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. They say he was the squeaky clean, oldest of four boys, very traditional parents, traditional family, went to school, did the right things etcetera, so there were no clues.. 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. [55] 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. It is believed to be correct at the time of inputting and is presented here in good faith. [23], In May 1991, Rader became a dogcatcher and compliance officer in Park City. The murders spanned from 1974 to 1986, in which the majority of those years he was married and raising two children, leading a boy scout troop, and being deeply involved in his church. With time he grew bolder and began targeting human beings, killing his first known victimsthe Otero familyin early 1974. Dennis Rader tormented his Kansas community with a string of murders and taunted the police who couldn't solve his crimes. 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. The increased police vigilance made Rader a bit wary and he did not kill again for a few years. Rader was arrested on February 25, 2005, and later charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder. 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. 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. 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. 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. The Oteros' 15-year-old son, Charlie, came home later that day and discovered the bodies. The following year, he killed Vicki Wegerle in her home. [19][29] He was also a Cub Scout leader. 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. [19][22] Rader was a census field operations supervisor for the Wichita area in 1989, before the 1990federal census. [31], On January 15, 1974, four members of the Otero family were murdered in Wichita, Kansas. He was arrested on February 25. 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. On April 4, 1974, the killer struck again, killing 21-year-old Kathryn Bright by stabbing her multiple times. 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. [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. Rader had stalked two women in the 1980s and one in the mid-1990s. Rader was stopped while driving near his home and taken into custody shortly after noon on February 25, 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. [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. Police found metadata embedded in a deleted Microsoft Word document that was, unbeknownst to Rader, on the disk. What makes me think so is the frequency of the cruel behavior. [19][20] He attended Butler County Community College in ElDorado, earning an associate degree in electronics in 1973. After graduating from Wichita Heights High School,[16] Rader attended Kansas Wesleyan University, but received mediocre grades and dropped out after one year. He changed his job in 1972 and joined Coleman Co., a manufacturer of camping supplies. The Facts. Powered by. Wenzl, Roy; Potter, Tim; Laviana, Hurst; Kelly, L. This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 01:08. On February 25, 2005, Rader was detained near his home in Park City and accused of the BTK killings. But I did have a little a little bit of a grudge against Momma.. [41] In October2004, a manila envelope was dropped into a UPS box in Wichita. 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 is known as the BTK killer (or the BTK strangler). As far as is known, Rader kept his fantasies and his cruelty to animals to himself. He was convicted of ten murders and received ten consecutive life sentences. On January 15, 1974, Dennis Rader broke into the womans house with some tools and weapons. 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. On June 27, the scheduled trial date, Rader changed his plea to guilty. This time, the package was found in Wichita's Murdock Park. They particularly focused on cases after 1994, when the death penalty was reinstated in Kansas. Kevin later described Rader as "an average-sized guy, bushy mustache, 'psychotic' eyes," according to a TIME magazine article. 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. 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. 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. Dennis is also referred to as the BTK Strangler and the BTK Killer. 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 claim was false, and the death was ruled a suicide. [52], Police found metadata embedded in a deleted Microsoft Word document that was, unknown to Rader, still stored on the floppy disk. Kansas reinstated the death penalty in 1994. Rader was born in Pittsburg, Kansas on March 9, 1945, but raised in Wichita. When a reporter knocked on Dortheas door after Rader was arrested, one of Raders brothers, Jeff answered. Rader did not contest the divorce, and the 34-year marriage was ended. Rader lived on the same street as Marine Hedge, just houses away. Serial killer Edmund Kemper murdered six young women in the Santa Cruz, California, area and several members of his family. Dennis Rader married Paula Dietz on May 22, 1971. BTK murder victim Kathryn Bright's brother Kevin, who was shot twice by BTK, reported that the killer had asked him if he had seen him at the university. She is now 28 years old and has American nationality. By the 2000s, the public interest in the BTK killer had faded off to a great extent. Who Is Dennis Rader? After a decade-long hiatus, Rader resumed sending letters in 2004, leading to his 2005 arrest and subsequent guilty plea. Police in surrounding states such as Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas also investigated cold cases that fit Rader's pattern to some extent. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! He was finally caught in February 2005 and was given 10 consecutive life sentences . Dennis Rader, American serial killer also known as the BTK, was sentenced to 10 life sentences in prison after his trial in 2005. 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 was a member of Christ Lutheran Church and had been elected president of the Congregation Council. Rader had attended Wichita State University in the 1970s. He broke into her home on April 27, 1985, killed her, undressed the body, and loaded it into her car. [56], Police obtained a warrant to test a pap smear taken from Rader's daughter at the Kansas State University medical clinic. According to reports, Rader took pleasure in exerting his limited authority over his neighbors and other members of the community. 