Posted on 02/26/2005 5:16:30 PM PST by AntiGuv
WICHITA, Kan. - A 31-year manhunt for a serial killer who taunted police with letters about his crimes ended Saturday when authorities said they finally caught up with the man who called himself BTK and linked him to at least 10 murders.
The suspect was identified as Dennis L. Rader, a 59-year-old city worker in nearby Park City, who was arrested Friday. Police did not say how they identified Rader as a suspect or whether he has said anything since his arrest.
"The bottom line: BTK is arrested," Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams said Saturday, setting off applause from a crowd that included family members of some of the victims.
BTK — a self-coined nickname that stands for "Bind, Torture, Kill" — stoked fears throughout the 1970s in Wichita, a manufacturing center with 350,000 residents, about 180 miles southwest of Kansas City, Mo.
Then the killer resurfaced about a year ago after 25 years of silence. He had been linked to eight slayings between 1974 and 1986, but police said Saturday they had identified two more, from 1985 and 1991.
Rader, a Cub Scout leader who was active at his Lutheran church, lived with his wife, neighbors said. Public records indicate they have two grown children. Messages left for family members were not returned on Saturday, and no one answered the door at the home of his in-laws.
A few neighbors recalled receiving small favors from Rader, but most interviewed Saturday said the municipal codes enforcement supervisor was an unpleasant man who often went looking for reasons to cite his neighbors for violations of city codes.
"A part of me was scared when I heard, because I talked to him. It's a little creepy," said Chris Yoder, 23, who once lived nearby.
Rader has yet to be charged, but a jubilant collection of law enforcers and community leaders told the crowd in City Council chambers they were confident the long-running case could now be closed.
"Victims whose voices were brutally silenced by the evil of one man will now have their voices heard again," Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline said.
Rader was being held at an undisclosed location, and it was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer. In Kansas, suspects generally appear before a judge for a status hearing within 48 hours of their arrest.
Prosecutor Nola Foulston said the death penalty would not apply to any crime committed before 1994, when the death penalty was introduced in Kansas.
The BTK slayings began in 1974 with the strangulations of Joseph Otero, 38, his wife, Julie, 34, and their two children. The six victims that followed were all women, and most were strangled.
Along with his grisly crimes, the killer terrorized Wichita by sending rambling letters to the media, including one in which he named himself BTK for "Bind them, Torture them, Kill them." In another he complained, "How many do I have to kill before I get my name in the paper or some national attention?"
But he stopped communicating in 1979 and remained silent for more than two decades before re-establishing contact last March with a letter to The Wichita Eagle about an unsolved 1986 killing.
The letter included a copy of the victim's driver's license and photos of her slain body. The return address on the letter said it was from Bill Thomas Killman — initials BTK.
Since then, the killer had sent at least eight letters to the media or police, including three packages containing jewelry that police believed may have been taken from BTK's victims. One letter contained the driver's license of victim Nancy Fox.
The new letters sent chills through Wichita but also rekindled hope that modern forensic science could find some clue that would finally lead police to the killer.
Thousands of tips poured in, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation gathered thousands of DNA swabs in connection with the BTK investigation. In the end, DNA evidence was the key to cracking the case, said Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
"The way they made the link was some DNA evidence, that they had some DNA connection to the guy who they arrested," Sebelius said in an interview with The Associated Press. She did not elaborate.
The two newly identified cases were similar to the early ones with one exception, Sedgwick County Sheriff Gary Stead said: The bodies had been removed from the crime scenes. One of the victims lived on the same street as Rader.
"We as investigators keep an open mind. But only now are we able to bring them together as BTK cases," he said.
On Friday, investigators searched Rader's house and seized computer equipment.
Authorities, who generally declined to answer questions in detail after announcing the arrest, had little to say about why BTK resurfaced after years without contact.
"It is possible something in his life has changed. I think he felt the need to get his story out," said Richard LaMunyon, Wichita's police chief from 1963 to 1989.
special news release from Christ Lutheran Church, Wichita, KS 2/26/2005
My name is Michael Clark. I am the pastor here at Christ Lutheran Church. I want to say that on my behalf and the behalf of the leaders of this congregation we will cooperate completely in the ongoing investigation of the matter regarding Dennis Rader. We first became aware of this investigation on Friday, February 25, 2005.
