In December, he strangled Nancy Fox in her home, and then called the police to report the homicide. Born in Pittsburg, Kansas, in the United States, He is a citizen of the United States. [51][52] Also enclosed were a letter, a gold-colored necklace with a large medallion, and a photocopy of the cover of Rules of Prey, a 1989 novel by John Sandford about a serial killer. 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. Retired from his serial-killing days, he was living the life of a normal, respectable member of the society. Immediately after, law enforcement officials, including a Wichita Police bomb unit truck, two SWAT trucks, and KBI, FBI, and ATF agents, converged on Rader's residence near the intersection of I-135 and 61st Street North. 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. The initials stuck, and the murderer came to be known by variations ofthe "BTK killer" moniker, or simply "BTK. Two of the victims (Julie Otero and Kathryn Bright) worked at the Coleman Company, though not during the same period that Rader worked there. 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. Dennis Rader was a family man and a leader in his community. Should you have information that conflicts with anything shown please make us aware by email. [74] Kansas had no death penalty at the time of the murders. As the serial killer known as BTK, Rader killed 10 people in the Wichita, Kansas area between 1974 and 1991. Shortly after Rader was arrested in 2005, his shocked wife was granted an immediate divorce. This is a puzzlenot all is meeting the eye here. On June 27, the scheduled trial date, Rader changed his plea to guilty. Rolling Stone also reported that according to the book, as a child Rader would get aroused when he was spanked, and when he would see chickens waiting to get slaughtered. [20][30], In an interview with ABC News in 2019, Rader's daughter Kerri said she still writes to her father and has now forgiven him, but still struggles to reconcile him with the BTK killer, stating her childhood seemed normal and they were a "normal American family". Copyright FameChain 2023, All rights reserved. Ottis Toole confessed to killing more than a hundred people with his partner Henry Lee Lucas. On August 18, Rader faced sentencing. Ex-husband of Private [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). The following year, he killed Vicki Wegerle in her home. Having developed a morbid fascination with extreme violence as a young boy, he often fantasized in his head about torturing and killing others. [77], The videotape of Mendoza's interview ended up being used on NBC's Dateline. 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. It was January 1974 when he tied-up and killed four members of the Otero family, including two children, to fulfill a sexual fantasy. 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. Around this time, he also attended the Butler County Community College in El Dorado, and earned an Associate's degree in Electronics in 1973. He was also a family man, the president of the local Christ Lutheran Church and a boy scout troop leader. Prior to this, it had not been definitively established that Wegerle was killed by BTK (Rader). He studied for only two semesters there and joined the US Air Force in 1966. Inside Dennis Raders Childhood: What Made Him the BTK Killer? 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. [41], His final victim, Dolores E. Davis, was found on February1, 1991, at West 117th Street North and North Meridian Street in Park City. There, he photographed her body in various bondage positions. Convicted serial killer and sex offender Jeffrey Dahmer murdered 17 males between 1978 and 1991. According to Rolling Stones write up on the book, Early on, he started cutting out Slick Ads, female figures from magazine advertisements. 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. He told Ramsland he would fantasize about tying women to train tracks. He demanded media attention in this second letter, and it was finally announced that Wichita did indeed have a serial killer at large. Known as BTK - which stands for bind, torture, kill - Dennis Rader murdered 10 people in the Wichita, Kansas area from 1974 to 1991, often leaving clues to taunt authorities. For over 30 years, serial killer Dennis Rader struck fear in the hearts of citizens of Wichita, KS, by committing 10 horrific murders. Dennis Rader tormented his Kansas community with a string of murders and taunted the police who couldn't solve his crimes. Paula Rader said in her divorce petition that her mental and physical condition has been adversely affected by the marriage. It was later retrieved from the trash after Rader asked what had become of it in a later message. In this position, neighbors recalled him as sometimes overzealous and extremely strict; one neighbor complained that he euthanized her dog for no reason. He started his murdering spree in the mid-1970s, terrorizing the citizens of Kansas for more than 30 years before he was finally arrested. [1], Rader was born on March 9, 1945, to Dorothea Mae Rader (ne Cook) and William Elvin Rader, one of four sons. Daniel's 5th outing as Bond gets bums back on seats in the cinema. You could be subject to cruel behavior once or twice or three times. It is believed to be correct at the time of inputting and is presented here in good faith. In total, Rader would be eligible for parole after 175 years of imprisonment, in 2180. She was born in Harvey, Illinois, USA. Rader dropped out of college and joined the U.S. Air Force in the mid-1960s. [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. 