Out of the Shadows

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Out of the Shadows" – 48 Hours

Introduction

In the compelling episode titled "Out of the Shadows," CBS News' award-winning correspondents delve deep into one of America's most notorious serial killer cases—the BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill) murders—and the profound impact it had on the Wegerle family in Wichita, Kansas. Released on October 31, 2024, this episode meticulously unpacks the harrowing story of Dennis Rader, the man behind BTK, and the wrongful suspicion that plagued Bill Wegerle after the brutal murder of his wife, Vicki.

Background of the BTK Murders

The episode begins by setting the stage with a chilling overview of the BTK killings that terrorized Wichita over three decades. From the first known murders in January 1974—where four members of the Otero family were brutally strangled—to the last confirmed victim in 1977, Shirley Vion, BTK's reign of terror was marked by meticulous planning and cold-blooded execution.

Nola Folston, Wichita's District Attorney, provides insight into BTK's unique modus operandi:

"He dealt with very cold-blooded killers, but none who have such a tremendous memory over this many years." (04:02)

The Wegerle Family Tragedy

Central to this narrative is the tragic story of Bill Wegerle and his family. Bill recounts meeting his wife, Vicki, in high school and their swift progression into marriage and parenthood:

"My name is Bill Wegerle. I was coming home for lunch... I found Brandon by himself. I thought that was unusual for her not to be there with him." (02:05)

On September 16, 1986, Bill discovered Vicki strangled in their home, a discovery that would forever alter their lives. Despite his immediate suspicions that BTK was responsible, police scrutiny fell on Bill himself. His failing of two polygraph tests only deepened the suspicion:

"I failed both of them." (03:09)

Investigation and Wrongful Suspicion

For 18 agonizing years, Bill lived under the cloud of suspicion, enduring relentless rumors and accusations from the community. His children, Stephanie and Brandon, faced their own struggles with classmates and peers who whispered that their father was the murderer:

"What made him think he had the right to take somebody that meant the world to me?" (27:11)

Stephanie reflects on the emotional turmoil:

"I want him to suffer as much as he made the victims suffer." (44:16)

Resurgence of BTK and the Arrest of Dennis Rader

In 2004, nearly two decades after Vicki's murder, BTK resurfaced with a series of letters that provided the breakthrough needed to finally identify Dennis Rader as the killer. The critical moment came when forensic experts traced a computer disc sent by BTK to Rader's daughter, linking him directly to the crimes.

Chief Investigator Dennis Rader finally faced the truth:

"This monster came into my home and took my wife from me... changed us as people for the rest of our lives." (16:16)

Confession and Unveiling the Killer

During his interrogation, Rader's facade of normalcy crumbled when confronted with DNA evidence. His confession revealed the depth of his depravity and the meticulous nature of his crimes. Investigators uncovered extensive evidence in his home and office, including binders filled with photos and mementos from his murders:

"He took these photographs of himself... he wanted people to see him as some gentleman serial killer." (36:24)

Rader's dual life as a church president and a serial killer shocked the community, highlighting the deceptive nature of his persona:

"He appeared to be so devout he was elected president of the congregation." (25:07)

Trial and Sentencing

On June 27, in a Wichita courtroom, Dennis Rader pleaded guilty to all ten murders, bringing a sense of closure to the families he had tormented for decades. The sentencing marked the end of a long and painful journey for the victims' families, who shared their enduring grief and desire for justice.

Bill Wegerle expressed his profound relief:

"I hope he's incarcerated for the rest of his life, which he will be." (39:14)

Stephanie Wegerle added:

"It's been almost 19 years now that my brother and I had the most important woman in our lives taken from us." (45:26)

Conclusion

"Out of the Shadows" masterfully captures the intricate and emotionally charged narrative of the BTK murders, the wrongful suspicion cast upon the Wegerle family, and the eventual unmasking of Dennis Rader. Through poignant interviews and thorough investigative reporting, the episode not only chronicles a decade-long hunt for a serial killer but also highlights the resilience and enduring strength of a family seeking justice.

Key Quotes:

• "This is BTK. This is him." – Stephanie Wegerle (03:09)
• "It's nauseating. He'd start going on and on and on about each and every one of his conquests." – Nola Folston (23:50)
• "Good evening... Please be seated." – Bill Wegerle (45:20)
• "To get those, make everyone on your..." – Nola Folston (29:32)

Notable Moments:

• Discovery of Vicki: Bill finds his wife strangled, marking the beginning of his wrongful suspicion (02:05 - 07:22).
• BTK's Resurgence: New letters in 2004 bring renewed focus to the BTK case (15:25 - 18:50).
• Identification of Dennis Rader: Forensic breakthroughs tie Rader to the murders (19:22 - 25:07).
• Final Confrontation: Rader's confession and the emotional testimonies from the victims' families (21:09 - 46:44).

This episode serves as a poignant reminder of the long-lasting effects of wrongful accusations and the relentless pursuit of justice in the face of unspeakable tragedy.

