Dennis Rader Case Summary

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Dennis Rader, is a serial killer that was given the name BTK killer with BTK standing for Bind, Torture, and Kill. Dennis Rader carried out his killings in Kansas in the time frame between 1974 and and 1991.

Dennis Rader, who had worked in security and animal control and was a church goer and a cub scout leader, would carry what he called a 'hit kit' when he went out to commit a murder. The kit was a bowling bag that contained guns, tape, rope and handcuffs.

He would stalk his victims until he had figured out the pattern of how they led their life and would use that information to determine the best time to make his attack. When he decided it was the right time Dennis Rader would break into the victim's house and cut the phone line before hiding out until the victim came home.

Once he pounced on a victim he would tell them he was a rapist so that they would be more willing to go along with his requests and then assume he would leave when the rape was over. Instead he would kill them. Dennis Rader gained the 't' part of his BTK Killer nick name by the way he tortured his victims before killing them. Dennis Rader would strangle his victims until they lost consciousness, then let them revive, then strangle them again and he would keep doing this and getting more sexually excited as the became closer to death each time. Once they had finally been allowed to die he would then masturbate and ejaculate on their dead bodies.

Dennis Rader's victims included:

* 1974: Four members of one family (Joseph Otero, his wife Julie Otero, and two of their five children: Joseph Otero II and Josephine Otero)
* 1974: Kathryn Bright
* 1977: Shirley Vian
* 1977: Nancy Fox
* 1985: Marine Hedge
* 1986: Vicki Wegerle
* 1991: Delores Davis

Dennis Rader became known for sending letters and packages to authorities and the media detailing his killings. On February 16, 2005, Dennis Rader sent a padded envelope to FOX affiliate KSAS-TV in Wichita, Kansas that include a floppy disk. Police searched the disk for metadata and found Microsoft Word document that referenced the Christ Lutheran Church and was marked as having been modified by 'Dennis'. When the police visited to the website belonging to the church they discovered a Dennis Rader was not only a member but had been appointed president of the congregation council. This information eventually led to serial killer Dennis Rader being arrested on February 25, 2005.

On August 18, 2005, Dennis Rader was convicted of the murders of ten people and was sentenced to ten consecutive life terms without possibility of parole.