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. After more than one year, Dennis Rader killed again. On July 22, 2005, a controversy erupted on CNN's Nancy Grace show over a poem that Dennis Rader had written that was passed on to someone who then sold it on an auction site that specializes in serial killer memorabilia. Death to Nancy," a parody of the lyrics to the American folk song "O Death". Photo: Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office via Getty Images. Mendoza diagnosed Rader with narcissistic, antisocial and obsessivecompulsive personality disorders: He observed that Rader has a grandiose sense of self, a belief that he is "special" and therefore entitled to special treatment; a pathological need for attention and admiration; a preoccupation with maintaining rigid order and structure; and a complete lack of empathy. 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. 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. A narcissist who took pride in the murders he committed, he sent a series of anonymous letters to the police along with a few pieces of evidence claiming himself to be responsible for the murders. Brian grew up in the United States alongside his sister, Kerri Rawson born in 1978. On February 16, 2005, he sent a floppy disk to Fox TV station KSAS in Wichita. [10], From a young age, Rader harbored sadistic sexual fantasies about torturing "trapped and helpless" women. 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. (1965), Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, United States
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. [43] Before this, it had not been definitively established that Wegerle was killed by BTK. He's based on a Kansas serial killer", "Mindhunter: Who is the ADT Killer from Kansas? Despite his cat-and-mouse game with authorities, Rader was able to keep the lid on his secret, murderous life. This was strong circumstantial evidence against Rader, but they needed more direct evidence to detain him. In the early 1990s, he became a dogcatcher and compliance officer in Park City. The song "Bind Torture Kill" was released on the 2006 self-titled album by death metal band Suffocation. 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. Serial Killers that Charmed Their Victims. She apparently was terrified and told him to go get help. 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. His father was arrested in 2005 following 10 counts of crimes where he had killed more than ten people. Rader spent hours waiting in her home but became impatient and left when she did not return home from visiting friends. The UK's supply crisis puts extra pressure on Prime Minister Boris. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. [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. Married with children by now, he now focused more on his career and rose to the position of installation supervisor. Rader worked at Coleman only a short time and not at the same location as the victims. [10][11] He also exhibited zoosadism by torturing, killing, and hanging small animals. [37], Two women Rader stalked in the 1980s and one whom he stalked in the mid-1990s filed restraining orders against him. Rader mentioned the interview during his sentencing statement. [23] He suggested many possible names for himself, including the one that stuck: BTK. Rader lived on the same street as Marine Hedge, just houses away. [72] His statement has been described as an example of an often-observed phenomenon among psychopaths: their inability to understand the emotional content of language. [51] When investigators drove by Rader's house, a black Jeep Cherokeethe type of vehicle seen in the Home Depot surveillance footagewas parked outside. Together Gloria and Dennis made their home in Spruce Grove Township where they operated their Dairy Farm. 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 February 2005, more postcards were sent to KAKE, and another cereal box left at a rural location was found to contain another bound doll. On July 26, 2005, after Rader's arrest, Sedgwick County District Judge Eric Yost waived the usual 60-day waiting period and granted an immediate divorce for his wife, agreeing that her mental health was in danger. Forensic analysis quickly determined that the disk had been used by the Christ Lutheran Church in Wichita, as well as a reference to the name "Dennis". 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. He then became a dogcatcher and supervisor in the Compliance Department at Park City. It would be a few more years before the BTK killer would strike again. [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. 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. "[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. With many news stories marking the 30th anniversary of the Otero murders, BTK resurfaced in 2004. 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. 