Transcript

[Narrator]

Wondery plus subscribers can listen to this podcast ad free right now. Join Wondery plus in the Wondery app today. True crime fans know the feeling when a story pulls you in. You can feel like part of the investigation. And with Audible, there's a lot to uncover. Listeners might like after you've gone by Margo Hunt this Audible original is a gripping thriller that follows one woman as she tries to solve her best friend's murder in the French Quarter of New Orleans. As an Audible member, you can choose one title a month to keep from the entire catalog, including the latest bestsellers and new releases. New members can try audible free for 30 days. Visit audible.com 48 hours or text 48 hours to 500500 audible.com 48 hours. Hey, I'm Ryan Reynolds. Recently I asked Mint Mobile's legal team if big wireless companies are allowed to raise prices due to inflation. They said yes. And then when I asked if raising prices technically violates those onerous two year contracts, they said, what the are you talking about? You insane Hollywood. So to recap, we're cutting the price of mint unlimited from $30 a month to just $15 a month. Give it a [e-mail] switch. $45 upfront payment equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first 3 month plan only. Taxes and fees. Extra speeds slower above 40 gigabyte C Details.

[Bill Wegerle]

I met Vicky in high school. It was like we were just meant to be. We had so much in common. That was my favorite song. And to this day I'll crank it up in the car. If I hear it, it just says something about. I guess kind of like the way I thought of her. Maybe.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

There was never a doubt in my mind how much my mom and my dad loved us.

[Bill Wegerle]

My name is Bill Wagerle. I was coming home for lunch. I was working on that side of town. I figured why hurry and get home for lunch. I found Brandon by himself. I thought that was unusual for her not to be there with him. I kind of looked around, I think for her and didn't find her normal life. You don't expect something bad to be happening.

[Nola Folston]

She died by strangulation. There were a number of ligature marks around her neck.

[Narrator]

Why?

[Stephanie Wegerle]

Why her? You know, what did. What did she do? What did we do?

[Bill Wegerle]

He's there for 50 minutes probably before discovers the body. There were definitely police officers that thought that Bill Wagarly killed his wife.

[Nola Folston]

Could that person be involved? You know who else would have killed the wife?

[Narrator]

Did they ask you to take a polygraph?

[Bill Wegerle]

Yeah, I took a polygraph for them and I also took one privately.

[Narrator]

And did that make them less suspicious?

[Bill Wegerle]

No, it made them more suspicious.

[Narrator]

Why?

[Bill Wegerle]

I failed both of them.

[Narrator]

So Bill Wagarly for 18 years had to live under the cloud of suspicion that he killed his wife.

[Nola Folston]

I don't think they put two and two together that this had anything to do as a serial killer.

[Bill Wegerle]

This is btk. This is him.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

He killed my mom.

[Narrator]

Out of the shadows. For three decades, Wichita, Kansas has lived with a murder mystery. Ten victims strangled without mercy, and a faceless killer who called himself btk.

[Nola Folston]

They dealt with very, very cold blooded killers, but none who have such a tremendous memory over this many years. I've never dealt with anybody like this. Hello, everybody.

[Narrator]

District Attorney Nola Folston is prosecuting Dennis Rader, the man behind the initials which stand for bind, torture and kill.

[Nola Folston]

We have torture devices.

[Bill Wegerle]

He commented to me at one point. I'm sorry, I know this is a human being, but I'm a monster.

[Narrator]

You'll learn how Rader became that killer. And the untold story of one family's horrific encounter with btk.

[Nola Folston]

Bill Wagerley was victimized and tortured in this whole episode. From the day that his wife died, the day that she was killed, it not only killed him, it put him under suspicion for a long period of time.

[Narrator]

Bill Wegerley and his children have been silent about what happened to them for 19 years. They speak for the first time.

[Bill Wegerle]

I remember seeing her across the hallway in school and just thinking, you know, wow.

[Narrator]

Bill met his wife Vicki when they were 16.

[Bill Wegerle]

She was just tall and slender and attractive, well kept. I mean, she was quiet.

[Narrator]

And you got married when we were 17. Young, yeah.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

Sometimes it seemed like they were just, you know, two kids in love.

[Narrator]

When they were just 18, Bill and Vickie had a daughter, Stephanie. What do you remember of your mom?

[Stephanie Wegerle]

To me it seemed like she was always happy and bubbly and, you know, easy going and life was good.

[Narrator]

Eight years later, a son, Brandon was born.

[Bill Wegerle]

My life revolved around her and her life revolved around the kids and me and her family too. Those were the important things to us.

[Narrator]

Then came a day so surreal that even 19 years later, Bill Wegerley still seems in shock. When was the last time you saw Vicky?

[Bill Wegerle]

When I left for work that morning, probably about 8:00.

[Narrator]

The date? September 16, 1986.

[Bill Wegerle]

And I just remember kissing her goodbye, which normally I didn't take the time to do that, but that morning I did.

[Narrator]

While Bill was at work and Stephanie at school, Vicki was home at one point that morning, she was heard playing the piano. She was also taking care of Brandon, who was then two.

[Bill Wegerle]

I was coming home for lunch, and just to see her and Brandon. I passed my car on my way home.

