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Murder In America
EP. 228- SERIAL KILLER: BTK (Bind Torture Kill) | Pt. 4: Arrest, Trial & Disturbing Revelations
02:40:05
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- [00:01]
Narrator
Marshall's buyers are hustling hard to get amazing new gifts into stores right up to the last minute. Like a designer perfume for that friend who never RSVP'd wishlist topping toys for her kids who came too. Belgian chocolates for the neighbor, a cozy scarf for your boss and a wool jacket for your husband that you definitely did not almost forget. Marshalls. We get the deals, you get the good stuff. Even at the last minute. The find a Marshall's near you. At New Balance, we believe if you run, you're a runner, however you choose to do it. Because when you're not worried about doing.
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New Balance Advertiser
Things the right way.
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Narrator
You'Re free to discover your way. And that's what running is all about. Run your way@newbalance.com Running.
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Colin Brown
On December 12, Disney invites you to go behind the scenes with Taylor Swift in an exclusive six episode docu series.
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Narrator
I wanted to give something to the fans that they didn't expect. The only thing left is to close.
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Colin Brown
The book the end of an era and don't miss Taylor Swift. The Eras Tour, the final show featuring for the first time the tortured poets department. Streaming December 12th only on Disney+ warning the following podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects.
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Narrator
Trigger warnings from the stories we cover may include violence, rape, murder and offenses against children.
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Colin Brown
This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned.
- [01:53]
Narrator
In our last three episodes, we talked about the life and crimes of Dennis Raider. From 1974 to 1991, he lurked through the city of Witchita, Kansas, stalking, binding, torturing and killing people. For over three decades. He managed to slip through the cracks, avoiding detection, all while posing as a family man, church member and community leader. But every once in a while throughout the years when he was feeling the need for power and control, he would taunt his city, sending them letters confessing to his crimes and letting everyone know that he was still there, hiding in plain sight. At the turn of the 21st century, after years of lying dormant, Dennis decided to toy with police again, leaving letters in his victims trophies in locations around Wichita. The cat and mouse game he was playing with investigators gave him a thrill that he had been chasing for his whole life. But in the end, Dennis own ego and modern technology would be his downfall. In last week's episode, Dennis sent his final letter to police. In it, there was a floppy disk that he was told couldn't be traced, but they could trace it. And it led police right to a man named Dennis Rader. In February of 2005, investigators finally placed him under arrest, putting an end to his 31 year reign of terror. And that is where we left off. So this part four is the final part of our series on serial killer btk. I'm Courtney Brown.
- [03:38]
Colin Brown
And I'm Colin Brown.
- [03:39]
Narrator
And you're listening to Murder in America.
- [03:49]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Sam.
- [04:41]
Narrator
It was February 25, 2005, and in Detroit, Michigan, 26 year old Kerry Rawson was certain that someone was watching her. She peered out from behind the curtains of her apartment's window. Her eyes locked on something, someone that shouldn't have been there. It was a rusted maroon car parked in the alley of her building. It wasn't a place that people ever parked. And this car that stuck out against the backdrop of a freshly fallen snow had been sitting there for quite some time. The man behind the wheel sat still, waiting, watching. Carrie had seen him looking up into their second story windows and staring intently inside. For over an hour. Carrie peeked out of her curtains, checking to see if the man was still there and wondering with each glance if she should call the police. But then finally, at around 1pm she looked out the window. The car was still there. The man, however, was not. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. She had no idea that that knock was going to change the rest of her life and mark this day an infamy. In her book, A Serial Killer's Daughter, she calls it the Day the World Dropped out on Me. End quote. And in every imaginable way it was. Carrie opened the door of her apartment just enough to peer through the crack. Her dad always taught her, never open your door all the way to strangers. Always be alert. Always look for danger because it's everywhere. So Carrie glanced at the man in front of her. A man who looked like an office worker. Which only made what he said even more strange.
- [06:36]
Colin Brown
I'm with the FBI. I need to speak with you.
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Narrator
The man didn't look like an FBI agent, so just like her dad had taught her, Kerry asked to see his id. And to her surprise, he pulled out a badge and once again asked if he could speak with her. Confused, Carrie asked, what do you want to talk to me about? You have the right person, right?
- [06:59]
Colin Brown
Are you Kerry Rawson? Maiden named Raider, 26 years old, originally from Wichita, Kansas? Your father is Dennis Raider?
- [07:07]
Narrator
Carrie nodded. Everything he was saying was right, but she couldn't come up with any possible reason why the FBI would be talking to her of all people. But Then the officer asked the unthinkable.
- [07:22]
Colin Brown
Have you heard of btk?
- [07:25]
Narrator
Growing up in Wichita, Carrie had heard of him. Her mind immediately went to Delores Davis, BTK's last known victim. The 62 year old woman was murdered in the comfort of her home, just down the road from Kerry's childhood house. After her murder, she had been disposed of beneath a bridge. But this was years ago. Had BTK struck again? Panicked, Carrie asked the FBI agent, Has something happened to my grandma? Has my grandma been murdered?
- [07:57]
Colin Brown
Your grandma? No, she's fine. It's your dad.
- [08:01]
Narrator
My dad? What about my dad?
- [08:04]
Colin Brown
Your dad has been arrested for the BTK murders.
- [08:07]
Narrator
Carrie was dumbfounded, to say the least. She still couldn't comprehend what the FBI agent was telling her. Repeatedly, she asked him to clarify. Had her dad killed her mom? Her brother? Both were completely unbelievable, but much less so than what he was implying. Had he actually suggested that her father, the man who taught her how to ride a bike, who had patched up her scraped knee and dried her tears, was btk? Carrie had an alternate explanation. She told the FBI agent that her dad must have been trying to solve the BTK murders. He had always loved reading detective magazines, solving cryptograms and puzzles. He must have been looking into the crimes, trying to figure out who was behind it, and in the process, somehow, inadvertently got wrapped up in something he shouldn't have. That must have been why the police had his name. It was all a mistake. Because Kerry was certainly and her heart of hearts that her dad was a good man. And Carrie wasn't the only one facing this shocking revelation. 1,000 miles away, on a quiet street in Park City, Kansas, Paula Rader was waiting for her husband to get home, just like she did every day. She made him lunch and set it out on the table, eager to chat about their day. But time marched on. Dennis was always right on time. So when he didn't show up shortly before 1220, Paula began to worry. But then it came. At 56 years old, her world was about to shatter like it never had before. She opened the door and standing on her doorstep of her quaint home was not just one officer, but an entire swarm of them. The man in front of her had on an FBI vest, and the words that were about to come out of his mouth were so bizarre, so inconceivable, that Paula doesn't believe them. Your husband is BTK. The father of her two children and the man she had spent the last 34 years with was a serial killer. The very man who had been Murdering people in their community for the past three decades. Shaken, Paula told police that there had to be a misunderstanding. She said, dennis is a good man and a great father. He would never hurt anyone. But she was about to learn that she did not know the man she married. After giving her this earth shattering news, the authorities presented a search warrant and a trove of officers swarmed into her home carrying empty evidence boxes. Soon enough, those boxes would be filled with trophies that her husband had hidden throughout their home. Dead women's underwear, jewelry, their IDs, photos of his victims, dead bodies. All items that Paula had been living with for years. As the agents began tearing her home apart, they informed Paula that she had to leave the house immediately and come with them to the police station. Perhaps still in shock, Paula scrambled around the kitchen and living room. She said she needed her purse because they contained her medication and inhalers, but the police forced her outside. We'll grab that stuff for you, they said, but for now, you have to come with us.
- [11:37]
Colin Brown
On the drive to the police station, Paula kept telling herself that this was all a mistake. Surely by the end of the day the officers will realize their mistake and life can go back to normal. Which seemed to be the mindset of Dennis entire family. When Paula finally arrived at the police station downtown, she could hear the familiar and stressed voices of Dennis, mother Dorothy and his brothers Bill, Paul and Jeff. They were all telling investigators the same that Dennis was not btk. They had arrested the wrong man. Even Paula's parents had been rounded up and brought to the station. As their adult daughter sat in shock beside them, her parents insisted, you've got the wrong man. There's no way Dennis would ever have done this. For over four hours, they were forced to sit and listen as the police outlined the massive amount of evidence they had against Dennis. Yet no one budged. Everyone was steadfast in their belief that Dennis Raider couldn't possibly be btk. But there was a brief moment, one that told detectives that as the shock faded, the real truth from those closest to him would come out. Paula had looked distant and hazy the whole time she sat in the back room. Then, as detectives spoke about the otero murders in 1974, her eyes sparked with a look of horrible recognition. She said almost to herself, dennis used.
- [12:58]
Narrator
To drive me to work in 1974 and we'd always pass the Otero house. That was the route he always chose.
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Colin Brown
Moments after she said it, the wall went back up. She shook her head resolute and insisted, but you've got the wrong Man. But as we know, that wasn't the case. Dennis wasn't arrested because they suspected he was btk. They had DNA evidence that proved without a shadow of a doubt that he was their man.
- [13:26]
Narrator
Earlier that morning, as Dennis was driven to the FBI field office to be questioned, Lt. Landwehr said, quote, he looked pleased, end quote. As they drove through the neighborhoods that Dennis once terrorized, his gaze was fixed on the helicopters flying overhead. The thought that they were there just for him was exciting. Landwehr watched Dennis, admiring the scene around him. He didn't look like the terrifying killer they had been hunting. And that's exactly what made him so scary. Landwehr asked, quote, nice day outside. Good golfing weather. You play golf, Mr. Raider? Dennis shook his head. Somehow that's all it took for the floodgates to open. Dennis had been waiting to get caught, to be recognized all of his life. It was somehow the worst and best moment he had ever had. All wrapped up into this car ride. Dennis started to ramble, content, giddy, like he was talking to an old friend.
- [14:32]
Colin Brown
No, not much of a golfer. I garden and fish, but it certainly is a nice day. Spring is coming. I made some notes about that just the other day. The flowers are coming up. You know, I saw some robins in the area the other day. Canadian robins, I imagine. Probably just passing through the area. I feed the birds, you know, just to keep an eye on them.
- [14:53]
Narrator
Landwehr had worked endlessly to catch this man. He had seen horrible things that no one should ever witness, all because of this man. And here he was, sitting beside him, prattling on about how he fed the birds. It was unbelievable, even for someone as experienced as him. Now, Landwehr knew that he wanted an FBI agent to sit in on their interrogation. After all, it was clear that Dennis loved attention, and he would probably talk more if he flattered him. But after that car ride, after seeing that look on his face, Landwehr knew that it was going to be easy to get Dennis to talk. He seemed excited, too. In Confession of a Serial Killer, Dennis.
- [15:38]
Colin Brown
Wrote, I knew it was over, but I wanted to play cat and mouse as long as I could.
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Narrator
And that's exactly what he did. As Landware and Special Agent Bob Morton sat down, they had no idea that they were in for one of the longest and strangest interrogations of their careers. But it started out like any other. They gave Dennis a sprite, read him his Miranda rights, and made some small talk. And then finally, after about 30 minutes of chit chat, they asked, why do you think we're Here. Dennis shrugged and smiled at the detectives, trying to look cool and calm.
- [16:19]
Colin Brown
Well, probably for this BTK thing. I assume I'm a suspect at this point in time.
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Narrator
Any reason why we should think that you're btk?
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Colin Brown
Well, I live in Park City, went to wsu, served in the uh. I'm in that age group. Kind of surprised you haven't been knocking on my door before wanting swab. I've been a BTK fan for years.
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Narrator
For over three hours, the interrogation prattled on just like this. Dennis gave non answers, alluding to the fact that they had the right guy, but never quite saying it outright. When the Otero murders were brought up.
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Colin Brown
He even quipped, well, if you take that murder and some of the others, I would say you've got a serial killer loose.
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Narrator
On and on the cat and mouse game continued. Dennis remarked in Confession of a serial killer that he was, quote, having fun and yet there was something tugging at him. He knew he was caught, but he didn't understand how that is until detectives brought up DNA. Investigators told Dennis that they had DNA from three of BTK's crime scenes. The Otero murders, the murder of Nancy Fox, and the murder of Vicki Wagerly. And they knew that the same man was responsible for all three. So they needed to test his DNA to see if it was a match. While getting his sample, Dennis joked and said, I make 4,001. He was referencing the 4,000 men they had already got samples from over the years trying to find btk. Landwehr and Morton leaned closer to Dennis and asked, what will happen when the DNA swabs come back? Dennis shifted in his seat before laughing and saying this.
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Dennis Rader (BTK)
Any way you can get out the DNA, right?
- [18:14]
Jim Reno
You can't get out of your DNA unless you've had a total blood transfer.
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Dennis Rader (BTK)
It's there.
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Narrator
Landwehr knew they were close. He looked Dennis in the eye and asked, what do you think brought us to you today? Dennis shrugged.
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Colin Brown
You must have something on me.
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Narrator
Landwear held up the floppy disk. As Dennis looked at the 39 cent disc, it started to click. That had been his demise. And plainly Landwehr laid out exactly how, telling him, you know, every time you print or every time you save something, it registers in a header that's hidden that you can alter. So if we got something like that and it would come from btk, then we can go in there and we can find out that it came from Christ Lutheran Church and that's when we came to you. End quote. And inside the mind of btk, which provided us with these transcripts of the interrogation. Landwehr describes Dennis as, quote, looking as if he got hit over the head with a golf club. End quote. He sat in silence for a long time before he whispered to himself, pretty sharp. The air in the room was thick and suffocating. Everyone, including Dennis, knew that it was almost over. They could only beat around the bush and play this cat and mouse game for so much longer. Landwehr focused intently on the suspect as the silence in the room simmered until finally Dennis met his eye and said.
- [19:47]
Colin Brown
Give me a pastor.
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Narrator
Special agent Morton rose to his feet, preparing to get the pastor from Dennis church en route. Well, to pretend he was. At least. The pair figured that the idea a pastor was on his way would be enough to push Dennis to confess. And it seemed they were right. The first thing out of Dennis mouth was after he asked for a pastor were words that seemed to be for himself, a revelation.
- [20:17]
Colin Brown
You guys have got me.
- [20:19]
Narrator
But they needed more than that. They knew they had him, but they needed an admission, a full one. So they began to tell Dennis exactly how they knew the DNA was his. You know, Dennis, they said, we tested your daughter's DNA against the DNA at the three crime scenes, and you know what it proved? It proved that Carrie is the child of btk. When Dennis learned this, he was surprised. He would later say, once they matched.
- [20:50]
Colin Brown
Her DNA with Otero, Fox, and Weggerly, they had me three cases. One, two, three.
- [20:57]
Narrator
After years of terrorizing women, it was ultimately his daughter's DNA that did him in. And there's a poetic justice to that one that to this day, Dennis harbors anger about. But back at the table in 2005, all he could do was think about how it was really over. Morton gave Dennis a pleading look over the table, and he told him just as much. He said that the pastor was on his way, so he might as well just say who he was. Here is the audio of that exact moment.
- [21:35]
Colin Brown
After three decades of terror, BTK was finally in cuffs. For the first time, he admitted the truth aloud to someone who he couldn't murder. He was BTK. He had killed 10 people, and he had been caught, all because of a floppy disk. That was a sticking point for Dennis. The detectives had told him in the newspaper ad that floppy disks couldn't be traced. He had thought they were playing a game. He thought they were equals and had a mutual respect for one another. In no world did he imagine that Landwehr would lie to him and the fact that he had boiled his blood. Dennis tapped on the floppy disk on the Table in front of them. And he said the following.
