Dennis Rader | |
|---|---|
 Mugshot of Rader by the Kansas Department of Corrections. | |
| Born | Dennis Lynn Rader March 9, 1945 |
| Other names | BTK BTK Killer BTK Strangler |
| Education | Butler County Community College (AE) Wichita State University (BS) |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated[2] |
| Children | 2 |
| Motive | Sexual sadism |
| Conviction(s) | First degree murder – 10 counts[1] |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for 175 years (10 consecutive life sentences) |
| Details | |
| Victims | 10–12+ |
Span of crimes | January 15, 1974 – January 19, 1991 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Kansas |
Date apprehended | February 25, 2005 |
| Imprisoned at | El Dorado Correctional Facility[1] |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | U.S. Air Force |
| Years of service | 1966–1970 |
| Rank | Staff sergeant[3] |
Dennis Lynn Rader (born March 9, 1945), also known as BTK (an abbreviation he gave himself for "bind, torture, kill"), is an American serial killer who murdered at least ten people in Wichita and Park City, Kansas, between 1974 and 1991. Although he occasionally killed or attempted to kill men and children, Rader typically targeted women. His victims were often bound, sometimes with objects from their homes, and either suffocated with a plastic bag or manually strangled with a ligature.[4] In addition, he stole keepsakes from his female victims, including underwear, driver's licenses, and personal items.
Rader often sent taunting letters to police and media outlets, describing his crimes in detail.[5][6] In 2004, after a thirteen-year hiatus, Rader resumed sending letters, leading to his 2005 arrest and subsequent guilty plea. He is currently serving ten consecutive life sentences at the El Dorado Correctional Facility.[2]
- ^ a b "KDOC inmate number 0083707". Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ a b "Disclaimer". kdocrepository.doc.ks.gov.
- ^ Hegeman, Roxana (March 17, 2015). "BTK suspect served in Alabama". The Gadsden Times. Gadsden, Alabama. Associated Press.
- ^ Siegel, Larry (January 19, 2012). Criminology: Theories, Patterns, and Typologies. Boston, Massachusetts: Cengage Learning. p. 353. ISBN 978-1-133-71052-3. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ^ Bauer, Craig P. (March 25, 2013). Secret History: The Story of Cryptology. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-4665-6186-1. Archived from the original on July 27, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ^ Hickey, Eric W. (2012). Serial Murderers and Their Victims. Boston, Massachusetts: Cengage Learning. p. 254. ISBN 978-1-285-40168-3. Archived from the original on July 20, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.