Dennis RaderA.K.A “BTK”

By: Elemuel Coleman

Background

• Born in Wichita, Kansas on March 9, 1945

• Son of William Elvin and Dorothy Mae Rader

• Oldest of four brothers• Attended Kansas Wesleyan

Univ. from 1965-1966• Served in U.S. Air Force

from 1966-1970• Extremely cruel to animals

(Macdonald Triad)

Serial Killer Background

• Alias: “BTK” Killer• Modus Operandi: Bind,

Torture, Kill• Murdered 10 People in

Sedgwick County• Killed between 1974-1991• Killed four members of

one family (The Otero Family)

• Apprehended February 25, 2005

Letters• Part of Rader’s M.O. was to taunt the police with letters. His first

note was left in the Wichita Public Library. The second was sent to KAKE – TV station. He sent letters to the Wichita Eagle under the name Bill Thomas Killman. Letters were usually a call for attention.

• “I find the newspaper not writing about the poem on Vain not amusing. A little paragraph would have enough. I know it not the media fault. The Police Chief he keep things quiet, and doesn't let the public know there a psycho running around lose strangling mostly women, there 7 in the ground; who will be next? How many do I have to Kill before I get a name in the paper or some national attention”

Arrest

• Rader sent a floppy disk to FOX, in which, Police found metadata on the Christ Lutheran Church with the name Dennis.

• FBI, SWAT and bomb unit converged and handcuffed Rader at his home.

• Charged with murders on February 28, 2005• Death penalty is re-instated, yet Rader is

ineligible for the penalty.

Vital Evidence

• Semen sample taken from Rader’s daughter• Floppy disk sent to FOX from Rader• Cereal box found in back of a truck Rader used

as a message• Semen found on Josephine Otero• Material found under fingernails of victim• Pay phone record Rader used in 1977

Dennis Rader: Serial Killer?

• Dennis Rader exemplifies many of the characteristics of a serial killer. He has a M.O. and he continually kills. In his earlier years, he displayed cruelty to animals, which is one of the keys to the Macdonald triad. In an interview, Rader said he received pleasure from watching his victims die. This is called sadomasochism. These are all vital in the description of a serial killer, and Rader possesses all of these.

Sources

• Wikipedia. 6 Oct. 2005. 6 Oct. 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ dennis_rader#legal_proceedings>.

• Confessions of the BTK Killer. DVD. NBC, 2005.• True TV. 6 Oct. 2007. Oct. 2008

<http://www.trutv.com/ library/ crime/ serial_killers/ unsolved/ btk/ index_1.html>.