- [22:23]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Because I was trying to catch you.
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Narrator
Landwehr couldn't believe what Dennis was asking him. And inside the mind of btk, the author John Douglas recounted a conversation he had with Landwehr, stating, quote, he told me that he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. Could Raider really be that dense? Was he so hopelessly deluded as to imagine that the past three decades had been nothing more than a big game? End quote. But to Dennis, it was. It had all been a game. And now, with it out in the open, Dennis was finally ready to unleash every bit of information he could think of, even about how his strange behavior started in childhood. He said this.
- [23:10]
Colin Brown
It started grade school. I used to make sketches. Even back then. Annette Funicello was my favorite fantasy hit target when she was on the Mouseketeers. She was a dream girl for a lot of guys. I had these imaginary stories of how I was going to get her, kidnap her, and do sexual things to her.
- [23:27]
Narrator
In California, Dennis also admitted to herding animals when he was younger.
- [23:32]
Colin Brown
I have, yeah, I have killed some animals and to get it off, I guess I would get a cat or a dog and tie them up and strangle them.
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Narrator
Dennis said that eventually he discovered his love for bondage.
- [23:45]
Colin Brown
Oh, well, I did quite a bit of self bondage when I traveled. When I traveled, I used to do self bondage. I was in a motel by myself and I would get my slick ads out or my fantasy ladies and I would spread them all out. I would do sexual things to objects.
- [24:01]
Narrator
Now, Dennis said that he eventually met his wife Paula, and despite his sexual deviancy, he was attracted to her. He enjoyed having sex with his wife, but it never satisfied him the way he wanted. His ideal sexual encounter was taking complete control over someone.
- [24:20]
Colin Brown
If I have sex, I would rather have the bondage. You know, I could still perform with my wife and everything, but that's the way I like to have sex, because I like to have that person under control.
- [24:31]
Narrator
Dennis said that over the years, he started entertaining the idea of kidnapping someone, raping them and then killing them. He said he would even walk around public places with a hit kit in his car looking for women to stalk. And before the Otero murders, he had found someone.
- [24:50]
Colin Brown
I tried the girl at Twin Lakes and she fought me off and I got scared and I ran and hid and got out of there. And after my courage got back up, I started trolling other areas of town.
- [25:02]
Narrator
Dennis confessed that it was around this time when he spotted Mrs. Otero and her daughter Josey.
- [25:08]
Colin Brown
I took my wife to work one day, and she worked at the va. She didn't like to drive in the ice and snow, so I'm sure that's what it was. I took her one day when I was on my way home, either in the red car or the Chevette. I saw the Oteros. I saw her and the kids. Yeah, I think they were backing out. I think they were backing out of the driveway, so. And I've always had kind of a. I've always kind of liked Hispanic people. The dark eyes and dark hair.
- [25:36]
Narrator
Now, at this point in the interview, the investigators knew that Dennis was about to reveal the details of his horrific murders. And they couldn't help but notice how delighted he looked. For Dennis, this was cathartic. And he started with his very first one. Here is Dennis speaking about the Otero murders.
- [25:58]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
First of all, Mr. Otero was strangled or a bag put over his head and strangled. Then I thought he was going down, and I went over and strangled Mrs. Otero, and I thought she was down. Then I strangled Josephine while she was down, and then I went over to Junior and put the bag on his head. After that, Mrs. Otero woke back up, and, you know, she was pretty upset. What's going on? So I came back and at that point in time, strangled her for the death strangle. At that time with your hands or what? No, with a cord, with a. With a rope. And then I. I think at that point in time, I redid Mr. Otero's, put the bag over his head, went over and then took Junior. Before that, she asked me to save her son. So I actually had taken the bag off, and then I was really upset at that point in time. So basically, when Mr. Otero was down, Mrs. Otero was down. I went ahead and took Junior. I put another bag over his head and took him to the other bedroom at that time.
- [27:10]
Interviewer/Investigator
What did you do then?
- [27:12]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Put a bag over his head. I put a cloth over his head, a T shirt and a bag so he couldn't tear a hole in it. And he went away, died from that. And then when I went back, Josephine had woke back up.
- [27:26]
Interviewer/Investigator
What did you do then?
- [27:27]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I took her to the basement and eventually hung her.
- [27:32]
Interviewer/Investigator
You hung her in the basement?
- [27:33]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, sir.
- [27:35]
Interviewer/Investigator
Did you do anything else at that time?
- [27:37]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, I had some sexual fantasies, but that was after she was hungry.
- [27:44]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, what did you do then?
- [27:48]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Went through the house, kind of cleaned it up. It's called the right hand rule. You go from room to Room picked everything up. I think I took Mr. Otero's watch. I guess I took a radio. I forgot about that, but apparently I took a radio.
- [28:04]
Interviewer/Investigator
Why did you take these things?
- [28:05]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I don't know. I have no idea just.
- [28:11]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened.
- [28:12]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Then I got the keys to the car. In fact, I had the keys, I think earlier, before that, because I wanted to make sure I had a way of getting out of the house and clean the house up a little bit, make sure everything's packed up and left through the front door. And they went there, went over to their car and then drove over to Dylan's and left the car there, then eventually walked back to my car.
- [28:36]
Narrator
With investigators sitting across the table, Dennis gave a detailed account of how he murdered the Otero family. At one point, he even acted out the murder of 11 year old Josie by standing up and putting his hands behind his back to show how she had been suspended from the ceiling. He then mocked her cries by yelling out, mama. Mama. Mama. Apparently he thought this was funny because he let out a sickening chuckle as the investigators watched and listened in horror. They had only discussed a single home that Dennis terrorized. And they were already feeling nauseous listening to this monster. A monster who admitted that following the Otero murders, he began squeezing a rubber ball to strengthen his hands. Then he launched into his retelling of the murdering of his next victim, Katherine Bright.
- [29:33]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I don't know how to exactly say that. I had many, what I called them projects. They were different people in the town that I followed. Watch. Kathleen Bright was one of the next targets, I guess, as I would indicate.
- [29:45]
Interviewer/Investigator
How did you select her?
- [29:47]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Just driving by one day and I saw her go in the house with somebody else. And I thought that's a possibility. There was many, many places in the area. College Hill, they're all over Wichita. But anyway, that's. It just was basically a selection process. Work toward it. If it didn't work, I'd just move on to something else. But in my kind of person, stalking and scrolling. You go through the trolling stage and then a stalking stage. She was in the stalking stage when this happened.
- [30:15]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, sir. So you identified Catherine Bright as a potential victim?
- [30:20]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, sir.
- [30:21]
Interviewer/Investigator
What did you do here in Central county then?
- [30:23]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Pardon?
- [30:23]
Interviewer/Investigator
What did you do then here in.
- [30:24]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Central county on this particular day?
- [30:27]
Interviewer/Investigator
Yes.
- [30:28]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I broke into the house and waited for her to come home.
- [30:32]
Interviewer/Investigator
How did you break into the house?
- [30:34]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Through the back door on the east side.
- [30:37]
Charlie Otero
All right.
- [30:37]
Interviewer/Investigator
And you waited for her to come home?
- [30:39]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Where did you wait in the house? There probably close to the bedroom. I walked to the house and kind of figured out where I'd be if they came through.
- [30:48]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, what happened then?
- [30:50]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
She and Kevin Bright came in. I wasn't expecting him to be there and come find out. I guess they were related that time. I approached him and told him I was wanted in California. I needed some car. Basically the same thing that I told the apparels. Kind of ease him, make him feel feel better. And proceeded to. I think I had him tie. I think I had him tie her up first and then I tied him up, or vice versa. I don't remember right now.
- [31:21]
Interviewer/Investigator
Let me ask. You indicated you had some items to tie these people with. Did you bring these items, both the oteros, into this location?
- [31:29]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
The oteros?
- [31:30]
Kevin Bright
I did.
- [31:31]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I'm not really sure on the Brights. There were some. When I ended up working with the police, there was some controversy on that. Probably more likely I did. But if. If I had brought my stuff and used my stuff, Kevin would probably be dead today. All right, I'm not bragging on that. It's just a matter of fact. It's the bonds I tied him up with that he broke himself. And maybe same way with. Same with Catherine. It was. I got out of. Got out of hand.
- [32:05]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, now, you indicated that you believe you had Kevin tie Catherine up. Tell me what happened then.
- [32:11]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Okay, I moved. Well after. I really can't remember, Judge, whether I had her tie him up or she tied him up. But anyway, I moved. Basically I moved her to another bedroom and he was already secure there by the bed. Tied his feet to the bed, post on the bedpost that he couldn't run. Kind of tied her in the other bedroom. And then I came back to strangle him. And at that time we had a fight.
- [32:38]
Interviewer/Investigator
Were you armed with a handgun at that time also?
- [32:40]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, I had a handgun.
- [32:42]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened when you came back?
- [32:43]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I actually had two handguns. Well, I started strangling. Either the variant broke or he broke his pawns. And he jumped up real quick. I pulled my gun and quickly shot him, hit him in the head. He fell over. I could see the blood. And as far as I was concerned, you know, I thought he was down and was out and then went and started to strangle Catherine. And then we started fighting because bonds weren't very good. And so back and forth we fought.
- [33:18]
Interviewer/Investigator
You and Kathryn?
- [33:19]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yeah, we fought and I got the best of her and I thought she was going down. And then I could hear some movement. Movement in the other room. So I went back And Kevin. No, no, I thought she was going down. And I went back to the other bedroom where Kevin was at, and I tried to re. Strangle him at that time. And he jumped up and we fought, and he about. At that time, about shot me because he got the other pistol that was in my shoulder here. I had my Magnum in my shoulder, so.
- [33:49]
Interviewer/Investigator
And did you have it in the shoulder holster?
- [33:52]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, and I had a Magnum in the shoulder holster. The other one was a.22. And we fought at that point in time, and I thought it was going to go off. I jammed the gun, stuck my finger in there, in there, jammed it. And I think he thought that was the only gun I had because once I either bit his finger or hit him or something got away, and I used the.22 and shot him one more time. And I thought he was down for good that time.
- [34:15]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, so you shot him a second time?
- [34:17]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, sir.
- [34:18]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened then?
- [34:19]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Went back to. Finished the job on Catherine, and she was fighting. And at that point in time, I've been fighting her. I just. And then I heard some. I don't know whether I was basically losing control. The strangulation wasn't working on her. And I used a knife on her.
- [34:42]
Interviewer/Investigator
You say you used a knife on her?
- [34:44]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes.
- [34:45]
Interviewer/Investigator
What did you do with the knife?
- [34:46]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I stabbed her. I think she said you stabbed two or three times, either here or here. Maybe two back here and one here or maybe just two times back here.
- [34:55]
Interviewer/Investigator
You were pointing to your lower back and your.
- [34:57]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yeah, underneath the ribs and your lower abdomen. Underneath the ribs. Up underneath the ribs.
- [35:02]
Interviewer/Investigator
So after you stabbed her, what happened?
- [35:06]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Actually, I think at that point in time. Well, it's a total mess because I didn't have control on it. She was bleeding. She went down. I think I just went back to check on Kevin, or at that. Basically same time I heard him escape. It could be one of the two. But all of a sudden, the front door of the house was open and he was gone. And. Oh, I'll tell you what I thought. I thought the police were coming at that time. I heard the door open. I thought, that's it. And I stepped out there and I could see him running down the street. So I quickly cleaned up everything that I could and left.
- [35:43]
Colin Brown
Nearly every time Dennis recounts the murder of Katherine Bright and the attempted murder of Kevin, he makes sure to mention that it was the bloodiest, messiest crime scene of all of them. And yet, as he continued to tell detectives all the murders he had committed, they just seemed to get worse and worse. Next, he happily told them what he had done to Shirley Vian in front of her innocent children.
- [36:06]
Interviewer/Investigator
Can you tell me what you did on that, though?
- [36:08]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
As before, Lian was a. Actually on that one. She was completely random. There was actually someone across from Dillon's was a potential target. It was called Project Green. I think I had project numbers assigned to it. And that particular day, I drove to Dillons, parked in the parking lot, watched this particular residence, and then got out of the car and walked over to it. It's probably the police report. The address, I don't remember the address now. Knocked, nobody answered it, so I was all keyed up. So I just started going through the neighborhood. I'd been through the neighborhood before. I kind of knew a little, the layout of the neighborhood. I've been through the back alleys, knew where some certain people live. While I was walking down Hydraulic, I met a young boy and asked him if he ID some pictures, kind of as a Russ, I guess, a ruse, as you call it, and kind of feel it out, and saw where he went, and I went to another address and knocked in the door. Nobody opened the door, so I just noticed where he went and went to that house, and we went from there.
- [37:19]
Interviewer/Investigator
Now, you call these projects. Were these sexual fantasies also potential hits?
- [37:27]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yeah, in my world, that's what I called it. All right, so projects, hits.
- [37:32]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, and. And why did you have these potential hits? Was this gratify some sexual interest or.
- [37:38]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, sir. I had there. I had a lot of them. So it's just. If one didn't work out, I just moved to another one.
- [37:45]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, so as I'm to understand it, then, on the 17th of March, 1977, you saw this little boy go into a residence, and you tried another residence. No one was there. You tried another residence, no one was there. So you went to the residence with a little boy.
- [37:59]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
And I watched. I watched where he went.
- [38:01]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened then?
- [38:03]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
After I tried this once, a residence, nobody came to the door. I went to this house where he went in, knocked on the door and told him I was a private detective. Showed him a picture that I had just showed the boy and asked him if they could ID the picture. And at that time, I. I had the gun here, and I just kind of forced myself in. I just walked in. Just opened the door and walked in and then pulled a pistol.
- [38:24]
Interviewer/Investigator
What gun?
- [38:25]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
What pistol?357 Magnum.
- [38:29]
Interviewer/Investigator
So you only had one gun with the pistol?
- [38:31]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, sir.
- [38:32]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened then?
- [38:34]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I told Mrs. That I had a problem with sexual fantasies that I was going to tie her up and that I might have to tie the kids up, and she would cooperate with us, cooperate with me. At that time, we went back. She was extremely nervous. I think she even smoked a cigarette. And we went back to one of the back areas of the porch, explained to her that I had done this before. And I think she was. At that point in time, I think she was sick because she had a night robe on. And I think, if I remember right, she had been sick. And I think she came out of the bedroom when I went in the house. So anyway, we went back to her bedroom and I proceeded to tie the kids up, and they started crying and got real upset. So I said, no, this is not going to work. So we moved them to the bathroom. She helped me, and then I tied the door shut. We put some toys and blankets and odds and ends in there for the kids, make them as comfortable as they could. Tied the. We tied one of the bathroom doors shut so they couldn't open it, and we shoved. She went back and helped me shove the bed up against the other bathroom door. And then I proceeded to tie her up. She got sick, threw up, got her a glass of water, comfort her a little bit, and then went ahead and tied her up and then put a bag overhead and strangled her. All right.
- [39:58]
Interviewer/Investigator
Was this a plastic bag also?
- [40:00]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, sir, I think it was, but I could be wrong on that. It was something. I'm sure it was. Plastic bag, yeah.
- [40:07]
Interviewer/Investigator
You say you put a bag over her head and strangled her. What did you strangle her with?
- [40:11]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I actually, I think on that I had tied her legs to the bedpost and worked up with the rope all the way up. And then what I had left over, I looped over her neck.
- [40:20]
Interviewer/Investigator
So you used this rope to strangle her?
- [40:23]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, I think. I think it's the same one that I. Tighter body with.
