themselves with no choice but to attempt compliance to preserve their lives.
Events Leading to the Witchita Tragedy
Andrew Shriber's Capture
On December 8, 2000, two armed men approached 23-year-old Andrew Shriber at a convenience store in Witchita. The Witchita State University baseball player was forced into his own vehicle at gunpoint. One assailant rode with him while the second followed in another car.
Andrew was compelled to visit multiple ATMs, withdrawing $800 before his card was declined. After the withdrawals, the perpetrators drove him to a field northeast of town. There, they assaulted him with a pistol, abandoned him, and disabled his vehicle by shooting the tires before fleeing the scene.
Anne Walenta's Violent Encounter
Just three days later, on December 11, the same pair targeted 55-year-old Anne Walenta, a respected librarian and violinist with the Witchita Symphony Orchestra. Around 9:30 PM, as Anne parked outside her East Witchita home, a man approached her SUV requesting assistance.
Suspicious of being followed, Anne only partially opened her window. The man immediately thrust a gun through the opening while a second assailant appeared. When Anne attempted to drive away, one attacker fired multiple shots, hitting her three times through the shattered window.
Despite critical injuries, Anne managed to sound her car horn, alerting neighbors who called emergency services. She provided limited details about her attackers before succumbing to her wounds weeks later.
Investigators, including Kevin Brasser, noted the alarming escalation in violence and predicted further attacks if the perpetrators weren't apprehended quickly. Their concerns proved justified when, while Anne still fought for her life in hospital, the same two men selected their next target at random - a triplex condo on East Birchwood Drive, where five unsuspecting friends would become victims of unimaginable violence.
Police Investigation Concerns
Investigator's Alerts
Law enforcement officials expressed significant concern about the pattern of escalating violence demonstrated by the perpetrators. Detective Kevin Brasser specifically warned that the criminals were showing a dangerous progression in their violent acts. After analyzing the December 8th convenience store robbery and the December 11th shooting, Brasser concluded that without swift apprehension, these individuals would likely continue their crime spree with increasing severity. His assessment proved tragically accurate when the criminals targeted the East Birchwood Drive residence.
The timeline of events revealed a clear and alarming escalation:
December 8: Armed robbery and ATM withdrawals
December 11: Vehicle shooting resulting in critical injuries
December 14: Home invasion with multiple hostages
Brasser's experience with violent crime patterns allowed him to recognize the warning signs that these perpetrators would not stop voluntarily, making their capture an urgent priority for public safety.
Connecting the Incidents
Investigators established several key links between the crimes that occurred in December 2000. The methodology employed by the perpetrators showed notable consistencies across all three incidents:
Tactical approach:
Use of two male assailants working in tandem
One taller, more muscular individual
One shorter accomplice
Weapon deployment:
Firearms as primary intimidation tools
Willingness to discharge weapons when met with resistance
The connection became particularly evident after Anne Walenta provided crucial details about her attackers before succumbing to her injuries. Despite being critically wounded, Walenta managed to describe her assailants to authorities, providing information that matched the description from the December 8th robbery involving Andrew Schreiber. These matching descriptions gave investigators confidence they were pursuing the same individuals across all incidents.
The geographic concentration of the crimes within the Wichita area and the short timeframe between attacks further strengthened investigators' belief that a single pair of perpetrators was responsible for this unprecedented wave of violence.
Epilogue
The December 2000 attacks in Wichita left an indelible mark on the community. Following the violent spree that claimed multiple victims, authorities launched an intensive investigation to identify and apprehend the perpetrators responsible for these horrific crimes.
The case began with the December 8th robbery of Andrew Schreiber, who was forced to withdraw money from ATMs at gunpoint. This initial crime escalated dramatically when Anne Walenta, a 55-year-old librarian and accomplished cellist, was shot in her vehicle on December 11th. Despite her valiant efforts to survive, Anne succumbed to her injuries weeks later.
The violence reached its apex on December 14th, when five friends—Holly, Jason, Aaron, Brad, and Heather—endured unimaginable horror at a triplex condo on East Birchwood Drive. What began as a cozy evening among friends turned into a nightmare when two armed intruders forced their way inside after 11:00 PM.
The perpetrators subjected the victims to extreme humiliation and sexual violence after forcing them to undress at gunpoint. Their sadistic actions demonstrated a level of cruelty that shocked even seasoned investigators. Detective Kevin Brasser had correctly predicted the escalating nature of the crimes, noting that without intervention, the violence would continue to worsen.
The seemingly random selection of the East Birchwood residence indicated the opportunistic nature of the attackers, who had been systematically terrorizing the Wichita area. Each crime showed increasing boldness and brutality, creating a pattern that alarmed law enforcement across Kansas.