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. In the early 1970s he worked in a string of jobs, never staying at one place for long. These details were later released to the public. Kansas Wesleyan University, Kansas, United States, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, United States. [41] In October2004, a manila envelope was dropped into a UPS box in Wichita. Soon the detectives were able to pinpoint Rader as the suspected BTK killer and he was arrested on February 25, 2005. Jeff said, My mother still cant believe it, he said. Rader's father's name is William E. Rader and his mother's name is Dorothea M. Rader. Rader mentioned the interview during his sentencing statement. Dennis Rader is a name that will forever be synonymous with terror. In October 1974, Rader placed a letter in a public library book in which he took responsibility for killing the Oteros. (Photo Credit: Larry W. Smith / Getty Images) Rader replied, "Oh, I have suspicions why. 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. On the afternoon of January 15, 1974, 15-year-old Charlie Otero and two of his siblings came home from school to . [73] He was sentenced to 10 consecutive life sentences, with a minimum of 175 years. Finding himself unemployed and in a disturbed state of mind, he delved deeper into the dark fantasies that had haunted his mind from childhood. It was believed that the killer was dead, or maybe institutionalized. After a long hiatus in the 1990s through early 2000s, Rader resumed sending letters in 2004, leading to his 2005 arrest and subsequent conviction. The metadata contained "Christ Lutheran Church", and the document was marked as last modified by "Dennis". DNA collected from under the fingernails of that victim provided police with previously unknown evidence. Both parents worked long hours and paid little attention to their children at home; Rader later described feeling ignored by his mother in particular and resenting her for it. He called himself BTK because he bound, tortured, and killed his victims. By the 2000s, the public interest in the BTK killer had faded off to a great extent. You probably call me 'psychotic with sexual perversion hang-up.'" This includes one person who was saved when Rader called off his planned attack upon his arrival near the target's home owing to road construction, and the presence of road crews, near her home. The church he attended, his office at City Hall, and the main branch of the Park City library were also searched that day. 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 then barricaded the boy and his siblings in a room while he strangled their mother, Shirley Vian, in the other room. Toole murdered 'America's Most Wanted' host John Walsh's son. He later admitted that he was pretending to be his victims as part of a sexual fantasy. 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. [54] An Internet search determined that a "Dennis Rader" was president of the church council. (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
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. When he first lived out the fantasies he started harboring as a child, to bind, torture and kill people, he was 28-years-old. In May 2004, a word puzzle was received by KAKE. 2 Dennis Rader brutally murdered ten people, including two children, over a 17-year stretch 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 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. Their marriage was blessed with 5 children: Larry, Deanna, Donna, Dale and Scott. And may God have mercy on his soul.. [64] However, the Sedgwick County district attorney denied the story, yet refused to say whether Rader had made any confessions, or if investigators were looking into Rader's possible involvement in more unsolved killings. [58] An officer asked, "Mr. Rader, do you know why you're going downtown?" He also engaged in mutilations of some degree. He was discharged from active duty in 1970. Click here to Start FameChaining. During the sentencing, victims' families spoke about the effect. [43] DNA collected from under Wegerle's fingernails provided police with previously unknown evidence. On April 4, 1974, the killer struck again, killing 21-year-old Kathryn Bright by stabbing her multiple times. Serial Killer Dennis Rader became infatuated with binding, torturing, and killing during childhood and lived out those sexual fantasies in adulthood. [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. Then, in one of his communications with police, Rader asked them if it was possible to trace information from floppy disks. He told the reporter they could not talk to Dorthea, saying, Its too hard on my mother. Reports suggest Prince Charles will live "in a flat above the shop" when he becomes king. Rader was born in Pittsburg, Kansas on March 9, 1945, but raised in Wichita. "[61][62], On February 28, 2005, Rader was charged with 10 counts of first degree murder. Rader killed her on January 19.[42]. 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. See the Elon Musk family tree here at FameChain. The next year, Rader graduated from Wichita State University with a degree in administration of justice. 