[Narrator]

Did you know it was your car?

[Bill Wegerle]

Yeah, I was sure it was my car.

[Narrator]

And could you see who was driving it?

[Bill Wegerle]

I saw a person driving it, yes.

[Narrator]

But not your wife?

[Bill Wegerle]

No.

[Narrator]

What happened when you got home?

[Bill Wegerle]

I found Brandon sitting on the floor by himself.

[Narrator]

Were you worried at that moment?

[Bill Wegerle]

I was concerned, yeah. I didn't know exactly what was going on, why Brandon would be there by himself. That's very unusual.

[Narrator]

What did you do at that point?

[Bill Wegerle]

I eventually went into the bedroom and discovered her on the floor.

[Narrator]

Vicki had been tied up and strangled.

[Bill Wegerle]

Then you start to put things together that the person that was in my car probably, I'm sure, did this, and I immediately called 911.

[Narrator]

But when police arrived and started putting things together themselves, they came to a different conclusion. Did they believe you?

[Bill Wegerle]

I don't think they did.

[Narrator]

That's because Bill failed those two lie detector tests.

[Bill Wegerle]

The individual that I hired to take the polygraph, he said he believed what I was saying was true. He said, it's just the stress that I was under.

[Narrator]

Did you think it was possible you might be charged?

[Bill Wegerle]

It got to a point, yeah. I was fearful of that.

[Narrator]

Police never had enough evidence to actually charge Bill or anyone else. But the rumors persisted for years.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

I remember going back to school, and my friends would tell me on the playground that, you know, my mom and dad said that your dad did it.

[Narrator]

That was tough, wasn't it? Mm. What would you say to them?

[Stephanie Wegerle]

I didn't say anything. We knew what the truth was, so it just made me more aware of who I was friends with.

[Narrator]

What about you, Brandon? Yeah.

[Bill Wegerle]

I had a teacher, I think, in middle school that had relayed to her younger son who had told me that me and my dad were bad people and would stay away from us.

[Narrator]

Why?

[Bill Wegerle]

Because my dad killed my mother.

[Narrator]

As you two got older, did you wonder what had happened to your mom?

[Bill Wegerle]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

What would you think?

[Bill Wegerle]

Well, I can remember from probably age 7 or 8. My grandma told me that she thought I was BTK, but at that age, you know, that meant nothing to me. So.

[Narrator]

Btk, Those initials and this symbol haunted Wichita, representing a phantom killer who had never been caught. Although it had been nine years since his last known murder, Vicki's brutal death seemed to carry his trademark. She had been bound and strangled like all the others before her. January 1974. Four members of the Otero family are tied up and strangled, including two children, 9 year old Joseph and 11 year old Josephine, who is hanged from a basement pipe. April 1974. 21 year old Katherine Bright, tied up, strangled and stabbed to death. October 1974. In a note left at the Wichita Public Library, the killer took credit for the Otero murders and gave himself a name. BTK for bind them, torture them, kill them. March 1977. Another strangling, and this time a witness, six year old Steve Relford. What do you remember that day?

[Bill Wegerle]

I remember everything.

[Narrator]

Steve was walking home from the store with soup for his sick mother when he was confronted by a stranger.

[Bill Wegerle]

He stops me, approaches me, shows me a picture, asks me did I know who it was. I said, no, sir, I don't know who this is.

[Narrator]

Steve ran home, but moments later, there was a knock on the door.

[Bill Wegerle]

Me and my brother rushed to the door.

[Narrator]

I beat my brother.

[Bill Wegerle]

I left the BTK in my house.

[Narrator]

BTK gave Steve and his two siblings a blanket and some toys. Then he locked them in the bathroom. The terrified children watched through a crack at the top of the door as their mother, Shirley Vion, was tied to her bed and strangled. What do you remember of him? Was he tall?

[Bill Wegerle]

Ma'am, I remember how tall. I don't remember how short, but I remember what his face looked like.

[Narrator]

It sounds like you feel guilt that you ever let him in your house.

[Bill Wegerle]

That'll be for the rest of my life.

[Narrator]

How could you feel guilty about it? Steve? You didn't have anything to do with this.

[Bill Wegerle]

Yeah, I did. I answered the door.

[Narrator]

December 1977. BTK bound and strangled 25 year old Nancy Fox. And added a twist, he reported the murder to police himself. Ms. Patrick? Yes.

[Bill Wegerle]

You will find a Homer side at 843 South Virgin.

[Narrator]

Then the killer sent a chilling letter to a local TV station that read in part, how many do I have to kill before I get a name in the paper or some national attention?

[Bill Wegerle]

He apparently was pretty irritated by the lack of news coverage.

[Narrator]

Former Wichita police detective Arlen Smith says the city was in a panic.

[Nola Folston]

We worked it with a sense of.

[Bill Wegerle]

Urgency because nobody knew how long it was going to be before he killed somebody else.

[Narrator]

But then, in 1979, BTK seemed to disappear. So when Vicki Wegerle was killed seven years later, police focused on the most logical suspect, her husband.