- [40:26]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened then?
- [40:28]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Well, the kids were really banging on the door, hollering, screaming, and then the telephone rang and they had talked about earlier that the neighbors were going to check on them. So I cleaned everything up real quick and got out of there, left and went back into my car.
- [40:43]
Interviewer/Investigator
When you say you cleaned everything.
- [40:44]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Well, I mean, put my stuff. I had a briefcase, whatever I had laying around the ropes, tape, cords. I threw that in there. My, you know, whatever that I had that I brought in the house.
- [40:55]
Interviewer/Investigator
Had you brought that to the Bright residence also?
- [40:59]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Now, there are some. I think there's some basic stuff, but I don't remember bringing total stuff like I did to some of the others.
- [41:07]
Interviewer/Investigator
Was this a kit that you had prepared?
- [41:09]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yeah. Yes, I called my kit kit.
- [41:12]
Narrator
Now, Dennis next confession was the murder of Nancy Fox. He told investigators that Nancy was his, quote, favorite kill. And in confession of a serial killer, he repeatedly refers to her as his perfect project. Finally, given the opportunity, Dennis seemed as though he couldn't wait to talk about how he tortured and killed her.
- [41:35]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Nancy Fox was another one of the projects. When I was trolling the area, I noticed her go in the house one night sometimes, and anyway, put her down as potential victim.
- [41:50]
Interviewer/Investigator
Let me ask you one thing, Mr. Raider. You used that term when you were patrolling the area. What do you mean by that?
- [41:56]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
It's called stalking or trolling.
- [42:00]
Interviewer/Investigator
So you were not working in any form or fashion?
- [42:03]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Well, I don't know if, you know, if you read much about serial killers, they go through what they call the different phases. That's one of the phases they go through as a trolling stage. Basically, you're looking for a victim at that time, and you could be trolling for months or years, but once you lock in on a certain person, then you become stalking, and that might be several of them, but you really home in on that person. They basically become the. That's the victim, or that's what you want to do. Is it trollers or team not patrolling?
- [42:36]
Interviewer/Investigator
He did say.
- [42:39]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Oh, okay, all right. No, no, I wasn't working, sir.
- [42:42]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right.
- [42:43]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
No, this was. No, this was off.
- [42:45]
Charlie Otero
Off.
- [42:46]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Off my hours.
- [42:47]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, so you basically identified Nancy Fox as one of your projects. What happened then?
- [42:57]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
At first, she was spotted, and then I did a little bit homework. I dropped by once to check the mailbox to see what her name was, found out where she worked, stopped by there once. Hillsborough kind of sized her up. The more I knew about a person, the more I felt comfortable with it. So I did that a couple of times, and then I just selected a night, which was this particular night, to try it, and it worked out.
- [43:26]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right. Can you tell me what you did on the night of December 8, 1977?
- [43:31]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
About two or three blocks away, I parked my car and walked to that residence, Knocked at the door first to make sure, see if anybody was in there, because I knew she arrived home at a particular time from where she worked. Nobody answered the door. So I went around the back of the house, cut the phone lines. I could tell that there wasn't anybody in the north apartment. Broke in and waited for her to come home in the kitchen.
- [43:56]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right. Did she come home?
- [43:58]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, she did.
- [43:59]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened?
- [44:00]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I confronted her. Told her there I was a. I had a problem, sexual problems, that I would have to tie her up and have sex with her. She was a little upset. We talked for a while. She smoked a cigarette. While we smoked cigarette. I went through her purse, identifying some stuff. And she finally said, well, let's get this over with so I can go call the police. And I said, okay. And she said, can I go to the bathroom? And I said, yes, she went to the bathroom. And I told her when she came out to make sure that she was undressed. When she came out, I handcuffed her. And.
- [44:43]
Interviewer/Investigator
No, really, Remember, sir, you handcuffed her? You had a pair of handcuffs?
- [44:47]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, sir.
- [44:50]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened?
- [44:50]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Well, anyway, I had her. I handcuffed her, had her lay on the bed, and then I tied her feet. And then I. I was also undressed to a certain degree. And then I got on top of her, and then I reached over, took either. Either feet were tied or not tied. Anyway, I took. I think I had a belt. I took the belt and then strangled her with the belt at that time.
- [45:12]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, all right. After you had strangled her, what happened then?
- [45:17]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Okay, after I strangled her, the belt. I took the belt off and retied that with pantyhose real tight, removed the handcuffs and tied those with pantyhose. Can't remember the colors right now. I think I maybe retied her feet.
- [45:33]
Kevin Bright
What?
- [45:34]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
They had not. They were probably already tied. Her feet were. And at that time, masturbated, sir. All right.
- [45:42]
Interviewer/Investigator
Had you had sexual relations with her?
- [45:44]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
No, no, no. I told her I was, but I did not.
- [45:47]
Interviewer/Investigator
So you masturbated. Then what did you do?
- [45:51]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Dressed and then went through the house, took some of her personal items and kind of cleaned the house up, went through it, checked everything, and then left.
- [46:00]
Colin Brown
After Dennis spent his time recounting the murder of Nancy, he moved on to speak about a victim that detectives hadn't even known was his. As he described the murder of Maureen Hedge, they tried to look unfazed, but the reality of what they were telling them was shocking. They hadn't known about Maureen at all. How many more victims could he possibly have?
- [46:21]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Well, actually, kind of like the others, she was chosen. I went through the different phases. Stalking fades. And since she lived down the street from me, I could watch coming and going quite easily. On that particular day, I had another commitment. Came back from that commitment. Parked my car over at Woodlawn and 21st street at Bowling alley there at that time. Before that, I dressed until I had some other Clothes on, changed clothes. I went to the bowling alley, went in there under the precincts of bowling, called a taxi, had a taxi take me out to Park City. I had my kit with me as a bowling bag.
- [47:11]
Interviewer/Investigator
That was Park City in Sedgwick County, Kansas. All right, you had the taxi take you to Park City.
- [47:16]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
What happened then there? I asked. I pretended that I was a little drunk. I just took. I just took some beer and washed it around my mouth. And the guy could probably smell the alcohol on me. I asked, told him to let me out so I could get some fresh air. And I walked from where the taxi let me off over to her house.
- [47:33]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, where does she live?
- [47:36]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
62, 42, 54. 62, 54. 62, 54 North Independence.
- [47:48]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, when you walked over there, what happened next?
- [47:51]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Well, as before, I was going to have sexual fantasies. So I brought my hit kit, and lo and behold, her car was there. I thought, gee, she's not supposed to be home. So I very carefully snuck into the house, kind of like a cat burglar. And after checking the house, she wasn't there. So about that time, the doors rattled. So went back to one of the bedrooms and hid back there. In one of the bedrooms, she came in with a male visitor. They were there for maybe an hour or so. He left. I waited till wee hours in the morning and then proceeded to sneak into her bedroom and flip the lights on, what it looked like, or I think the bathroom lights.
- [48:35]
Charlie Otero
I just.
- [48:35]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I didn't want to flip her lights on. And she screamed and I jumped on the bed and strangled her manually.
- [48:42]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right. Now, were you wearing any kind of disguise or mask at this time?
- [48:47]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
No. No.
- [48:48]
Interviewer/Investigator
You indicated this woman lived down the street from you. Did she know you?
- [48:52]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Casually. We'd walk by and wave. She. She liked to work in her yard as well as I like to work. It's just a neighborly type thing. It wasn't anything personal. I mean, just a neighbor.
- [49:02]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, so she was in her bed when you turn on the lights and bathroom.
- [49:06]
Kevin Bright
Yeah.
- [49:06]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Bathroom, yeah. So I get some light in there.
- [49:09]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, what did you do then?
- [49:10]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I manually strangled her when she started to scream.
- [49:13]
Interviewer/Investigator
So you used your hands?
- [49:14]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, sir.
- [49:15]
Interviewer/Investigator
And you strangled her. Did she die?
- [49:17]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes. All right, what did you do then after that? Since I was in the sexual fantasy, I went ahead and stripped her and probably went ahead and I'm not sure if I tied her up at that point time. But anyway, she was nude and I put her on a blanket, went through her some personal Items in the house. Figured out how I was going to get her out of there, eventually moved her to the trunk of the car, took the car over to Christ Lutheran Church. This is where the older church, and took some pictures of her.
- [49:58]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, you took some photographs for what kind of camera did you use?
- [50:01]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Poor Lord.
- [50:03]
Interviewer/Investigator
Did you keep those photographs?
- [50:05]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, the police probably had them.
- [50:08]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, what happened then?
- [50:10]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
That was it that went.
- [50:12]
Kevin Bright
Took.
- [50:13]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
She went through. I tied it. She was already dead. So I took pictures of her in different forms of bondage. And that's probably what got me in trouble, was the bungee thing. So anyway, that's probably the. The main thing. But anyway, after that I moved her back out to the car and then we went east on 53rd.
- [50:34]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, what occurred then, sir? What happened then?
- [50:37]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Oh, trying to find a place to hide her. Hide the body.
- [50:41]
Interviewer/Investigator
Did you find a place?
- [50:42]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, yes, I did.
- [50:43]
Interviewer/Investigator
Where?
- [50:46]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Couldn't tell you without looking at map, but it was on 53rd. Queen Greenwich, maybe?
- [50:52]
Kevin Bright
Maybe.
- [50:52]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
What's, what's the other one? Greenwich, I think between Wed and Webb and Greenwich. I found a ditch, a low place on the north side of the road and hit her there.
- [51:05]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, you say you hit her there?
- [51:07]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Well, there was some. There was some trees, some brush, and I laid that over the top of her body.
- [51:11]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, so you removed the body from the car, put her in the ditch, and then laid some. Some brush over the box?
- [51:16]
Kevin Bright
Yes, sir.
- [51:17]
Colin Brown
The Conspiracy Files is the most explosive show on the Internet. I'm your host, Colin Brown from the paranormal files on YouTube. And I'm inviting you to take this twisted journey down the rabbit hole with me. Together, we will dive deep into some of the world's most dangerous and disturbing conspiracy theories. From suspicious suicides to hidden pedophile rings and high profile cover ups. On my show, no story is off limits and no detail will be spared. And trust me, after listening to just one episode, you will never look at the world the same. So if you like conspiracies, mysteries, true crime and chaos, then this is the show for you. Listen to the Conspiracy Files now on all streaming platforms or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [52:04]
Narrator
Detectives. Heads were foggy with all of the information Dennis was giving them. With no shame and no hesitation, he recounted the tiniest details, reliving the moments he had taken the lives of these people like they were a favorite movie he had watched over and over and over again. This brought him to his ninth known murderer, Vicki Waverly.
- [52:27]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Vicki was. Waverly was another potential victim. I went through those different phases, Locked in on her, as I would call it. And decided that I would try that date. I used ruse as a telephone repairman to get in their house. Drove there in my own personal car around lunchtime. During lunch hour or approximately that time. It was earlier in the morning than that. I actually went somewhere else and changed my clothes. What I call my hip clothes. Clothes, sick clothes. Basically different things that I need to get rid of later. Not. Not the same kind of clothes that I had on. I don't want other, better word, use it. Crime clothes or hit clothes. I just called them get clothes. Anyway, I walked from a car as a telephone repairman. As I walked there, I donned the telephone helmet. I had a briefcase. Went to one other address just to kind of size up the house. I'd walk by it a couple of times, but I wanted to check it a little bit more. As I approached it, I could hear a piano sound. And went to this other door, knocked on him and told him I was that we were recently working on telephone repairs in the area. And went to her and knocked on the door and asked her if I could come check her telephone lines inside.
- [53:47]
Interviewer/Investigator
Did she allow you in?
- [53:48]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, she did.
- [53:49]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened then?
- [53:50]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I went over and found out where the telephone was. Simulated that I was checking the telephone. I had a make believe instrument. And after she was looking away, I drew a pistol at her and asked her if she'd go back to the bedroom with me.
- [54:05]
Interviewer/Investigator
Is this the same.357 Magnum you'd use?
- [54:07]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
No, this. This was a different one. Different. This.
- [54:11]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, you asked her to go back to the bedroom with you after drawing a pistol on?
- [54:15]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, sir.
- [54:15]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened then?
- [54:17]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I told her. We went back to the bedroom. I told her I was gonna have to tie her up. She was very upset and I think we. I used the material that was in. And that's another thing. Not sure, but I think I used the material that they had in their bedroom. And after I tied her hands, she broke that and we started fighting and we fought quite a bit back and forth.
- [54:41]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, she was physically fighting you?
- [54:43]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Oh, yeah. Yes, sir.
- [54:44]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened then?
- [54:45]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Finally got the hand on her and got a. A nylon sock and started strangling.
- [54:50]
Interviewer/Investigator
So you wrapped the stocking around her neck?
- [54:52]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes.
- [54:53]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened then?
- [54:54]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I finally gained on her and put her down. And I thought she was dead, but apparently she wasn't. But after she was down and not moving anymore, I rearranged her clothes a little bit and took some photos, I think three of them, I remember. And Then after that, I. There's a lot of commotion. She had mentioned something about her husband coming home, so I got out of there pretty quick. The dogs were raising a lot of cane in the back. The doors, the windows were all open to the house. A lot of noise when we were fighting. So I left pretty quickly after that. Put everything in the briefcase and had her. I'd already gone through her purse and got the keys to the car and used her car for my getaway car.
- [55:35]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right. Now, you indicate that you thought that she was dead. Did you discover later that she was?
- [55:40]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, I guess. The paramedics arrived, and they tried to attempt to relieve her driver. And that failed. I don't know if she died there or on the way to the hospital or at the hospital. I don't recollect.
- [55:51]
Interviewer/Investigator
But you later found out that she did die as a result of your strangulation?
- [55:55]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes.
- [55:56]
Narrator
And then finally, Dennis admitted to the murder of Dolores Davis in 1991. His final victim.
- [56:03]
Interviewer/Investigator
Mr. Raider, please tell me what you did here in Sedgwick County, Kansas, on that day that makes you believe you're guilty.
- [56:10]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
That particular day, I had some commitments. I left those, Went to one place, changed my clothes, went to another place, parked my car, finally made arrangements on my hip, kit my clothes, and then walked to that residence. After spending some time at that residence, it was very cold at night. Had reservations about going in. I had cased the place before, and I really couldn't figure out how to get in. And she was in the house. So I finally just selected a concrete block and threw it through the plate glass window on the east and came on in.
- [56:49]
Interviewer/Investigator
Where is this residence located?
- [56:51]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
It's on Hillside, but I couldn't give the address. I know it's probably 61. Probably 62 something. Oh, 62 something.
- [56:58]
Interviewer/Investigator
North or south?
- [57:00]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
North. North. Hillside.
- [57:02]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, so you used a concrete block to break the window, Like a.
- [57:05]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Glass window, patio door.
- [57:07]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened then?
- [57:09]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Noise. I just went in. She came out of the bedroom and thought that a car had hit her house. And I told her that I was. I used the roofs of the being wanted. I was on the run. I need food, car warm, warm up. And. And I asked her. I handcuffed her and kind of talked to her, told her that I would like to get some food, get her keys, her car, and kind of, rest assured, you know, talk with her a little bit and calmed her down a little bit. And then eventually I checked. I think she was still handcuffed. I went back and checked out where the Car was simulated, getting some food, odds and ends in the house that Elika was leaving, then went back and removed her handcuffs and then tied her up and then. And then eventually strangled her.
- [58:02]
Interviewer/Investigator
Or you say eventually strangled her.