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. He had called his plan "Project Cookie". [31], On January 15, 1974, four members of the Otero family were murdered in Wichita, Kansas. The Sunday after his arrest, Associated Press cited an anonymous source that Rader had confessed to other murders in addition to the ones with which he was already connected. See FameChain's massive Trump family tree. Rader explained during his confession that he had become obsessed with Williams and was "absolutely livid" when she evaded him. The FBI and local jurisdictions at Rader's former duty stations checked into unsolved cases during Rader's time in the service. Table of Biography [ show] Early Life and Childhood Dennis Rader was born on March 9, 1945, and is currently 77 years old. [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. The victims' families disagreed with this decision. 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. [36][37] In the letter, he claimed to be driven to kill by "factorX", which he characterized as a supernatural element that also motivated Jack the Ripper, the Son of Sam, and the Hillside Strangler murders. Police in surrounding states such as Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas also were thought to have investigated cold cases that fit Rader's pattern to one extent or another. Semen found on Josephine Otero or near the bodies of his victims Josephine Otero, Shirley Vian, and Nancy Fox was critical evidence linking Rader to the crimes, and DNA obtained from fingernail scrapings of Vicki Wegerle's left hand matched Rader's DNA, eliminating any doubt that he was her murderer. The children were able to escape and provide police with a vague description of the killer. was born on 9 March, 1945 in Pittsburg, Kansas, USA, is an Actor. Ramsfield told Rolling Stone that even after six years of conversations with him, I dont think he told me everything, and I dont think he always told me the truth. His father was a member of the US Marine Corps, who later worked for the electric utility KG&E. 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. Over the course of his tenure he received the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon and the National Defense Service Medal. But he blew his own cover through an insatiable desire for attention.. The FBI, Civil Air Patrol, and local jurisdictions at Rader's former duty stations also checked into unsolved cases during Rader's time in the service. [4][5][6] After a decade-long hiatus, Rader resumed sending letters in 2004, leading to his 2005 arrest and subsequent guilty plea. He would serve two more years in the reserves. All relationship and family history information shown on FameChain has been compiled from data in the public domain. He broke into her home on April 27, 1985, killed her, undressed the body, and loaded it into her car. These letters subsequently led to his arrest in 2005. He was arrested on February 25. 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. These details were later released to the public. Dennis Rader spent four years on active duty in the Air Force. Brother of Private; Private and Private. Donald asks the courts to let him tweet. Dennis Rader, 60, pleaded. ", The Raven that Refused to Sing Concert Review, B.T.K. 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. According to several reports, including his own confessions, as a child he tortured animals. Convicted of murdering ten victims, he was planning to attack another victim at the time of his arrest. Currently, he is serving ten consecutive life sentences at El Dorado Correctional Facility in Kansas. His final known victim, Dolores Davis, was taken from her home on January 19, 1991. As far as is known, Rader kept his fantasies and his cruelty to animals to himself. Under interrogation, Dennis Rader confessed to being the BTK killer. According to reports, Rader took pleasure in exerting his limited authority over his neighbors and other members of the community. In his letters to police, Rader asked if his writings, if put on a floppy disk, could be traced or not. But if its sustained on a regular basis you then end up engaging and incorporating into your behavior repertoire these behaviors more permanently and especially in an early age. After returning to Wichita, he married his wife, Paula, in 1971, and worked for an outdoor-supply company for about a year. He unemotionally described the murders in detail and made no apologies. Death to Nancy", a botched version of the lyrics of the American folk song "O Death". Dennis Rader is 76 years old, having been born on March 9, 1945. With this promotion came more freedom, and once again he started killing. Surveillance tape of the parking lot from that date revealed a distant figure driving a black Jeep Cherokee leaving the box in the pickup. This is a nature explanation for Rader's gruesome acts. Rader did not contest the divorce, and the 34-year marriage was ended. Rader was particularly known for sending taunting letters to police and newspapers. He is currently serving 10 consecutive life sentences at the El Dorado Correctional Facility. He graduated from Wichita Heights High School in 1963. On August 18, 2005, he was sentenced to serve 10 consecutive life sentences, one life sentence per murder victim. 