Confesssed ‘BTK’ Killer Talks On ‘Dateline’

Wichita authorities searched for clues in the wake of the Otero family and Kathryn Bright slayings. At first, the two cases were not even considered connected. Originally tucked inside a book at Wichita’s downtown public library, the letter soon made its way into the hands of journalists and police.

Evidence Raises Questions About Rebecca Zahau’s Death

Alcala was arrested in 1979 for Robin Samsoe’s murder in Orange County. Psychiatrist Dorothy Lewis later described this as “probably the pivotal time in his development.” The girl who broke his heart had brown hair, parted in the middle. The majority of his victims between 1974 and 1978 in seven states all had this hairstyle.

He was given the name dating game killer because of his appearance on the famous game with the same name. He was caught once again and was sentenced to death this time by the California court for his horrible crimes. Dennis Rader, aka the BTK Killer — which stands for “bind, torture, kill” — murdered ten people in Kansas between 1974 and 1991. After he completed his murders, Rader would address taunting letters to the police detailing the crimes and explaining his thought process. BTK became an infamous serial killer, inspiring true-crime series such as Mindhunter.

Ex Is Person Of Interest In Deaths Of Woman, Daughter

The blood of the victims was also found in OJ’s house which was 20 minutes away from the scene of the crime. OJ pleaded not guilty and was brought to trial, which is still known as the trial of the century. The trial went on for months and as the case got complex OJ started to get closer to his freedom.

DNA samples were taken from one of his victim’s fingernails and police accessed his daughter’s pap smears to confirm a match. When they received a positive match, Rader was taken from his home in front of his family on February 25, 2005. He gave his daughter one last hug, promising her it would all be cleared up soon. That same year he committed his 10th and final crime.

The other, which was accidentally thrown away from the Home Depot to which it was sent, contained a floppy disk asking police if he could “safely” communicate with them. He killed three more from ’77 to 1991, including Marine Hedge, 53; Vicki Weerle, 28; and Dolore Davis, https://matchreview.org/ 62. In early ’78, he sent another letter to local TV station KAKE, claiming responsibility for the murders of the Oteros, Bright, Relford, and Fox. Between 1974 and ’77, Rader killed three more women – Kathryn Bright, 21; Shirley Vian Relford, 24; and Nancy Fox, 25.

After a stint in the Army, Alcalagraduatedfrom UCLA and attended NYU, leaving a trail of victims in his wake. In January 2004, on the 30th anniversary of the Otero family slayings, The Wichita Eagle published a story about BTK. For many in Wichita, the case was a nightmare of the past. The article suggested the killer may have moved or passed away.

After police found one of Rader’s many clues and used metadata to track him down, he was captured in February of 2005. He pleaded guilty and is currently serving 10 life sentences without parole. Couple have also blessed with two children named daughter Kerri and son Brian. Rader wife worked as a bookkeeper, while her husband served as an assembler. Marine Hedge, aged 53, was found on May 5, 1985, at East 53rd Street North between North Webb Road and North Greenwich Road in Wichita.

Vian’s three young children were present at the time. Rader ordered the children into the bathroom, and secured the door. He then bound their mother and strangled her to death with a rope.

“Hostage” features similarities to the crimes committed by The Monster of Cleveland. Three consecutive life terms, but later recanted and maintained his innocence for the rest of his life. The episode appears to have been inspired by the so-called “Lipstick Killer,” William Heirens.

And, since the show has run for nearly 300 episodes, it is clear that the minds of these criminals have given the show plenty of fodder to choose from. Certainly we know that serial killers have existed since the beginning of time, yet the term “serial killer” is relatively new. In general, a serial killer is one who kills more than three people over a period of time. This distinction is different from a spree killer, who may kill several people, but who does so over a short period of time, and the mass killer, who kills several people at the same time.

About the author