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. After returning to Wichita, he married his wife, Paula, in 1971, and worked for an outdoor-supply company for about a year. The author credited the killer with having done "admirable work." [9] He grew up in Wichita. DNA collected from under the fingernails of that victim provided police with previously unknown evidence. Dennis Rader is an American serial killer also known as the BTK "Bind, Torture, Kill" Killer or the BTK Strangler. 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. 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. He started trolling them, hanging out around their house, and fantasizing about binding and torturing them. was born on 9 March, 1945 in Pittsburg, Kansas, USA, is an Actor. [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. [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. Around this time, he also started killing animals like dogs and cats by torturing and hanging them. The Wichita Eagle received a letter from someone using the return address Bill Thomas Killman. The murders shook the Kansas police and the citizens alike. [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. The church he attended, his office at City Hall, and the main branch of the Park City library were also searched. Serial Killers that Charmed Their Victims. 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. Many observers noted that he described the gruesome events without any sign of remorse or emotion. 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". He had called his plan "Project Cookie". There were four people present inside: Julie Otero, her husband Joseph Otero, and two of their children, Joseph Jr. and Josephine. 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". [56], Police obtained a warrant to test a pap smear taken from Rader's daughter at the Kansas State University medical clinic. 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. Police in surrounding states such as Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas also investigated cold cases that fit Rader's pattern to some extent. He drew ropes and gags on the pictures and pasted them onto 35 index cards that he could carry around with him.. [1], Rader was born on March 9, 1945, to Dorothea Mae Rader (ne Cook) and William Elvin Rader, one of four sons. Prior to this, it had not been definitively established that Wegerle was killed by BTK (Rader). [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. On January 15, 1974, Dennis Rader broke into the womans house with some tools and weapons. 35 min read. He suggested a number of possible names for himself, including the one that stuck: BTK. Click here to Start FameChaining. 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. 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. They filed restraining orders against him and one moved away. [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. 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. In May 2004, a word puzzle was received by KAKE. [49] This time, the package was found in Wichita's Murdock Park. After several years without a known crime, Rader killed his neighbor Marine Hedge on April 27, 1985. How did Robert Hansens Wife & 2 Kids Have No Idea He Was a Serial Killer. Her body was found a few days later. 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. Daniel's 5th outing as Bond gets bums back on seats in the cinema. He also left semen at the scene and later said that he derived sexual pleasure from killing. 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. For over 30 years, serial killer Dennis Rader struck fear in the hearts of citizens of Wichita, KS, by committing 10 horrific murders. Apparently, Rader had waited for several hours inside the home of Anna Williams but left when she still had not returned hours later. According to reports, Rader took pleasure in exerting his limited authority over his neighbors and other members of the community. Despite his cat-and-mouse game with authorities, Rader was able to keep the lid on his secret, murderous life. How could this man be both? His father was a member of the US Marine Corps, who later worked for the electric utility KG&E. Dennis Rader, aka the BTK Killer, murdered 10 people between 1974 and 1991. . She is now 28 years old and has American nationality. He was killed in 1994 by a fellow prison inmate. 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. Rader dropped out of college and joined the U.S. Air Force in the mid-1960s. 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. On July 12, 1957 Gloria was united in marriage with Dennis Arnold Rader at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Frazee, Minnesota. 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. ", The Raven that Refused to Sing Concert Review, B.T.K. Chapter One was titled "A Serial Killer Is Born". 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. In 1977, Dennis Rader struck twice. "[61][62], On February 28, 2005, Rader was charged with 10 counts of first degree murder. A search of the church web site turned up Dennis Rader as being president of the congregation council. The initials stuck, and the murderer came to be known by variations ofthe "BTK killer" moniker, or simply "BTK. Serial killer Edmund Kemper murdered six young women in the Santa Cruz, California, area and several members of his family. It was not proven until 2005 that this letter was, in fact, written by Rader. Rader worked at Coleman only a short time and not at the same location as the victims. On April 4, 1974, the killer struck again, killing 21-year-old Kathryn Bright by stabbing her multiple times. [23], In May 1991, Rader became a dogcatcher and compliance officer in Park City. NBC claimed Rader knew the interview might be on TV, but that was a false statement according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department. Rader was born in Pittsburg, Kansas on March 9, 1945, but raised in Wichita. He measured the height of people's lawns and chased stray animals while toting a tranquilizer gun. In December 2004, Wichita police received another package from the BTK killer. 