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. By Aly Vander Hayden Snapped Notorious BTK Killer: First Signs 1:25 Crime News Dahmer on Dahmer Bonus: Days Before the Internet 1:36 Crime News Other cold cases in Kansas were reopened to see if Rader's DNA matched crime scenes, but Rader's confession was limited to the 10 known victims, and police and prosecutors do not believe there were any more victims because of the extensive records and memorabilia he kept on each of his 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. In March2004, The Wichita Eagle received a letter from someone using the name Bill Thomas Killman. The author of the letter claimed that he had murdered Vicki Wegerle on September 16, 1986, and enclosed photographs of the crime scene and a photocopy of her driver's license, which had been stolen at the time of the crime. With time he grew bolder and began targeting human beings, killing his first known victimsthe Otero familyin early 1974. 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 also left semen at the scene and later said that he derived sexual pleasure from killing. He collected items from the scenes of the murders he committed. On July 12, 1957 Gloria was united in marriage with Dennis Arnold Rader at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Frazee, Minnesota. 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'? On February16, 2005, Rader sent a purple 1.44-Megabyte Memorex floppy disk to Fox affiliate KSAS-TV in Wichita. In early 1978, he sent another letter to television station KAKE in Wichita, claiming responsibility for the murders of the Oteros, Shirley Vian, Nancy Fox, and Kathryn Bright. From online or printed sources and from publicly accessible databases. At a press conference the next morning, Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams announced, "the bottom line BTK is arrested". 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. He spent hours waiting at her home but became impatient and left when she did not return home from visiting friends. 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. The police now had strong circumstantial evidence against Rader, but they needed more direct evidence in order to detain him. The murders shook the Kansas police and the citizens alike. Dennis Rader was born on month day 1908, at birth place, West Virginia, to Howard Rader and Mary Ella Rader. US based Meghan and Harry.. FameChain has their amazing trees. Dr Ramsland is the leading academic authority on the BTK killings and wrote the 2016 book Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer, drawing on hundreds of . Son of William Elvin Rader and Dorothea Mae Cooke 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. When a reporter knocked on Dortheas door after Rader was arrested, one of Raders brothers, Jeff answered. 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. [21] He then enrolled at Wichita State University, and graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Administration of Justice. Dennis Rader, American serial killer also known as the BTK, was sentenced to 10 life sentences in prison after his trial in 2005. The Facts. Rader pleaded guilty to all of the charges on June 27, 2005. Dennis is also referred to as the BTK Strangler and the BTK Killer. His nickname 'BTK' stood for 'Bind, Torture, Kill' - his modus operandi, and left a number of taunting notes for the police and the media, detailing his crimes. One of the serial killer characters known as ADT Man on the show is based on Rader. He cleverly evaded being identified as a suspect and proceeded to kill several others, taking the final toll of his victims to ten. In 1966, Richard Speck committed one of the most horrifying mass murders in American history when he brutalized and killed eight student nurses living on Chicago's South Side. READ NEXT: How did Robert Hansens Wife & 2 Kids Have No Idea He Was a Serial Killer? ", Rader's next known crimes occurred in 1977. 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. He was finally caught in February 2005 and was given 10 consecutive life sentences . [39], Marine Hedge, aged 53, was found on May5, 1985, at East 53rd Street North between North Webb Road and North Greenwich Road in Wichita. 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. He is now in solitary confinement for his protection (with one hour of exercise per day, and showers three times per week). [66], On March 1, Rader's bail was set at US$10million, and a public defender was appointed to represent him. Rader also sent trophies to police in his letters, and others were discovered in his office. He warned that he would strike again, noting, "The code words for me will be bind them, torture them, kill them, B.T.K." Dennis Rader. In December 2004, Wichita police received another package from the BTK killer. Serial killer Edmund Kemper murdered six young women in the Santa Cruz, California, area and several members of his family. He married Paula Dietz on May 22, 1971, and they had two children. He gained entry into her house posing as a telephone repairman and then strangled her to death. That became imprinted in his mind and became the image he was always after. They then began DNA testing hundreds of men in an effort to find the serial killer. He changed his job in 1972 and joined Coleman Co., a manufacturer of camping supplies. He was also a Boy Scout troop leader and president of his church council. The police also knew BTK owned a black Jeep Cherokee. By 2004, the investigation of the BTK Killer was considered a cold case. He also harbored a sexual fetish for women's underwear and would later steal underpants from his victims and wear them himself. The police corresponded with the BTK Killer (Rader) in an effort to gain his confidence. He suggested a number of possible names for himself, including the one that stuck: BTK. He attended Riverview Elementary School. John Wayne Gacy, often called the "Killer Clown," was one of the worst serial killers in U.S. history, murdering at least 33 young male victims. I still love her greatly. 