[4][5][6] After a decade-long hiatus, Rader resumed sending letters in 2004, leading to his 2005 arrest and subsequent guilty plea. Wenzl, Roy; Potter, Tim; Laviana, Hurst; Kelly, L. This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 01:08. Serial Killers that Charmed Their Victims. Wichita Police Detective Arlyn G. Smith II and his partner George Scantlin traced BTK's photocopied communications to two photocopy machines, one at Wichita State University and a second at the Wichita Public Library. Rader was formally charged with the murders on February 28, 2005. Dennis Rader has been an enigma to many of us in the field because I dont think the people who claim to be experts are, regarding Dennis, and Ill tell you why, Leary said. Ramsland told one of Raders stories about his mother that may have contributed to his fetish for terrorizing women, saying: When he was young, his mothers ring got caught on a couch spring, and she couldnt get her hand out. But if he is if thats the truth then let the truth be the truth. What makes me think so is the frequency of the cruel behavior. He also attacked her brother Kevin and shot him twice, but Kevin managed to survive. The church he attended, his office at City Hall, and the main branch of the Park City library were also searched. He was also a member of Christ Lutheran Church and had been elected president of the church council. After several years without a known crime, Rader killed his neighbor Marine Hedge on April 27, 1985. With many news stories marking the 30th anniversary of the Otero murders, BTK resurfaced in 2004. This includes one person who was saved when Rader called off his planned attack upon his arrival near the target's home due to the presence of construction and road crews nearby. Because he committed his crimes before the state's 1994 reinstatement of the death penalty, Rader was sent to El Dorado Correctional Facility to serve his 10 life sentences. Rader, who called himself the BTK Killer because he bound, tortured, and killed his victims, lived a double life, hiding in plain sight with his wife and two children, who were completely unaware of his crimes. Rader's father's name is William E. Rader and his mother's name is Dorothea M. Rader. Also enclosed was a chapter list for a proposed book titled "The BTK Story", which mimicked a story written in 1999 by Court TV (now truTV) crime writer David Lohr. Their marriage was blessed with 5 children: Larry, Deanna, Donna, Dale and Scott. He installed alarms as a part of his job, and many of his clients had booked the company to stop BTK from ever entering their homes, unaware that BTK himself was installing them. [58] An officer asked, "Mr. Rader, do you know why you're going downtown?" Under interrogation, Dennis Rader confessed to being the BTK killer. How could this man be both? Even if later murders are linked to the BTK killer, it was originally unclear whether the death penalty would come into play, as the Kansas Supreme Court declared the state's capital punishment law unconstitutional on December 17, 2004. But psychologist and professor Dr. Terence G. Leary, who helps lead the largest non-governmental serial killer database in the world, Radford/FGCU Serial Killer Research at Gulf Coast University, told Heavy he thinks there are even more secrets in Raders childhood that made him the serial killer he grew up to be. Then everything upended on us', "Charlie Otero finds peace, stability nearly 40 years after BTK murders", "BTK serial killer's victim families to address court", "BTK: 'I took her to the basement andhung her', "Victim's family files suit against Rader", "Transcription of poem "Oh! Rader was stopped while driving near his home and taken into custody shortly after noon on February 25, 2005. Serial killer Dennis Rader stands before Sedgwick County District Court Judge Greg Waller as sentencing is read Aug. 18, 2005, in Wichita, Kan. Rader was sentenced to nine life terms and a "hard . Dennis Rader is an American serial killer who is also popular as the BTK "Bind, Torture, Kill" Killer or the BTK Strangler. In July, a package was dropped into the return slot at the downtown public library containing more bizarre material, including the claim that he was responsible for the death of 19-year-old Jake Allen in Argonia, Kansas, earlier that same month. The last known BTK killing was in 1991, making all known BTK murders ineligible for the death penalty. On January 19, 1991, he broke into the house of an elderly lady, Dolores Davis, strangulated her to death, and then dumped the body under a bridge. He broke into her home on April 27, 1985, killed her, undressed the body, and loaded it into her car. According to reports, Rader took pleasure in exerting his limited authority over his neighbors and other members of the community. According to Rader's record in the Kansas Department of Corrections database, he had a Class Two disciplinary report concerning "mail" on April 10, 2006. Rader dropped out of college and joined the U.S. Air Force in the mid-1960s. Her parents