Update: I've added a bit more content from the original news piece. At the links below are two segments from Rader's confession this morning. Absolutely chilling. Chilling. In addition to the murdered victims are the victims who will doubtless not be spoken about: his wife and children. May the Lord have mercy on them all.
This has just floored me, but the news media is breaking the news that Dennis Rader Pleads Guilty to BTK Murders.
The trial was set to begin today. This has been a dark nightmare for all of the victims' families and the rest of us living in and around Wichita. I'll update as more info becomes available.
From the national Associated Press:
The man suspected of being the BTK strangler has pleaded guilty to 10 counts of first-degree murder.Posted by Clifton at June 27, 2005 09:22 AM | TrackBackDennis Rader, 60, of Park City, entered the guilty pleas as his trial was scheduled to begin Monday.
Referring to his victims as "projects," Rader laid out for the court how he would "troll" for victims on his off-time, then stalk them and kill them.
"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 told the court in describing his first killings in 1974, a couple and two children. . . .
Prosecutors said before the hearing that no plea deal made. Rader was arrested four months ago.
Saying he was motivated by sexual fantasies, the onetime president of the church council at Christ Lutheran Church and Boy Scout leader, Rader admitted killing 10 people in the Wichita area between 1974 and 1991. . . .
Sentencing was set for Aug. 17. Rader will not face the death penalty because the state had no death penalty at the time. But it's likely he'll never leave prison because each count carries a possible life sentence.
Rader, wearing a beige coat and dark tie, told District Judge Gregory Waller that he understood the charges against him and that he was waiving his right to a jury trial.
"The defense worked with me real well," Rader said. "We went over it. I feel like I'm pretty happy with them."
Asked by Waller if he was pleading because he was guilty, Rader answered, "Yes, sir."
The earliest crimes linked to the BTK strangler date to Jan. 15, 1974, when Joseph Otero, 38, and his 34-year-old wife, Julie, and their children Josephine, 11, and Joseph II, 9, were found dead in their home.
"The whole family just panicked on me. I worked pretty quick," he said. "I strangled Mrs. Otero. She passed out. I thought she was dead. I strangled Josephine. She passed out. I thought she was dead. Then I went over and put a bag on Junior's head."
He later said about Mrs. Otero: "I went back and strangled her again."
When questioned by the judge about the motivation for the Otero slayings, Rader said: "That was part of what you call my fantasy."
Pressed further, Rader said, "Sexual fantasy, sir." . . .
He described to the court how he chose his victims.
"If you've read much about serial killers, they go through what they call different phases. In the trolling stage, basically, you're looking for a victim at that time. You can be trolling for months or years, but once you lock in on a certain person, you become a stalker. That might be several of them but you really hone in on one person. They basically become the ... that's the victim. Or at least that's what you want it to be." . . .
Rader has lived in the Wichita area almost his entire life, earning a criminal justice degree at a local university. He worked in suburban Park City as a compliance officer, handling code violations and stray dogs. He has been married for 34 years and has two grown children. . . .
Steve Osburn, one of Rader's defense attorney's, said prosecutors' evidence against Rader included a confession, DNA and "personal trophies" Rader collected from his victims.
"It was a very solid case," Osburn said.
He said defense attorneys explored an insanity plea, but decided not to proceed.
"From a legal standpoint, we had nothing to work with," Osburn said.
Rader did not apologize during the hearing, though Osburn suggested later that Rader may apologize at his sentencing.
"Mr. Rader basically wanted to take responsibility for his actions," Osburn said.
After the guilty pleas, the Rev. Michael Clark, pastor of Rader's church, said: "That's what I hoped he would do."