It is believed to be correct at the time of inputting and is presented here in good faith. "[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. His chosen victim was a young mother, Vicki Wegerle. And may God have mercy on his soul.. 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. He was raised in Wichita. In particular they were focusing on cases after 1994 when the death penalty was reinstated in Kansas. Dennis had 2 brothers: Kermit Charles Rader and one other sibling. On January 15, 1974, Rader strangled to death four members of the Otero family in their Wichita homeparents Joseph and Julie, and two of their children, Josephine and Joseph Jr.before leaving with a watch and a radio. 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. This greatly agitated Dennis Rader, and being the narcissist that he was, he started sending a series of letters to the police once again to revive interest in the BTK murders. At a press conference the next morning, Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams announced, "the bottom line: BTK is arrested. According to Oxygen, Rader told Ramsland, I got along real well with Dad, but Mom wasnt always so happy. He was discharged from active duty in 1970. [43] Before this, it had not been definitively established that Wegerle was killed by BTK. But I think I got Rader pretty well.. He changed his job in 1972 and joined Coleman Co., a manufacturer of camping supplies. His neighbors and fellow church members were stunned by the news, unable to believe that the man they knew was the serial killer that had haunted the area for so long. Rader also twice shot her brother, Kevin, though he survived. Because Kansas had no death penalty at the time the murders were committed, life imprisonment was the maximum penalty allowed by law.On August 19, Rader was moved from the Sedgwick County Jail to the El Dorado Correctional Facility, a Kansas state prison, to begin serving his consecutive life sentences as Kansas Department of Corrections #0083707 with an earliest possible release date of February 26, 2180. He studied for only two semesters there and joined the US Air Force in 1966. [72] On August 19, he was moved to the El Dorado Correctional Facility. It was January 1974 when he tied-up and killed four members of the Otero family, including two children, to fulfill a sexual fantasy. He served in the United States Air Force from 1966 to 1970. Reports suggest Prince Charles will live "in a flat above the shop" when he becomes king. to which he replied, "Oh, I have my suspicions, why?" 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. [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. But maybe, with me, acceptance is starting to creep in.. Rader's story inspired the Stephen King novella A Good Marriage, which was published as part of the 2010 collection Full Dark, No Stars and later became a feature film. [48] In December 2004, Wichita police received another package from the BTK killer. 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. Click here to Start FameChaining. [35] In early 1978, he sent another letter to television station KAKE in Wichita, claiming responsibility for the murders of the Oteros, Bright, Vian Relford, and Fox. In 2016, forensic He also engaged in mutilations of some degree. Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer. With this promotion came more freedom, and once again he started killing. The BTK killer's last known communication with the media and police was a padded envelope that arrived at FOX affiliate KSAS-TV in Wichita on February 16, 2005. Photo: Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office via Getty Images. 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. He later admitted that he was pretending to be his victims as part of a sexual fantasy. There were several communications from BTK from 1974 to 1979. He was also a Boy Scout troop leader and president of his church council. American serial killer and rapist Ted Bundy was one of the most notorious criminals of the late 20th century, known to have killed at least 20 women in the 1970s. Rader explained during his confession that he became obsessed with Williams and was "absolutely livid" when she evaded him. He killed all four of them and made good his escape. [45], In May 2004, television station KAKE in Wichita received a letter with chapter headings for the "BTK Story", fake IDs, and a word puzzle. He told the reporter they could not talk to Dorthea, saying, Its too hard on my mother. Then he drove to the church where he took some pictures with the dead body and eventually dumped the body in a road side culvert a few miles away from her house. Paula Rader said in her divorce petition that her mental and physical condition has been adversely affected by the marriage. (Photo Credit: Larry W. Smith / Getty Images) The letter ended up with a local newspaper, and the poorly written note gave authorities some idea of who they were dealing with. Serial Killers that Charmed Their Victims. The church he attended, his office at City Hall, and the main branch of the Park City library were also searched. [40], In 1988, after the murders of three members of the Fager family in Wichita, a letter was received from someone claiming to be the BTK killer, in which the author of the letter denied being the perpetrator of the Fager murders. It is believed that he worked briefly for Cessna, the aircraft manufacturer, in late 1973 or early 1974. The ten known murders are now believed to be the only murders for which Rader is actually responsible, although Wichita police are fairly certain that Rader stalked and researched a number of other potential victims. Kansas reinstated the death penalty in 1994. But if he is if thats the truth then let the truth be the truth. [19][20] He attended Butler County Community College in ElDorado, earning an associate degree in electronics in 1973. Rader was stopped while driving near his home and taken into custody shortly after noon on February 25, 2005. Bail was continued at $10 million. He broke into her home on April 27, 1985, killed her, undressed the body, and loaded it into her car. They obtained a warrant to test the DNA of a Pap smear Rader's daughter had taken at the Kansas State University medical clinic while she was a student there. From a Freudian perspective: Dennis Rader is the result of suppression. In March 2004, a series of 11 communications from BTK (Rader) to the local media led directly to his arrest in February 2005. [21] He then enrolled at Wichita State University, and graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Administration of Justice. [51] When investigators drove by Rader's house, a black Jeep Cherokeethe type of vehicle seen in the Home Depot surveillance footagewas parked outside. [50], In his letters to police, Rader asked if his writings, if put on a floppy disk, could be traced or not. was born on 9 March, 1945 in Pittsburg, Kansas, USA, is an Actor. 