[Bill Wegerle]

I knew there was an individual out there that did this, but to me it just seemed like they weren't looking for anybody else.

[Narrator]

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[Stephanie Wegerle]

All the pain and the heartache and just miss her.

[Narrator]

What do you miss about her?

[Stephanie Wegerle]

Everything. I mean, even at 10 years old, you know, she was my best friend.

[Bill Wegerle]

I don't think people understand that. The difficulties that I had and the fears of just raising two kids. It was like Stephanie was my second mother. She stepped in and kind of took over.

[Narrator]

The Wegerley children not only lost their mother, Vicki, they also had to endure the whispers and rumors about their father for 18 years. Was there ever a time, Stephanie, that you thought your dad might have been responsible for your mom's death?

[Stephanie Wegerle]

Oh, no. Absolutely not. Never.

[Nola Folston]

There's kind of a cloud that rests over your head. And, oh, there's Bill Wakerly. His wife was killed, and nobody's ever found the killer.

[Bill Wegerle]

Hmm.

[Narrator]

And then on a March Day in 2004, everything changed. It started with a letter to reporter Hirsch Laviana.

[Bill Wegerle]

This is a copy of the envelope.

[Narrator]

Inside the envelope, a copy of Vicki Wegerley's driver's license and what appeared to be crime scene pictures of her body.

[Bill Wegerle]

I looked at the crime scene photographs and realized they weren't routine crime scene photographs.

[Narrator]

They weren't routine because police didn't take them. The only person who could have was the killer.

[Bill Wegerle]

We do not have photographs or it's seen because she was transported, because it came in as a medical call. So EMS gets there, transports her out before police have arrived.

[Narrator]

For Lt. Ken Landwehr, who ran the BTK task force, the letter was a huge breakthrough. After 18 years, it cleared Bill Wegerley and exposed BTK as the real killer.

[Bill Wegerle]

This monster come into my home and took my wife from me, you know, took my life, our whole lives away from us as we knew it and changed us as people for the rest of our lives.

[Narrator]

For the Wegerlies and all the families that lost loved ones to btk, the horror came rushing back.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

We've gone on, you know, with our lives all these years. And then to have all of it come up again and to have to live through it all again was pretty hard.

[Narrator]

The return of BTK also shocked Wichita's district attorney, Nola Folston. Like everyone else in town, her life and career had been haunted by the faceless killer.

[Nola Folston]

I was the same as anybody else with locking my doors, checking my phone, Living in the same fear that everyone else was living with.

[Bill Wegerle]

Good evening.

[Narrator]

A new letter and new clues, possibly from Vicki Wegerley's driver's license was only the beginning. Throughout 2004, there was a frenzy of chilling BTK communiques as the killers scattered clues from past crimes all over the city. Teasing, puzzling and frightening.

[Bill Wegerle]

Kfdi, the FBI is now checking out a package that was found in a Wichita park.

[Narrator]

There were dollgrams, little dolls, one with a noose around its neck. The killer pocket to represent the murder of 11 year old Josephine Otero, who was hanged.

[Nola Folston]

He's perverted. He's a sexual offender. He is a pedophile.

[Narrator]

There were cereal boxes. BTK's sick play on the words serial killer.

[Nola Folston]

He's gotta be really twisted to have to manufacture these pictures. He is sexually benefiting as he's drawing this stuff.

[Narrator]

Why would he reappear after years of silence?

[Bill Wegerle]

Okay, are you ready?

[Narrator]

Police believe it was because of a writer named Bob Beatty.

[Bill Wegerle]

Hi.

[Narrator]

Excellent book. And the publicity surrounding his new book about the murders.

[Bill Wegerle]

This guy always wrote because he wanted attention. He writes to a television station and says, how many do I have to kill before I get some attention?

[Narrator]

Soon enough, the killer, seemingly jealous of Beatty, submitted his own book to police. And then he made a mistake. Inside another cereal box, he sent a note asking if he could send police a computer disc and still stay anonymous.

[Nola Folston]

So he wrote and he said, be honest with me. His words be honest with me. If I send you a disc, will it be traceable? You know, put it in the newspaper, It'll be okay, Rex. And send it under this code number.

[Narrator]

Police placed an ad in the paper just as BTK instructed. He in turn sent in a disc.

[Nola Folston]

And was trapped when it reached its destination. Immediately it was forensically examined.

[Narrator]

In no time, computer experts traced the disc to a Local church and a user named Dennis. A Google search did the rest, turning up a Dennis Rader, president of the Christ Lutheran Church.

[Nola Folston]

And I looked at this picture and I went, you have got to be kidding me.

[Narrator]

The ghost who had terrified Wichita for 30 years finally had a face. And what a face it was. BTK was, of all things, a dog catcher. A suburban family man with two grown kids and a tidy little house. It all seemed so normal.

[Nola Folston]

And then it was kind of like he fits. He just fits. He fits the profile. He's everyman.

[Narrator]

Everyone's gut said Dennis Rader. But police wanted the case airtight. They wanted DNA. They secretly obtained a sample from Raider's daughter.

