Dennis Rader (BTK)
Allison Morris
Biographical Information
- Born: March 9th, 1945
- Parents: William and Dorothea Rader
- Siblings: 3 brothers
- Significant Childhood Event: Bed wetting, Setting fires, and Animal abuse
Education
- Military: U.S. Air Force
- Jobs: Butcher at Independent Grocers Alliance, Assembler at Coleman Company, Installation Manager at ADT Security Service
- Schools: Riverview Elementary School, Wichita Heights High School, Butler County College (2 year associates degree in electronics, 1973), Wichita State University (1973, went 6 years before earning degree)
Significant Event
Details of Crime
- The Otero Family: Rader entered through the back door and cut the phone lines and waited for the family. He confronted them and took them to a bedroom, then proceeded to tie them up. He put a bag over Joseph Otero's head and then cords to tighten it. Somehow Joseph ripped a hole in the bag, so Rader put a t-shirt over the bag then put another bag over that. Rader strangled both Josie and Julie thinking they had died, but they didn't. He went back and re-strangled Julie. He took Joey to another bedroom and put a bag, rag, t-shirt, and another bag over his head. He took Josie to the basement and hung her, then had his "sexual fantasies".
- Kathryn Bright: Rader broke in the house and waited for Kathryn to come home. When she come home her brother was with her. He had Kathryn's brother, Kevin, to tie his sister up then Rader tied him up. He started to strangle Kevin and Kevin broke loose, Rader then shot him. He then strangled Kathryn but the ties were not good so he and her began to fight. Rader went to the other room where Kevin was and tried to re-strangle him and Kevin jumped up and they began to fight. Rader shot Kevin again and thought he was dead. He went back to Kathryn and tried to strangle her again and it didn't work and then he stabbed her. Rader heard something in the other room and it was Kevin and he escaped.
- Shirley Vian: Rader knocked on her door and pretended to be a private detective and then forced his way in. She had two kids so he put them in the bathroom and tied the door closed then put a bed up against the door. He tied Shirley up and then put a bag over her head to strangle her.
- Nancy Fox: Rader cut the phone lines and broke in and waited for her to come home. She asked him if she could go to the bathroom and he told her she could but she had to come out nude. When she came out he handcuffed her, tied her up, and then used a belt to strangle her.
- Marine Hedge: He snuck in her home and hid in one of the bedrooms and waited for her to come home. He jumped out and then manually strangled her. After she was dead he stripped her of all her clothing. He put her in the truck of the car and went to Christ Lutheran Church and took pictures of her. He then put her back in the car and dumped her in a ditch along the side of the road, then covered her up with brush.
- Vicki Wegerle: Rader pretended to be a telephone repair man and Vicki let him in. He drew his pistol on her and made her go back to the bedroom. He tied her up but she broke out of the ties and they started fighting. He got the upper hand and strangled her with her stockings. He then took pictures of her and left.
- Dolores Davis: Rader used a concrete block to smash her sliding glass window. He said she thought a car had hit her house. He handcuffed her, and went into the kitchen to get some things. He went back, took the handcuffs off her, tied her up, and then strangled her with her pantyhose. He put a blanket around her and drug her out to the car. He then dumped her in some spot because he had to go somewhere.
Victims
Joseph (Age 38), Julie (Age 34), Josie (Age 11), and Joey (Age 9)
Died: January 15th, 1974
Cause of Death: Joseph- Suffocation, Julie- Suffocation, Josie- Suffocation due to hanging, and Joey- Suffocation
Kathryn Bright: ( Brother Kevin was shot twice in the head but survived, Age 19)
Age 24
Died: April 4th, 1974
Cause of Death: Stabbing
Shirley Vian:
Age 24
Died: March 17th, 1977
Cause of Death: Suffocation
Nancy Fox:
Age 25
Died: December 8th, 1977
Cause of Death: Suffocation
Marine Hedge:
Age 53
Died: April 27th, 1985
Cause of Death: Suffocation
Vicki Wegerle:
Age 28
Died: September 16th 1986
Cause of Death: Suffocation
Dolores Davis:
Age 62
Died: January 19th, 1991
Cause of Death: Suffocation
Evidence
- Semen from Rader was found on or around the victim's
- A letter found in a book at a public library that included details of the murder of the Otero family
- A letter sent to a local news station claiming responsibility of the murders of the Oteros, Shirley Vian, Nancy Fox, and Kathryn Bright
- Letters sent to the police including details of the crime
- A floppy disk was sent to the police station with the details of the crimes on it, the disk would lead to him being caught
Outcome of Case
- The court couldn't give him the death penalty because Kansas didn't restore their death penalty until 1994 and the last known killing that he committed was in 1991
- On August 5th, 2005, he was sentenced to 175 years in prison, he will be eligible to be released, at the earliest, February 26th, 2180
Whereabouts
- El Dorado Correctional Facility in Kansas
Bilbliography
Web-
Biography.com Editors. "Dennis Rader Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
"DMarie Time Capsule." DMarie Time Capsule. DMarie Direct Inc, 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
"Dennis Rader | Otero Family | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers." Dennis Rader | Otero Family | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.
"Dennis Rader | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers." Dennis Rader | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.
"Dennis Rader | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers." Dennis Rader | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.
Book-
Philbin, Tom, and Michael Philbin. The Killer Book of Serial Killers: Incredible Stories, Facts and Trivia from the World of Serial Killers. Naperville, IL: Source, 2009. Print.