were also professional actresses. He stated [where] he chose to resurface in 2004 for various reasons, including David Lohr's feature story on the case, which was broadcast on Court TV (now Tru TV) Crime Library web site and the release of the book Nightmare in Wichita: The Hunt for the BTK Strangler by Robert Beattie. Dennis Rader was not only the BTK (short for bind, torture, kill) killer, the notorious serial killer who killed 10 people and tortured Kansas for decades. He also engaged in mutilations of some degree. He was able to trick his community into thinking he was a friendly neighbor, loving husband and father. Then he escaped in Wegerles family car. Police found metadata embedded in a deleted Microsoft Word document that was, unbeknownst to Rader, on the disk. For over 30 years, serial killer Dennis Rader struck fear in the hearts of citizens of Wichita, KS, by committing 10 horrific murders. with Paula Rader{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Paula Rader", "gender": "Female" }, Kerri Rawson{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Kerri Rawson", "gender": "Female" }, born 1978, age 40 Death to Nancy", "City's 'BTK Strangler' claims he's killed 7", "BTK took body to church, says investigator", "BTK Strangler resurfaces after 25 years", "Police destroy 1,326 DNA samples taken in BTK investigation", "After 31 years and 10 deaths pieces fall in place", "How vanity and a rogue Microsoft Word document led to the capture of evil 'BTK' serial killer", "How the Cops Caught BTK: Playing to a serial killer's ego helped crack the case", "BTK Kansas Serial Killer Full BTK Story", "Policeman details capture of BTK killer", "From DNA of Family, a Tool to Make Arrests", "CNN.com Report: Daughter of BTK suspect alerted police Apr 19, 2005", "BTK Serial Killer Suspect's Charges State of Kansas v. Dennis Rader (page 6)", "BTK Suspect Said to Confess to 6 Slayings", "Rader has admitted to killings, daily says", "Victim's brother describes killing linked to BTK", "Families of BTK victims prepare to wait", "US Serial Killer pleads guilty to ten murders", "BTK killer sentenced to 10 consecutive life terms", "Dennis Rader's listing on the Kansas Department of Corrections, "Everything You Need To Know About BTK, The Disturbing Killer Shown In 'Mindhunter', "Daughter of Wichita serial killer BTK; Stephen King 'exploiting my father's 10 victims', "Ahead of the Season 22 Premiere, We Ranked the 30 Best Law & Order: SVU Episodes Ever", "11 episodes of 'Criminal Minds' that were likely inspired by real-life crimes", "That creepy ADT guy on 'Mindhunter'? [23], Between the spring of 1974 and winter 1977, Rader killed three more women: Kathryn Bright (April4, 1974), Shirley Vian Relford (March17, 1977), and Nancy Fox (December8, 1977). In the early 1970s he worked in a string of jobs, never staying at one place for long. DNA tests showed a "familial match" between the pap smear and the sample from Wegerle's fingernails; this indicated that the killer was closely related to Rader's daughter, and combined with the other evidence was enough for police to arrest Rader. The Wichita Eagle received a letter from someone using the return address Bill Thomas Killman. On January 15, 1974, Dennis Rader broke into the womans house with some tools and weapons. On October 25, 2005, the Kansas attorney general filed a petition to sue Robert Mendoza and Tali Waters, co-owners of Cambridge Forensic Consultants, LLC, for breach of contract, claiming they intended to benefit financially from the use of information obtained from involvement in Raders defense. Rader mentioned the interview during his sentencing statement. [37], Two women Rader stalked in the 1980s and one whom he stalked in the mid-1990s filed restraining orders against him. The BTK killer is now the subject of an episode in the second series of the Netflix documentary Catching Killers, airing on February 9, 2022. [53] The metadata contained the words "Christ Lutheran Church", and the document was marked as last modified by "Dennis". In October 1974, Rader placed a letter in a public library book in which he took responsibility for killing the Oteros. It was not proven until 2005 that this letter was, in fact, written by Rader. He made his first appearance via videoconference from jail. Her body was found days later on the side of the road. At a press conference the next morning, Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams announced, "the bottom line BTK is arrested". The FBI and local jurisdictions at Rader's former duty stations checked into unsolved cases during Rader's time in the service. The police corresponded with the BTK Killer (Rader) in an effort to gain his confidence. [47], After his capture, Rader admitted in his interrogation that he had been planning to kill again and he had set a date, October 2004, and was stalking his intended victim. In 2016, forensic Reportedly an attentive husband, he and his wife had a son in 1975 and a daughter in 1978. Altogether, over 1300 DNA samples were taken and later destroyed