Warning: The following article covers violent crime and sexual assault. Please read with caution.
“Bind, torture, kill,” was the modus operandi of Denis Rader, and that sick trio of actions was abbreviated to give him his nickname: the BTK killer. Like many of the most famous serial killers in recent history, he chronicled his crimes via letters and photographs, and hid behind his status as a member of his local church and boy scout leader to evade capture for many years.
Between 1974 and 1991 he killed ten people and stalked numerous others, to the extent that two women put out a restraining order on him. Yet, he was a free man for years, partly because of poor policing and his community standing, as well as that classic American belief that religious folk are good, despite the fact some of the most heinous crimes in U.S. history were committed by church-goers. He’s recently blamed his murderous streak on a “demon.”
In 2004 Rader, presumably feeling untouchable, began leaving letters and clues in random locations throughout Wichita, where many of his murders took place. Although he didn’t manage to kill anybody during this time, when he was caught he admitted that he was planning on adding to his list of victims. Thankfully, his hubris allowed police to finally find him, leading to his arrest and eventual imprisonment at the age of 60 in 2005. He was given ten consecutive life sentences.
While many believed he may be responsible for more murders, most experts think that he would happily claim the killings if he had been responsible, as it would fuel his belief that he was special and worthy of taking lives. So, his body count remains at ten. However, there are still suspicions that he’s involved in more.
So, is the BTK killer still alive? Where is Dennis Rader now? Read on to find out the answer.
Who was Dennis Rader, the BTK killer?
Dennis Rader was born to a middle-class Kansas family, but from early on he showed signs of sickening behaviour. The patterns of a serial killer were all there, with the young Rader torturing animals and spying on women in his neighborhood. He went to college and joined the Air Force, before being honorably discharged.
His first murder took place on Jan. 15 1974, when he killed four members of the Otero family through a variety of methods, including suffocation. He’d chosen the Oteros after seeing the mother, Julie, taking the two children (Joey, 9, and Josie, 11) to school a couple of months prior, and conducted a stalking campaign to get to know their habits.
He killed six more people over the course of 25 years. His murders all had a psycho-sexual element to them, and Rader has confirmed he would often dress up in women’s clothes and fantasize about being his victims.
Rader is believed to have been involved in two other murders. He denies them both, but followers of the case have theorized that he hasn’t admitted to the killing of Cynthia Kinney as it took place in Oklahoma, which would open him up to the death penalty. The other killing, of Shawna Beth Garber, was back in the news earlier this year as police believed they’d found photographic evidence in Rader’s files that linked him to the rape and death.
The names of his ten confirmed victims are: Joseph Otero, Julia Maria Otero, Joseph Otero, Josephine Otero, Kathryn Doreen Bright, Shirley Ruth Vian Relford, Nancy Jo Fox, Marine Wallace Hedge, Vicki Lynn Wegerle, and Dolores Earline Johnson Davis. Kathryn Bright’s brother Kevin was also attacked by Rader, but managed to escape.
How did law enforcement catch Dennis Rader?
In 2004, after over a decade of inactivity, Rader once again began leaving letters and notes in public places that detailed his crimes and fantasies, as he had done throughout his spree. His previous success had deluded him enough into believing that law enforcement respected him, and so when he asked in one of his notes if he could be located if he left the next note on a floppy disc, the police put out an advert in a local newspaper claiming they couldn’t.
The metadata on the file led law enforcement to Rader’s church. They then matched his car with one that was seen leaving one of the locations where the killer had left a note. Finally, they obtained a warrant to test his daughter’s pap smear against DNA found at the scenes of one of the murders, and discovered it was a match.
Rader was arrested on Feb. 25 2005. When the arresting officer asked him if he knew why he was being detained, he responded “Oh, I have my suspicions why.” Ten killings were attributed to Rader, although it’s known that he stalked and researched a number of other potential victims, chillingly stating in one of his police interviews that there are “a lot of lucky people out there.” And, as mentioned above, he is tied to two other murders, but these aren’t confirmed.
On Aug. 18 2005, Rader was convicted and sentenced to 10 life sentences, with a minimum of 175 years. Kansas did not have the death penalty at that time.
Is the BTK killer still alive?
Yes, the BTK killer is still alive. He’s currently 78 years old, and 13 years into his incredibly long sentence. A psychologist who assessed him during the trial to see if an insanity defense was viable diagnosed him with multiple disorders, including narcissism, OCD, and an antisocial nature. So, we guess he still believes he’s special, despite the fact he is spending his life in a cell.
Where is Dennis Rader now?
Dennis Rader is currently imprisoned at El Dorado Correctional Facility, in Kansas. He spends his time in solitary confinement for his own protection, and is allowed one hour of exercise/yard time per day, as well as three showers per week. Because of the sadistic nature of his crimes, it’s unlikely he’ll be released to the general prison population any time soon, and may see out the rest of his life in solitary.
With that said, after a year of being incarcerated he was given access to television, radio, and magazines for his good behaviour.
If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.