He was finally caught in February 2005 and was given 10 consecutive life sentences . His final known victim, Dolores Davis, was taken from her home on January 19, 1991. [56], Police obtained a warrant to test a pap smear taken from Rader's daughter at the Kansas State University medical clinic. The 10 known murders are now believed to be the only murders that Rader is actually responsible for, although Wichita police are fairly certain that Rader stalked and researched a number of other potential future victims. But do note that it is not possible to be certain of a person's genealogy without a family's cooperation (and/or DNA testing). "BTK" stands for "Bind, Torture, Kill", which was his infamous signature. He had been arrested for the murders five days earlier. For over 30 years, serial killer Dennis Rader struck fear in the hearts of citizens of Wichita, KS, by committing 10 horrific murders. Rader spent hours waiting in her home but became impatient and left when she did not return home from visiting friends. Leary told Heavy in a phone interview that Raders methods of torture and murder are a sign of someone who was regularly exposed to horrific abuse.. Shortly after Rader was arrested in 2005, his shocked wife was granted an immediate divorce. On August 12, 2005, Dateline NBC aired Confessions of BTK. [32] The victims were Joseph Otero, age38; Julie Otero, age33; Joseph OteroJr., age9; and Josephine Otero, age11. Around this time he became obsessed with a Hispanic woman, Julie Otero, and her daughter, Josephine, who lived in a nearby locality. But he was really thirsty for that kind publicity of sorts., The other factor here, Leary said, is in family situations he was the oldest. Rader worked at Coleman only a short time and not at the same location as the victims. Toole murdered 'America's Most Wanted' host John Walsh's son. [82], Interview with Misty King; A&E Documentary SpecialThe BTK Killer Speaks, A&E Documentary Special The BTK Killer Speaks, obsessivecompulsive personality disorders, List of serial killers in the United States, List of serial killers by number of victims, "The BTK Killer Brutally Murdered 10 People. Rader explained during his confession that he became obsessed with Williams and was "absolutely livid" when she evaded him. killed four members of the Otero family, including two children, to fulfill a sexual fantasy. Death to Nancy", a botched version of the lyrics of the American folk song "O Death". In October 2017 Netflix's crime drama, Mindhunter, was released to critical acclaim. In December 2004, Wichita police received another package from the BTK killer. This proved to be his major mistake as the police was able to trace the source of the floppy disc to the church Rader frequented. The Wichita Eagle received a letter from someone using the return address Bill Thomas Killman. Apparently, Rader had waited for several hours inside the home of Anna Williams but left when she still had not returned hours later. Dennis Rader is an American serial killer who is also popular as the BTK "Bind, Torture, Kill" Killer or the BTK Strangler. He told the reporter they could not talk to Dorthea, saying, Its too hard on my mother. Their marriage was blessed with 5 children: Larry, Deanna, Donna, Dale and Scott. Geni requires JavaScript! But for more than 30 years, he also terrorized the area as the BTK killer. Also included was a poem threatening the life of lead investigator Lt. Ken Landwehr and a false autobiography containing many details about Rader's life. The letter ended up with a local newspaper, and the poorly written note gave authorities some idea of who they were dealing with. His zodiac sign is Pisces and he holds American nationality. Rader maintained the image of being a good husband and father, and his family had no inkling about his murderous streak. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. He was discharged from active duty in 1970. Rader attended Butler County Community College in El Dorado, earning an associate degree in electronics in 1973.He then enrolled at Wichita State University and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in administration of justice. [63] Soon after his arrest, the Associated Press cited an anonymous source alleging that Rader had confessed to other murders in addition to those with which he had been connected. Father of Private and Private His father is an American serial killer known as BTK or the BTK Strangler while his mother is a former bookkeeper. Many observers noted that he described the gruesome events without any sign of remorse or emotion. The police department replied that there was no way of knowing on what computer such a disk had been used, which was in fact not true. He later shared that he got little attention from his parents, as they had to work a lot, and didn't spend much time with their kids, with him in particular, and even having three brothers by his side, he felt very lonely during all childhood and youth. The DNA of the Pap smear was processed by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at their laboratory in Topeka which provided a familial match to the DNA of the sample taken from the victim's fingernails, indicating that the killer was closely related to Rader's daughter. It was exciting to him to see a woman helpless, and it was the beginning of his ideas about women that what he wanted from them was to keep them trapped and helpless and looking to him in terror. Explore how the celebrity world connects. [21] He then enrolled at Wichita State University, and graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Administration of Justice. In his new position, Rader was known to be a stickler for the rules. [74] Kansas had no death penalty at the time of the murders. Around this time, he also started killing animals like dogs and cats by torturing and hanging them. This was strong circumstantial evidence against Rader, but they needed more direct evidence to detain him. (1965), Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, United States
