Dennis Rader (BTK Killer)
Dennis Rader who is commonly as the BTK killer was born in Kansas in 1945 and was the first born of four siblings born to William and Dorothea Rader. He is renowned as an American serial killer who carried out the murder of 10 individuals in Sedgwick County between 1974 and 1991 around Wichita, Kansas. Dennis Rader's nickname as BTK killer or BTK strangler is derived from the method he used in killing his victims. In essence, Rader used bind, torture and kill to execute his serial murders, which resulted in his nickname as BTK killer. Dennis Rader derived great joy and pleasure from killing to an extent that he wanted his nickname on the list of the worst serial killers across the globe. Similar to most depraved serial killers, the BTK killer or BTK strangler covered his demon behind an ordinary human's facade.
Dennis Rader's Early Life
Dennis Rader is the first born of four sons born to William Elvin Rader and Dorothea Mae Cook who grew up in Wichita, Kansas though he was born in Pittsburg. He was born on March 9, 1945 and attended Riverview School and later Wichita Heights High School (Blanco, n.d.). During his time in school, Rader was an average student, an active member of his church, and a regular Boy Scout. Moreover, Dennis Rader was baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Kansas where he was an active church member in his early childhood years. His father worked in the United States Marine Corps before joining KG&E, an electric utility company from the beginning of 1948. As previously mentioned, Dennis Rader was born in Pittsburg, Kansas before his family moved to Kansas' largest city i.e. Wichita when he was still young. The family settled into a humble but lovely home that remained their household until it was sold in 2005.
In the early years of his childhood, Dennis Rader was seemingly an outwardly normal and unremarkable child. His ordinary life during this period is demonstrated in his decision to become a member of the Boy Scouts and increased involvement in youth group activities in Zion Lutheran Church. However, during his time at Riverview Elementary School, Rader demonstrated withdrawn tendencies in addition to become an average to mediocre pupil. Rader later admitted that he developed daydreamed about affliction, oppression, and control while still in grade school. He also admitted that he developed fantasies of subjecting girls to bondage through tying them up and having his way as he became sexually active in the early years of his life. As a child, Dennis Rader daydreamed about oppressing and controlling Annette Funicello, a television and movie star. In addition, Rader tortured animals, particularly dogs and cats and successfully hid his growing internal world of bondage, torture, and murder ("Dennis Rader: The BTK Killer," n.d.). Actually, people who knew Rader in his early years described him as a quiet and polite individual who was reserved and tended to be focused and studious.
Rader's Personal Life
After graduating from Wichita Heights High School in 1963, he proceeded to County Community College in El Dorado where he graduated with an associate's degree in Electronics and later joined Wichita University where he obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Administration of Justice. He married Paula Dietz in 1971 and had two children i.e. A son and a daughter. From 1972 to 1998, Dennis Rader worked in various companies and organizations including Coleman Company, ADT Security Services, and the Compliance Department at Park City.
Despite his involvement in serial murder, Dennis Rader continued being a member of Christ Lutheran Church for approximately three decades that culminated in his election as president of the Congregation Council. While he served as a Cub Scout leader, his son joined Eagle Scout. Rader divorced his wife immediately after his arrest in 2005 after Judge Eric Yost of the Sedgwick County District waived the normal 60-day period of waiting. Since he did not challenge the divorce, his 33-year marriage came to an ended. In her divorce petition, Paula stated that the marriage had significant negative effects on her physical and
His could not achieve complete sexual satisfaction without binding, torturing, and killing other people since he did not see the reason another life should prevent his so called, "perfect moment" ("Dennis Rader: The BTK Killer," n.d.). Anderson (2014), states that Dennis Rader was a married father who killed 10 people between 1974 and 1991 and brought prolonged fear in Wichita, Kansas. Despite having loving parents and siblings as well as having a loving wife and kids, Dennis Rader was a sexually-driven monster who used his victims as objects for fulfilling his weird sexual fantasies.
Rader's carried out his first murder in 1974 when his victims were four members of the Otero family i.e. Joseph Otero, his wife, and his two kids. Joseph Otero and his wife, Josephine, worked in a camping gear company i.e. Coleman Company, where Rader worked as an assembler between 1972 and 1973. Rader pulled a gun, bound, and strangled Josephine inside her family home who pleaded for her kids' lives before being strangled and tied a plastic bag around Joseph's head and murdered their son in the same manner (Anderson, 2014). He then hanged their daughter and carried out a sexual act besides the body.
The next victim was Kathryn Bright who he murdered in the same year and shot Bright's brother twice though he survived. The BTK killer murdered Kathryn Bright through stabbing her after unsuccessfully trying to strangle her. Rader's serial murder spree continued in 1977 when his next victim was Shirley Vian whom he killed inside her family home. While posing as a detective, the BTK killer pulled his .357 Magnum and forced his way inside Shirley Vian's home. He locked her three children in the bathroom and murdered Vian using his improvised hit kit that contained a rope, bags, tape, and cords. Rader locked Vian's children in the bathroom with some
toys in order to prevent them from being suspicious about his activities.
The next victim of the BTK killer was Nancy Fox whom he murdered in December of the same year. Rader handcuffed Fox and tied her on her bed before strangling her to
death with a belt and carrying out a sexual act besides the body of the deceased. After killing Nancy Fox, Dennis Rader appeared to have gone underground though he was engaged in a cat and mouse game with law enforcement personnel and journalists through the letters he wrote regarding his serial murder spree. Even though these letters were not as frequent as before, he wrote another one 25 years later and sent it to local media following the publication of a 30th anniversary story of the
crimes he had committed. The letter was accompanied with items he collected from his next victim, Vicki Wegerle, whom he murdered in 1985 in her own home. These items included three Polaroid photographs and driver's license of the deceased. Rader had previously killed Marine Hedge, his neighbor whose body was found on the side of the road ("Dennis Rader
Biography," n.d.). The last known victim of the BTK killer or BTK strangler was Dolores Davis, who was murdered in 1991 after being taken from her home.
Rader's Arrest and Conviction
In addition to being a serial murderer, Dennis Rader had a habit of collecting items from the scenes of murders he performed and reportedly had no items related to other killings or crimes. Moreover, he had a tendency of seeking for popularity for his murder crimes since he wanted his nickname on the list of the worst serial killers throughout the world. He desired and sought for fame through writing letters and reporting his offenses to journalists and law enforcement personnel. After going quiet in 1991 when he committed his last known murder, Rader resurfaced in 1991 through seeking media attention. During this period, he sent various letters to local media outlets and law enforcement authorities. These letters were accompanied by various items associated with offenses such as a word puzzle, pictures of one of his victims, and an
outline for his story.
These letters and items provided investigators with significant clues about Rader's background. From 2004 to 2005, the BTK killer left various packages and items that provided more clues regarding his whereabouts including a computer disk. The disk was quickly traced to him via a computer at his church (Hansen, 2006). Police detectives noticed his white van on some of the packages he dropped and obtained a DNA sample from his daughter to foster their case against him. Rader was subsequently arrested in February 2005 and later charged with first-degree murder to 10 people.
The BTK killer pled guilty to all 10 counts of first-degree murder later in 2005 and provided shocking details of each of his crimes in…
