Since 1974 BTK Strangler Dennis Rader has been writing letters, to the media, police and more recently to his many pen-pals. It keeps him busy as he awaits sentencing on August 17, 2005 after pleading guilty to 10 counts of first degree murder. In fact, it was his own prolific prose and need to communicate that led to his arrest and downfall in February. He decided to put his thoughts on a computer diskette that was mailed to a Wichita, Kansas television station. The police promptly traced the diskette to the church Rader was the president of, and after checking a DNA sample secretly obtained of his daughter, they arrested the dog catcher of Park City, Kansas as the infamous BTK Strangler serial killer.
The sentencing on August 17 should be a big media event of its own. We are promised a fuller disclosure of what BTK did to his victims by prosecutors, as well as testimony from surviving victims family members.
BTK's letters were always peculiar in that they were so badly written it was thought the killer was trying to disguise his intelligence by appearing to be grammatically inept. Actually it was merely the way Rader, a college graduate, really does write in his everyday life.
During the 1970s he wrote three letters to police and media. All are quite graphic and were intended to prove he had committed these crimes and appear to boast of his accomphishments. The crimes referred to in these letters are the seven murders he was known to commit in 1974 and 1977, including the four members of the Otero family (Joe, 38; Julie, 34; daughter Josephine, 11; son Joseph II, 9); Kathryn Bright, 21; Shirley Vian, 24; and Nancy Fox, 25.
Here is a link to the first letter, which was written in October, 1974. It is a graphic description of what he did to the four Otero victims, and at the time was able to prove to police he was the actual perpetrator of this crime.
The second letter was received in 1978 and takes credit for the murders of Shirley Vian and Nancy Fox in 1977. There is a reference to a victim #5 which is not identified, but was later proven to be Kathryn Bright from 1974. Her brother Kevin survived that incident and BTK was reluctant to admit direct responsibility, apparently because there was a surviving witness. There is a reference to the hanging of Josephine Otero in this letter, his 11 year old victim.
Article comments
1 - Ruthie Rader
All this and he will still end up dead as a rusted doornail...just like all of his victims.
He deserves an ignored death and eternal oblivion.
2 - garynicholson
I support your comments
3 - Kelsey N.
What does god have to do to give this creep what he deserves??? He needs a painful death to make up for the innocent blood he spilt!!! ):
4 - Dennis Rader
STOP TALKING ABOUT ME!!!!!!!!!!!!
5 - Dennis Rader Fan
Oh my god. Dennis Rader has visited this page. Let me just say, I admire your work sir. You are an inspiration to all future murderers.
6 - ally
Shut the f up dennis you will not ever control any person again. Instead you are a low life leaving your family with nothing. yuk. a 900 sq ft house. loser. controller. you will now be controlled. you got it loser. you religious louse. anyone who gets off on a kid dying is demonic. your factor x is a bunch of bull. you know i thought you were smarter but reading your notes you were more ignorant than a 8th grader. you are demonic and should be dead. men are to protect women and especially little girls. now little mouse in the corner of your rootin cell shut the f up. lunitic.
7 - ally
o man just thinking about what a whimp you are made me mispell. your daughter dreamt about the killer cuz she was pretty smart. wow and you left her with a horrible legacy. just think if what you did happened to your wife and little girl. you did this to them. your seed needs to be stopped. you you you are horrific. remember god shows mercy on those who have mercy. you had non on a family or a little girl. i hope you live in fear their every day of your life. fear of every moment loser. loser loser loser...... how dare you have a right to be on a computor. You should be tied up with a bag around your neck. you are despicable. just think of your future loser.
8 - William
Yeah give me 1 hour in the cell and tax payers wont have to support him again. dennis you are not sick, you are not driven by a factor. you chose to be mean, visious, and a bully. ten bullys are on their way to visit you. you get to guess who and when . be afraid very afraid and you better not ever sleep. you ruined many family members sleep and now you get to be the mouse cuz i am not just a cat but a larger than life bigger than a couger so look out. just when you think you are asleep beware......we will see how you like the game.
9 - Fredrick Larson
Yeah and to the d radar fan get a freaking life. you should not encourage this mean person. put yourself in your victims shoes and set them free. dennis is weak. lets defend manking. the love of people has grown cold and it is a sad sad world we live in. be a fan of someone great. anyone can kill. it is a choice. great restraint most of us pride ourselfs with.
10 - Bill Thomas King
they should set mr rader free, im sure he is rehabilitated by now
11 - Gary
That's not really Rader you dumb f#cks. He was is incarcerated with no internet access. There is no need to give Menace Fader the time of day.
12 - Gary
He was nothing more than a wimp with a gun. He couldn't restrain any man without one.
13 - Grey Fox
she was hanged and there was pleasure in the act...
14 - Grey Fox
and that is what denis wanted. to have a name, for notoriety. thats what the letters are for. Stop talking about me ey?? watch this...
15 - Denis Rader
OMG IM DENIS RADER :o
16 - Denis Rader
OH NO.... NOW IM DENIS!!!!!!
you wankers...
17 - charlee
Pure evil but interesting as to what caused this break in his mind