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. Ramsland later wrote the book, Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer. In December, he strangled Nancy Fox in her home, and then called the police to report the homicide. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Rader's father's name is William E. Rader and his mother's name is Dorothea M. Rader. 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. [19], On July26, 2005, after Rader's arrest, his wife was granted an "emergency divorce" (waiving the normal waiting period). [77], The videotape of Mendoza's interview ended up being used on NBC's Dateline. [10][11] He also exhibited zoosadism by torturing, killing, and hanging small animals. He's based on a Kansas serial killer", "Mindhunter: Who is the ADT Killer from Kansas? He told the reporter they could not talk to Dorthea, saying, Its too hard on my mother. Sources give Rader's place of birth as either Columbus, Kansas,[7][8] or Pittsburg, Kansas. His father was arrested in 2005 following 10 counts of crimes where he had killed more than ten people. 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 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. 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. 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 additional ones. writing letters to the media about his crimes. US based Meghan and Harry.. FameChain has their amazing trees. On October 25, 2005, the Kansas attorney general filed a petition to sue Mendoza and Tali Waters, co-owners of Cambridge Forensic Consultants, LLC, for breach of contract, claiming that they intended to benefit financially from the use of information obtained through involvement in Rader's defense. 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. 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. Many observers noted that he described the gruesome events without any sign of remorse or emotion. He wanted the opportunity to tell his story his own way. The author credited the killer with having done "admirable work." These details were later released to the public. He is serving 10 consecutive life sentences at El Dorado Correctional Facility in Kansas, with an earliest possible release date of February 26, 2180. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. There were four people present inside: Julie Otero, her husband Joseph Otero, and two of their children, Joseph Jr. and Josephine. [19][24][25][26] In this position, neighbors recalled him as being sometimes overzealous and extremely strict, as well as taking special pleasure in bullying and harassing single women. He was sexually excited when he read books about murders, masturbating to his fathers copy of a book about the Lonely Hearts Killers. Brian Rader Family, Parents, Siblings. Family, Parents, Siblings, Education She was born to her father Larry Palmer and her mother Sharon Palmer. Rader wrote, "It's hard to control myself. Dennis Lynn Rader (BTK, BTK Killer, BTK Strangler, B.T.K.) 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. 2023 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. He spent hours waiting at her home but became impatient and left when she did not return home from visiting friends. 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 "BTK killer" for "bind, torture, kill" with 10 murders and brazen correspondence with authorities between 1974 and 1991. Rader's alter ego resurfaced in 2004, but his penchant for leaving clues led to his arrest and life imprisonment the following year. 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. Rader pleaded guilty in 2005 to 10 counts of first-degree murder for claiming the lives of 10 people who he chillingly referred to in court as his "projects" after defense attorneys said the evidence against him was too "solid" to refute, NBC News reported. Dennis grew up with three siblings - Jeff, Paul and Bill. AMERICAN serial killer Dennis Rader known as BTK, killed 10 people, including two children, over a 17-year period. He is currently serving 10 consecutive life sentences at the El Dorado Correctional Facility. On May 10, 2007, Mendoza settled the case for US$30,000 with no admission of wrongdoing. Dennis Lynn Rader is an American serial killer known as BTK, the BTK Strangler or the BTK Killer. With this promotion came more freedom, and once again he started killing. Shortly afterward, in January 1978, Rader sent a poem to a local newspaper about the Vian killing. He did credit the killer with having done "admirable work". This activity led directly to his arrest in February 2005. [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. You probably call me 'psychotic with sexual perversion hang-up.'" Death to Nancy", a botched version of the lyrics of the American folk song "O Death". 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. . Born in Pittsburg, Kansas, U.S., He holds American citizenship. (1965), Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, United States William Rader{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "William Rader", "gender": "Male" }, Dorothea Rader{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Dorothea Rader", "gender": "Female" }, Wichita Heights High School, Wichita, Kansas, United States, Riverview School, Wichita, Kansas, United States, Butler County Community College, El Dorado, Kansas, United States, Kansas Wesleyan University, Kansas, United States Then, in one of his communications with police, Rader asked them if it was possible to trace information from floppy disks. Over the next several years, BTK dropped off the map as Rader focused on work and family life. Married with children by now, he now focused more on his career and rose to the position of installation supervisor. Around this time, he also attended the Butler County Community College in El Dorado, and earned an Associate's degree in Electronics in 1973. In March, he strangled Shirley Vian to death and later that year, he murdered Nancy Fox. On August 18, Rader faced sentencing. He was executed in the electric chair in 1989. was born on 9 March, 1945 in Pittsburg, Kansas, USA, is an Actor. [75], Rader talked about innocuous topics such as the weather during the 40-minute drive to El Dorado, but began to cry when the victims' families' statements from the court proceedings came on the radio. 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. 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