- [58:04]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Well, after I tied her up, I went through some things in the room there and then. And then strangled her.
- [58:11]
Interviewer/Investigator
You say you went through.
- [58:12]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Were you looking for something? Well, some personal items. Yes, I took some personal items from there.
- [58:17]
Interviewer/Investigator
Did you take personal items in every one of these incidents?
- [58:21]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I did on the hedge. I don't remember anything at Vicky's place. We have Charles. We got the watch and the radio. I don't think I did any brights Vians? No, I don't think so. Fox? Yes, I picked some things from Fox. It was hit and miss. All right, but probably if it was a control situation where I had more time, I took something. But if it. If it was a confusion and other things, I didn't as I was trying to get out of there.
- [58:53]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, so in regard to the Davis matter, you went around the room, took a few personal things. What did you do then?
- [58:59]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Strangled her.
- [59:00]
Interviewer/Investigator
What did you strangle her with?
- [59:02]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Pantyhose.
- [59:03]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened then?
- [59:05]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Kind of like Mrs. Hedge, I. I already figured out my. I had a, you know, plan on leaving and put her in a blanket and drove her to the car and put her in the trunk of the car.
- [59:16]
Interviewer/Investigator
So you were able to strangle her to death with these panels?
- [59:19]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yes, sir.
- [59:20]
Interviewer/Investigator
All right, you put her in your.
- [59:21]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Car, in her car, her car, the trunk of her car.
- [59:24]
Interviewer/Investigator
What happened then?
- [59:27]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I really had a commitment I needed to go to, so I moved her to one spot, took her out of her car. This gets complicated. Then the stuff I had, clothes, gun, whatever, I took that to another spot in her car, dumped that off. Okay. Then took her car back to her house, left that.
- [60:01]
Kevin Bright
Okay.
- [60:02]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
In the interim, I took her car back to her house. In the interim, I realized that I had lost one of my guns. I dropped it somewhere. So I was trying to figure out where my gun was. So I went back in the house, realized I had dropped it. When I went in, when I broke the plate glass window, it dropped and fell on the floor right there. And I found it right there. So that solved that problem. Anyway, I went back out, threw the keys, checked the car real quickly and threw the keys up on top of the roof of her house, walked from her car back to my car, took my car, drove it back, and I either dropped more stuff off or I picked her up and put them in my car. And then I drove up northeast of Sedgwick county and dropped her off underneath the bridge.
- [60:50]
Narrator
At this point in the interview, FBI agent Bob Morton asked Dennis if there were any other murders in different states. But he was persistent, saying, this is it. I've got 10 people, end quote. However, he did admit that there were supposed to be many, many more victims over the years. In confession of a serial killer, he relayed that if he had murdered everyone he had planned to, it would have been three or four times the amount of people who he actually killed. The ones he didn't attack, he said, were the lucky ones. The first that he was excited to tell the police about was Project Prairie. Dennis admitted that he had dug a grave for her out in Hays, Kansas, and he anxiously waited for her to get home. But she never came.
- [61:40]
Colin Brown
For some reason, she didn't come home. I got her driver's license and Social Security number. I still have. Yeah, she would have been. I would have had her if she came to the house. She was very lucky. This time of the year can be stressful for a lot of people. I know that. I myself personally enjoy giving gifts and buying gifts and picking out gifts for those that I love. But I know that for other people, buying gifts and picking out the right present can be extremely challenging. And if you're a last person minute shopper, you know the feeling. Shelves are empty, ideas are running low times running out. Aura frames, though, is the solution with a gift that feels personal. So at this point, almost everyone in Courtney and I's families has an aura frame. We have gifted them all. Both of Courtney's grandmothers, my parents, Courtney's parents, we've gifted all of them aura frames and they're absolutely incredible gifts. Essentially, it's a picture for frame that you can load photos onto from your phone. In fact, you can upload unlimited photos and videos to the aura frame from anywhere. All you have to do is download the Aura app and connect to WI Fi. That means that even if you're halfway across the country, your loved one can take a photo, upload it to your frame, and it will appear instantly. Something that I love is that you can also preload photos onto the aura frame before it ships to your loved one. And like I mentioned, you can, you can keep adding to that library of photos from anywhere at any time. Another great thing about aura frames in the holiday season is the fact that there's a gift box included with every frame. Every frame comes packaged in a premium gift box with no price tag. But at the end of the day. You can't wrap togetherness, but you can frame it for a limited time. Save on the perfect gift by visiting auraframes.com to get $35 off Aura's bestselling Carver Matte frames, named number one by Wirecutter by using promo code MIA at checkout. That's a U R A frames.com promo code MIA. This deal is exclusive to listeners and frames sell out fast, so order yours now to get it in time for the holidays. And be sure to support our show by mentioning us at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. And now let's get back to our show.
- [63:54]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Foreign.
- [63:58]
Colin Brown
This episode is sponsored by Better Help. The holidays are a time of traditions. Some people have many traditions in their family. For example, in my family we always eat lefse, which is a Norwegian food since my mom is almost 100% Norwegian and some have none or are just beginning their own. Now's the time to reflect on what traditions mean to you or to rewrite those traditions and make your own. Like maybe perfecting a new hot chocolate recipe with the kids or continuing your great grandma's sweet potato pie. Incorporating therapy into your new or existing traditions can help ensure you take time for yourself during what can be a very joyful but sometimes hectic and lonely time of the year. Seriously, the weather's getting colder. The days are getting shorter. This is definitely a prime time to start your therapy journey if you've never given it a shot. Better Help therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences and their 12 plus years of experience and industry leading match fulfillment rate means that they typically get it right the first time. If you aren't happy with your match, you can switch to a different therapist at any time from their tailored recommendations at no cost. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is one of the world's largest online therapy platforms, Having served over 5 million people globally and it works with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews. This December, start a new tradition by taking care of you. Our listeners get 10% off@betterhelp.com MIA that's better HP.com MIA and now let's get back to the show. As a content creator who hosts three different shows including Obviously Murder in America with Courtney, it's been an absolute game changer to be able to do my weekly food shopping with hungryroot. Hungryroot plans all of Courtney and I's meals for the week, shops for us, and delivers groceries to us that fit our health goals, dietary preferences and our budget. Hungryroot helps you eat well and reach your diet or health goals. Whether you're gluten free free, dairy free, high protein, focused on gut health or anything else, just take a quick quiz and their smart cart technology recommends groceries and recipes tailored to your tastes and needs. Hungryroot also holds all of its food up to high standards, screening out over 200 additives including high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and preservatives. They source only high quality meat and seafood with no hormones or antibiotics, offer organic produce and non GMO options, and carry trusted healthy brands like Oatly, Vital Farms, Ithaca Hummus, Harmless Harvest and many more. And now, with it being the busiest time of year, Courtney and I have found that there's even less time and available brain power for meal planning or grocery shopping. Hungryroot not only helps save up money for gifts by cutting down on food waste, but it can also save you a trip out in the cold to the grocery store by delivering a all you need right to your door each week. I've tried so many different meals from hungryroot over the last year or so, and each and every one of them has been delicious. But I do have to say I just love how quick and easy their meal kits are to prepare. Courtney and I don't have a lot of time in our days nowadays, so to be able to have Hungry Root, which provides us with healthy, quick meals that can be prepared in 15 minutes or less in our own kitchen, I mean, it's truly been a lifesaver. So take advantage of this exclusive offer for a limited time, get 40% off your first box, plus get a free item in every box for life. Go to hungryroot.com mia and use code mia that's hungryroot.com mia code mia to get 40% off your first box and a free item of your choice for life.
- [67:57]
Narrator
Investigators were eager to hear more. They wanted every detail that Dennis could give them, hoping that he would slip up and admit to more murders. For Dennis, it was a cathartic release of the evil secrets that had been building up for years. But for detectives, it was an ego that they had to stomach listening to in order to learn the truth. The murderer in front of them prattled on about endless projects. Eventually they would find a log of them in that Log, they discovered that Dennis had stalked and named over 200 individual projects. His most recent he referred to as project Broadwater. When they eventually asked him about this, Dennis admitted that he planned on breaking into her home, tying her to a chair, and strangling her. Then he said this.
- [68:52]
Colin Brown
But I thought. I thought, basically, I'm going to take her back to the bedroom end. And I thought, maybe have anus sex with her. I think she has a daughter. I thought, well, maybe I'll get both of them.
- [69:04]
Narrator
When asked why he picked this girl in particular, Dennis said this because she had a routine.
- [69:11]
Colin Brown
People that have routines are trouble with me. That's what I am always looking for, is routines.
- [69:16]
Narrator
Dennis told detectives that he could have killed a lot more people over the years, but he felt like he was too connected within the city. He knew a lot of people from his jobs, his position at church, and through his kids extracurricular activities. And because of that, he couldn't always fully commit to being btk.
- [69:38]
Colin Brown
My big problem was my social contacts. That was probably my biggest factor. If I was a lone wolf, you would have had many more victims, Many more. I can guarantee that. Many more. I had a family, I had a wife. I had to work. You know, I can't. I can't go out. When you live at home with a wife, you can't go out and prowl around till three or four in the morning without your wife being suspicious. So I had to connect this all with school and work and family life. It was difficult, but that's the way I did it. Kind of like a spy.
- [70:11]
Narrator
Investigators had a lot of the answers that they had been praying about for years, but there were still so many questions. They knew why Dennis had begun killing and why and even how. But why did he stop? He claimed that Dolores Davis was his last kill because he was getting older. He just didn't have it in him anymore. Dennis said that after her, he knew it was time to let go and move on from his dark past. He even said that as fun as it was toying with the police over the past year with his letters, he was even preparing to close that chapter. He said his plan was to send a few more letters, get rid of all of the evidence he kept in his home, and then slip into obscurity.
- [71:01]
Colin Brown
I'm going to have to start putting this to a closure because of my age, because, you know, I'm reaching 60. I'm going to die one of these days. I don't want to leave all this stuff around for my family to find so basically, I was starting to shut everything down. You guys are very lucky because a couple more chapters and I was done.
- [71:18]
Narrator
In the end, Dennis truly thought that he would take this secret to his grave. He thought he'd help raise his grandchildren, tend to his garden, and sit on a porch and watch the world go by. As he slipped into old age, Dennis thought his obituary would talk about the wonderful man he was and that the mystery of BTK would haunt this country until the end of time. But as we know, that's not how this story would end. From this day forward, the whole world would know who he is, all because he got cocky. In the end, all it took was a floppy disk to take down the monster who had terrorized Wichita and beyond. As the interrogation reached its end after nearly 12 hours, Dennis reflected on that floppy disk once more.
- [72:10]
Colin Brown
You know, I thought I would pull it off and retire and have mementos. It didn't happen. You guys outsmarted me. I checked the properties and the other stuff and there was nothing there. Nothing. So you guys had to do something else. And I talked to some other people. They said, oh, floppies can't be traced. Floppies can't be traced. And I thought, should I take a gamble? And I knew I was taking a big gamble. The floppy did me in.
- [72:35]
Narrator
And since the police had that evidence, Dennis had no problem with giving them more. Detectives offered him a piece of paper to draw a map of his home. And on it, he circled the numerous hidey holes he had created to stash photos, trophies, and journals related to his crimes. Dennis seemed to radiate pride as he talked them through each hiding place. There was a false wall in his shed, hidden packages and suitcases in his closet, and his favorite spot, a false bottom in the cupboard at the end of the hall. Pointing to it on the map, he.
- [73:13]
Colin Brown
Told them, right here is what you call a cupboard where you put all of your dry goods. Okay? The bottom drawer, you take that out, the bottom one, you'll see a false bottom.
- [73:23]
Narrator
Over at his home, when investigators looked in that hiding space, they found Maureen Hedge's wedding ring along with the photos he had taken of her body within the Turkish a church that he had been elected president of. Alongside photos of her dead body, detectives found self taken photos of Dennis in bondage. One picture showed Dennis wearing women's lingerie with heels, a plastic mask he had covered in women's makeup, and a blonde wig. In the photo, he's completely bound with a cloth wrapped around his mouth, and he's hanging himself with A tree using Using a pulley system. As detectives looked closer, they realized that the slip he was wearing belonged to Julie Otero. There were clues like this scattered throughout his house. And they found approximately 500 pictures of Dennis engaged in self bondage. And each photo seemed to somehow be more shocking than the last. Police ended up finding another picture of what appeared to be a woman tied up and buried in a half dug grave. Was this a victim they didn't know about? Dennis never admitted to burying anyone he killed. But eventually, they were able to uncover the truth. It was yet another photo Dennis had taken of himself. This one had actually been taken during a boy scout trip where Dennis slipped away along the dungeon dunes of a lake, dressed himself in women's clothing, and buried himself for the picture.
- [74:59]
Colin Brown
Back at Dennis home, next to his bed, detectives found a rubber ball with the motto life is good. It was the same ball he had admitted that he used to strengthen his hands in order to strangle his victims. Coincidentally, the ball happened to be sitting right next to Dennis's church usher badge. In a nearby closet, investigators found a plastic tote filled with pictures of women and children that Dennis had cut out of magazines. He had drawn nooses and bondage onto the twisted collages and then stowed the tote beneath his wife's clothing. In the back of his car, Dennis stored a lot of camping gear. But investigators also found a number of dolls similar to the ones he had been sending to the police. And then finally, in a shed in his backyard, they found a number of bondage items and clothing belonging to women he had stalked and in some cases, killed. But surprisingly, some of the most disturbing evidence they found wasn't at his home. It was in his office at city hall, which was just feet away from the police office that had been hunting him the entire time. When investigators executed that search warrant, they found several three ring binders. Each was filled with newspaper clippings of his murders. There was an original wanted poster for the 1974 Otero murders. There were drawings of women bound and gagged, and on various torture devices. In one of the binders, there were handwritten timelines of all the letters and packages BTK had sent to police that previous year, Something Dennis was clearly proud of. There were hand drawn BTK symbols, poems he had written about his victims, photographs of Dennis in bondage, and photographs of Dolores body under the bridge with that plastic mask. Disturbingly, they also found a notebook that contained the logs of the hundreds of women Dennis had stalked over the years. These women had no idea that A serial killer had been following them, jotting down the tiniest details of their life and dreaming of what he was going to do to them against their will. As the police flipped through the pages, they couldn't believe the amount of time and effort that went into all this. Every entry was hours, days, sometimes weeks of stalking. Every entry was someone who very narrowly avoided death at the hands of a serial killer. Now there was so much evidence, it took the police over a month to record every item. And the most shocking part was that it had been right there under everyone's noses. Dennis, like many abusers, had taught his wife and children not to question him when he told them not to look through his things. It became law. And since Dennis was known for being particular about where things were, no one really saw anything unusual about that. To them, it was just their dad being, well, their dad. No one had ever expected that he would be sitting in a police station showing absolutely no remorse for some of the most heinous crimes anyone had ever seen. And while he didn't show any remorse for his victims or their families, he did seem to show some for the effect his crimes would have on his family. In confession of a serial killer, Dennis wrote, I worried about Paula and the kids. I can only imagine what they went through after my arrest. It could not have been good. I broke their hearts. The what if hit hard, and he was right. That day changed his family's lives forever.
- [78:18]
Narrator
Back in Detroit, Carrie was spiraling. She couldn't comprehend that her dad was a murderer, let alone btk. She repeatedly told detectives that it couldn't be true. But at the same time, all across the country, the ripples of Dennis Raider's crimes reverberated like an earth shattering quake. Dennis son Brian, who was on a submarine base in Connecticut, also learned of his father's crimes at the same time that his mother, grandparents, uncles, and sister did. When an FBI agent told him what his father was arrested for, he put his head into his hands in shock. He then told the agent, we had.
