Dennis Rader is a serial killer from USA. He is known as the BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill) Killer or the BTK Strangler. In 1974, Rader killed four members of the Otero family including 2 young children.
He was a member of the Christ Lutheran Church and was elected as the president of the church council.
Where is Dennis Rader now?
Dennis Rader is currently serving a life sentence in the El Dorado Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison in Kansas.
Dennis Rader’s Bio, Age
Dennis Rader was born on March 9, 1945, in Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. He is currently 77 years old as of 2022. His zodiac sign is Pisces and he holds American nationality.
Rader’s father’s name is William E. Rader and his mother’s name is Dorothea M. Rader. He has three siblings named Bill Rader, Paul Rader, and Jeff Rader.
He was a normal child with good behaviour. However, as he grew up, he started to become upredictable. He killed animals like dogs and cats by torturing and hanging them.
What happened to Dennis Rader?
Dennis Rader was diagnosed with narcissistic, antisocial, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders.
Educational Background
Dennis Rader attended Riverview Elementary School. In 1963, he graduated from Wichita Heights High School. In 1965, he joined the Kansas Wesleyan College for further studies. But, he continued his study for only 2 semesters and joined US Air Force in 1966.
In 1973, he attended the Butler County Community College in EL Dorado and earned an Associate’s degree in Electronics.
Dennis Rader’s Serial Killing Years
1970s
Dennis used to work in the meat department of an IGA Supermarket. In 1972, he left the job and joined Coleman Co., a manufacturer of camping supplies. In the early 70’s, he worked as an aircraft manufacturer. The manager fired him from the job due to his bad behavior.
After that, he became unemployed which disturbed his mind. At that time, he started feeling dominated by a Hispanic woman Julie Otero and her daughter Josephine who lived nearby his home. On January 15, 1974, Rader went to Julie’s house with some weapons.
He killed all four members of the family including 2 young children. The name of the victims are Julie Otero, Joseph Otero, and two children, Joseph Jr., and Josephine. On April 4, 1974, he killed 21-year-old Kathryn Bright with a knife. Rader also attacked her brother Kevin, but he managed to survive.
The police were unsuccessful to get clues about the killer. In October 1974, Rader started sending letters to the police and attached some details of murders and claimed to be the “BTK” also known as the “Bind, Torture, Kill” murderer.
Dennis started doing the job at ADT security in November 1974. His job was to install the alarm systems. In 1977, he killed Shirley Vian and Nancy Fox. After that, he sent letters to the police that the killer is “the BTK Killer”.
1980’s-1990’s
In 1985, he killed his 53-year-old neighbor named Marine Hedge. Rader killed her and undressed the body and loaded it into the car and drove to the church where he took some photos with the dead body and dumped the body on a roadside.
After a year, he killed a young mother Vicki Wegerie. He entered Vicki’s house as a telephone repairman and killed her.
On January 19, 1991, Dennis broke into the house of Dolores Davis and killed her. Rader threw her body under a bridge. In the early 90’s, he worked as a dogcatcher in Party City. He was a member of Christ Lutheran Church, and later, he was elected as president of the Church Council.
What is the meaning of BTK?
BTK stands for Bind, Torture, and Kill.
Arrest
After sending many letters to the police, Dennis sent them a floppy disc. It was a big mistake of Dennis Rader as police traced the source of the floppy disc and found the location of the BTK Killer. Soon, detectives found the location of the BTK Killer and arrested him on February 25, 2005.
He has done ten murders and the judge punished him with life sentence. Currently, he is locked up at the El Dorado Correctional Facility in Kansas.
What is Dennis Rader’s Net Worth?
Surprisingly, Dennis Rader has an estimated net worth of $19 million as of 2022.
Dennis Rader’s Relationship Status
Dennis Rader tied the knot with Paula Dietz on May 22, 1971. The couple together had a son and a daughter. When Rader was arrested in 2005, his wife was granted an immediate divorce.
Body Measurements: Height & Weight
Dennis Rader is 5 feet 11 inches or 180 cm tall and his weight is 86 kg or 190 lbs.