Dennis is a member of Christ Lutheran Church. He has held leadership positions here at Christ Lutheran over the course of approximately 30 years as a member.
We are all concerned for Dennis Rader and his family. We lift up our prayers in support of all of them. The members of Christ Lutheran Church are in a state of shock and bewilderment about the turn of events that have unfolded this week.
We lift up our prayers, support and compassion for the victims and family members involved with the BTK murders. We ask for care and compassion of the Wichita community as this congregation deals with this tragic and difficult situation.
Michael G. Clark, Pastor
Seriel killers can be anywhere, even posting here.
WICHITA, Kansas (CNN) -- The daughter of the man Wichita authorities arrested as a suspect in the notorious BTK serial killings helped police capture her father by approaching them with her suspicions and voluntarily giving them a blood sample, according to a report Saturday by Wichita television station KAKE-TV.
KAKE quoted sources as saying the blood of 26-year-old Kerri Rader, whose father, Dennis, was arrested Friday, came back as a 90-percent match to the BTK killer, although they did not elaborate.
The sources told KAKE that police immediately began surveillance on Dennis Rader after the results were determined, leading to his arrest.
CNN could not immediately confirm the source's information.
Police said Saturday they plan to file 10 counts against Rader, 59, in connection with killings between 1974 and 1991 -- eight counts of first-degree murder and two other homicide charges.
Police would not comment on reports about the daughter, the station said.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/27/btk.investigation/
That mealy mouthed kind of piety only tends to confirm my suspicions. I learned long ago that most churches look for willingness in warm bodies and some sort of mumbled 'calling' to turn over the keys. Seems to me that the days of critical judgement of character and church discipline are long gone in the overwhelming majority of churches.
I believe that when somebody with smoldering shorts in their wiring like this guy is in close and intimate contact with people, and if his company is unavoidable, they turn on their 'I don't want to see it' filters and continue life as though everything is hunky-dory. The same thing holds true in families of abuse, chemical dependency, etc.
Yet another fruit of modern Christianity and 'inclusiveness.'
From their listing in that area's business directory: "Christ Lutheran Church E L C A"
It irritates me that they are already trying to hang the guy before his trial, talking about how there might be "some DNA evidince" and how some 23 year old thinks that he's sorta "creepy." Ignorant sensationalizing reporters don't know, or don't care, to wait until he's had his trial.
Also,that police department is soooooooo screwed if they have just pulled another Richard Jewel.
Church discipline is a touchie subject for many of todays Christians. Seems too many churches just want to make sure folks feel good.
"This guy fit right into middle America. He could have been a neighbor, brother or coworker. Scary."
"Rader, a Cub Scout leader who was active at his Lutheran church, lived with his wife, neighbors said. Public records indicate they have two grown children."
I know! I find that terrifying! How can you keep something like this hidden all these years? There was never a time his wife was suspicious of his whereabouts? Doesn't it take some time and effort to kidnap, torture and kill someone? *Shiver*
And if you're this much of a psycho, how could you not eventually act out those fantasies on your most available victim; your wife? This guy must be really whacked and totally dissembled! I find people like this terrifying but fascinating.
And Thank God he was caught...but much too late.
The section of the Ann Rule book on the Green River Killer,where the police are questioning his wife at their home as he is being arrested at his work is another amazing example of what terrifies you about this case.
Really creepy. The Lutheran Church?! Cub Scout leader?!
Bill Lindsay, 38, lived behind Rader and said his wife caught Rader in their adjoining backyards filming the back of their house.
"He really acted really funny," said Lindsay, a truck driver. "I'd be on the road and my wife would tell me, 'Dennis has been out again, taking his pictures.'"
Jason Day, 28, said his brother was in Rader's Cub Scout pack at the nearby Park City Baptist Church, but their mother pulled him out because of Rader.
"It was his demeanor," he said. "He was so strange."
Well, lots of people are eccentric. Many of his neighboors and contacts agreed that he was. But none of them suspected that he could have been BTK.