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. Apparently, Rader had waited for several hours inside the home of Anna Williams but left when she still had not returned hours later. They then began DNA testing hundreds of men in an effort to find the serial killer. killed four members of the Otero family, including two children, to fulfill a sexual fantasy. On January 15, 1974, Dennis Rader broke into the womans house with some tools and weapons. Space-X continues to reach for the stars. 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. As a young boy, he was reserved and quiet. [53] The metadata contained the words "Christ Lutheran Church", and the document was marked as last modified by "Dennis". Dennis lived in 1910, at address, West Virginia. [19][20] He attended Butler County Community College in ElDorado, earning an associate degree in electronics in 1973. [55] He started his murdering spree in the mid-1970s, terrorizing the citizens of Kansas for more than 30 years before he was finally arrested. 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! According to witnesses, while traveling the 40-minute drive from Wichita to El Dorado, Rader talked about innocuous topics such as the weather, but began to cry when the victims' families' statements from the court proceedings came on the radio. The author credited the killer with having done "admirable work." He had left ADT in the late 1980s and started working for the Wichita suburb of Park City as a compliance supervisor in 1991. The oldest of four sons, he enjoyed a seemingly normal childhood, reportedly masking such disturbing behavior as hanging stray animals. [28], Rader was a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Wichita and had been elected president of the church council. But for more than 30 years, he also terrorized the area as the BTK killer. 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. Then he escaped in Wegerles family car. He started trolling them, hanging out around their house, and fantasizing about binding and torturing them. Born in Pittsburg, Kansas, U.S., He holds American citizenship. However, he was good at hiding his dark side and came across to the outside world as a polite and shy young man. [27] One neighbor complained that Rader killed her dog for no reason. He had been arrested for the murders five days earlier. His zodiac sign is Pisces and he holds American nationality. Rader had previously stored black plastic sheets and other materials at the church in preparation for the murder and then later dumped the body in a remote ditch. [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. Police tape hangs across the street in front of Rader's house, 2005. 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. His children too have cut off contacts from him since then. Dennis Rader, a bespectacled, balding 59-year-old compliance officer at the time of his arrest, would later to confess to killing 10 victims and share the secret, deviant behavior he'd kept. Police in surrounding states such as Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas also investigated cold cases that fit Rader's pattern to some extent. Leary told Heavy: He was terribly to cruel to animals. What makes me think so is the frequency of the cruel behavior. The increased police vigilance made Rader a bit wary and he did not kill again for a few years. Then, Rader initiated a series of 11 communications to the local media. Chapter One was titled "A Serial Killer Is Born". NBC claimed Rader knew the interview might be televised, but this was false according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office. However, he never stopped stalking potential victims or playing out murderous fantasies in his head. 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. 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. [17] On discharge, he moved to Park City (a suburb of Wichita), where he worked in the meat department of an IGA supermarket where his mother was a bookkeeper. 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. Rader pled guilty to the murders on June 27, 2005, giving a graphic account of his crimes in court. Rader also twice shot her brother, Kevin, though he survived. [21], Massachusetts psychologist Robert Mendoza was hired by Rader's court-appointed public defenders to conduct a psychological evaluation of Rader, and determine if an insanity-based defense might be viable. Still, he continued to taunt authorities and appeared to be poised to strike again. The Wichita Eagle received a letter from someone using the return address Bill Thomas Killman. The Eerie Moment From Dennis Rader's Childhood That Predicted His Future As The BTK Killer A "quiet and unassuming" boy, Dennis Rader later fantasized about "trapped and helpless" women. 