- [79:01]
Colin Brown
To leave it to beaver life. Mom was always at home and dad was doing everything. The scouts, church, helping out at school. Every summer, we'd go on summer vacations.
- [79:10]
Narrator
Now, in time, he'd learned the truth. Those scout meetings, those summer vacations, they were all a cover for what his dad was really focused on, his sick fantasies. And out of everyone, it seemed that Brian was the most ready to accept, or at least try to accept his new reality. During his interview with the FBI agents, they could eventually see the wheel starting to Turn in Brian's head. According to Inside the mind of btk.
- [79:41]
Colin Brown
Brian told the agent, it just doesn't make any sense. The only thing that ever gave me any cause for suspicion happened when I was a little kid and I was going through dad's stuff. I found this drawing. It was of a woman in this horrible position. She was all bound up in ropes. It scared me. I put it away and never looked in his stuff again.
- [80:02]
Narrator
And like we mentioned, Dennis wife Paula had once come across some disturbing stuff as well. She found that poem Dennis had written about Shirley Viann's murder, the one where he claimed it was for a school assignment. Then one time, Paula came home to find Dennis dressed head to toe in bondage. And although Paula never suspected that her husband was btk, Dennis actually told investigators about one comment Paula made that did frighten him. Apparently. When BTK's letters to police were being posted all over the media, Paula said to him, you know, you spell just like BTK. As we've mentioned, BTK's letters were full of spelling and grammar mistakes. And Paula couldn't help but notice that it was similar to her husband's writing. But to her, the fact that Dennis was btk was completely out of the realm of possibility. This was the man she had dedicated her life to, the father of her children. Now, in hindsight, for his family, there were little clues and hints scattered throughout, but at the time, they were all written off. However, in 2005, after seeing the DNA evidence and all of the evidence found within his home and his office, his family had to come to terms with their new reality that they never truly knew the real Dennis Raider. And after coming to this realization, they wanted to confront him more than anything. Paula, Carrie, and Brian wanted to sit down with him and ask him the millions of questions they had running through their minds, but they weren't allowed to. They were also instructed not to speak with the media, which for their families and families of the victims, was a monster in and of itself.
- [81:54]
Colin Brown
On February 26, 2005, reporters and photographers filled a room at city hall for a scheduled news conference. For the last year, they had all been reporting on BTK's communications with police. But this news conference was different. When Lt. Lendwear stepped up to the podium and announced the arrest of serial killer btk, the entire room erupted in applause.
- [82:18]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Yesterday afternoon, agents from the dbi, agents from the FBI, members of the Wichita police department were arrested. Dennis.
- [82:29]
Jim Reno
Dennis Raider, 59, white male, in park.
- [82:34]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
City, Kansas, for the murders.
- [82:41]
Narrator
It was that day when a picture of Dennis Raider flashed across the screen of millions of people around the country. It was the very first look at one of America's most prolific serial killers in the world. Was shocked. But it was especially surreal for the people of Wichita. For decades, BTK had been their very own boogeyman, the sadistic killer who lurked in the shadows haunting their city. But after so many years of evading arrest, many people thought he would never be found. That he was like the Zodiac killer of Kansas. But finally, his reign of terror came to an end. Equally as shocking was that the BTK everyone pictured in their heads was much different than Dennis Rader. Over the years, everyone had always imagined that BTK was this rugged criminal, the type of guy where if you saw him walking down the street, you would walk the other direction. But that wasn't the case. In reality, Dennis Rader looked like your typical harmless older man because to those who knew him, he was that. He was the guy you'd see in church every Sunday. Bob Smyer, a fellow usher at Christ Lutheran, told Time magazine, quote, if you listed 500 people who were going to be arrested for this, he wouldn't be on that list, end quote. And it's easy to see why. People describe Dennis as a loving husband and father. He was the neighbor you'd wave to when getting your mail, the type of guy you'd stop to ask for directions if you were lost. But behind that facade, this harmless, average looking man was a murderer. And that is part of what made him so terrifying for the public. The reality that someone evil had been lurking amongst them, blending in so seamlessly was disorienting. And for the Raider family, it was hard to survive because people didn't just blame Dennis, they blamed them. On the day that his mugshot was flashed across news stations around the country, misinformation spread like wildfire. Investigators admitted in their news conference that Dennis daughter's DNA sample had been his nail in the coffin. And some reporters took this to mean that Carrie had turned her father in, when in reality, she had no idea her DNA had even been taken and she had never consented to it. But soon after this reporting, the media started showing up at Carrie's front door, offering her cash for inside information. At the time, Kerry was already struggling with the reality that the life she knew and the father who had raised her wasn't what she thought. And now she had cameras shoved in her face, people accusing her of being an accomplice, and complete strangers showing up at her door and swarming her. It was so overwhelming that Kerry knew she had to leave. She wanted to be with her mother. So on February 28, three days after her world caved in, she made her way to the airport. Now, the neighborhood Kerry grew up in was swarming with media and sightseers. So her family agreed to meet in Kansas City, away from Wichita and away from btk. Carrie said that as she made her way through the airport, she saw her father's mugshot flash across all of the TVs, along with brutal details of his murders. She felt as though everyone was looking at her, as though everyone Knew she was BTK's daughter. She would later say that she kept her head down as she got on the plane and she felt herself dissociate as it took off. When she finally landed and locked eyes with her mother, the world that had been so loud for the past three days suddenly became quiet. They embraced and retreated to the home of a relative, where they all sat around a table and talked about what they were going through. In her book, A Serial Killer's Daughter, Kerry recalls that the whole family was sitting around late into the evening, picking at a bucket of kfc. They were all too anxious to be hungry, all talking too much to really eat. Paula remarked that she felt like, quote, we were at Dennis's funeral, end quote. To them, it was the death of a man that they had known and loved, a man who was very much still living.
- [87:25]
Colin Brown
Over the next few weeks and months, the media was constantly reporting on the story of btk, and over time, many people who knew Dennis Raider started to come forward. The majority of these people claimed that Dennis seemed like any other ordinary man. His father's cousin, Lee Rader, who resided in Springfield, Missouri, told the New York Times that the Rader family was completely normal. He said, there's some divorces. I guess that's the worst thing that's going. But nothing seemed amiss with Dennis during his childhood. He enjoyed reading dime store comic books and novels, playing cops and robbers with his childhood friends, and was always a model student in school. In fact, before his arrest, Dennis submitted the Riverview Roundup, a questionnaire for one of his grade school reunions where he listed his favorite memories from his recess story time, candy store, snowball fights broken up by the principal, last days of school, lunch hour. He ended the questionnaire with some words of wisdom for the new generation, saying, do it now. Life is complicated and short, so stay young at heart as long as possible. Now, Dennis, old boss at the security company adt, would later come forward as well. Rick Carr said that Dennis was A hard worker, saying he was deeply competent, organized and good at what he did. But he was a taskmaster. He came with the attitude, you're here to get the job done, and I'm not here to be someone's pal. Dennis coworkers seemed to say the same thing. They said he could be intimidating, but he was never violent or aggressive. Mike Fitch, who worked with Dennis for years, said that Dennis was a stickler for perfection and it was obvious that he wanted to keep his customers happy. Everyone knew not to get on Dennis bad side. He was all work and no play. But occasionally he would let his guard down and have fun with the guys after work. For instance, both Dennis and Paula attended company pool parties at his boss house. Rick Carr's former wife, Martha, said that she enjoyed Dennis company. She said he was polite, courteous, and always looked you in the eye when you spoke to him. She remembered that he often complimented her on the parties and praised how good the food was. Martha also enjoyed interacting with Paula, saying that she was a wonderful cook and was quiet and sweet. Martha said she seemed innocent, not worldly.
- [89:47]
Narrator
You know, other people who came forward were from Dennis son's boy Scout group. As you know, Dennis was very involved in his role as a scout leader. Now, the other dad said that he sometimes came off as overbearing and strict To Dennis. Boy scouts were held to a high standard, so if he ever saw something he didn't agree with, he had no problem letting the boys know. When it came to handing out badges, he would never give them one unless their skills were perfect. For George Martin, who also volunteered as a scout leader, he was impressed with Dennis dedication and skill, especially when it came to tying knots. George said, quote, the sheepshank, the bowline, the half hitch, the monkey fist. Dennis knew them all. Sadly, he knew them better than anyone could possibly imagine. They had all been used time and time again on his victims. Another scout leader, Bob Monroe, had nothing negative to say about Dennis. Bob said that Dennis had always set a very good example for the scouts, saying he took part in everything we did in scouting and with his son, which was very important in cub scouting, as you do work with your boys. So I consider him to be a very good parent and very good scout leader at the time, of course, end quote.
- [91:09]
Colin Brown
Former Wichita news director Rob Lowen said of the Raider family, they're average people making a simple, good life together. Boy, you would never pick him out of a crowd. I thought there would be something that would be more evident. But he was just as beige as beige could Be. Donna Berry, who had known Dennis and his family for decades, said, he was generally a really nice gentleman. I've known him since I was probably four or five years old. You know, he was the kind of neighbor that you could go down the road and he would stay up and talk to you and open the door for you and hold a conversation. But while the majority of people thought Dennis was your average guy, there were some people that didn't like him. Jason Day had a younger brother that was involved in Dennis Cub scout troop. And he would go on to say that he always thought there was something off about him, saying it was his demeanor. He was so strange. Then there were the people that Dennis pissed off during his time as Park City's compliance officer. When the news of his arrest hit the media, many of those people came forward saying that Dennis Rader was the biggest jerk they had ever met. They said that he was known to park his truck in certain areas, watching houses and taking photographs, just waiting for them to do something wrong so he could hand out a citation. We talked all about the number of women who claimed that Dennis stalked them for years While on the job. He was accused of walking on people's property and letting their dogs out just so he could issue them a citation. Dennis also had people in his own neighborhood that weren't fond of him. His neighbor Jim Reno, and his wife Rhonda said that they never trusted Dennis, stating there were two people I keep an eye on this block, and one was him. At one point, Rhonda witnessed Dennis walk onto one of their elderly neighbors property with a yardstick. Apparently, the neighbor had been ill and was unable to cut their grass. When the grass was measured as being too long, Dennis made sure to send them a citation. Here's that neighbor, Jim Reno, speaking with court.
- [93:07]
Jim Reno
Most are shocked. I mean, I never did like the guy. I mean, the best information I heard, probably the best thing I ever told my wife was if he ever came up to my front door to never open it, he could wait until I got home if it was so important.
- [93:23]
Colin Brown
What?
- [93:24]
Narrator
You know, it's interesting you say that, Jim, because every other case we hear a serial killer is arrested, all the neighbors say, oh, he was a great guy. We never would have expected anything. I'm not hearing that from you, Jim.
- [93:34]
Jim Reno
Well, that's what. That's why I started speaking out. I heard, oh, he was a nice guy. Oh, he's churchgoer, all that. I knew him as a jerk.
- [93:42]
Narrator
What was it about him that you didn't like, Jim?
- [93:44]
Jim Reno
The way he treated the women on the neighbor on the block. I mean, he was quite rude to him. He would let your dog out and then write you a ticket for your dog being loose. We'd find him in the neighbor's backyard many a time, and the neighbor was gone and home, you know, they were going at work.
- [94:02]
Narrator
Well, wasn't that his job? He was a municipal compliance officer.
- [94:06]
Jim Reno
Oh, he took it way out of hand. I mean, I knew his wife. She was sweetest lady. I never had a crossword with her or the kids. I mean, with him, there was three times that, you know, I almost went to blows with him. But first time, he called the police on me. The second time, he took off in his truck. And the third time I couldn't get him to do anything. I called him about every name I could think of. It was right after my neighbor died. It was two days later. He was doing one of the things that he always wrote her up for, and I'd lost it on him.
- [94:41]
Narrator
Now, aside from his family, perhaps the people most shocked by Dennis arrest were his victims. Family members. For decades, they all went without answers, forced to endure the trauma of losing their loved one. But to make matters even worse, many of them watched as BTK taunted investigators. For years. They would read the letters and poems he would send where he gave details, accounts of how he murdered their loved one and how much he enjoyed doing it. They saw his arrogance year after year, and there was nothing they could do about it. Now. Just before the news of his arrest went public, detectives went door to door to the homes of the victims families, delivering the news. For many of them, it was a devastating relief. The investigators wanted the families to know that after three decades, they hadn't been forgotten and they had been working to get justice for all of them. And as relieving as this was, at the same time, the news couldn't bring their loved one back. Charlie Otero told the Wichita Eagle that when he learned his mother, sister, father and brother's killer had been found, he did feel relief. And yet he, quote, felt burdened by frustration, end quote. He knew who had done this, who had taken his world from him. But no explanation of why it happened would ever heal the wound that had been inflicted upon so many people. And with Dennis arrest, those wounds just got picked over and over and over again.
- [96:22]
Colin Brown
In the months after Dennis arrest, his family struggled with their own wounds. It seemed as if the entire world hated them for being related to such an evil monster. People couldn't understand how Paula was with this man. For so many years without ever even suspecting him. But in the end, they were all victims of Dennis Raider as well. His daughter Carrie would later tell 2020, if we had had an inkling that my father had harmed anyone, let alone murdered Anyone, let alone 10, we would have gone screaming out that door to the police station. We were living our normal life. We looked like a normal American family because we were a normal family. And then everything upended on us. Carrie began to disassociate soon after the news broke. Sometimes she'd find herself in public with absolutely no idea where she was or how she got there. The night terrors that she had suffered from her whole life intensified to such an extent that she went weeks without a night of peaceful sleep. She couldn't eat, couldn't think, couldn't function. The world became a terrifying place and the people in it became her enemies. Nothing and nowhere was safe. Her childhood memories had a dark cloud over them and in an instant her childhood home became a spectacle. Curious people constantly drove by. Eventually the home was auctioned off for $90,000. From there, Paula ended up taking on all of Dennis debt and she had to move into a rental home. At the time of his arrest, Paula only had $7,000 to her name. She had lost her home, her husband, her income and her privacy. And though Minnie viewed Paula as mild mannered and a bit of a pushover with her husband, she didn't hesitate to divorce him. Given the situation. A judge granted her an emergency divorce. Her marriage, one she thought had been full of love, care and compassion, was gone in an instant. And she was left wondering if it had ever even been real to begin with.
- [98:20]
Narrator
Finally, In June of 2005, Dennis plea hearing took place and the whole world was tuning in. Luckily, Dennis Raider pleaded guilty to 10 counts of first degree murder. And that day, in front of Judge Gregory Waller, Dennis described in graphic detail how he selected, stalked and killed each of his victims. He was very matter of fact, void of any emotion. Many of his victims family members were in the courtroom that day listening to the man who had destroyed their lives. The sounds of the family's sobbing echoed behind Dennis as he callously talked about the crimes he had committed. All for a sexual thrill. Charlie Otero told abc, when Rader described in court how he killed my family, it was the first time I ever heard how they died. When he said my mom's last words were may God forgive you, it was like breaking my heart again. I could not believe my mom was so beautiful, so gracious. In such a traumatic moment. Beverly Fox, Nancy Fox's sister, told abc, the detectives had tried to prepare us for what we would hear in the courtroom, but I couldn't keep it together. I just broke down. Nothing could prepare anyone to hear about the horrible things being done to their loved ones. It was tragic in every sense. It was a relief because Dennis pleaded guilty. But it was also a heartbreak because they finally learned the truth. The victims families were certain that he'd face life in prison, but many were disappointed that the death penalty wasn't an option in Kansas at the time. So life in prison was best case scenario.
