The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers by Michael Newton Page A

their means of target-one posted to Wichita television station KAKE, Channel ing Rader after three decades. Some reports mention a 10. It was delivered to police, who passed it on to the FBI computer disk enclosed with one of the BTK letters in laboratory for handwriting analysis. G-men confirmed March 2004, which police allegedly traced back to the killer’s authorship of that communication on June Rader’s church. All accounts include mention of DNA 28, after a third letter arrived at Wichita police head-samples obtained from Rader’s 26-year-old daughter, but quarters. Authorities were mum on the contents of the details surrounding that evidence were hopelessly con-last two notes, but Lieutenant Ken Landwehr told fused at press time for this volume. Some stories claim reporters, “I’m 100 percent sure it’s BTK. We do believe Rader’s daughter was suspicious of him and approached that BTK is in Wichita. We truly feel that he is trying to police; others say she volunteered DNA in an effort to communicate with us. We are specifically interested in clear her father’s name; yet a third version states that talking to anyone who was approached at their residence DNA samples were subpoenaed by FBI agents over the between 1974 and 1986 by a man presenting himself as daughter’s objections. In any case, the physical evidence an employee of a school or a utility company. Obviously and Rader’s supposed confessions were enough to see we are not interested in legitimate encounters. We want him held in lieu of $10 million bond, pending trial. Iron-to know about situations where a man attempted to get ically, detectives noted that during the height of the BTK
    into your house under suspicious circumstances.”
    panic, from 1974 to 1988, Rader worked for a local Thousands of fruitless tips followed announcement security firm, installing home-intrusion alarms through-of the latest BTK correspondence, and all were tracked out Wichita. On June 27, 2005, after several refusals by by police to frustrating dead ends. Meanwhile, detec-local prosecutors, Rader was finally permitted to plead tives staked their hopes on modern DNA technology guilty on 10 murder counts. In a chilling, deadpan open-
    (unavailable during the killer’s crime spree in 1977–86) court confession, he described the slayings in detail, and on the content of his cryptic letters. “I don’t think explaining that he murdered his victims to satisfy sexual they’re just ramblings,” said retired captain Bernie fantasies. At the Otero massacre, because he wore no Drowatzky. “I’ve always thought there was a key in mask, Rader declared, “I made a decision to go ahead there. I just never was able to find it.”
    and put ’em down.” He kept Polaroid snapshots of his Eleven months after the final rash of letters, on
    “projects” as TROPHIES, and planned “potential hits”
    February 25, 2005, Wichita police announced the with care. “If one didn’t work out,” he explained, “I just arrest of a BTK suspect. Dennis L. Rader was a 59-moved on to another one.” At the end of Rader’s recita-year-old city employee, married father of two, a pop-tion, prosecutors recommended a sentence of 175 years ular Cub Scout leader and longtime deacon at Christ to life, thus making sure that Rader would die before Lutheran Church. Friends and relatives were stunned attaining eligibility for parole. On August 19, 2005, he on February 27, when authorities announced that was sentenced to 10 life terms.
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    BUNDY, Carol
    beater, who also enjoyed kicking dogs and swinging cats through the air by their tails.
    Whatever the truth, it is clear that something troubled Ted in those days. Early one morning, when he was barely three, Ted’s 15-year-old aunt awoke to find him lifting her blankets, slipping butcher knives into the bed beside her. “He just stood there and grinned,” she recalled. “I shooed him out of the room and took the implements back down to the