[Nola Folston]

It was taken while she was in college. And blood. No pap smear.

[Narrator]

The daughter's DNA was compared to semen left at some of BTK's crime scenes. And it was a close match. On February 25, three decades after the BTK murders began, it all ended. One of the most notorious murders in American history. Was arrested in the most routine way as he headed home for lunch.

[Nola Folston]

It was so emotional. I can't tell you how emotional it was. It was so great. It was like, this son of a bitch is gone. He is out of here.

[Bill Wegerle]

This is btk, and your job is to get a confession from him. He needs to say what he did.

[Narrator]

Wichita Police Lt. Ken Lamware spent his entire career preparing for this one moment, confronting the man he believed to the serial killer, btk.

[Bill Wegerle]

I wanted to clear all the homicides. I just didn't want to clear two or three. I wanted all of them.

[Narrator]

As Lyn Weir sat down to interrogate Dennis Rader, District Attorney Nola Folston watched from the next room. What was your first reaction?

[Nola Folston]

I thought he was a geek. I know that sounds terrible, but he was just. He was so full of himself.

[Narrator]

For the first few hours, Raider admitted nothing. Then Lamware took him by surprise and told Rader there was DNA evidence connecting him to six of the murders, including Vicki Wegerle's. Raider's skin was found under her fingernails.

[Nola Folston]

Then it was like the dam had broken. You could not shut this guy up.

[Narrator]

What was the most surprising part of the confession?

[Bill Wegerle]

The one that I will never forget, is the fact of when he asked me the question, Ken, why did you lie to me?

[Narrator]

And what's he talking about when he asks you, why did you lie?

[Bill Wegerle]

I was looking at the floppy disk. He didn't think we could trace a floppy disk because he asked me, why did you lie to me? If he wouldn't have lied to me. I wouldn't have said because I was trying to catch you. And when I told him I was trying to catch you, he says, but we had such a good thing going. You and I had that rapport.

[Narrator]

He really thought that they would be honest with him.

[Nola Folston]

Can you believe that? They could have sold him the Brooklyn bridge.

[Narrator]

From that point on, Rader eagerly spent the next 30 hours reviewing the last 30 years of his life. As he proudly confessed to murder after murder. Raider revealed a darker nature than anyone could have imagined.

[Nola Folston]

It's nauseating. He'd start going on and on and on about each and every one of his conquests.

[Narrator]

While Rader was confessing, investigators began turning up physical evidence against him. In his city hall office. They discovered in plain sight a cabinet full of souvenirs from the killings, all neatly filed away. Raider called the stash his mother lode.

[Bill Wegerle]

He had all the original communications. He had all the evidence, all the trinkets, driver's licenses, all those things were all very neatly stored, all in binders.

[Narrator]

Inside Raider's tiny 900 square foot house. Investigators found another stash, a container in his closet full of what Raider called slick ads, sexual fantasy cards he made using magazine photos of women and young girls.

[Nola Folston]

What is wrong with this guy?

[Bill Wegerle]

His mind was totally fantasy driven.

[Narrator]

Police theorized these fantasies allowed Raider to go years without killing and were key to his elaborate double life. A life in which the normal activities of Dennis Rader fed the ghoulish appetites of btk. For instance, he told police he used a former job installing burglar alarms to enter homes and troll for victims.

[Nola Folston]

He always felt like he was very busy and, you know, whatever you got, just whatever you need, let him know because he's got things to do. Very busy man.

[Narrator]

Denise Maddux shared an office with Rader at the home security company ADT in the 1980s. Vicki Wagarly was killed in the middle of the day when he was working at ADT and when you were working with him, which means he had to leave in the middle of the day and then come back after killing a woman and brutally killing a woman. When Rader admitted to the 1985 strangling of Maureen Hedge, a woman who lived on his own block, he told police he took the body to his church where he posed and photographed it. It was the same church where he appeared to be so devout he was elected president of the congregation.

[Bill Wegerle]

We just couldn't believe that they were talking about the Dennis Raider that we knew.

[Narrator]

Paul Carlstadt has known Dennis Rader For 30 years, the dentist that came to.

[Bill Wegerle]

Church every Sunday, the dentist that was. Was there to help in whatever way we wanted him to help. It just didn't. It just didn't make any sense.

[Narrator]

Raider also revealed that he slipped away from a boy scout camping trip in 1991 to strangle 62 year old Dolores Davis. It was Raider's last murder.

[Nola Folston]

His fantasy is to take her to a barn, string her up, and then do some sexual bondage things with this dead body and photograph her.

[Narrator]

But Raider got caught in a snowstorm and dumped the body under a bridge instead.

[Nola Folston]

And it isn't until a couple of weeks later that her body's actually located underneath this bridge out in the county. And they find with it a mask, a plastic mask that's been painted, decorated with some eyelashes and lipstick and painted face on it.

[Bill Wegerle]

What made him think he had the right to take somebody that meant the world to me?

[Narrator]

So unjust. For Dolores Davis son Jeff, learning the identity of his mother's killer is a fresh outrage.

[Bill Wegerle]

What sick, perverted pleasure can you possibly get enjoying looking into somebody's terrified eyes as you strangle the life out of them.

[Narrator]

The BTK suspect will be back in court in about a half an hour.

[Nola Folston]

A court proceeding is scheduled at 9:00.

[Narrator]

Finally, Raider was forced to appear in public for the first time since his arrest.

[Bill Wegerle]

Sir, I have been advised it is your desire to enter a plea of guilty in this case. Is that correct? Yes, sir.

[Narrator]

On June 27, in a Wichita courtroom, he pleaded guilty to all 10 murders.

[Bill Wegerle]

I used a ruse as a telephone repairman to get in their house.

[Narrator]

Raider's casual cooperative tone in the courtroom seemed strangely at odds with the brutal murders he described.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

I was still kind of in a fog, I think. You know, it just didn't seem real that this person could do these things. And then for me, it really hit home when he said he walked up to the door and heard the piano.

[Bill Wegerle]

As I approached it, I could hear a piano sound.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

That's when I knew that, you know, yeah, that was my mom that he heard playing.

[Narrator]

Is that the first time you realized this really was the killer? But even as he was admitting what he did, Dennis Rader failed to answer the biggest question of all. What made him do it?

[Bill Wegerle]

I remember one of the detectives saying, the devil comes in an angel's disguise.

[Narrator]

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[Nola Folston]

Ooh. And spontaneously written songs of joy. I am so happy.

[Narrator]

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[Nola Folston]

To get those, make everyone on your.

[Narrator]

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[Stephanie Wegerle]

It just still doesn't seem, it still doesn't seem 100% real to me. Why not that this normal look, you know, normal, average guy that's married, has two kids, does all the normal stuff that he could do such horrible things to so many innocent people.

[Narrator]

We know Dennis Raider did do these horrible things. The only question is why. I was able to speak with him by phone and I met with him twice in jail. Cameras, however, were banned. This is what Raider told me. He says he grew up like any other child in a loving family and insists he was never abused. In fact, Raider's court appointed attorney Steve Osborne admits he tried to find something, anything from Dennis Rader's past that could somehow explain btk.

[Bill Wegerle]

We talked to the family some and you know, we didn't see anything that jumped out at us as abnormal. No trauma, no big event that would scar him or cause, you know, something like this to happen.

[Narrator]

Yet as young as 7 or 8 years of age, Raider told me and investigators, he became fascinated with inflicting pain on living things. He started with animals as a young boy.

[Nola Folston]

He first became aroused when he was at his grandparents farm and they would kill chickens for feeding the family. And he became very fixated on the death of those animals.

[Narrator]

And it gets stranger. While other boys of his generation looked up to baseball players, Raider says his hero was Harvey Glatman, a serial killer who targeted young single women in Hollywood. He was executed in 1959 when Raider was just 14, but Glatman became an inspiration for the boy who would grow up to terrorize Wichita. Remember Annette Funicello? Ricky Mouth Rader told detectives, quote, she was my favorite fantasy hit target when she was on the Mouseketeers. Rader imagined how he would kidnap the star Mouseketeer and, quote, do sexual things to her in California. Rader told me that as he got older, he collected detective pulp magazines depicting women in bondage. That the act of tying up a human body became an obsession. An obsession that he managed to keep secret from everyone he knew, even when he began killing at the age of 29. For all these years, he seemed just like anybody else here. He might have been someone you talked to. You might have been standing next to him here in the library.

[Bill Wegerle]

Right? Right.

[Narrator]

Author Robert Beatty.

[Bill Wegerle]

They were looking for crazy Charles Manson, somebody with a history of crime, sex crimes, mental disorders. You get on the elevator with Charles Manson, you're going to move to the other side of the elevator. So did you get on the elevator with btk? You're gonna smile and nod and have a conversation. You're never gonna suspect this guy.

[Nola Folston]

I trusted this man. I mean, I really trusted him.

[Narrator]

During the time that Denise Maddux shared an office with Raider at ADT, you will find a homicide. That 14 second phone call reporting Nancy Fox's homicide was replayed repeatedly on television. Denise, you worked with him for 11 years.

[Nola Folston]

I did.

[Narrator]

And you didn't recognize his voice on that phone?

[Bill Wegerle]

Mr. Raider, would you please stand with counsel?

[Narrator]

She also never connected the killer's behavior with a Dennis Raider. She knew he was polite and even protective of women.

[Nola Folston]

I was working around all these guys, sharing a restroom with them. I was the only woman.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

And he always wanted to make sure.

[Nola Folston]

That they put the lid down and no dirty jokes. He painted the bathroom for me because I thought it was. It was really gross.

[Narrator]

Well, no.

[Bill Wegerle]

I mean, they were.

[Narrator]

We know from Raider's own letters to police that he admired famous murderers like Jack the Ripper and Son of Sam. But what isn't widely known is how much he borrowed from his hero, serial killer, Harvey Glatman. A warning. What you are about to see may be very disturbing. Back in the 1950s, Glatman's victims were beautiful young models. He would lure them with the promise of a photo shoot. Glatman bound, gagged, and then photographed them in the moments before he strangled them. Rader told me that's where he got the idea. These are the pictures. Dennis Rader took this of his last killing.

