A to Z Challenge: D (serial killers)

Dennis Rader — BTK Killer

Fast Facts:

  • Born in 1945 in Kansas
  • Murdered 10 people over 15 years (’74-’91) taking sexual pleasure from the killings
  • He taunted police with letters and clues, one of which led police to him
  • Charged with 10 counts of murder
  • Sentenced to 10 life sentences

Rader, the oldest of three brothers, had a normal childhood, apparently hiding his deviant behaviour, including hanging stray animals. A college dropout he joined the air force. After his service he married his wife, eventually finding long term employment with a security firm.

Rader lived a double life, devoted family man and employee by day, killer by night. His first victims were 4 members of one family. He strangled them and took a watch and radio – strangulation and souvenir becoming his signature. He also left semen, later confessing he took sexual pleasure from killing.

After another killing, Radar left a letter in a public library book, confessing to the killing. The note was poorly written: It’s hard to control myself. You probably call me ‘psychotic with sexual perversion hang-up. The code words for me will be bind them, torture them, kill them, B.T.K. He continued to send letters to the media and taunt the police. To try and catch him, police released his phone call recording, hoping someone recognised the voice.

BTK seemed to disappear for a number of years. During this time Rader focused on family and work. He resurfaced during the 30th anniversary of his first kill, sending letters, pictures, a word puzzle and other packages with clues. One of the clues was a CD which led the police to his church. They also saw his white van on security tapes at the package drop-off areas. DNA comparison using his daughter cemented the case.

He’s currently serving 10 life sentences at El Dorado Correctional Facility.

30 comments on “A to Z Challenge: D (serial killers)

  1. While all serial killers are disturbing, I find this one particularly so because of his ability to lead a double life. It’s hard to imagine the kind of energy and compartmentalization that would be required to be family man by day and killer at night. If he found it easy, and the length of time he sustained it suggests that he did, that’s even more chilling.
    Another great post, AJ.

    • Karen, when I was writing these posts I wondered about the serial killers’ wives, families and friends – did they suspect something was off? were they shocked? Not surprisingly it is very hard to find much (if any) information about their families.

  2. Just when I think you’ve hit the bottom, you come up with one even worse. Yikes! How are you gonna get all the way to Z?

    Dena
    https://denapawling.blogspot.com/

    • Dena, in the “there’s nasty and then there’s NASTY” scheme of things, there are some doozies out there sadly.

  3. If I recall, one of the documents on the CD was written on the church’s computer. Probably using Word, since that stores the name of the software owner. It’s the little things…

    • Good memory, Colin. Yes, he did use the church’s computer which helped link the evidence to him. Thank goodness people like him overlook those little things!

  4. I’d heard of BTK, but I never knew the details. I suppose a man like this is the ultimate example of hiding guilty secrets. You have to wonder if the letters etc were for notoriety, or if deep down he wanted to be caught.
    Tasha
    Tasha’s Thinkings – Movie Monsters

    • It’s a good question, Tasha. I think in a lot of cases serial killers want the attention. BTK wanted attention and he taunted police, but I guess we’ll never know the reason why.

  5. I’ve never heard of BTK before, but I agree with Tasha above – surely the letters meant that he wanted to be caught. Unless he really was arrogant enough to think that the police would never find him.

    Down Goes Another One by McFly

    • Lauren, I think the arrogance of serial killers can’t be overlooked. A lot of them have high IQs so probably didn’t think they would ever be caught.

  6. How he was able to hide in plain sight is especially scary to me. Chilling. I am glad he was caught.

    • Does it make you wonder about the people you pass in the street? The number of times you read of the neighbours’ saying how their murderer neighbour was “quiet, kept to himself, but was always polite”…

  7. I had to pop over when I saw you were an Aussie – I was a bit taken aback by your theme – then got sucked into the bio of this guy and found it really interesting. I’m in Bunbury WA btw.

    Leanne | http://www.crestingthehill.com.au
    D for Don’t Give Up

    • Thanks for the return visit, Leanne. I’m glad you persevered with my post and found it interesting. I’m on the flip side of the country (Canberra).

  8. BTK, a particularly sadistic killer. Bind, Torture, Kill- just the name inspires a shudder – and he was free to commit his crimes for so long.
    Sophie
    Ghostly Inspirations – Sophies A to Z

    • It was such a long time, Sophie. It makes you wonder if there were victims no-one was ever aware of, or how he controlled his impulses during that time.

  9. Whew, you’ve had three notorious men in a row this week! I agree with the other comments…it’s so disturbing to think that this could have been the guy next door!

    • When you see their mugshots it’s hard to see anything but the criminal, but I guess with a smile, manners and groomed they would look less scary.

  10. It just doesn’t seem like this could be real life! It seems like a TV show. I’m so glad he was eventually caught.
    http:Melanie’s Stories

    • There could be a reason for that, Melanie. Some of the killers I have featured in my A-Z posts have inspired many episodes of tv shows (like Criminal Minds)!

  11. Oh yuck. His poor wife to see who she married after so many years.

  12. Oh man, his wife must have been so shocked, never suspecting anything about her husband.
    His picture reminds me of Jack Nicholson?!

    https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch/2018/04/d-is-for-denver.html

  13. I’d heard of him, but never knew what the BTK stood for. What did you think (if you saw it) Mindhunter, on Netflix?

    Stu
    Tale Spinning
    https://stuartnager.wordpress.com/

    found you on AtoZ

    • I haven’t seen Mindhunter, but I’ve just checked Netflix and we have it (Oz has a smaller range of shows). I’ve flagged it to watch next. Thanks for the tip, Stuart.

  14. I don’t think I’ve heard of this guy before, but oh my! What a double life, and what arrogance to taunt the police.

    • The arrogance definitely shows, Lynda. But thank goodness it did because that led to his downfall.

  15. Oof. I remember him. I, like others, wonder if there were other victims. It’s so sad that someone can be so depraved. You do a good job of proflling these people.

    Julie

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