Where Is BTK Killer, Dennis Rader Now? How He Was Finally Caught Decades After Committing 10 Murders

Viewers are not done yet with the chilling story of Ed Gein through Monster season 3. Amid this, Netflix dropped another spine-chilling documentary, My Father, the BTK Killer, which revolves around the story of Dennis Rader, the BTK killer, through the eyes of his daughter, Kerri Rawson. Dennis ended up terrorising the entire Kansas community with his crimes.

While Dennis Rader was leading a life of the perfect family man, he also simultaneously had a secret life as a murderer, filled with gruesome crimes, reportedly driven by sadistic s*xual compulsion. Over the years, Dennis Rader's dark story has inspired many movies, series, and books. This time, Netflix brought his daughter to the screen, where she, through her own experiences and perspective, explores the killer - i.e., her father's legacy.

Who is the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader? What crimes did he commit?

Dennis Rader was born back in March 1945 in Wichita, Kan. After graduating, he got a job in the Air Force. In 1970, Dennis got married to Paula Dietz, and they became parents to two kids. After his marriage in 1970, Dennis got a job at Cessna, an aviation company, which he reportedly described as his 'ideal job'. However, he was reportedly laid off after nine months, which led him to the dark world. As per the book Confession of a Serial Killer, Dennis claimed that it was after his layoff that haunting and prowling became much like a habit, mostly like a drug to him. In the book, it was also mentioned that early on, he had gained a fascination with crime thrillers and true-detective-type magazines, along with H.H. Holmes, the Devil in the White City, who confessed to 27 murders in Chicago.

Dennis Rader's murder spree began in 1974 and lasted for decades. From 1974 to 1991, Dennis committed to 10 murders, including a family of 4. Dennis nicknamed himself BTK (Bind, Torture and Kill), a technique that he used to perform on his victims. During the time of his crimes, he was working as a church leader and also associated with a security company, ADT.

Along with the crimes, Dennis used to taunt the investigation teams and media anonymously. Years later, Dennis was caught in 2005, and he confessed to 10 murders. While his daughter, Kerri, believed that there might be some other murders that the BTK Killer could have committed, no additional charges were made against him till now.

How was the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader caught?

Nine months after his first murder, Dennis penned a letter to the police, where he used the moniker, 'BTK Killer'. He confessed to the murders that happened, and from then on, he was known by the investigators as the BTK Killer. In his first anonymous letter, Dennis had written:

"P.S. Since sex criminals do not change their M.O., or by nature cannot do so, I will not change mine. The code words for me will be bind them, torture them, kill them, BTK, [you'll] see he [is] at it again. They will be on the next victim."

After 1979, the BTK Killer stopped writing letters to the investigators, and it was in January 2004, the Wichita Eagle published a story on the 30th anniversary of his first murder, which triggered Dennis again, prompting him to re-write his first letter in 25 years, and some more. The story suggested that the BTK Killer had possibly died, and in response, Dennis sent many objects, including some that are connected to his victims. By this, investigators became pretty sure that the murderer had resurfaced as the details he hinted at matched the previous evidence.

Cut to 2005, when the BTK Killer was finally caught, and one mistake led to his arrest. It so happened that Dennis sent a floppy disk to the local TV station and, in one of his letters, asked the investigators if they could trace him down. Police, through the newspaper, publicly replied with a 'no'. However, after the BTK Killer mailed the disk, the forensic investigators examined the metadata, and it was found that the file was saved by someone named 'Dennis' on a computer registered to Christ Lutheran Church in Park City, Kansas. It was later discovered that it was none other than Dennis Rader, the president of the Church council.

While the investigators were half sure about Dennis Rader being the BTK Killer, they needed proper evidence. To achieve the same result, the only option was DNA testing, for which a sample from Dennis' daughter, Kerri, was taken. The investigators then compared the sample to the biological evidence that could be found from the early victims' bodies. Well, it was confirmed later that the BTK Killer was none other than Dennis Rader. In 2005, Dennis was arrested casually on his way home for lunch. Reportedly, when he was told that he was arrested for committing the crimes as the BTK Killer, he replied with an 'oh' and nothing else.

Where is the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader now?

After his arrest, the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader, confessed to the chilling crimes that he committed, and he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 consecutive life terms without parole. Currently, he is serving his sentence at Kansas' El Dorado Correctional Facility. As per the documentary, Kerri went to visit Dennis back in 2023, and he was frail and was in a wheelchair. Kerri said that she was there to help the authorities only, and her dad grew angrier when she did not want to recall the past memories. He also reportedly said that the 10 murders were only the ones he killed and nothing more than that. Kerri said that her dad has been dodging and forgetting things, but he also has a sharp memory. Kerri said:

"He's dodging things, saying he's forgetting things, but then he's got this really sharp memory. Deny, deny, deny. He's [saying] he's completely innocent, that he's a saint, other than for all the other things he did."

What do you think about the documentary on the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader, and the way of his arrest?

Also Read: Who Was Dennise Radar's Wife, Paula? Married 34 Years Before Learning Her Husband Was The BTK Killer

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Get App

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Choose your device Android or IOS (Apple)