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 at first discarded by the owner. Discover Dennis Rader's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. [56], Police obtained a warrant to test a pap smear taken from Rader's daughter at the Kansas State University medical clinic. 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. On the Oxygen Networks, Snapped: Notorious, episode on the BTK killer, Rader biographer and forensic scientist Ramsland said that Raders father worked long hours and wasnt around a lot and his mom was often preoccupied reading and watching TV, leaving some of the raising of the boys to the grandparents. In April 1979, Rader waited in an elderly womans home but left before she returned. 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
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.. Reportedly an attentive husband, he and his wife had a son in 1975 and a daughter in 1978. On May 3, District Court Judge Gregory Waller entered not guilty pleas to the 10 charges on Rader's behalf, as Rader did not speak at his arraignment. Her parents were also professional actresses. "BTK" stands for "Bind, Torture, Kill", which was his infamous signature. The author of the letter claimed that he had murdered Vicki Wegerle on September16, 1986, and enclosed photographs of the crime scene and a photocopy of her driver's license, which had been stolen at the time of the crime. It had 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, and had a plastic bag tied over its head. Chilling online comments made by suspected killer Bryan Kohberger when he was a teenager have resurfaced, revealing how he felt "blank", had "no emotion" and felt "little remorse" years before he allegedly murdered four University of Idaho students in a brutal . 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. 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. Dennis Rader is an American serial killer who is also popular as the BTK "Bind, Torture, Kill" Killer or the BTK Strangler. He was raised in Wichita. The Oteros' 15-year-old son, Charlie, came home later that day and discovered the bodies. Dennis Rader, aka the BTK Killer, murdered 10 people between 1974 and 1991. . Once in handcuffs, he was asked by an officer, "Mr. Rader, do you know why you're being arrested?" He served in the United States Air Force from 1966 to 1970. He is currently 77 years old as of 2022. After sending many letters to the police, Rader sent them a floppy disc. 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. 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. He was killed in 1994 by a fellow prison inmate. Bail was continued at $10 million. Because Rader did not contest his guilt, most evidence was not tested in court. The couple had two children, a son and a daughter. Dennis Rader's Early Life. Massachusetts psychologist Robert Mendoza, who had been hired by Rader's court-appointed public defenders to conduct the psychological evaluation earlier in the case to determine if an insanity-based defense might be viable, conducted an interview after Rader pled guilty on June 27. 35 min read. From a Freudian perspective: Dennis Rader is the result of suppression. Surveillance tape of the parking lot from that date revealed a distant figure driving a black Jeep Cherokee leaving the box in the pickup. He was convicted of ten murders and received ten consecutive life sentences. They filed restraining orders against him and one moved away. Rader had attended Wichita State University in the 1970s. He, too, is a Christian, and his zodiac sign is Pisces. 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 Kansas Attorney General's office arranged for the settlement money to be distributed to families of the victims. Dennis grew up with three siblings - Jeff, Paul and Bill. From 1974 to 1991, serial killer Dennis Rader murdered 10 people under the moniker BTK Killer, standing for "Bind, Torture, Kill." Around his hometown of Wichita, Kansas, Rader was known as a family man and church leader, and no one suspected he was the man sending taunting letters to police and media detailing his brutal, twisted crimes. [72] On August 19, he was moved to the El Dorado Correctional Facility. He also left packages with clues, including a computer disk that ultimately led authorities to Rader's church. [44] Altogether, more than 1,300DNA samples were taken and later destroyed by court order. Rader sent local media outlets and authorities several letters filled with items related to his crimes, including pictures, a word puzzle and an outline for the "BTK Story." On May 10, 2007, Mendoza settled the case for US$30,000 with no admission of wrongdoing. This claim was false, and the death was ruled a suicide. Dennis Lynn Rader (BTK, BTK Killer, BTK Strangler, B.T.K.) He demanded media attention in this second letter, and it was finally announced that Wichita did indeed have a serial killer at large. Police began surveillance on Rader. Dennis Rader is an American serial killer also known as the BTK "Bind, Torture, Kill" Killer or the BTK Strangler. On June 9, 2004, a package was found taped to a stop sign at the corner of First and Kansas in Wichita, containing graphic descriptions of the Otero murders and a sketch labeled "The Sexual Thrill Is My Bill". He was also a Cub Scout leader. Dennis Rader, in full Dennis Lynn Rader, byname BTK or BTK Killer, (born March 9, 1945, Pittsburg, Kansas, U.S.), American serial killer who murdered 10 people over a span of three decades before his arrest and confession in 2005. Rader's alter ego resurfaced in 2004, but his penchant for leaving clues led to his arrest and life imprisonment the following year. He was also a member of Christ Lutheran Church and had been elected president of the church council. 