by court order. Dubbed the "Night Stalker," Richard Ramirez was an American serial killer who broke into California homes, raping and torturing more than 25 victims and killing at least 13 over a two-year rampage. Between 1974 and 1991, he killed ten people in Wichita and Park City, Kansas, and sent taunting letters to police and media outlets describing the details of his crimes. If Rader felt like he was ignored by his mother, that may have led to his need for attention, according to Leary, which he exemplified by writing letters to the media about his crimes during the years he was committing them, giving himself the moniker BTK which he said stood for bind them, torture them, kill them., Leary said, He also is narcissistic the very very strong need to be recognized. The first was a letter that had been stashed inside an engineering book in the Wichita Public Library in October 1974 that described in detail the killing of the Otero family in January of that year. Ramsland, Katherine. He attended Riverview Elementary School. Rader, who called himself the BTK Killer because he bound, tortured, and killed his victims, lived a double life, hiding in plain sight with his wife and two. He is currently serving 10 consecutive life sentences at the El Dorado Correctional Facility. [57], Rader was arrested while driving near his home in Park City shortly after noon on February 25, 2005. He was sexually excited when he read books about murders, masturbating to his fathers copy of a book about the Lonely Hearts Killers. On June 27, the scheduled trial date, Rader changed his plea to guilty. He suggested a number of possible names for himself, including the one that stuck: BTK. After exhaustive investigations, none of these agencies discovered any further murders attributable to Rader, confirming early suspicions that Rader would have taken credit for any additional murders that he had committed. Dennis Lynn Rader was born on March 9, 1945, in Pittsburg, Kansas, U.S. to Dorothea Mae Rader (ne Cook) and William Elvin Rader as one of their four sons. It contained the driver's license of Nancy Fox, which was noted as stolen from the crime scene, as well as a doll that was symbolically bound at the hands and feet with a plastic bag tied over its head. He was also a Cub Scout leader. He is currently serving 10 consecutive life sentences at the El Dorado Correctional Facility. Though born in Pittsburg, Kansas, he grew up in Wichita. [75], Rader talked about innocuous topics such as the weather during the 40-minute drive to El Dorado, but began to cry when the victims' families' statements from the court proceedings came on the radio. Its not only a very evil heinous act but it is driven by someone who is exposed to horrific abuse, so something is hidden here. And the oldest is the guinea pig. [77], The videotape of Mendoza's interview ended up being used on NBC's Dateline. David Berkowitz, known as Son of Sam, murdered six people in New York City from 1976 to 1977, claiming he received orders from a demon-possessed dog. The song "Bind Torture Kill" was released on the 2006 self-titled album by death metal band Suffocation. Police tape hangs across the street in front of Rader's house, 2005. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. With time he grew bolder and began targeting human beings, killing his first known victimsthe Otero familyin early 1974. Police searched Rader's home and vehicle, collecting evidence, including computer equipment, a pair of black pantyhose retrieved from a shed, and a cylindrical container. After sending many letters to the police, Rader sent them a floppy disc. This would be his last killing. In March, he strangled Shirley Vian to death and later that year, he murdered Nancy Fox. Family, Parents, Siblings, Education She was born to her father Larry Palmer and her mother Sharon Palmer. He cleverly evaded being identified as a suspect and proceeded to kill several others, taking the final toll of his victims to ten. The fact that he was able to murder small children without any remorse is truly chilling. After more than one year, Dennis Rader killed again. Rader stated in his police interview that "there are a lot of lucky people", meaning that he had thought about and developed various levels of murder plans for other victims. On February 26, 2005, The Wichita Police Department announced in a press conference that they were holding Rader as the prime suspect in the BTK killings. Rader explained during his confession that he had become obsessed with Williams and was "absolutely livid" when she evaded him. They filed restraining orders against him and one moved away. ", The Raven that Refused to Sing Concert Review, B.T.K. In 1979, he sent two identical packages, one to an intended victim who was not at home when he broke into her house and the other to KAKE. A blue 1.44-MB Memorex floppy disk was enclosed in the package. [41], His final victim, Dolores E. Davis, was found on February1, 1991, at West 117th Street North and North Meridian Street in Park City. An internet