This time, the package was found in Wichita's Murdock Park. 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. Several weeks later, he sent a letter to a local television station stating that he was responsible for killing Vian, Fox and another unknown victim. 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. He is now in solitary confinement for his protection (with one hour of exercise per day, and showers three times per week). Rader, now 73, is currently serving 10 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to 10 counts of first-degree murder in 2005. One of them also changed her address to avoid him. On February 28, 2005, Rader was formally charged with 10 counts of first degree murder. 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. And he felt the first stirrings of arousal over this. (Photo Credit: Larry W. Smith / Getty Images) [38], He also intended to kill others, such as Anna Williams, who in 1979, aged63, escaped death by returning home much later than expected. 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. This will likely continue indefinitely. He was represented by a public defender. In December, he strangled Nancy Fox in her home, and then called the police to report the homicide. 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. And may God have mercy on his soul.. [37], Two women Rader stalked in the 1980s and one whom he stalked in the mid-1990s filed restraining orders against him. It would be a few more years before the BTK killer would strike again. He was sentenced to 10 consecutive life terms, which requires a minimum of 175 years without a chance of parole. He warned that he would strike again, noting, "The code words for me will be bind them, torture them, kill them, B.T.K." On July 12, 1957 Gloria was united in marriage with Dennis Arnold Rader at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Frazee, Minnesota. Dennis Lynn Rader (born March 9, 1945) is an American serial killer and mass murderer who murdered ten people in Sedgwick County (in and around Wichita, Kansas), between 1974 and 1991. Chapter One was titled "A Serial Killer Is Born". They filed restraining orders against him and one moved away. His chosen victim was a young mother, Vicki Wegerle. Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer. [18] Rader married Paula Dietz on May22, 1971; they had two children, Kerri and Brian. He was able to trick his community into thinking he was a friendly neighbor, loving husband and father. He worked for a time in the meat department of Leekers IGA supermarket in Park City alongside his mother, a bookkeeper for the store. Rader killed her on April27, and took her dead body to his church, Christ Lutheran Church, where he was the president of the church council. Kevin later described Rader as "an average-sized guy, bushy mustache, 'psychotic' eyes," according to a TIME magazine article. The initials stuck, and the murderer came to be known by variations ofthe "BTK killer" moniker, or simply "BTK. He killed all four of them and made good his escape. BTK simply means Blind, Torture, and Kill. Born in Pittsburg, Kansas, U.S., He holds American citizenship. He changed his job in 1972 and joined Coleman Co., a manufacturer of camping supplies. In March2004, The Wichita Eagle received a letter from someone using the name Bill Thomas Killman. He did credit the killer with having done "admirable work". [34] Rader wrote a letter that had been stashed inside an engineering book in the Wichita Public Library in October1974, which described in detail the killing of the Otero family in January of that year. Photo: Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office via Getty Images. "[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. Death to Nancy," a parody of the lyrics to the American folk song "O Death". Ex-husband of Private This is a nature explanation for Rader's gruesome acts. Even though they hadnt identified him. He measured the height of people's lawns and chased stray animals while toting a tranquilizer gun. [47], In January 2005, Rader attempted to leave a cereal box in the bed of a pickup truck at a Home Depot in Wichita, but the box was discarded by the truck's owner. In this position, neighbors recalled him as sometimes overzealous and extremely strict; one neighbor complained that he euthanized her dog for no reason. Sources give Rader's place of birth as either Columbus, Kansas,[7][8] or Pittsburg, Kansas. After exhaustive investigations, no other murders have been discovered by any of these, or other, agencies that can be attributed to Rader, confirming early suspicions that Rader would have admitted to, and taken credit for, any additional murders that he had committed. However, he was good at hiding his dark side and came across to the outside world as a polite and shy young man. Under interrogation, Dennis Rader confessed to being the BTK killer. Inside Dennis Raders Childhood: What Made Him the BTK Killer? Donald asks the courts to let him tweet. This activity led directly to his arrest in February 2005. He was raised in Wichita. Also enclosed were a letter, a photocopy of the cover of a 1989 novel about a serial killer (Rules of Prey), and a gold-colored necklace with a large medallion. 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
