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Bind, Torture & Kill
The BTK serial killer terrorized Wichita, Kansas for over 30 years. This reign of terror ended in 2005 when Dennis Rader confessed to murdering 10 people between 1974 and 1991. This courtroom confession was broadcast live and provided a terrifying glimpse into the mind of a psychopath who named himself "BTK" to represent "Bind, Torture and Kill," which described his modus operandi.
BTK on Wikipedia
Dennis Lynn Rader (born March 9, 1945) is an American serial killer who murdered 10 people in Sedgwick County (in and around Wichita, Kansas), between 1974 and 1991. He was known as the BTK killer (or the BTK strangler), which stands for "bind, torture and kill" and describes his modus operandi. He sent boastful letters describing the details of the killings to police and to local news outlets during the period of time in which the murders took place. After a long hiatus in the 1990s, he resumed sending letters in 2004, leading to his 2005 arrest and subsequent conviction.
BTK's Victims
BTK took the life of at least 10 people from 1974-1991 in the Wichita, Kansas area. His first victims in 1974 were four members of the Otero family, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Otero and two of their five children, Joseph, Jr. and Josephine. That same year, BTK killed Kathryn Bright and wounded her brother Kevin. BTK would not strike again until 1977 when he killed Shirley Vian as her children were locked in an adjacent bathroom. Later that same year, BTK took the life of Nancy Fox. In 1985, BTK struck close to home when Rader's neighbor, Marine Hedge, was murdered. BTK's next victim, Vicki Wegerle was killed in 1986. Her husband was considered a suspect in the murder until Rader's 2005 confession. The last confirmed victim of BTK was Dolores Davis. She was murdered in 1991. Videos of Dennis Rader
BTK's Secret Symbol
BTK used this secret symbol to sign many of his communications with police. This piece of evidence was withheld from the public and only a few working on the investigation ever knew that BTK signed his letters with this sexually suggestive mark. The Otero Family
On January 15, 1974, BTK's reign of terror in Wichita, KS began when the bodies of four members of the Otero family were discovered. Joseph Otero, Jr., 38, his wife Julie, 34, Joey, 9, and Josephine, 11, had all been brutally murdered while the family's three other children were at school. The Oteros had all been bound and strangled by the killer. Three of the family members were found upstairs, but young Josephine was found hanging from rope that had been tied to a pipe in the home's basement. Rader stated during his confession years later that he had some "sexual fantasies" after hanging Josie. Police confirmed that they had found semen near her body. Kathryn Bright
Kathryn Bright was only 21 years old when BTK took her life and wounded her 19 year old brother, Kevin. On April 4, 1974, Dennis Rader broke into Bright's home where he was surprised to find Kevin. He expected Kathryn to be alone and was thrown by Kevin's presence. Rader would later admit that he had lost control of this crime scene and both Kathryn and Kevin had gotten "out of hand." Because of this, Rader confessed that he chose to shoot Kevin in the head twice and ultimately stab Kathryn to death, a departure from his preferred method of stabbing. Kevin would survive this attack, but unfortunately Kathryn was not as lucky. Shirley Vian Relford
On March 17, 1977, BTK struck again when he killed 26 year old, Shirley Vian Relford. Sadly, Relford had not been Rader's intended victim that day. Relford's neighbor had been BTK's "potential hit," but she was not home that afternoon. During his confession, Rader stated that he was "all keyed up" with murderous intentions, so he walked around the neighborhood until he ran into Relford's son and asked him if he could identify some photos. Rader watched the boy walk to his house and later knocked on door. When one of the children answered the door, Rader said he was a private detective, showed them a pistol and forced his way into the home. He told Relford he had a problem with sexual fantasies and was going to tie her up. Rader locked Relford's small children in the bathroom with some toys so he could proceed with his plans for their mother. He then tied Relford to her bed, put a bag over her head and strangled her. Nancy Fox
Marine Hedge
Vicki Wegerle
Dolores Davis
BTK News from Google
- KBI celebrates its 70th anniversary of assisting Kansas police
- It has helped break cases like the ?In Cold Blood? killings and the ?BTK? murders. It also operates four crime labs and works major drug cases. ...
- So what's the difference: Serial killer, spree killer, mass murderer?
- Anyway, Ted Bundy was a serial killer, as were the BTK killer in the St. Louis area, and Ed Kemper in California, who killed six hitchhiking coeds, ...
- Readers respond to killer types, our fascination with them and my ...
- ?The BTK killer was from the Wichita area, residing in Park City, KS., not ST. LOUIS.? Robbin is right of course, and I apologize for my carelessness. ...
- Who was William Long?
- You may not have heard much about Private Long, as the news about his murder was all but absent from the national press. President Obama has yet to make any ...
Find out more about BTK
Inside the Mind of BTK: The True Story Behind the Thirty-Year Hunt for the Notorious Wichita Serial Killer
Amazon Price: $14.51 (as of 07/12/2009) 
Nightmare in Wichita: The Hunt for the BTK Strangler
Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009)
Unholy Messenger: The Life and Crimes of the BTK Serial Killer
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/12/2009)
BTK Killer - The Story of Dennis Rader (Biography)
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 07/12/2009)
Sites For More BTK Info
- BTK Kansas Serial Killer - Full BTK Story - Crime Library on truTV.com
- Wichita was a good place to live until its reputation became sullied by the brutal serial killer who calls himself the BTK killer. Now Dennis Rader of Park City has been arrested as the suspected BTK killer. dennis rader had been matched with the DNA from victims.
- The BTK Site
- BTK Strangler Serial Killer - Dennis Rader
- Kansas.com
- BTK Strangler
- Court Transcript of BTK's Confession
- Dennis Rader, the BTK murderer, confessed to his grisly crimes in a voice void of remorse but with a hint of demented pride.
- BTK Victims, Survivors and Evidence Gallery
- BTK Site
- allserialkillers.com
- BTK Serial Killer
- Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community
- BTK Forum Archived Archived Cases - Appeals, Books and Updates
- Kansas Department of Corrections
- Dennis Rader's listing on the DOC's website
- BTK - Bind, Torture, Kill Serial Killer - Bizarre Details
- BTK, or Bind, Torture, and Kill, has eluded police for over 2 decades. He continues to taunt police to this day. What makes BTK tick? Why can't police catch him? Will he strike again?
- BTK Killer Dennis Rader
- KariSable.com
Blog Posts about BTK
- BTK Murder - Dennis Rader
- These are the crime scene pics i have got of BTK- Dennis Rader The pictures below are from different victims he made. A famous case back then: Kathryn.
- Profile of Dennis Rader - The BTK Strangler | Ghost2Ghost.Org
- On Friday, February 25, 2005 suspected BTK Strangler, Dennis Lynn Rader, was arrested in Park City, Kansas and later charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder. The day following his arrest Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams ...
- NPR's Monday Reports on Tiller Murder Shut Out Pro-Lifers ...
- The man arrested for the BTK serial murders evaded detection for more than three decades by "hiding in plain sight" in his community -- as a city employee, a cub scout leader, and an active member of his church. ...
- Suspect Pleads Guilty in BTK Murder Case
- The man accused of being the BTK serial killer pleaded guilty Monday to 10 murders that spread fear across Wichita beginning in the 1970s, recounting with a chilling, almost professorial air how he "trolled" for victims and then shot, ...
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