I take it we have become too civilized for "those with murderous impulses".
Sorry, I don't buy your logic. I don't think normal people walk around with "murderous impulses". That's why we lock 'em up when they act on them.
ABC News
SHOW: GOOD MORNING AMERICA
March 26, 2004(snip)
DAVID MUIR - Police say BTK began killing in 1974. In January, four members of the Otero family were tied up and strangled in their home. Calmly hiding in a victim's own home after cutting the phone line became BTK's hallmark.
(blah, blah, blah...)
CLAIRE SHIPMAN - ... they must be terrified that the most notorious serial killer in your city's history says he's back.
LARRY HETTEBERG - (an anchor at KAKE, the ABC affiliate that received several of the earlier letters) They are terrified. And right now, they're terrifying a whole new generation of people, because 25 years have passed since the 1970's, and now with this letter, this new generation is as terrified as the old generation. And it's just starting all over again. Because, normally, things like this don't happen in Wichita, Kansas. Things like this happen to other people.
CLAIRE SHIPMAN - I understand you know people who are taking precautions, moving in with friends, women who don't want to be alone?LARRY HETTEBERG - That's right. Just last night, when I got off the newscast, a viewer called up and said she walked into her house and was just overcome by a feeling of terror, backed out of her house, called a friend and stayed all night with that friend. We've also had runs on mace here in the stores. Many of the stores are selling out of mace. Locksmiths are getting calls. And one security company called, said that they had six times more calls yesterday than they've ever had. So, fear is, is rampant in this area. (Just think: for 15 years during the middle of the killing spree, Dennis Rader was the person making many of those house calls and becoming intimately familiar with your house. I'll bet he made it a point to check the hallways and fireplace mantels for family photos).
(snip)
CLAIRE SHIPMAN - And do police have any idea why, after 25 years, he's resurfaced? Could he have been in jail someplace?
LARRY HETTEBERG - Well, that's, of course, one theory. And there are many theories as to what happened. The former police chief from the 1970's says he believes that BTK has been in town all along for this 25 years. And has been walking among us, has been going to the supermarket. And he also believes that most of us would never know that this guy is BTK. We could be close to him, we could be best friends to him and we would never know that he's the one who is doing all this.
CLAIRE SHIPMAN - Like most serial killers, he seems to have a very twisted psychological profile. You all, at your TV station, got some of those earlier letters. I understand you have some of the, you've read through them. What do they say about him?
LARRY HETTEBERG - Well, they're, they're very interesting. I have just a couple of quotes. In the letter that he wrote to us first in 1979, he said, "How many do I have to kill before I get my name in the paper or before I get some national attention?" He also said, "it seem senseless but we cannot help it. There is no help, no cure, except death or being caught and put away." And the scary thing that he said in the letter to us, he says after a killing he comes home and he goes about his life like anyone else. "And I will be like that until the urge hits me again." It's letters like that where he includes a poem or comments about himself, over the course of time, that has just scared Wichitans to death. I don't think there's an unlocked door in Wichita, Kansas.
(blah, blah, blah...)
I'm only just now beginning to comprehend the terror this man brought to Wichita for decades. I think every woman on this forum will agree, having a strange man pop out of your closet when you come home is every woman's nightmare. And I'll bet the first thing he did after popping out of the closet was smile and say, "Ever heard of the BTK Killer?"
(I think watching "Psycho" has given me some 'issues.' LOL!)
How exactly would you have discerned his lack of worthiness to be in the church? Obviously some thought him arrogant and overly aggressive in his duties while others thought he was only doing his job at work the last ten years as conpliance officer.Some neighbors considered considered him polite and helpful.
Obviously he played the role of Christian very well in his congregation. He was very good at completely fooling others for many years.
I remember listening to a defense attorney say he used to believe in lie-detector tests until one of his clients passed one. It was Ted Bundy.
The book of Jude has a warning about impostors like this -- impostors that virtually nobody else but God knows about. If he gives the testimony and obeys the rules, the church can't be expected to read his mind.
You left out my high school classmate, Robert Yates; the Spokane serial killer.
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