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. Dennis Rader spent four years on active duty in the Air Force. So something awful happened here and we still dont know. 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 increased police vigilance made Rader a bit wary and he did not kill again for a few years. [19][22] Rader was a census field operations supervisor for the Wichita area in 1989, before the 1990federal census. He was finally caught in February 2005 and was given 10 consecutive life sentences . Dennis Rader is a name that will forever be synonymous with terror. 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. It was later retrieved from the trash after Rader asked what had become of it in a later message. The parents couldve behaved very differently toward him than they did the othersIve seen that in cases and the other kids are spared some of the discipline and harsh behavior apparently sometimes.. Its still a puzzle. Even though they hadnt identified him. In 1985, he struck again. Rader replied, "Oh, I have suspicions why. Their bodies were discovered by the family's three older children, Charlie, Danny, and Carmen, who had been at school at the time of the killings. Upon his return to Wichita, Dennis Rader took up a job at the meat department of an IGA supermarket. Rader was particularly known for sending taunting letters to police and newspapers. 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. 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. [73] He was sentenced to 10 consecutive life sentences, with a minimum of 175 years. The FBI and local jurisdictions at Rader's former duty stations checked into unsolved cases during Rader's time in the service. In this position, neighbors recalled him as sometimes overzealous and extremely strict; one neighbor complained that he euthanized her dog for no reason. The Worlds Most Elusive Serial Killer, Sedgwick County 18th Judicial District collection of legal documents on the Rader case, KAKE Collection of articles and videos on BTK, Dennis Rader's listing on the Kansas Department of Corrections, When your father is the BTK serial killer, forgiveness is not tidy, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dennis_Rader&oldid=1133681933, Rader's case is portrayed in Episode 1 of, A character based on Rader played by actor Sonny Valicenti appears in the. However, physical and circumstantial facts that would have corroborated Rader as the BTK killer include: Rader's grammar and writing style match letters and poems received from BTK, though none of his communications were handwritten, but typed, stenciled, stamped with a stamp set, or computer generated. He then became a dogcatcher and supervisor in the Compliance Department at Park City. 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. Beginning April 23, 2006, having reached "Incentive Level Two," Rader has been allowed to purchase and watch television, purchase and listen to the radio, receive and read magazines, and have other privileges for good behavior. Who Is Dennis Rader? In April 1979, Rader waited in an elderly womans home but left before she returned. [56], Police obtained a warrant to test a pap smear taken from Rader's daughter at the Kansas State University medical clinic. On August 18, Rader faced sentencing. Serial killer Edmund Kemper murdered six young women in the Santa Cruz, California, area and several members of his family. [77], The videotape of Mendoza's interview ended up being used on NBC's Dateline. Rader mentioned the interview during his sentencing statement. 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 wanted the opportunity to tell his story his own way. 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. 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. In October 2004, a manila envelope was dropped into a UPS box in Wichita containing a series of cards with images of terror and bondage of children pasted on them. It was believed that the killer was dead, or maybe institutionalized. Dennis Rader is an American serial killer also known as the BTK "Bind, Torture, Kill" Killer or the BTK Strangler. He warned that he would strike again, noting, "The code words for me will be bind them, torture them, kill them, B.T.K." Even though all the murders committed by Dennis Rader were equally gruesome, the Otero family murders he committed in 1974 were probably the most shocking. However, the police was unsuccessful in getting any meaningful clues about the killer. The Facts. Rader's killing spree began in January 1974, when he targeted the Otero family, who had been living in Wichita for less than six months. The next year, Rader graduated from Wichita State University with a degree in administration of justice. On July 12, 1957 Gloria was united in marriage with Dennis Arnold Rader at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Frazee, Minnesota. Discover Dennis Rader's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. According to Leary, there were clues, even if no one had found out about Raders animal cruelty, it still points to someone who is engaging in anti-social behavior. He was convicted of ten murders and received ten consecutive life sentences. [65] On March 5, news sources claimed to have verified by multiple sources that Rader had confessed to the 10 murders he was charged with, but no other ones. Convicted of murdering ten victims, he was planning to attack another victim at the time of his arrest. By 2004, the investigation of the BTK Killer was considered a cold case. 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. [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). Ramsland later wrote the book, Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer. [69][70][71], At Rader's August 18 sentencing, victims' families made statements, after which Rader apologized in a rambling 30-minute monologue that the prosecutor likened to an Academy Awards acceptance speech. Rader wrote, "It's hard to control myself. In his new position, Rader was known to be a stickler for the rules. According to a 2005 Lawrence World-Journal article, one of Raders brothers said he and their mother, Dorthea Mae Rader were struggling to believe the BTK killer was their own brother and son. The police answered his question in a newspaper ad posted in the Wichita Eagle saying it would be safe to use the disk. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Rader explained during his confession that he had become obsessed with Williams and was "absolutely livid" when she evaded him. He then worked at the Wichita-based office of ADT Security Services from 1974 to 1988, where he installed security alarms as part of his job, in many cases for homeowners concerned about the BTK killings. [12][13] Rader acted out sexual fetishes for voyeurism, autoerotic asphyxiation, and cross-dressing; he often spied on female neighbors while dressed in women's clothing, including women's underwear that he had stolen, and masturbated with ropes or other bindings around his arms and neck.