- [100:08]
Colin Brown
In August of 2004, five everyone piled back into the courtroom for Dennis Rader's sentencing hearing. And it seemed as if the whole world was tuning in to hear Dennis Rader's fate on the stand. Detective Ray London with the KBI spoke about Dennis arrogance and lack of remorse during his confession. During Detective Dana Gouge's testimony, she held up the toys that were thrown into Shirley Viann's bathroom to keep her three children occupied while Dennis strangled their mother. The district attorney's goal was to show the court just how evil and arrogant this man truly was. And though it did the trick, it was the families who ultimately got to show the world the damage that Dennis had caused. On the second day, the victim's family members were allowed to address the court. The surviving members of the Otero family confessed that they had struggled in the decades since. Charlie Otero later said, I thank God every day that I didn't find Joey and Josey because I don't know how I could have handled it. PTSD kicked in my first semester of college. I started drinking, using drugs, trying to get the memory out of my head, just trying to deal with the grief and anger that I had going on inside of me. And that's basically where I stayed for 30 years. But now, as he walked up to the podium, he knew that his family was finally getting the justice they deserved.
- [101:28]
Charlie Otero
My name is Charlie Otero. I am not here to recant the personal loss I have felt for over 30 years, but to speak for all the members of my family, living and dead. Not only my siblings and I, but the entire families of the Oteros and the Burgoses suffered from the actions of one Dennis Raider. I would like at this time just to state that the criminal actions of Dennis Raider caused irreparable damage to the very fabric of my blood family. Sons, daughters, uncles and cousins, a father, and mothers, aunts and grandmothers all lost the precious moments my family's very existence would have brought them during their lifetimes. Their lost lives are missed. Yet to this day, Dennis Raider did not ruin my life. Though he caused me to challenge my faith, changed my future forever, and separated me from the rest of my loved ones for over 30 years. Yet I have never allowed his actions to send me to the dark side. A son's love for his mother would not allow Dennis Rader to tarnish her memory. The lessons I learned from my father and mother transcend the evil doings of Dennis Rader. No action or sentence bestowed upon Dennis Rader will begin to compare with the reckoning he will endure when his time for judgment comes before the Lord. I truly believe the Lord will pass judgment and sentence. As is befitting Dennis Rader's actions and beliefs. No amount of posturing or deception will save him from the eternity he has created for himself with his time here on earth. I only hope that the sentence passed on to him by the judicial system of the state of Kansas denies him the opportunity to spend his remaining days with anyone or anything besides himself. For that is more than he deserves. Despite Dennis Raider's efforts to destroy my family, we survive stronger and closer. Now more than ever. Our love for each other was forged with pain and loss. Yet, yes, it took years of straying down different paths. But in the end, we all, Danny, Carmen and I have found our ways back to each other with a unity and a love to be proud of. As far as I'm concerned, when it is all done, Dennis Raider has failed in his effort to kill the Oteros.
- [103:12]
Interviewer/Investigator
Thank you very much, Mr. Otero.
- [103:14]
New Balance Advertiser
I'm Carmen. Julie Otero Montoya. Although we have never met, you have seen my face before. It is the same face you murdered over 30 years ago. The face of my mother, Julie Otero. I will not address you as Mr. Raider because Mr. Is a word of respect. As in, mister, can you help me? Not mister, are you going to kill me? BTK is how you want to be known, and I will not give you that satisfaction. Raider is an appropriate name for you as a one who invades a surprise attack. There's nothing to be proud of, Raider. When you took away my mother, you took someone who meant a lot to a lot of people. My mother loved life, her friends, a good laugh, dancing with my dad. And she loved to help people. But most of all, she loved and lived for us, her family. She showed me how to love, to be a good person, to accept others as they are. And most of all, to face your fears. I'm sure you saw that in her face as she fought to live. My mother against your gun. You are such a coward. Since they were children, my father loved my mother. More than any kind of love you could ever comprehend. He adored her. To this day I love to hear stories of how they were. My father was a hard working man and we always felt secure. He made sure we had what we needed. But at the same time we understood there was always someone else more in need. My dad loved to see us having a good time. And he never passed on a dance with my mom, even in the commissary. He loved trips to the beach and to the country. We always went with friends and family. Those good times were very important to him. The thing that everyone remembers of my father is that he demanded respect. But that he gave it in return. Everyone knew you didn't mess with Joe's family. I'm sure you could feel his love for his family. As you took away his last breath. You're such a coward. My sister Josie. You should not have the privilege of even saying her name. Such a sweet girl. All she ever wanted was to be happy and successful in school. She had dreams. She was my shadow and at the same time her own person. When we moved to Wichita, I told her that I hated it because it was so cold and people were so different. She told me, you'll get used to it. Give it a chance. That was part of Josie's beauty. She always tried to see the bright side of everything. It's amazing to me that you could be so cruel to a sweet, beautiful child. His name was Joey, not Junior. But I guess it really doesn't matter to you. You took away the most lovable, fun, outgoing, friendly and adorable little brother anyone could ever imagine. He tried so hard to keep up with Charlie and Danny. Joey was a magnet. He attracted people of all ages. He could have done something big with his life. But you took care of that, didn't you? A man with a gun against a little boy. You are definitely a coward raider. You not only affected my life. But you took away the joy of the ultimate grandparents, aunt and uncle relationship. My children deserve my children, my grandchildren, my nieces and nephews. Will be told of their family with love. You see, in my world, family is everything. Not your social obligations. Just recently, I realized that I could not remember my mother's voice. It was a painful discovery. But as I put my thoughts on paper, it comes to me. I am my mother's voice. And I know we've been heard.
- [106:15]
Colin Brown
Today. Charlie Otero remains one of the More vocal family members. He travels around the state of Kansas, speaking at different prisons and jails, sharing his story of what he calls hope and redemption. He admitted that he has found peace regarding what happened, but also that there will never be closure. He has since found joy in surrounding himself with his family. He has several grandchildren who love staying over at his house, a home filled with love and safety that Charlie has created in honor of the people who raised him. His sister Carmen has largely stayed out of the spotlight, preferring to raise her family in peace and privacy. Though the family remains close. Charlie has said, regarding the murders, I can't tell you how they feel about it because we never talk about it. We still can't. It's just too much.
- [107:02]
Narrator
The next to give their impact statement was Kevin Bright. The last time Kevin came face to face with Dennis Raider was in April of 1974, when he was just 19 years old. On that day, when Dennis broke into his sister Kathy's home, Kevin fought like hell and somehow managed to survive getting shot in the face two times. And finally, all these years later, he got the chance to confront the man who murdered his sister.
- [107:33]
Kevin Bright
Your honor, my name is Kevin Bright, and it's fine. And this is a victim impact statement. And I'm here representing my late sister Kathy and my mother Dorothy and I. I would like to say that as far as this is, you know, toward his sentencing, that the pain and suffering that he's caused our family and the loss of such a beautiful young lady of 21 over 31 years ago. And I, you know, I think about her, you know, and what she'd be doing nowadays, you know, if she could have had a life. Her. Her execution by that monster was, you know, he's got to go on live his life 31 years now with raising a family and children and career and everything. And, you know, he snuffed out 10 people's lives that had done nothing. And my sister, she suffered so much. And this wasn't told in the. As it brought out here that she. It was brought out that she fought, as quoted as a hellcat. And I'm so proud of her for that because I knew, you know, she had that in her. And. But she lived on approximately five hours after that, and she received over 20 pounds of blood before she lost her battle. And I just think, you know, how much she fought. And I wish. The only thing I wish is different was that when I wrestled the gun from him, cut my hand, that it would have gone off and that would have been in there. But, you know, God. God was in control. So, you know, I don't second guess that, but. But for then, my mother, you know, she. She had to live the rest of her life. She died at the age of 62 of cancer and losing her daughter and almost losing her son. You know, that just devastated her rest of her life. And I think it ended. Made her a life, you know, with the. The depression and all stress caused. I think that had a lot to do with her. So I really blame Dennis Raider for, you know, causing her death. So, you know, that. That brought that about. And as far as myself, the damage I received, you don't look at me, you don't see, you know, that much. I have a scar here, some up here where he shot me, but I have. It was reported that I had brain damage and, you know, permanent brain damage, and I don't have that, but I have permanent nerve damage which causes me to suffer with. My body doesn't regulate the heat very well and humidity, and so I overheat and I, you know, get weak and everything. So that's one thing I suffer with for every day. And then I also have damage, nerve damage that causes me not to be able to participate in, you know, eating food. My digestive system is out of whack. But what I'd also like to say is I'm glad that I was there that day because of what Dennis Rader in his fantasy world was going to do to her probably if I wasn't there. And I'm just so thankful that I was there and could, you know, prevent him from doing anything like that.
- [110:45]
Charlie Otero
And.
- [110:47]
Kevin Bright
I just also would like the court to give him the maximum sentence that he could get, but also that he could be isolated. I don't know, you know, this is possible, but I'd like to see him just serve the rest of his. I want him. Death penalty doesn't, you know, isn't gonna. It's not an option. But like I said, my sister and the other victims, they received their death penalty by his hands. And I would like to see him spend the rest of his life. I Hope he lives 40 more years, but I want him to be, you know, aware right now, he's not any remorse. No remorse, no compassion, no mercy. And I think that's what he ought to receive. And I just pray that he'll get the toughest sentence possible and that he won't have what, you know, we have, like, newspapers and magazines and. And he. I've heard him talk about he's going to miss pizza and all this Kind of stuff. But, you know, like I say, my sister and the other victims, they didn't get to live their lives out. And I just. It's like Charlie was saying, he's being judged here now, but eternity, when he stands before the Lord for eternity, for his judgment, if he's still in his sins that he's committed here, he will spend it by himself in darkness. And, you know, that's. That's what I like to tell him. Thank you for letting me speak.
- [112:11]
Colin Brown
Since Dennis Raider's sentencing, Kevin Bright has chosen to stay out of the media. Today, he's in his late 60s, and he's enjoying life with his family. But the aftermath was not easy for Kevin. He has stayed out of the limelight entirely, moving frequently and trying to leave the past in the past. It seems, however, that he's done well for himself, forging a life in Texas with a wife and children that his sister would be proud of.
- [112:37]
Narrator
The next person to give their impact statement was Steve Relford, Shirley Viann's youngest son. Steve was the little boy who had walked to the grocery store for his mom back in March of 1977. Here is an interview of Steve speaking about that day with kake tv.
- [112:55]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Ran him around where my mama was, Tried to untie the rope around her neck. I couldn't.
- [113:04]
Narrator
The last time he saw Dennis Raider was when he broke into their house, tied him and his siblings up, and then tortured and murdered his mother in front of him. He was only six years old at the time. Now, at Dennis's Sentencing, Steve was 34 years old. And finally looking at the man responsible, Steve hadn't prepared a statement for that day, and he was emotional as he approached the podium. But he did say, my name's Steve.
- [113:32]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Relford, Shirley Vian with my mother. I haven't prepared for this statement, but, you know, I'd just like for him to suffer for the rest of his life. And, you know, I.
- [113:55]
Colin Brown
So sadly. Like Charlie Otero, Steve also struggled with drugs and alcohol after the murders. But after learning of Dennis's arrest, Charlie and Steve were able to connect with one another. They were both a part of a small handful of people who truly understood what it was like to have a loved one murdered by a serial killer. Over the years, Charlie and Steve stayed connected. Every once in a while, they would meet up and go fishing, relying on each other when they needed a friend. After his mother's murder, Steve had lived in Oklahoma. But soon after Dennis was convicted, Steve actually moved back to Wichita, something he claimed he would never do. But Something that ultimately has been incredibly healing for him. He works with motorcycles, a love and passion of his that helps him heal. He has a daughter of his own, and thankfully, despite the struggles, he's been able to watch her blossom and grow in a way his mother was never given the opportunity to.
- [114:52]
Narrator
Another person who gave a statement was Nancy Fox's brother, Fred.
- [114:57]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
My name is Fred Fox, the older brother of Nancy Fox.
- [115:04]
Kevin Bright
We miss her very much.
- [115:05]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
We love her. She's still in our hearts. This monster took her life. We all have. The rest of us are married, have kids. They'll never, ever get to meet her. She's never had a life. And there was fear in my life after she passed away. I don't want to give the monster the right to. To know all that fear, but I hope his sentence is the worst it can be, and if it, let it be put away for the rest of his life.
- [115:47]
Charlie Otero
Thank you.
- [115:48]
Narrator
And here is Nancy's sister, Beverly.
- [115:51]
Beverly Fox
My name is Beverly Platt, and Nancy Fox is my sister. I cannot begin to explain to you. There are not words to make you understand what losing Nancy has meant to me and my family. I lost a friend, a confidant. My children will never have an aunt, and I'll never have another sister. Nancy's death is like a deep wound that will never, ever heal. As far as I'm concerned, Dennis Raider does not deserve to live. I want him to suffer as much as he made his victims suffer. But then when I think about that, in his sick, perverted way, he'd probably find that as some kind of pleasure or reward. This man needs to be thrown in a deep, dark hole and left to rot. He should never, ever see the light of day. And I have some afterlife scenarios for him. On the day he dies, Nancy and all of his victims will be waiting with God and watching him as he burns in hell.
- [116:52]
Colin Brown
Out of their grief, Nancy Fox's family managed to create something incredible. On February 16, 2007, they established the Nancy Jo Fox Memorial Scholarship. Each year, the scholarship is awarded to one individual, so Nancy's life will never be forgotten. Nancy was never able to fulfill her dreams of one day becoming a teacher. So the scholarship serves as a way to carry on her passion for education and help others achieve. But she was never given the opportunity to.
- [117:22]
Narrator
Next up to the podium was Maureen Hedge's loved ones. Her four children, Tommy, Sammy, Linda and Carolyn were devastated by the loss of their mother. At trial, they all struggled to keep it together. Carolyn's husband, Rod, would ultimately be the one to deliver their impact. Statement.
- [117:42]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
My name's Rod Hook, representing a family of marriage, Green Hedge. I would only ask that the court provide the maximum sentence allowed by law to this monster that created this. I would also like to thank all the members of the task force for making this possible. And I know in. In most of our minds, we can't imagine what our families went through. But I respectfully request that the court think of that when you provide Mr. Raider with a sentence he so deserves.
- [118:25]
Narrator
Thank you. Today, Maureen's children have all passed on. They leave behind several of Maureen's grandchildren who all honor Maureen's memory and carry it with them. But at sentencing, notably, Maureen's daughter Carolyn expressed empathy that her mother would be proud of her. Following her death, Carolyn spoke to the public stating that the money from the sale of Dennis Raider's home should go to Carrie and Brian, because in her words, they are victims just like us.
- [118:58]
Colin Brown
Next, Vicki Wagerly's husband Bill gave his impact statement. As we mentioned throughout this series, Bill had been the suspect in his wife's murder for decades. Throughout that time, he not only had to face the grief of losing her and raising their children on his own, but he also had the stress of being blamed for such a horrific crime. When Vicky was murdered in 1986, Dennis left her two year old son Brandon in the living room all alone. But on this day, nearly 20 years later, when Bill stepped up to the podium, Brandon stood behind his father, keeping a comforting hand on his shoulder. As Bill tearfully delivered his statement. Here's what he had to say.
