Crime Weekly S3 Ep358: BTK | Letters, Lies, and the Church of Death (Part 3)
Nov 14, 2025
01:41:05
In 1974, Wichita, Kansas was shaken by a series of brutal attacks inside family homes. Men, women, and children were bound, tortured, and killed by a predator who called himself BTK. For 17 years, he terrorized the community, claiming at least 10 victims and taunting police with disturbing letters that detailed his crimes. Then in 1991, the killings abruptly stopped, leaving law enforcement and the public to wonder if the killer had vanished forever.
For more than a decade, there was silence. Then in 2004, BTK resurfaced with new messages, reigniting fear in Wichita. But that renewed need for attention would ultimately be his downfall, and by the following year, detectives had identified the killer as Dennis Rader, a father of two, a Scout leader, and a trusted member of his church council. Rader was the last person anyone suspected of being a sexual sadist serial killer, but once investigators began putting all the puzzle pieces together, it became clear that Rader’s family-man persona was just a mask covering the monster beneath.
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For more than a decade, there was silence. Then in 2004, BTK resurfaced with new messages, reigniting fear in Wichita. But that renewed need for attention would ultimately be his downfall, and by the following year, detectives had identified the killer as Dennis Rader, a father of two, a Scout leader, and a trusted member of his church council. Rader was the last person anyone suspected of being a sexual sadist serial killer, but once investigators began putting all the puzzle pieces together, it became clear that Rader’s family-man persona was just a mask covering the monster beneath.
Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com
Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly
Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast
Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com
Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod
Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod
Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod
ADS:
1. https://www.HelixSleep.com/CrimeWeekly - Get 27% off sitewide now! Select our podcast after checkout and let them know we sent you!
2. https://www.SKIMS.com - Shop your favorites at SKIMS.com and select our podcast after you order!
3. https://www.SimpliSafe.com/Crimeweekly - Save 60% on a SimpliSafe home security system today!
4. https://www.HungryRoot.com - Use code CRIMEWEEKLY for 40% off your first box, plus a FREE item of your choice in every box FOR LIFE!
5. https://www.FactorMeals.com/CrimeWeekly50Off - Use code CRIMEWEEKLY50OFF for 50% off your first box and FREE breakfast for a year!