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The BTK Murders: Inside the "Bind Torture Kill" Case that Terrified America's Heartland
From 1974 to 1991, someone in the midwestern city of Wichita was leaving behind slain tortured bodies and anonymously proclaiming himself to police and reporters as "BTK" for "Bind, Torture, Kill." Then, for the next 14 years, BTK was silent. But when he began sending letters again, investigators would not miss their chance...
Stunningly, police arrested Dennis Rader, the president of his church board and the father of two. As a shocked community watched, evidence began to pile up. Then Rader coldly described how he went about "his projects" as the families of his victims relived the horrific scenes this supposed pillar of the community had unleashed on their loved ones.
From the tricks he used to enter his victims' homes to the puzzles he sent the media and the key role his own daughter may have played in his arrest, this is the definitive story of the BTK killer. He was, as one victim's family member called him, "a black hole inside the shell of a human being"--and the worst American monster since Ted Bundy.
Stunningly, police arrested Dennis Rader, the president of his church board and the father of two. As a shocked community watched, evidence began to pile up. Then Rader coldly described how he went about "his projects" as the families of his victims relived the horrific scenes this supposed pillar of the community had unleashed on their loved ones.
From the tricks he used to enter his victims' homes to the puzzles he sent the media and the key role his own daughter may have played in his arrest, this is the definitive story of the BTK killer. He was, as one victim's family member called him, "a black hole inside the shell of a human being"--and the worst American monster since Ted Bundy.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 22, 2018
How crazy to think that at any given moment a person could be stalking you.
The time you turn on the lights in the morning and the time you turn them off at night…memorized.
All the different routes you take to work….memorized.
Days and times you go to the gym…memorized.
That cigarette you sneak off to smoke behind the garage all alone after the kids go to bed… standing so close they can smell the smoke.
Reading this book stirred up all of those ridiculously crazy thoughts for me. To realize how truly visible you are to people that do these kinds of horrific crimes is a stomach-turning experience. As I read it and for days after I made myself fully aware of what was going on around me as much as I possibly could. I know I looked like a crazy person obsessively checking vehicles around me or taking different turns on my travels instead of the same ones I usually made.
What really stuck out for me was how this guy was able to go so long without being caught. It was almost as if the police and general public were in denial about all that was happening. It’s like they thought if they didn’t pay too much attention to it that it would go away. Which almost worked for them because the killer had went dormant for quite a while before the author of the book poked him back to life.
Four stars for a very informative and well-written book.
The time you turn on the lights in the morning and the time you turn them off at night…memorized.
All the different routes you take to work….memorized.
Days and times you go to the gym…memorized.
That cigarette you sneak off to smoke behind the garage all alone after the kids go to bed… standing so close they can smell the smoke.
Reading this book stirred up all of those ridiculously crazy thoughts for me. To realize how truly visible you are to people that do these kinds of horrific crimes is a stomach-turning experience. As I read it and for days after I made myself fully aware of what was going on around me as much as I possibly could. I know I looked like a crazy person obsessively checking vehicles around me or taking different turns on my travels instead of the same ones I usually made.
What really stuck out for me was how this guy was able to go so long without being caught. It was almost as if the police and general public were in denial about all that was happening. It’s like they thought if they didn’t pay too much attention to it that it would go away. Which almost worked for them because the killer had went dormant for quite a while before the author of the book poked him back to life.
Four stars for a very informative and well-written book.
January 5, 2009
This is the book that Robert Beattie's publisher wanted him to write.
Beattie, the author of the bestselling "Nightmare in Wichita: The Hunt For The BTK Strangler," wrote the book that ostensibly drove the serial killer known as BTK out of his self-imposed seclusion. Beattie's original manuscript ran over 500 pages (the released version is about 200 pages shorter), and was entitled "Secrets Long Hidden." Too acedemic, he was told, just as his lofty literary aspirations (he claimed his purpose was to help catch the killer, briefly after the book concept was arrived at) drove the book into rapid release.
