06-27-2005, 08:02 PM
Rader pleads guilty to BTK murders
Defendant calmly details string of 10 killings
WICHITA, Kansas (CNN) -- BTK killings suspect Dennis Rader pleaded guilty on Monday to 10 counts of first-degree murder, and matter-of-factly described how he committed the crimes that terrorized the Wichita, Kansas, area for decades.
Rader, 60, entered the plea on what was supposed to be the first day of his jury trial.
After the plea, Sedgwick County District Judge Greg Waller read each charge and asked Rader if he understood them.
At Waller's direction, Rader went down the list of charges, explaining in a calm, dispassionate voice how he carried out each of the killings.
Rader said he broke into the home of Joseph and Julie Otero and tied them up along with two of their children. He said he told them that he was wanted in California and put a pillow under Joseph Otero's head to make him more comfortable.
"I realized that, you know, I was already -- I didn't have a mask on or anything -- they already could I.D. me," Rader said. "I made a decision to go ahead and put 'em down, I guess, or strangle them."
Rader described how he killed each member of the Otero family, but said they did not die right away.
"I had never strangled anyone before, so I really didn't know how much pressure you had to put on a person or how long it would take," he said.
Rader explained how, in most of his cases, he chose and then stalked several people at a time -- referring to them as "projects" or "potential hits."
"If one didn't work out, I just moved to another one," Rader said.
Rader told the court he selected his victims as he played out fantasies. Asked what kinds of fantasies he was having, Rader said, "sexual fantasies."
Rader said he chose Shirley Vian, 26, at random and forced his way into her apartment with a .357 Magnum handgun on March 17, 1977. Her children "got real upset," so Rader had her lock them in a bathroom before covering her head with a bag and strangling her.
Rader told the judge he went through phases, stalking potential victims, then preparing a "hit kit," equipment he used in the killings, as well as "hit clothes" that he wore and later got rid of.
In more than one case, Rader said he took Polaroid photos of his victims. After killing Marine Hedge in April 1985, Rader said, he stripped his victim, tied her up, took her to another location, then took photos depicting "different forms of bondage" before hiding her body in a ditch.
After hearing descriptions of each of the 10 killings, Waller found Rader guilty of all charges. Rader also waived his right to a jury trial on the sentencing.
Under Kansas law, Raider can be sentenced to life in prison for each charge, but could become eligible for parole.
The last BTK killing occurred in 1991 after Kansas stiffened its murder statutes, which means Rader could be sentenced to a minimum 40 years in prison without a chance of parole on that count.
Waller set August 17 as the sentencing date.
Rader, who had been the president of his Lutheran church council, taunted authorities and the media with letters and packages he sent them over several years, some with before-and-after photos of the victims.
"BTK" was the killer's self-named reference to his preference to "bind, torture and kill" his victims in the string of murders from 1974 to 1991.
Christ Lutheran Church pastor Michael Clark said Rader, also a former Boy Scout leader, had been involved in church leadership for 30 years and was elected church council president just before his arrest.
Rader was arrested in what authorities said was a routine traffic stop. He worked for the Wichita suburb of Park City as a compliance supervisor in charge of animal control, nuisances, inoperable vehicles and general code compliance.
Authorities initially linked him to eight deaths, but added two more after this arrest.
Defendant calmly details string of 10 killings
WICHITA, Kansas (CNN) -- BTK killings suspect Dennis Rader pleaded guilty on Monday to 10 counts of first-degree murder, and matter-of-factly described how he committed the crimes that terrorized the Wichita, Kansas, area for decades.
Rader, 60, entered the plea on what was supposed to be the first day of his jury trial.
After the plea, Sedgwick County District Judge Greg Waller read each charge and asked Rader if he understood them.
At Waller's direction, Rader went down the list of charges, explaining in a calm, dispassionate voice how he carried out each of the killings.
Rader said he broke into the home of Joseph and Julie Otero and tied them up along with two of their children. He said he told them that he was wanted in California and put a pillow under Joseph Otero's head to make him more comfortable.
"I realized that, you know, I was already -- I didn't have a mask on or anything -- they already could I.D. me," Rader said. "I made a decision to go ahead and put 'em down, I guess, or strangle them."
Rader described how he killed each member of the Otero family, but said they did not die right away.
"I had never strangled anyone before, so I really didn't know how much pressure you had to put on a person or how long it would take," he said.
Rader explained how, in most of his cases, he chose and then stalked several people at a time -- referring to them as "projects" or "potential hits."
"If one didn't work out, I just moved to another one," Rader said.
Rader told the court he selected his victims as he played out fantasies. Asked what kinds of fantasies he was having, Rader said, "sexual fantasies."
Rader said he chose Shirley Vian, 26, at random and forced his way into her apartment with a .357 Magnum handgun on March 17, 1977. Her children "got real upset," so Rader had her lock them in a bathroom before covering her head with a bag and strangling her.
Rader told the judge he went through phases, stalking potential victims, then preparing a "hit kit," equipment he used in the killings, as well as "hit clothes" that he wore and later got rid of.
In more than one case, Rader said he took Polaroid photos of his victims. After killing Marine Hedge in April 1985, Rader said, he stripped his victim, tied her up, took her to another location, then took photos depicting "different forms of bondage" before hiding her body in a ditch.
After hearing descriptions of each of the 10 killings, Waller found Rader guilty of all charges. Rader also waived his right to a jury trial on the sentencing.
Under Kansas law, Raider can be sentenced to life in prison for each charge, but could become eligible for parole.
The last BTK killing occurred in 1991 after Kansas stiffened its murder statutes, which means Rader could be sentenced to a minimum 40 years in prison without a chance of parole on that count.
Waller set August 17 as the sentencing date.
Rader, who had been the president of his Lutheran church council, taunted authorities and the media with letters and packages he sent them over several years, some with before-and-after photos of the victims.
"BTK" was the killer's self-named reference to his preference to "bind, torture and kill" his victims in the string of murders from 1974 to 1991.
Christ Lutheran Church pastor Michael Clark said Rader, also a former Boy Scout leader, had been involved in church leadership for 30 years and was elected church council president just before his arrest.
Rader was arrested in what authorities said was a routine traffic stop. He worked for the Wichita suburb of Park City as a compliance supervisor in charge of animal control, nuisances, inoperable vehicles and general code compliance.
Authorities initially linked him to eight deaths, but added two more after this arrest.
I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.
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