Wichita
Kansas police this week charged a churchgoing family man with the BTK killings, a series of grisly murders that terrorized Wichita in the 1970s. The suspect, a dogcatcher named Dennis Rader, 59, reportedly confessed to six killings. At the time of the murder spree, the killer taunted investigators with poems and boastful letters. In one, he said there was “no help, no cure” for his sadistic urges. He had been silent for years, then suddenly started sending police fresh clues as newspapers publicized the 30th anniversary of his first murder. “Bottom line: BTK is arrested,” said Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams. “Doggone it, we did it.” The BTK murderer’s nickname stemmed from his method: bind, torture, kill.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Russia’s war games and the threat to NatoIn depth Incursion into Poland and Zapad 2025 exercises seen as a test for Europe
-
Eurovision faces its Waterloo over Israel boycottsTalking Point Five major broadcasters have threatened to pull out of next year’s contest over Israel’s participation
-
What is Donald Trump’s visit worth to the UK economy?In the Spotlight Centrepiece of the president’s trip, business-wise, is a ‘technology partnership’