Beattie's book, however, suffered from a somewhat self-involved literary voice: he became one of the main subjects within the detail. Of course, this would be hardly avoidable, since it is true that the publicity surrounding his writing project aroused the interest of the killer (and his jealousies). Beattie, however, gave this fact as much focus as to distract from the actual case facts themselves. Also, the book's finale, an epilogue which arguably shrugged off the actual arrest of BTK Strangler Dennis Rader, was written a day or two before deadline.
In contrast, Carlton Smith's effort retreaded much of the same information contained in Beattie's book of one year earlier - only from a more bjective viewpoint. Smith was an outsider from involvement with Rader's arrest and prosecution, and thereby was able to detail the events of the previous thirty years without injecting himself into the story. It read as a significantly less venal book than Beattie's as a result of this.
Also, Smith loaned only a little attention to unrelated cases, such as Kansan Ruth Drowatzky's fabricated stalker in the 1980s. He provided the information as a brief anecdote, as if to illustrate the paranoia in the Wichita region at the time, whereas Beattie presented the case in much greater detail (as if to say, "If the research was done, then it must be included in this book.").
In general, "The BTK Murders" made for a less exasperating read than Beattie's book simply because someone, somewhere, knew how to edit, and how not to draw too much focus to the "messenger" over the "message."
Beattie, the author of the bestselling "Nightmare in Wichita: The Hunt For The BTK Strangler," wrote the book that ostensibly drove the serial killer known as BTK out of his self-imposed seclusion. Beattie's original manuscript ran over 500 pages (the released version is about 200 pages shorter), and was entitled "Secrets Long Hidden." Too acedemic, he was told, just as his lofty literary aspirations (he claimed his purpose was to help catch the killer, briefly after the book concept was arrived at) drove the book into rapid release.
Beattie's book, however, suffered from a somewhat self-involved literary voice: he became one of the main subjects within the detail. Of course, this would be hardly avoidable, since it is true that the publicity surrounding his writing project aroused the interest of the killer (and his jealousies). Beattie, however, gave this fact as much focus as to distract from the actual case facts themselves. Also, the book's finale, an epilogue which arguably shrugged off the actual arrest of BTK Strangler Dennis Rader, was written a day or two before deadline.
In contrast, Carlton Smith's effort retreaded much of the same information contained in Beattie's book of one year earlier - only from a more bjective viewpoint. Smith was an outsider from involvement with Rader's arrest and prosecution, and thereby was able to detail the events of the previous thirty years without injecting himself into the story. It read as a significantly less venal book than Beattie's as a result of this.
Also, Smith loaned only a little attention to unrelated cases, such as Kansan Ruth Drowatzky's fabricated stalker in the 1980s. He provided the information as a brief anecdote, as if to illustrate the paranoia in the Wichita region at the time, whereas Beattie presented the case in much greater detail (as if to say, "If the research was done, then it must be included in this book.").
In general, "The BTK Murders" made for a less exasperating read than Beattie's book simply because someone, somewhere, knew how to edit, and how not to draw too much focus to the "messenger" over the "message."
July 5, 2016
The "BTK" serial murders of the late 20th century terrorized the city of Wichita, Kansas, and garnered national attention for the unknown killer and his horrific crimes. In 1991, the killing suddenly stopped and for 14 years, the killer remained unknown. "BTK" became something of a cold case until the publicity surrounding an upcoming book on the crimes brought "BTK" out of the shadows and the chase was on again.
The author tells the story of Dennis Rader (BTK) from his first murders (the unspeakable slaughter of the Otero family) until his arrest and conviction for the deaths of 10 people. This was a man who was the antithesis of what one would expect of a serial killer.....a middle class family man, church elder, Cub Scout leader.........the guy next door. And as the book progresses we learn that there is apparently nothing in his background that shaped the monster he became. Maybe, as the author surmises, some people are just born evil.
The crimes would probably have never been solved if it hadn't been his need for attention and recognition that caused him to make the mistake of communicating via letter with the Wichita Police and the local media. Forensics had progressed rapidly in the 14 years that he had been silent and that science led to his arrest. He was more than willing to confess, had no remorse, and seemed proud of his "accomplishments".....accomplishments which brought him solitary confinement in prison for life.
This is one of several books about the BTK murders and is fairly presented and readable. But it certainly isn't for everyone!!