[Nola Folston]

He Shows her laying on the bed, gagged.

[Narrator]

Raider even sketched a drawing of that same victim.

[Nola Folston]

It was with her eyes open and a very horrified look on her face and actually reinforcing that she knew of her impending death.

[Narrator]

Raider is proud to take credit for all of this. But what he didn't want the public to know was how far he took his obsession with bondage. This is Raider. He took these photographs of himself. This one in an open grave he dug for a victim.

[Nola Folston]

Dennis Rader did not want that evidence to come out. He did not want people to see him in a negative light. He wanted people to see him as some gentleman serial killer. We believed that that was totally inappropriate.

[Narrator]

The killing, the stalking fantasy world. Somehow Raider managed to hide it all, even from the woman who thought she knew him best. His wife of 33 years, Paula Rader, a bookkeeper. They appeared to be a devoted couple, regularly attending church together. Is it possible that his wife, who lived with him for all those years, truly had no idea he was connected to this?

[Bill Wegerle]

Not convinced of it.

[Narrator]

What makes you say that?

[Bill Wegerle]

I've talked to that woman. That woman, just to be honest, is a very, very nice woman, a saint. She is totally devastated. I've talked to his daughter, a wonderful, wonderful young woman, totally devastated by the actions of this man. They had no idea.

[Narrator]

How would his wife not have any idea that she was living with a serial killer?

[Nola Folston]

In a 30 year period? He disappeared for 10 nights in a 30 year period. Probably less than a lot of men in America.

[Narrator]

But he hid so much stuff in the house.

[Nola Folston]

And she knew he was pretty neat. He kept it neat, he kept it orderly. A lot of this stuff was at his workplace. And he's such a control freak. Maybe that's the relationship he had with his wife. Don't be touching my things.

[Narrator]

Why didn't Raider target his wife? He looked shocked when I asked him that question. He said he didn't kill anyone. He knew that his victims were just objects. He did say, however, that his wife was terrified of BTK and that he once reassured her by telling her to keep all the windows and doors locked. I wasn't really worried, he told me, since I knew I was the one doing all the killing.

[Bill Wegerle]

I'll take care of that for you.

[Narrator]

Steve Osborne believes that even if no one had discovered his well kept secret, Dennis Rader, dog catcher, scout leader, church president, was planning to one day take credit for becoming btk.

[Bill Wegerle]

I think this was his life's work and he wanted basically to take a bow for it. I mean, this is who he was. This is what he did. I don't think that he was going to go to the grave without taking a bow for this.

[Narrator]

What do you hope happens to Dennis Raider at this point?

[Bill Wegerle]

I hope he's incarcerated for the rest of his life, which he will be and that we never have to hear from him again.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

Hey prime members, have you heard?

[Narrator]

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[Stephanie Wegerle]

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[Bill Wegerle]

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[Bill Wegerle]

To start listening, download the Amazon Music app for free or go to Amazon.com adfreepodcast that's Amazon.com ad freepodcast to catch.

[Narrator]

Up on the latest episodes. Without the ads, fall is in the.

[Nola Folston]

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[Narrator]

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[Nola Folston]

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[Nola Folston]

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[Nola Folston]

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[Nola Folston]

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[Nola Folston]

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[Narrator]

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[Nola Folston]

Love your skin again. Go to dimebeautyco.com and unlock your discount. That's dimebeautyco.com that's dimebeautyco.com.

[Bill Wegerle]

It is some person within our community suffering from a mentality disorder leaning toward the fetish.

[Narrator]

For those in Wichita who lived through three decades of fear and grief, it's.

[Bill Wegerle]

Like a war has ended and there's not really a victory. But the war is over.

[Narrator]

Today is a day they never thought they'd see. Dennis Rader is about to be sentenced for his crimes.

[Bill Wegerle]

I could see it in his eyes and his face. This guy's an animal and he's a monster.

[Narrator]

To make sure Raider is put in prison for life, the state must present evidence of his killings.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

After we had heard what she had went through, I know for me that's when I decided that I could be strong enough for her to sit through everything that I had to to get to the end of it. That's the least I could do for her.

[Narrator]

For Stephen Ralford, it is a memory he has tried so hard to forget.

[Bill Wegerle]

I see the same thing all my life. My mom laying there on that bed. Me looking over that door.

[Narrator]

Until now. This is the only way Steve Relfer could release the anger and grief he has known since his mother was killed by Raider in 1977. Will it be over after this sentencing for you?

[Bill Wegerle]

No. It will never, never be over, ma'am. Never. Until this son of a bitch is dead. My mom was my life, man. He took it from me. Good morning. It's pretty satisfying for you at any point. How are you guys feeling this morning?

[Narrator]

With the sentencing about to begin, Ralford and the other families arrive to finally confront the man who caused them all so much pain.

