Station Attendant Sedgwick County Genealogy Trails Kansas

An autopsy on murder victim Wayne Platt, who was found shot Thursday morning in the men's room of an east Wichita service station, revealed only one bullet was fired in the killing.

Platt, 58, of 416 S. Greenwich Road, was discovered dead at Universal Service Station, 11134 E. Kellogg, shortly after 4:30 a.m. Thursday.

The autopsy disclosed that a bullet from a 45-caliber automatic pistol entered Platt's head near the temple, passed through the head and nicked the right ear.

The bullet then passed through the wall separating the rest room from the women's room and through an outside wall.

Police were unable to find the bullet in a search of a lot at the rear of the building. Detective Lt. Floyd Hannon said a 45-caliber shell casing was found on the floor of the office just outside the men's room.

The Platt slaying was the third in Wichita area in less than a week. Last Saturday the bodies of 52 year old Earl Bowlin and a woman believed to be his wife, Ruth, 46, were found at their farm home on Webb Road south of Kechi road, about seven miles north and a mile west of the station where Platt was shot.

Early estimates on the time Platt was killed were between 2:35 a.m. and 4 a.m., but an unidentified witness later said he had seen Platt in that station as late as 3 a.m.

The murder was discovered shortly after 4:30 a.m. when a motorist, Dick Carson, Greenwood County, drove into the station for gasoline. His suspicion was aroused when no attendant appeared.

Carson drove around the station several times and then drove in a station at Kellogg and Eastern.

He told the attendant there about the situation. The attendant called police.

Robbery Motive

When Patrolman Paul Bohrer and Jim Lingford entered the station they found Platt's body on the floor in the rest room. Langford said the body was lying against the door and they could open the door only enough to see the body lying in a pool of blood.

Robery has been set as the motive for the killing.

A roll of bills Platt was reported to have carried was missing from a shirt pocket and a number of half dollars usually carried in a pants pocket were missing. Smaller change was not taken nor was Platt's billfold.

At least $85 was missing from the station.

Platt's brother, Don, 537 S. Ash, operator of the station, said Wayne Platt had worked at the station 1-1/2 years, on duty most of the time. He said his brother was to have started working days Friday.

Fear Heightened

Platt's death heightened fear in the east Wichita area. Residents of the area have been apprehensive since the Bowlin slayings were discovered.

Bowlin had been shot with a small caliber weapon thought to be a 22-caliber rifle found in the home. The torso of the woman believed to be Mrs. Bowlin was found in a hedgerow near the home. The hands, feets and head had been cut off with an ax. The parts are still missing.

He came to Wichita in 1950 from Afghanistan. For a number of years he had been a heavy equipment mechanic for Morrison Knutson Construction Co.

Besides his brother, survivors include four sisters, Mrs. Dan Chamberlain, Utica, Kan., Mrs. Henry Blatchley, Alhambra, Calif., Mrs. Harry Basinget, WaKeeny, Kan., and Mrs. Kyle Luckey, Glen Elder, Kan.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Broadway Mortuary.

The Reverand Edward Bridwell, Broadway Christian Church, will officiate. Burial will be in Ransom Cemetery. (Wichita Eagle, Friday, April 19, 1963)