The author tells the story of Dennis Rader (BTK) from his first murders (the unspeakable slaughter of the Otero family) until his arrest and conviction for the deaths of 10 people. This was a man who was the antithesis of what one would expect of a serial killer.....a middle class family man, church elder, Cub Scout leader.........the guy next door. And as the book progresses we learn that there is apparently nothing in his background that shaped the monster he became. Maybe, as the author surmises, some people are just born evil.
The crimes would probably have never been solved if it hadn't been his need for attention and recognition that caused him to make the mistake of communicating via letter with the Wichita Police and the local media. Forensics had progressed rapidly in the 14 years that he had been silent and that science led to his arrest. He was more than willing to confess, had no remorse, and seemed proud of his "accomplishments".....accomplishments which brought him solitary confinement in prison for life.
This is one of several books about the BTK murders and is fairly presented and readable. But it certainly isn't for everyone!!
June 11, 2020
Overall: 4.5 stars. A great true crime read that doesn’t sensationalize the murders and offers a very matter-of-fact approach.
Pros: I really enjoyed this. Although the events covered are of course horrible, I appreciated that the author didn’t take the cheesy true crime approach and toss in a lot of “but the murderer would be waiting! Dun dun dun” type of suspense builders (it’s already suspenseful), nor did he sensationalize the murders themselves. He offered simple, factual descriptions of the deaths and the crime scenes without gory over-description or focusing on how innocent and pretty the victims were (that is so gross when an author does that). It was a refreshingly objective approach.
Cons: A handful of typos, likely just in the Kindle version. (Publishers: please stop doing this). I would have liked to read the full text of BTK’s poems and letters to the press (don’t just tell me he’s a terrible poet: show me!) and a little bit more about the victims themselves. I felt like I didn’t really know much about them beyond the Oteros, and I think it’s important to put the victims’ deaths in context of their lives and who they were beyond serial killer victims. Still, a great read.
Pros: I really enjoyed this. Although the events covered are of course horrible, I appreciated that the author didn’t take the cheesy true crime approach and toss in a lot of “but the murderer would be waiting! Dun dun dun” type of suspense builders (it’s already suspenseful), nor did he sensationalize the murders themselves. He offered simple, factual descriptions of the deaths and the crime scenes without gory over-description or focusing on how innocent and pretty the victims were (that is so gross when an author does that). It was a refreshingly objective approach.
Cons: A handful of typos, likely just in the Kindle version. (Publishers: please stop doing this). I would have liked to read the full text of BTK’s poems and letters to the press (don’t just tell me he’s a terrible poet: show me!) and a little bit more about the victims themselves. I felt like I didn’t really know much about them beyond the Oteros, and I think it’s important to put the victims’ deaths in context of their lives and who they were beyond serial killer victims. Still, a great read.
December 27, 2022
Stock standard read full of information, at times I thought it to be a little too stuffed although the overall feel wasn’t boring. There was a lot of groaning and eye rolling in relation to Dennis 🙄😂🤦🏽♀️ Incredibly narcissistic and grandiose, so much so that he made some pretty ignorant mistakes that led to his capture.
December 2, 2021
I found this very informative and engaging!
February 20, 2009
Wow. I can't believe there are nut jobs like BTK out there. What is even harder to believe is that he managed escape capture for over 30 years. This is a very insightful book to the crimes of BTK and how he eluded capture in Wichita for so long. If you aren't familiar with BTK, read this book. I'm glad he is finally off the streets and getting what he deserves.
September 28, 2010
Really good reporting of the story. I had read Robert BEattie's book which flushed him out when it was released. But this is good at giving more of a whole picture of Rader and his crimes.
November 9, 2012
One of the scariest serial killers in America; the case was cracked with the help of a Mensan!!!