[Bill Wegerle]

I've waited 14 years. I want him to hear my statement. I want him to hear what I have to say.

[Narrator]

District Attorney Nola Folston hopes to expose the real man behind the killer. Who was invisible and once seemed invincible.

[Nola Folston]

This is a man who is twisted. And the community needed to see that.

[Narrator]

All right, thank you.

[Bill Wegerle]

Please be seated.

[Narrator]

It is a day and a half of mind numbing testimony.

[Bill Wegerle]

He strangled her by tying the rope tightly around her neck. Put a plastic bag over her head.

[Nola Folston]

Did Mrs. Davis put up any resistance or fight?

[Bill Wegerle]

There was nothing that she could do. And he stated that it took approximately two to three minutes for her. And she felt no more pain.

[Narrator]

Finally, my name is Charlie Otero. My name is Beverly Platt. The families get their chance to speak.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

I want him to suffer as much as he made his victims suffer.

[Bill Wegerle]

Although we have never met, you have.

[Narrator]

Seen my face before. It is the same face you murdered over 30 years ago. The face of my mother, Julie Otero.

[Bill Wegerle]

For the last 5,326 days, I have wondered what it would be like to confront the walking cesspool that took my mother's precious life. If I had your devil nature, I would delight in the fact that your congregation has turned its back on you. That your wife has divorced you. That your own children have disowned you. You have now lost everything. And you will forever remain nothing. Thank you, you, Honor. My name's Steve Relford. Shirley By Ann was my mother.

[Narrator]

After waiting 28 years for this moment.

[Bill Wegerle]

I'd just like for him to suffer for the rest of his life.

[Narrator]

Words fail, Steve Relford.

[Bill Wegerle]

And you know I don't, so. Your Honor, my name is Bill Wagerly.

[Narrator]

Bill Wagerly, too, is overwhelmed. As his daughter speaks from her broken heart.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

It's been almost 19 years now that my brother and I had the most important woman in our lives taken from us. It's not fair that we had so little time with her. It's not fair that she doesn't get to see me with her grandchildren. My mother begged for her life, yet he showed no remorse.

[Narrator]

If the families hoped to see that remorse from Dennis Raider today, they didn't get it. Some of them weren't even willing to sit and hear him speak speak and simply walked out.

[Bill Wegerle]

Okay, I know the victims families will never be able to forgive me. I hope somewhere deep down eventually that'll happen.

[Narrator]

When he finally apologizes, I final apologize.

[Bill Wegerle]

To the victims families. There's no way that I can ever repay.

[Narrator]

His closing words ring hollow.

[Nola Folston]

It's pitiable for Mr. Raider to stand here looking all pale and pasty and say how sorry he is. You know, gosh, I'm really sorry. Well, what else do you say after you kill 10 people?

[Narrator]

At the time of the murders, Kansas had no death penalty, you, Dennis L.

[Bill Wegerle]

Raider be taken by the sheriff of Sedgwick County.

[Narrator]

So the judge gave Raider the maximum sentence, 175 years. They're coming down the road. They're now on prison property and if the families get their way, Dennis Rader and BTK will just fade into the past.

[Bill Wegerle]

I hope that people will not correspond with him, have anything to do with him. That would probably be a greater suffering to him than if he was put to death or tortured or whatever else.

[Narrator]

If you like this podcast, you can.

[Bill Wegerle]

Listen ad free right now by joining.

[Narrator]

Wondery plus and the Wondery app.

[Nola Folston]

Before you go, tell us about yourself.

[Narrator]

By filling out a quick [e-mail] survey. You don't believe in ghosts. I get it. Lots of people don't. I didn't either until I came face to face with them. Ever since that moment, hauntings, spirits and the unexplained have consumed my entire life. I'm Nadine Bailey. I've been a ghost tour guide for the past 20 years. I've taken people along with me into the shadows, uncovering the macabre tales that linger in the darkness and inside some of the most haunted houses, hospitals, prisons and more. Join me every week on my podcast, Haunted Canada as we journey through terrifying and bone chilling stories of the unexplained Search for haunted Canada on Apple podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

[Bill Wegerle]

From the award winning masters of audio horror.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

I see a face right up against the window.

[Narrator]

Bleach white, no hair, black eyes.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

A round hole for a mouth.

[Bill Wegerle]

It's flat, Taylor. It's completely flat. I don't know what that is.

[Narrator]

I don't know what kind of a head is flat.

[Bill Wegerle]

Comes the return of Dark Sanctum.

[Narrator]

What is that coming under the door? It's blood.

[Bill Wegerle]

Seven original chilling tales inspired by the Twilight Zone and tales from the Crypt.

[Stephanie Wegerle]

Get back in your car, Lizzy.

[Bill Wegerle]

It's okay. I'm here now.

[Narrator]

Josh, get in your car.

[Bill Wegerle]

Starring Bethany Joy Lenz, Clive standen and Michael O'Neill. Welcome to the Dark Sanctum. Listen to Dark Sanctum Season 2, exclusively on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery plus in the Wondery app.

[Narrator]

Apple Podcasts or Spotify.