- [119:38]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Your honor, my name is Bill Wakerly. Sorry. Dennis Raider killed my wife in 1986. The past couple days, the courts, the news media, the general public knows what kind of person he is, the vicious.
- [120:05]
Jeffrey Davis
Cruel individual he is.
- [120:07]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
It's all in the light now. All we can do. There's no punishment that you can exact upon him that will satisfy our needs. We can just ask the court to.
- [120:17]
Jeffrey Davis
Bestow upon him the most that you can.
- [120:22]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
And hopefully we will not have to deal with him or see him or.
- [120:25]
Jeffrey Davis
Hear from him ever again. Thank you.
- [120:29]
Colin Brown
Next, Vicki's daughter Stephanie spoke. She was just 10 years old when her mother was murdered. Luckily, she wasn't there when it occurred, but the trauma she felt from her loss was palpable.
- [120:40]
Interviewer/Investigator
Ma', am, you are Stephanie Klein?
- [120:42]
Beverly Fox
Yes, your honor, my name is Stephanie Klein. My mother is Vicki Waerly. Speaking to you today on behalf of myself and my brother Brandon. It's been almost 19 years now that my brother and I had the most important woman in our Lives taken from us. My brother and I had to go through so many important moments in our lives without her. Every day is a struggle to get through without her. It's not fair that we had so little time with her. I only had 10 years with her. Brandon only had two. Anyone who knew my mom knew how much she loved her family. She loved her children, her husband, her parents and her sisters. She loved her in laws like they were her own parents, brothers and sisters. She adored her nieces and nephews. Even her friends were considered family to her. There's nothing she wouldn't do for any one of us. We didn't have enough time with her. It's not fair that her three grandbabies will never get to know her. She doesn't get to see me with her grandchildren, and she doesn't get to see her baby Brandon with his first child. My mom would so love the fact that that baby girl looks just like Brandon did when he was little. She won't ever get to hold them or watch them grow up. She would have loved being a grandma. It's not fair that my 4 year old son has to ask why his meemaw can't come home. He draws her pictures. We should be able to take these to her, but they just sit on the fridge. Even at 4, he knows it's not right that she should be here with us. And what did my baby do to deserve feeling this way? What did any of us do to deserve this? My mother begged for her life, yet he showed no remorse. He saw that she had a family and a little boy right there in the house with her. Yet he continued with his sick plan. I ask you today, your honor, to show no remorse for him. Don't let this monster have any comforts as he lives out his remaining years in prison. He isn't worthy. Thank you, your honor.
- [122:45]
Interviewer/Investigator
Thank you very much.
- [122:46]
Narrator
Vicky may not have been able to see her children grow up, but wherever she is, we know she is proud of them. Her son Brandon has gone on to have a successful career running his own business, Wheat State Hot rods. He has kids in a family of his own and his world revolves around them. Her daughter Stephanie also has several kids and she travels the world helping people with Acts of Mercy International, an organization that provides humanitarian relief in disaster areas and war torn nations. She recently traveled to Ukraine where she helps families establish new lives. And then lastly, there's Bill, Vicki's husband. After the trauma of losing his wife and the stress of being blamed for her murder for years, he was finally able to move on and marry a wonderful woman. Together, they foster cats. During the trial, they took in a kitten during a snowstorm who they named Gracie, as they believed that the grace of God sent her to them when they needed her most.
- [123:51]
Colin Brown
All of these impact statements and the journeys these victims have been on are incredible. Some didn't want to speak at the microphone, which is totally understandable. But for Jeff Davis, Dolores Davis's son, it wasn't an option. It was something he had to do for himself and for his beloved mother.
- [124:09]
Jeffrey Davis
I'm Jeffrey Davis, son of Dolores Davis, BTK victim January 18, 1991. May it please the court to allow me to express my thoughts and feelings to all the victim survivors here among us today in the hope that we can leave this courtroom with some sense of peace and legal resolution. 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. Throughout that time, I always envisioned this day as being one for avenging the past. I could think of nothing but savoring the bittersweet taste of revenge as justice is served upon this social sewage here before us today. Now that it has arrived, surprisingly, I realize that this day is not just about avenging Christ's past crimes. Sitting here before us is a depraved predator, a rabid animal that has murdered people, poisoned countless lives, and terrorized this community for 30 years, all the while relishing every minute of it. As such, there can be no justice harsh enough for revenge, bitter enough in this world at least, to cause the pain and suffering which a social malignancy like this has coming. Therefore, I have determined that for the sake of our innocent victims and their loving families and friends with us here today, for me, this will be a day of celebration, not retribution. If my focus were hatred, I would stare you down and call you a demon from hell who defiles this cord at the very sight of its cancerous presence. If I embrace bitterness, I would remind you that you are nothing but a despicable, child murdering, cowardly, impotent eunuch and pervert masquerading as a human being. If I were the animal that you are, I would say that I relish the thought of you being treated to the same despicable brutality, terror and agony at the hands of your soon to be fellow inmates that you relished inflicting on your defenseless victims. If I were spiteful, I would remind you that it is only fitting that a twisted narcissistic psychopath obsessed with public attention will soon have his world reduced to an isolated, solitary existence in an 80 square foot cell, doom to languish away the rest of your miserable life alone. If I had your devil nature, I would delight in the fact that your congregation has turned its back on you. That your friends have deserted you, that your wife has divorced you, that your own children have disowned you. And then I would remind you that you will never have any warm, loving human contact again for the remainder of the your twisted existence. If I were cynical, I would remind this court that you would return to your murderous ways in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. So for the safety of society, you must remain caged forever like any other vicious, predatory animal. If I were to sink to your level, I would say that this world would have been much better off had your mother aborted your demon soul before you were unleashed on this world, sparing 10 innocent lives and avoiding untold heartache for this community. If I were vindictive, I would wish you many long, emotionally tortured years in your cage, haunted every night by your victims. Hopeless pleas for mercy as you played God and pronounced their death sentences upon them. If I had your sadistic nature, I would delight in the pain you feel now in realizing that your own arrogance and ego got you caught. That if you just kept your big mouth shut, you'd still be a free man today, able to eat pizza and walk your dog. Dudley. If I wanted revenge, I would pray that you develop a lingering illness from which you suffer for many, many years. But before you ultimately choke to death one lonely night on your own vomit. If I were judgmental, I would call you the most despicable form of hypocrite for profaning Christianity by daring to associate yourself with my faith and for blaspheming God's house with your demonic actions. If I were unforgiving, I would tell you that I will accept any shameful, meaningless attempts on your part to feign remorse by responding. That I will grant you forgiveness the same day that hell freezes over. Although I know that my mother, in her Christian grace, is already long since forgiven you. But I won't hurl these invectives at you or I won't rain these curses down upon you because you're not smart enough to understand most of the words I would use anyway. And even if you could begin to fathom the depth of my hatred for you, I would still refuse to waste any breath on you because that would once again allow you the satisfaction of being in the limelight and that attention I refuse to allow you. As of today, you no longer exist. Today, the focus finally moves out from under the shadow, your depraved shadow of hell's darkness, into the light of your victims and their families. Speaking for my mother, with us in spirit, for my own family, and, I hope, for the entire family of survivors here today, we dedicate this day to the memories of those who cannot be with us. Today we also celebrate with this community the relief in knowing that we will never again be terrorized by a monster's demented fantasies. Today, we will each silently remember a father, a brother, a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a grandmother, all those we love so deeply and miss so dearly. Still, today we will quietly reminisce on all that they meant to us. We will smile at all the silly things they did that made us laugh. And we will renew our pride in who they were. Today, we will thank them for shaping our lives and for being there when we needed them, for setting the example of what we should be, for making us who we are, and for allowing us to be their living legacies. From this point on, we declare our independence from the tyranny of your actions. While you begin your slow and painful descent into hell, we will choose to rise above our pain. While you sink into an emotional abyss of hopelessness and despair, we will channel our grief into positive endeavors, those life activities which would please the ones we have lost. While you agonize over the reality that your last victims were, ironically, your own family, we will embrace the new family we now have, with whom we will always share a common bond forged from the pain of adversity and loss. While your body wastes away in prison, we will renew ourselves by incorporating into our lives those characteristics modeled by our loved ones. Humility, compassion, honor, integrity, kindness, selflessness and love. Traits which your twisted, cancerous mind cannot comprehend. I realize. While your wretched soul awaits pronouncement of the one true justice, your damnation to hell for eternity, we will thank God for every day he gives us, realizing, as only we can, just how precious life really is. Finally, we want you to know that we, who could so easily have succumbed to your quagmire of madness, will not give you that satisfaction. Your despicable actions will not defeat us. Our very lives will be testimony that good can triumph over even the most hideous form of evil and perversion. Just as your days are now over, ours are just beginning. In the final analysis, you have to live with the cold reality that while all of Us, here we are. Will overcome your depravity. You have now lost everything and you will forever remain nothing. May that torment you for the rest of your tortured existence. Thank you, your honor.
- [131:15]
Colin Brown
Jeffrey Davis victim impact statement was powerful. He admitted that it took him months to write it. In more recent years, Jeff wrote a book in 2018 titled the Shadow of evil. Where is God? In a Violent World World. He dedicated the book to his mother, who he described as a gentle soul with a strong faith in God. In the preface of the book he wrote, this book is anything but an idealistic attempt to explain away agonizing issues and tormenting questions with happily ever after references to better days ahead. It simply represents the thoughts of one who, just like yourself, struggles every day with the aftermath of crushing adversity in his own life. We've all been marred permanently. Emotionally scarred. Well, we've got the road to some hope and some faith and some strength and some sense of purpose in moving up instead of moving down.
- [132:06]
Narrator
Now, at this point in the hearing, the judge allowed Dennis Raider to address the court. But as he stood and adjusted his tie, the victim's family members also stood and walked out of the courtroom. It was obvious throughout Dennis life that he liked to have an audience. That's why throughout his time as btk, he sent out letters taunting police. But today, the victim's family members wanted to send a message that they were not going to be a part of that audience. They had no interest in what he had to say. So them walking out of the courtroom was a powerful move. It even shocked Dennis himself seeing them walk out. He turned to the judge and asked if he should continue and the judge told him to proceed. Now we tried to clean up this audio, but there are parts that are still a little hard to hear.
- [132:59]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
The atrocious crimes I've committed is continues. The central county is a monster. Brought the community, my family with victims this on it and there's no and it's all self centered as a I would call the sexual predicate. Today is my final judgment. For me, the last days in court presented by the state. Their PowerPoint presentation was very powerful. A couple of things I might point out toward the last but overall most of that is true. And I think the Sedgwick county ought to be proud that they do have a good state that the evidence was there earlier, DNA floppy. There was no way that I was going to get out of this with remorse. Responsibility and corrections are the concepts of a policy the old me started whatever it was. Factor X Sexual predator the volcano was the building of all those years with the Otero and probably the most devastating upsetting to everybody is Josephine I just don't know I self centered very selfish and exploded on that day and it did continue off and on Dishonesty definitely dishonest. Probably the first thing to the people that I encountered as they trusted me that I was going to tie them up take their money and leave and then I killed them as a dishonestly to my family lie and cheat to be self interest to my employers and to the county taxpayers money. I think the bottom line of the old is a selfish very disassociated with society self sufficient it for my own purposes and I and I take that full burden on my shoulders victims.
- [135:31]
Jeffrey Davis
I.
- [135:32]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Wrote some notes down I don't know if this is really appropriate or not and these things came A lot of these came out paper because I didn't I knew the people you all know why I chose them But I thought I'd share some things Kathleen Bright and I hope I don't shed on the media because I did use some of this from the media because I didn't know this much from people. She spent time in her grandparents farm well I did too as a kid I have many, many, many farm memories that and I took it she went to Valley Center I was at Valley Center High School for two years walked the halls probably the same line shared maybe the same teachers although they would have been older. She worked at Coleman just like I did trying to fill a job.
- [136:33]
Kevin Bright
As.
- [136:33]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Anybody would try to keep NR that's above one and I took that from her Dolores Davis she loved animals and I worked as animal control. I realized that in early years I probably did have some girly animals but I don't think if anybody asks Park City or anything they would say I was always pretty good at animals. I have a great fondness for animals. I have pets but I know she can had it and I read somewhere she had her last Christmas.
- [137:07]
Kevin Bright
With her.
- [137:08]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Family and I did too. That was a wonderful time. I took it from her nasty fox she was a wonderful person and I did I did track her just like a predator. She was a wonderful wonderful young lady. Well organized, hard worker and after her life Maria Hedge she's a neighbor want to walk by wave to a gardener. I love to garden flowers. She attended church the same church I've been to with Boy Scouts. Joseph Otero was in the Air Force. I was in Air Force. He was a husband. I was a husband. Although I always wanted to be A pilot I always had a fascination with aerodynamics and he was a pilot. One time he even thought about taking pilot lessons and a veteran. I was a veteran so our threads were close. Julio Terrell this is a lot like my wife. A loving mother raised kids and she also worked at Pullman. Josephine. She would have been a lot like my daughter at that age. Played with her Barbie dolls. She liked to write poetry. I like to write poetry. She liked to draw. I like to draw. Someone mentioned that she would like Peace and Heart. I think that probably comes to Wishtower Evil Peak and write that down. Give him credit to him celto vert too. He was just like me at one time. A boy and a dog and again that comes from people I have many, many, many, many memories of a dog semen. I had a lot of a lot of memories as a kid. One of my pets Boy to dog is a thing you have to have when you're a kid Shirley she was choir mother probably a very beloved mother and I took her life probably a Bella people I didn't know Vicki Vayner very much although I walked by her place and Melissa's Picano I appreciate music. That's one thing I always wanted one was piano and I took her life. She's also my beloved mother. She attended a church that I went to once St. Andrews. I hope I haven't left somebody out on that. Okay to rebuild humility basically humbled myself now detention center I'm going to.
- [140:28]
Charlie Otero
I've.
- [140:28]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Tried to realize worked with the police department worked with my defense and tried to realize my faults honesty again I think I cooperated with the police as well I did I understand there was some smoke blowing and that was probably my demise. The problem is I lose so much smoke that now nobody knows facts for fiction and that's basically my demise and I think honestly people will say I'm not a Christian but I believe I.
- [140:58]
Jeffrey Davis
Am.
- [141:00]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
So anyway I faced up the man himself now my boss. I think that all points to accountability and full responsibility now and my remorse like I think it's true you know the victim's families won't ever be able to forgive me. I hope somewhere deep down eventually that'll happen. When this happened I was what I would say not a total in one time part of me only the thought only the thoughts have compartmentalized that is probably as the the state started show today was a that has been my biggest flip back and forth I'm not proud of that it's just escape mechanism defense mechanism mechanism I could Switch back and forth fairly fast. I explained to the defense I was kind of like an 18 wheeler either uphill or downhill. I could switch gears very fast, rapidly back and forth. And as I stand here in this humble way, there may be people think that I've done that gone back to Kirk Park Moss, but I don't think so. So anyway has given me the faith to see today and not put into the past on the mor I knew after I talked to police the evidence there wasn't any way I was really going to get out of this. Unless we found some way of.
- [142:42]
Kevin Bright
Some.
- [142:43]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Evidence that was just totally out of the trial would have been a long drawn out to the police. There was no way that I was ever going to get out of this. But I think the corrections I'm away from society now. I'll do my healing process there as well as I can start my new chapter.