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. The poem expressed Rader's unhappiness about being caught, with one of the verses proclaiming, "The dark side of me has been exposed". 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. He was executed in the electric chair in 1989. This claim was found to be false and the death had been ruled a suicide. 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. In March, he strangled Shirley Vian to death and later that year, he murdered Nancy Fox. After several years without a known crime, Rader killed his neighbor Marine Hedge on April 27, 1985. Chapter One was titled "A Serial Killer Is Born." [32][33] After his 2005 arrest, Rader confessed to killing the Otero family. The police answered his question in a newspaper ad posted in the Wichita Eagle saying it would be safe to use the disk. So something awful happened here and we still dont know. Ive always loved her. His gruesome crimes shocked and horrified the community, and his capture in 2005 brought a small measure of closure to the families of his victims. On March 2, 2005, the Park City council terminated Rader's employment for failure to report to work or to call in. Born In: Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. Though born in Pittsburg, Kansas, he grew up in Wichita. [32] The victims were Joseph Otero, age38; Julie Otero, age33; Joseph OteroJr., age9; and Josephine Otero, age11. 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. He was sentenced to 10 consecutive life terms, which requires a minimum of 175 years without a chance of parole. Ramsland, Katherine. Around this time, he also started killing animals like dogs and cats by torturing and hanging them. 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. This activity led directly to his arrest in February 2005. Over the next several years, BTK dropped off the map as Rader focused on work and family life. Also Known As: Dennis Lynn Rader, BTK Killer, BTK Strangler, Spouse/Ex-: Paula Dietz (m. 1971; div. He also intended to kill others, notably Anna Williams, 63, who in 1979 escaped death by returning home much later than he expected. A blue 1.44-MB Memorex floppy disk was enclosed in the package. [38], He also intended to kill others, such as Anna Williams, who in 1979, aged63, escaped death by returning home much later than expected. 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. In October 2017 Netflix's crime drama, Mindhunter, was released to critical acclaim. [19][22] Rader was a census field operations supervisor for the Wichita area in 1989, before the 1990federal census. 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. We strive for accuracy and fairness. As an adolescent, he fantasized of tying up and raping girls. It had to have been in the family, or it could be an uncle classically or an aunt. ", "Is The Clovehitch Killer Based On The BTK Murders True Story? Brian Rader Family, Parents, Siblings. 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. The victim this time was someone Rader and his wife knew personally: his 53-year-old neighbor Marine Hedge. Armed with a gun and some tools, Rader broke into the Otero home one morning, and killed four members of the familyincluding two young children. Rader told Dr. Katherine Ramsland, who spent six years getting to know Rader through jailhouse interviews and letters after he was convicted, that his sexual fantasies involving tying people up started at a young age. He is known as the BTK killer (or the BTK strangler). https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/dennis-rader. 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. Upon his return to Wichita, Dennis Rader took up a job at the meat department of an IGA supermarket. On February 25, 2005, Rader was detained near his home in Park City and accused of the BTK killings. Asked about the reported confessions, Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston said, "Your information is patently false", but she refused to say whether Rader had made any confessions or whether investigators were looking into Rader's possible involvement in more unsolved killings. Beginning in 2006, he was allowed access to television and radio, to read magazines, and other privileges for good behavior.[75][76]. An internet search determined that a "Dennis Rader" was president of the church council. [49] This time, the package was found in Wichita's Murdock Park. On August 12, 2005, Dateline NBC aired Confessions of BTK. On February 28, 2005, Rader was formally charged with 10 counts of first degree murder. William Elvin Rader, Dorthea Mae Rader (born Cook), er,
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