search determined that a "Dennis Rader" was president of the church council. His chosen victim was a young mother, Vicki Wegerle. [23] He suggested many possible names for himself, including the one that stuck: BTK. He was finally caught in February 2005 and was given 10 consecutive life sentences . The 1977 murders sent shock waves once again throughout Kansas and the police issued a public warning to the citizens, advising them to be more cautious as a serial killer was on the prowl. The following year, he killed Vicki Wegerle in her home. He was discharged from active duty in 1970. They then began DNA testing hundreds of men in an effort to find the serial killer. When he first lived out the fantasies he started harboring as a child, to bind, torture and kill people, he was. From a Freudian perspective: Dennis Rader is the result of suppression. [9] He grew up in Wichita. It was not proven until 2005 that this letter was in fact written by the genuine BTK killer (Rader), and he is not considered by police to have committed this crime. He also left packages with clues, including a computer disk that ultimately led authorities to Rader's church. In December 2004, Wichita police received another package from the BTK killer. In his new position, Rader was known to be a stickler for the rules. In October 1974, Rader started sending a series of chilling letters to the police, outlining the gruesome details of the murders he had committed and claimed to be the BTK aka Bind, Torture, Kill murderer. [73] He was sentenced to 10 consecutive life sentences, with a minimum of 175 years. In February, more postcards were sent to KAKE, and another cereal box left at a rural location that contained another bound doll, apparently meant to symbolize the murder of 11-year-old Josephine Otero. Dennis Rader is an American serial killer also known as the BTK "Bind, Torture, Kill" Killer or the BTK Strangler. A poem in one of the killer's letters was similar to a folk song taught by a professor on that campus in that time period, though Rader himself dismissed any connection. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. 2005), education: Wichita State University, Butler County Community College, See the events in life of Dennis Rader (BTK Killer) in Chronological Order, http://www.kansas.com/news/special-reports/btk/article10809929.html, http://www.hngn.com/articles/44918/20141006/btk-dennis-rader-letter-media-serial-killer-murder.htm. [54] An Internet search determined that a "Dennis Rader" was president of the church council. Powered by. [18] Rader married Paula Dietz on May22, 1971; they had two children, Kerri and Brian. A pay phone that the killer used to report a murder in 1977 was located a few blocks from Rader's place of work (ADT Security) at the time. He was killed in 1994 by a fellow prison inmate. Rader worked as an assembler for Coleman camping gear and then, from 1974 until 1988, he worked at a Wichita-based office of ADT Security Services, a home security company. We strive for accuracy and fairness. BTK murder victim Kathryn Bright's brother Kevin, who was shot twice by BTK, reported that the killer had asked him if he had seen him at the university. "[46] Also enclosed was a chapter list for a proposed book titled The BTK Story, which mimicked a story written in 1999 by Court TV crime writer David Lohr. A poem was enclosed titled "Oh! In this position, neighbors recalled him as sometimes overzealous and extremely strict; one neighbor complained that he euthanized her dog for no reason. However, that ruling was reversed by the United States Supreme Court on June 26, 2006, in the case of Kansas v. Marsh, and the Kansas death penalty statute was upheld. Dennis Rader is 76 years old, having been born on March 9, 1945. On February16, 2005, Rader sent a purple 1.44-Megabyte Memorex floppy disk to Fox affiliate KSAS-TV in Wichita. Married with children by now, he now focused more on his career and rose to the position of installation supervisor. In an effort to catch him, the authorities released the 1977 recording of his phone call to police, hoping that someone might recognize the voice. But I did have a little a little bit of a grudge against Momma.. [43] Before this, it had not been definitively established that Wegerle was killed by BTK. Soon the detectives were able to pinpoint Rader as the suspected BTK killer and he was arrested on February 25, 2005. In his police interview, Rader stated that "there are a lot of lucky people", meaning that he had thought about, and developed various levels of planning, the murdering of other victims. (1973), Paul Rader{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Rader", "gender": "Male" }, Bill Rader{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Rader", "gender": "Male" }, Jeff Rader{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeff Rader", "gender": "Male" }, Brian Rader{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Brian Rader", "gender": "Male" }, born 1975, age 42
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