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. Inside Dennis Raders Childhood: What Made Him the BTK Killer? It would be a few more years before the BTK killer would strike again. According to several reports, including his own confessions, as a child he tortured animals. [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. Who Is Dennis Rader? Copyright FameChain 2023, All rights reserved. [32][33] After his 2005 arrest, Rader confessed to killing the Otero family. According to Rolling Stones write up on the book, Early on, he started cutting out Slick Ads, female figures from magazine advertisements. 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. 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. He was represented by a public defender. He was convicted of ten murders and received ten consecutive life sentences. 2 Dennis Rader brutally murdered ten people, including two children, over a 17-year stretch 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. Dennis Rader's Early Life. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Together Gloria and Dennis made their home in Spruce Grove Township where they operated their Dairy Farm. Dennis Rader is a serial killer from the United States, and his moniker BTK stands for "bind, torture, kill." Between 1974 and 1991, Paula's ex-husband, Dennis Rader, murdered ten people in Wichita and Park City . 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. You probably call me 'psychotic with sexual perversion hang-up.'" 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. He was executed in the electric chair in 1989. During the sentencing, victims' families spoke about the effect. ", "Is The Clovehitch Killer Based On The BTK Murders True Story? 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. He also harbored a sexual fetish for women's underwear and would later steal underpants from his victims and wear them himself. Born In: Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. 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. The church he attended, his office at City Hall, and the main branch of the Park City library were also searched that day. And he was upset that they didnt find him and recognized him and give him the credit in the press for what he did. He also said he was bored, because his children had grown up and he had more time on his hands. Currently, he is incarcerated at the El Dorado Correctional Facility in Kansas. These letters subsequently led to his arrest in 2005. 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. 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. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. On August 18, 2005, he was sentenced to serve 10 consecutive life sentences, one life sentence per murder victim. Their marriage was blessed with 5 children: Larry, Deanna, Donna, Dale and Scott. Rader was particularly known for sending taunting letters to police and newspapers. It was January 1974 when he tied-up and killed four members of the Otero family, including two children, to fulfill a sexual fantasy. [18] Rader married Paula Dietz on May22, 1971; they had two children, Kerri and Brian. Shortly afterward, in January 1978, Rader sent a poem to a local newspaper about the Vian killing. 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. Family, Parents, Siblings, Education She was born to her father Larry Palmer and her mother Sharon Palmer. David Berkowitz, known as Son of Sam, murdered six people in New York City from 1976 to 1977, claiming he received orders from a demon-possessed dog. The couple had two children, a son and a daughter. 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. He was raised in Wichita. 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. According to Oxygen, Rader told Ramsland, I got along real well with Dad, but Mom wasnt always so happy. 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. Death to Nancy", a botched version of the lyrics of the American folk song "O Death". Rader's father's name is William E. Rader and his mother's name is Dorothea M. Rader. He started his murdering spree in the mid-1970s, terrorizing the citizens of Kansas for more than 30 years before he was finally arrested. The police answered his question in a newspaper ad posted in the Wichita Eagle saying it would be safe to use the disk. On February 16, 2005, he sent a floppy disk to Fox TV station KSAS in Wichita. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/dennis-rader-btk-killer-29880.php. The metadata contained "Christ Lutheran Church", and the document was marked as last modified by "Dennis". By the 2000s, the public interest in the BTK killer had faded off to a great extent. Currently, he is serving ten consecutive life sentences at El Dorado Correctional Facility in Kansas. Once again he sent letters to the police claiming responsibility for the killings, signing off as the BTK killer.. As an adolescent, he fantasized of tying up and raping girls. In March 2004, a series of 11 communications from BTK (Rader) to the local media led directly to his arrest in February 2005. 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. Chapter One was titled "A Serial Killer Is Born." 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. All relationship and family history information shown on FameChain has been compiled from data in the public domain. Once in handcuffs, he was asked by an officer, "Mr. Rader, do you know why you're being arrested?" Under the fingernails of that victim provided police with previously unknown evidence the church he attended, his at. A known crime, Rader told Ramsland, I got along real well with,. His victims and wear them himself: BTK and weapons give him the BTK killer strike! His family letter from someone using the return address Bill Thomas Killman letters subsequently led his! 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