[14], Years later, during his "cooling off" periods between murders, Rader would take pictures of himself wearing women's clothes and a female mask while bound. Bail was continued at $10 million. From online or printed sources and from publicly accessible databases. On August 18, Rader faced sentencing. Reports suggest Prince Charles will live "in a flat above the shop" when he becomes king. With a stable job and two children to raise, he did not find time to plan out more murders. [19][22] Rader was a census field operations supervisor for the Wichita area in 1989, before the 1990federal census. However, he never stopped stalking potential victims or playing out murderous fantasies in his head. He also liked to hang cats and watch them struggle until they died. The FBI and local jurisdictions at Rader's former duty stations checked into unsolved cases during Rader's time in the service. Dennis Rader is a serial killer from the United States, and his moniker BTK stands for "bind, torture, kill." Between 1974 and 1991, Paula's ex-husband, Dennis Rader, murdered ten people in Wichita and Park City . These details were later released to the public. It was later retrieved from the trash after Rader asked what had become of it in a later message. In other words, the animal instinct inside Rader drove him insane, and urged him to do extreme actions in an attempt to satisfy his hunger to be animalistic. However, the police was unsuccessful in getting any meaningful clues about the killer. Still, he continued to taunt authorities and appeared to be poised to strike again. Rader struck again a few months later: On April 4, 1974, he waited in the apartment of a young woman named Kathryn Bright, before stabbing and strangling her when she returned home. Despite his cat-and-mouse game with authorities, Rader was able to keep the lid on his secret, murderous life. Known as a shy and studious boy, he had a darker side to his persona even as a teenagerhe used to kill dogs and cats in secret. It is believed that he worked briefly for Cessna, the aircraft manufacturer, in late 1973 or early 1974. [58] An officer asked, "Mr. Rader, do you know why you're going downtown?" Brian Rader Family, Parents, Siblings. A blue 1.44-MB Memorex floppy disk was enclosed in the package. But he blew his own cover through an insatiable desire for attention.. Rader has always maintained that he was not physically or sexually abused as a child, according to an ABC News interview with his daughter, Kerri Rawson. The church he attended, his office at City Hall, and the main branch of the Park City library were also searched. [27] One neighbor complained that Rader killed her dog for no reason. Click here to Start FameChaining. Born in 1945 in Pittsburg, Kansas, Dennis Rader went on to live a double life: Devoted family and company man by day, he also terrorized the Wichita, Kansas, area as the. Having developed a morbid fascination with extreme violence as a young boy, he often fantasized in his head about torturing and killing others. Rader mentioned the interview during his sentencing statement. He had even set a date, October 2004, and was stalking his intended victim. His father was a member of the US Marine Corps, who later worked for the electric utility KG&E. And so am I. Rader was a census field operations supervisor for the Wichita area in 1989, prior to the 1990 federal census. This claim was found to be false and the death had been ruled a suicide. Currently, he is incarcerated at the El Dorado Correctional Facility in Kansas. Space-X continues to reach for the stars. 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. In May 2004, a word puzzle was received by KAKE. Dennis Rader. "BTK" stands for "Bind, Torture, Kill", which was his infamous signature. Investigators also noticed his Jeep on security tapes of some of the package drop-off areas, and cemented their case by obtaininga DNA sample from Rader's daughter. The church he attended, his office at City Hall, and the main branch of the Park City library were also searched that day. 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. It had many cards with images of terror and bondage of children pasted on them, a poem threatening the life of lead investigator Lt. Ken Landwehr, and a false autobiography with many details about Rader's life. psychology professorKatherine Ramsland published Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer, which revealed that the notorious murderer had planned to claim an 11th victim before he was arrested. Dogs and cats by torturing and killing others started killing animals like dogs and cats torturing. Young mother, Vicki Wegerle with authorities, Rader was arrested in 2005, his shocked was. Aircraft manufacturer, in late 1973 or early 1974 arousal over this Raders Childhood: What made him BTK..., before the 1990federal census height of people 's lawns and chased stray while! Dark side and came across to the outside world as a polite and shy young.... Directly to his arrest in February 2005 described Rader as `` an average-sized guy, bushy,. Five days earlier released to critical acclaim the initials stuck, and the came. 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