- [143:01]
Colin Brown
Why Dennis goes on to ask the court to not make his wife suffer in this. Following his arrest, Paula took on Dennis's debt. Dennis said there's a lot of defendants that stand up here and don't have any kind of property. I know this is very expensive and probably the defense is running somewhere 80,000 to $90,000. I just got the house sold. If we wanted a trial, it would have been in millions and years. So I just basically ask that whoever does that final judgment that they think about that. The other complaint that he had was this.
- [143:36]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
The other one is not a biggie. It's not this last issue. But I'd ask for my wallet so I could get some personal pictures out of it. I was hoping the defense would have a court order that before I leave today I can go through that wallet and take some family pictures. But that's not a big issue because I understand through code of ethics the defense will turn that probably over. The family involvement closed. Those are the only early complaints except for PowerPoint.
- [144:05]
Kevin Bright
I don't.
- [144:05]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
And again, I don't want to pick on the law enforcement. They've done a very good job. But I do want to clarify a few things just for the records because this is basically my final say.
- [144:16]
Colin Brown
He went on to talk about the things that investigators were wrong about during the trial before ending with this.
- [144:23]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
I can't believe the people that have dealt me on this, starting with the I think the youth society have to Even though I'm a criminal. I think you have to appreciate the police department. They've done a lot of work even though it took a long time. They gathered evidence. They had that evidence when they, they got the key suspect they zeroed in on a very frapple. So to have the dedication there like Mr. Landwehr for all this years, great. So I think Cedric county really has a good police force. Chester Clark, he has been my main man. He comes see me every day or not every day, excuse me, at least once a week, sometimes twice a week if anybody. I was dishonest to that man right there. Under the house of God. I pleaded these things did close his.
- [145:23]
Charlie Otero
Acts.
- [145:27]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
And for him, for him to stay with me and remain strong. He's a good man. I appreciate that. He also went through me earlier this week we went through a confession. I sat down and went through each of the people I killed and we confessed on that. And I felt the strengthening some bonds there at that time. Family, the last victims, I don't even start with them. You know they're still supporting for a little bit. My wife's gone on divorced, she's trying to stay out of harm's way. Since my kids are away I don't get much letters or anything from them. But they're basically supporting a couple things. Friends without friends, a person. I don't think in this hundred would I have been here 175, 176 days. You couldn't survive without friends if you didn't have family to support you. If you didn't have something or someone to come to you like Pastor Clark, you'd go down. Just mentally you'd go down. So friends have been a very key part. The people in the pod, pod deputies sergeant. Although they can't have a real friend relationship, they're friends. So I got this out this morning for the other day when I was working out. This comes from the Daily Devotions, a Christian book. It's called Touched by a Stranger which is an article and in the bottom there's an article by Hess. There isn't a first name for it but it's something like a friend would do. And I really appreciate like refreshing rain in the summer or the gentle breeze in spring. It's just a little gift of kindness, joy someone hearts can bring with immediate exposure. My family basically had to almost just stay away. So I really didn't have any support. There was one people, one person that stepped up, Christina Castanero that really helped and I really appreciate their support. There's another one that's out on the west coast, Andy Parshaw. He's another Christian and I really, I would have gone down a long time ago without their support. So I do want to mention their names. A Christian Bible verse. I found that I think it's helping me or will help me and leading me. This is John 8:12. I am a light of the world. He who follow me shall not walk in darkness, but have life with light. Now that I've confessed, put myself out to let everybody know what's going on, I expect to heal and have light and then hopefully someday God will accept me. I think Satchel county myself. We speak of a man as an evil man. A dark side was there but now I think light is beginning to shine. So I appreciate the family and friends and all I can be thankful for and I think that will keep me from finally going to the dark side.
- [148:51]
Charlie Otero
Our help.
- [148:55]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
And finally I finally apologize to the victims families. There's no way that I can ever repay you.
- [149:11]
Colin Brown
This speech has been referred to by many as the Golden Globe speech due to Dennis thanking the people who caught him. It was yet another look at his narcissism, the very thing that ultimately led to his demise. But with this On August 18, 2005, Dennis Rader was finally sentenced to 10 consecutive life terms in prison. The judge said Dennis Rader murdered with premeditation and deliberation. He killed methodically and systematically, uninhibited by any moral concerns or considerations. Dennis Rader killed because he wanted to kill. The evil depravity of his deeds are beyond human comprehension. And from there he was taken to the Eldorado Correctional Facility in Kansas to spend the rest of his life in an 8x10 cell.
- [150:00]
Narrator
Following his sentence, Dennis family was left to pick up the pieces of his destruction. Clearly, their lives would never be the same. The media continued to hound them for years to come, wanting their side of the story. But there was no story. They had never known the monster btk. They had just known the family man, husband, father and provider. Which is what made it all the more devastating for them. For years, his family decided to stay out of the limelight. But Carrie would later say of her dad, quote, the weight of the absence of this man in our lives settled into my bones. Everything had changed and nothing was ever going to be right again. End quote. Carrie said that her life was compartmentalized into two major events. Before dad and after dad. And for a while, after being sent off to prison, Dennis kept in touch with his family. He repeatedly wrote letters to his wife Paula, proclaiming his love for her. But Paula never wrote him back. The minute he confessed to his crimes, she severed ties. Kerry has since remarked that her mother had the luxury of Divorcing her dad, officially making him her ex husband. But Carrie and Brian didn't have that option. Dennis Raider would forever be their father, their blood, whether they liked it or not. Now, they did write to their dad on and off with Brian Penning in a letter soon after his arrest. You're not right in the head and people don't understand that. End quote. For the kids, things were incredibly complicated. Carrie said that she wrote to her dad often in the beginning. But soon she couldn't take it anymore. When she discovered she was pregnant with her own daughter, she completely cut off contact with her dad to protect her baby girl. Kerry wrote, seven families were destroyed by my father never to be the same again. Eight, his family, my family, my family, not his. No longer his. End quote. Now, as time progressed, Kerry was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and ptsd. She admitted that she, her mother Paula and her brother Brian have all done extensive therapy in order to move on and that their faith helped guide them through the healing process. But for years, Kerry carried the weight of her father's crimes. In the early days, she and her family agreed to remain silent. And to this day, her mother Paula and her brother Brian have never spoken with the media. But around 2014, Carrie decided that it was finally time to share her story with the world. And she began writing a book called A Serial Killer's Daughter. We have referenced it a lot throughout this series. It is truly an incredible read and it gives a lot more insight into trauma, faith and Carrie's journey to peace. We highly recommend you read it and support her because as we'll soon touch on, the book isn't the only good she's doing in the world now.
- [153:16]
Colin Brown
For the last two decades, Dennis Rader has resided at the Eldorado Correctional Facility in Butler County, Kansas, roughly 30 miles east of Wichita. After he was sentenced, Judge Waller ruled that he was not allowed to possess images of humans or animals due to his belief that it would reignite his fantasies. But only one year after his incarceration, Dennis proved himself as a model prisoner and many of his restrictions were lifted. In 2019, Dennis wrote the Daily Mail and said have TV, radio, hotpot. I can call people, have visitors, just live alone and can't have contact with other outside my cell unless handcuffed. Probably listed as high profile, work on art, poetry, write a lot of letters, keep record and book on life, exercise when I can do, call close friends. That's nice to talk to others and they come and visit me, send me nice letters and cards or buy books for me to Read. I call them my cave family. Been here 13 years and 190 days. As I write, after a while, you just get tired of the same thing day after day. But keeping busy helps also changing one's routine. He also mentions that throughout his time in prison, he has come across many vipers, people who wanted a friendship with him in order to get memorabilia to turn around and sell. He wrote, vipers are people that make money off inmates getting their letters, art, poetry, and things they give to them. I have now about 42 of them listed, but as I age downsize, there will be more viper activity. They couldn't wait until I pass away. And though Dennis denounces the so called vipers, at least in writing, the truth is he loves them. He is a narcissist after all. In the years since his arrest, he's signed several letters and photos with his BTK symbol showing that he has no remorse and is still basking in the moniker he picked for himself. Not only has he signed letters, but he signed a crime scene photo of Julie Otero with his moniker and a photo of his own daughter. For two decades, he's been riding the high of the crimes he committed, and sadly, there may even be more.
- [155:26]
Narrator
In 2023, investigators started looking into more potential victims of Dennis Rader. And his daughter Carrie had a hand in that. In several interviews, Carrie has reflected on the fact that her father taught her the very skills she is using to try and make sure all of his victims have been found. And it looks as though there may be a lot more. Investigators actually found nine different cases in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma that they believe could be linked to Dennis Raider. One of these was the death of a 16 year old girl named Cynthia Kenney. Cynthia disappeared from a laundromat in Oklahoma in 1976. And I think the thing that really had investigators looking at Raider for this crime was that in his notebook in 1976, he wrote about a girl he stalked called project Bad Laundry day. Detectives also found words connected to Cynthia and the word search that BTK had sent them years and years ago. In the word search, not only did it spell out Cindy, which was her nickname, but it also spelled out Kenny, her last name. In addition, he also listed the street and town that she disappeared from and the words laundromat. Now, investigators questioned Rader in prison and he admitted that he had always wanted to kidnap a girl from a laundromat, but he never actually did. And in the end, there was never enough to charge him. Now, disturbingly, it also came out that within Dennis's notes there was a portion that read Carrie bondage gang. And when his daughter Kerry read that with the exact spelling of her name, she felt sick to her stomach. And those three words haunted her for years. What did they mean? Had she also been a victim of her father? Was it something she blocked out? Finally, in 2023, after years of not speaking to her father, Kerry decided to visit Dennis in prison, hoping to get answers. One of the first things she asked him was whether or not he was responsible for 16 year old Cindy Kenney's disappearance. But once again, Dennis denied any involvement. So next, Carrie asked him about the note of his that read, Carrie bondage game. Did you touch me growing up? She asked him. Now, Carrie didn't know how her father was going to react or what he would say, but it was in that moment where she watched a look of anger fall over his face. Carrie has chillingly recounted it, that it was as if her father disappeared and btk took his place. Ultimately, Dennis denied ever touching Carrie and he told her that it was just a fantasy, but he never really elaborated on what exactly that meant. And towards the end of their meeting, Dennis shrugged her off angrily accusing her of, quote, making up stuff to be famous, end quote. Now, later on, once Carrie was out of the room and able to catch her breath, she stated, quote, he was literally gaslighting me, manipulating me, lying to me, five feet from me. It was like I wasn't talking to my dad. It was like I was talking to a subhuman. What everybody talks about him being a psychopath and a narcissist and not wanting to be around him. I had still been able to find humanity in him and then I wasn't able to and quite quote.
- [159:04]
Colin Brown
Carrie believes that her father could be responsible for more murders and she has worked tirelessly with law enforcement to try and uncover the full story. She said, if my father has committed more murders, then we really need to get to the bottom of the truth and we need to get it before my father passes away, which could be just around the corner. Today, Dennis Rader is 80 years old. He is frail and confined to a wheelchair. He apparently suffered a stroke, has scoliosis and struggles with short term memory loss. Carrie admitted the last time she visited him, it was obvious he was declining. She said, he's lost like seven inches and he's in a wheelchair. He's pretty much rotting to his core, so he didn't even necessarily recognize me. Now, as for her mother, Paula, she moved out of the state of Kansas and Lived a quiet life. Her brother Ryan never married. Sadly. In a recent Netflix documentary titled My Father the BTK Killer, Carrie admitted that she no longer has a relationship with her mother and brother. But she remains hopeful that one day down the road, they will be close again. In the meantime, Carrie has dedicated her life to helping others, becoming an advocate for victims of crime.
- [160:19]
Narrator
But as you've seen throughout the this series, Dennis Raider's crimes had a ripple effect of destruction. Not only did he end the lives of 10 people, but he destroyed the lives of all who cared for those 10. He subjected their families to trauma no one should ever have to experience. Several of them are forever stuck with the image of discovering their murdered loved one. For the children he left at the crime scenes, some of their earliest memories were hearing their mother die just feet away from them. For decades, Dennis Raider lurked through Wichita, destroying everything in his path with zero remorse or regret. To him, it was a fun little game. A secret that made him feel powerful. But in satisfying his own sick desires and tearing families apart apart, he ultimately destroyed his own. We don't want you to remember Dennis Rader as btk. He doesn't deserve the name he's given himself to stroke his own ego. We want you to remember him for what he really is. A man who never grew beyond his childish need to feel important, to selfishly take what he wanted, and to feel as though the world revolved around him. A man who is not as important, relevant, smart, witty, or charming as he'd like to think he is. A man who could have gotten away with his crimes if it weren't for his own ego. And lastly, a man who will rot in prison until his dying day.
- [161:57]
Colin Brown
Hey everybody. Thank you so much for listening to this final episode in our four part BTK series. This has been the most thorough look that we've ever taken at a singular string of crimes. And we do hope that you've enjoyed learning the facts of this case with us going through all this and above all, learning the stories not only of the victims, but also of the survivors, which Courtney and I believe our job is to elevate. We are heading into our winter break now, so we will be gone for the next next four weeks. Courtney and I take this month off every single year. Courtney and I are both working on different projects that are incredibly exciting that are going to be revealed next year. So it's a very important month for us. But we will be back mid January with brand new episodes of Murder in America. If you're gonna miss the show, you can join us on Patreon. There are going to be bonus episodes posted on our Patreon this month. So if you want episodes of mia, I would highly recommend joining us there because these are full length episodes of the show that will never be posted on our main feed. They're exactly like what you just listened to and Courtney and I are just as passionate about the stories that go onto Patreon as the ones that we talk about here on the main feed for the show. So if you don't like the ads, you want to listen to the episodes early, consider joining us on Patreon. If you want the bonus episodes, Patreon is the place to go. Also, don't forget to follow us on Instagram murderinamerica to see photos from every single case that we cover here on the show. And as always, we love hearing from you guys on the reviews. So if you're listening on Spotify, please be sure to leave us a review. If you're listening on Apple Podcasts also please leave us a review. Wherever you're listening, please be sure to leave us a five star review. If you've enjoyed all the reviews work that we have put into this show for the last almost five years. It's crazy, guys. We're about to hit our anniversary. Anyways, y', all, thank you so much. Courtney and I wish everybody out there a very, very happy holidays, a merry Christmas, whatever you celebrate, we hope that you have an absolutely incredible time with your family, with your loved ones, with your husband, your wife, your whatever and whoever. And yeah, we will see you guys in 2026. Thank you so much for being such amazing listeners. We have an amazing listener base and just an amazing Mer in America family. Thank you guys for tuning in and I'll catch you on the next one.
- [164:29]
Narrator
Here we have the Limu Emu in.
- [164:31]
Colin Brown
Its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.
- [164:43]
Narrator
Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.
- [164:46]
Colin Brown
Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you need@liberty mutual.com Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings Ferry Unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates excludes Massachusetts.
- [164:56]
Narrator
Starting a business can seem like a daunting task unless you have a partner like Shopify.
- [165:02]
Dennis Rader (BTK)
They have the tools you need to.
- [165:03]
Narrator
Start and grow your business. From designing a website, to marketing, to selling and beyond, Shopify can help with everything you need. There's a reason millions of companies like Mattel Heinz and Allbirds continue to trust and use them with Shopify on your side, turn your big business idea into Sign up for your $1 per month trial at shopify.com specialoffer make their holiday unforgettable with a gift that says it all from Pandora Jewelry. A gift that tells a story and shows you know theirs that doesn't just sparkle but speaks. This season, give a gift that's perfectly theirs. Whether you're shopping for a shiny surprise for your significant other, matching bracelets to celebrate your friendship, or a heartfelt gift for a family member, say more this holiday season with pandora. Shop@pandora.net or your local Pandora store.