June 19, 2023
Not as great as the authors other works, still well researched though. The are a few tedious chapters at the very beginning detailing somebody writing a book on BTK before he was caught and how he was going to write the book with a view to provoking the killer out of hiding. While anniversary pieces in papers and stuff did indeed do this and lead to the killer's capture this all seems a bit too much...like this legal professor/writer knew exactly what he was doing and planned it, i'm not buying it - seems a lot of wishful thinking was retroactively applied after things developed while he was drumming up publicity for his book. This narrative is repicked up later in the book too and so much time is given to what this other author was up to and his involvement. Carlton Smith seems to have swallowed everything this other writer has said and actually comes across very dismissive and biased towards the police - it's honestly surprising given his tendancy to be strictly fair and objective in other books dealing with sometimes very flawed police work. It lets the book down a bit for me, otherwise the detailing of the crimes and discoveries was great as i'd expect from him but this ruined the book for me. Probably an average 3 star book but my expectation from this author is so high it seems really crap.
For a better BTK book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
For a better BTK book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
October 4, 2020
I live in the city that Dennis Rader terrorized for over 30 years. I found this book very interesting. It brought out facts I either did not remember or did not know. I tells the story about how Robert Beattie, who taught law classes to students at two colleges, discovered that younger people did not know who BTK was. He decided that a book needed to be written to document what happened in Wichita. The author tells the story well and I enjoyed the book as much as one can when reading about a local serial killer.
April 18, 2024
I feel awful rating this book 5 stars so my disclaimer is as follows: I rate the author's ability to keep me engaged not the killer's actions!!!! That said Smith is an amazing author. Each victim got their own moment to be highlighted which I believe is arguably the mouse important part when reading true crime books. It is always shocking to get the reveal of the murderer because you truly NEVER suspect them (irl) That is why I learn about true crime because I need to learn the warning signs or recognize the patterns SOMETHING to make me feel like I have some control over my life...
April 10, 2023
I really loved this book, it goes into detail on how it happened, and also tells the untold side of the story, i agree that even though the police took all the credit, Robert Beatty was the one who made his capture possible. The narrator did an excellent job as well. If you're into serial killers, this is a must!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2019
It took me a while to read. Not sure why got bogged down on this book but over all it was a good book. Very informational
July 25, 2020
The thirty year search for the BTK killer. A good read for any fan of true crime. I highly recommend this book.
June 14, 2021
A fairly shallow covering of a remarkable crime...
October 8, 2024
Very detailed and well researched.
September 8, 2013
Having lived in the heartland at the time and having family in Wichita, I was very interested in the news reports about BTK. People are surprised that this man could live an existence that included a wife, children, the Boy Scouts, and his church and still have a secret life of sordid sexual fantasies, domination, torture and murder. But there are many people out there with such fantasies, and some cross the line into rape and murder every day. We should not be surprised, but we should take reasonable precautions to protect ourselves from such monsters. The well-written book concludes with a stinging condemnation of the actions and inactions of the Wichita Police Department. To give them credit, they were human beings with tunnel vision like many professionals in many fields. Hopefully, LEO's everywhere will receive training on thinking outside the box, connecting the dots, and accepting alternate theories of who the suspect could be. An example of this was denying that the Park City, KS murder was by BTK because he previously acted only in Wichita. I think this book should be read by law enforcement professionals. Good book.
September 3, 2008
The crimes against the Otero family really disturbed me. I had to stop reading for a day or two and then continue. I felt for that family more than any victims/subjects of true crime. I think it was because I could feel how helpless Mr. and Mrs. Otero felt as they realized what was happening to them.
I hope there is some form of HELL for Dennis Rader and anyone like him. I hope there is some form of HEAVEN for the Otero Family and those like them.
I hope there is some form of HELL for Dennis Rader and anyone like him. I hope there is some form of HEAVEN for the Otero Family and those like them.
May 27, 2014
This was a pretty good breakdown of the BTK case and the events leading to his capture. I enjoyed the third party view to the case. The author brought the characters to life without being melodramatic. If you are interested in strange cases, this is a good one.
July 29, 2014
A really sick serial killer!
November 19, 2013
True Crime
April 14, 2014
I know this is outside of the usual books I read but my sister told me to read it and I must say it was intriguing how someone could get away with something like this for so long.
September 12, 2015
Good book covering the three decade long hunt for the serial killer, BTK.
May 20, 2008
yet another one of my favorite non fiction murder books
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews