Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of BTK, the Serial Killer Next Door [Mass Market Paperback]

This is an excellent read. It tells the frustrating story of trying to find a quite terrifying killer.

Although the story covers several decades it moves along at quite a pace and is very engaging.

A REALLY INTERESTING READ,COUDN`T PUT THIS BOOK DOWN AS IT EXPLAINS IN FINE DETAIL THE EFFORTS MADE TO BRING BTK TO JUSTICE, FROM A POLICE POINT OF VIEW, WHILST RUNNING ALONG SIDE THE LIFE OF BTK HIMSELF AT THE SAME TIME .FOUND MYSELF GALLOPING THROUGH THE PAGES IN EAGER EXCITED ANTICIPATION TO FIND OUT HOW HE WAS APPREHENDED.ALTHOUGH ITS TRUE LIFE MISFORTUNE OF OTHERS LOSING THERE LIFE,AT THE HANDS OF THIS SERIAL KILLER I TRUELY ENJOYED READING THIS BOOK

The story of BTK, eventually identified as Dennis Rader, is now well known, but for many years he taunted police by questioning their ability to be able to stop or catch him. He was not as prolific a killer as was Ted Bundy or Gary Ridgway (the Green River Killer) who were each convicted of approximately 50 murders of females, but he was perhaps more feared as his victims could be anyone of either gender.

Rader was never a suspect, unlike Bundy or Ridgway whose names had been connected with their cases at least once (Bundy was even suspected to be the killer of some of Ridgway's victims); Rader was Mr Ordinary, the man next door! He was a family man with adult children, had a normal job, was at one time a Dog Warden for his community and a leading member of his Church and its warden. It was his connection with the Church that was his eventual downfall.

Unlike Bundy or Ridgway, he was previously completely unknown to the police, he was not sexually motivated and did not have a certain 'type' as his victims. Bundy allegedly primarily sought out those young women who had some resemblance to a former girlfriend who had ended their relationship and Ridgway's victims were either prostitutes, strippers or others in some way connected with the sex industry. Rader's victims included children and an adult male although the majority were female but of wide age range. Also, Rader was in no way a 'spree killer' who could commit multiple murders over a short time span as were Bundy and Ridgway; most of his murders were unitary and only once did he kill a multiple - most of a family, one was not at home and so escaped. Rader's killings were mostly very infrequent and there were sometimes years between two successive events. Bundy's and Ridgway's were much more frequent and numerous. Curiously, Ridgway claimed rather more victims than could either be found or identified and Bundy was presumed to be substantially more prolific than his convictions demonstrate (some are convinced that his toll was between 200 and 300!).

Necrophilia was an essential part of Ridgway's regime and arguably also of Bundy's (it was never raised during trial or proven, but he was able to demonstrate a significant insight into the practice and was able from his cell to assist police in identifying Ridgway's activities - not previously known or suspected - and which helped with his capture). There was never any suggestion that Rader did likewise. Rader enjoyed watching his victims suffer; he would strangle them to the point of unconsciousness, allow them to recover, and then repeat the process and enjoy the look of fear and horror on his victims' faces. As best as is known, the other two killed quickly!

It was not the routine door-to-door foot-slogging police work that eventually trapped Rader but his own ego. Known to coerce police, Rader was convinced by police that he could not be traced via computer data on disk. He typed a letter using the Church computer and saved it to a floppy disk that was mailed to the police which, unknown to him but known by the police, would probably contain references to his identity or location. It provided his first name and that of the Church! An Internet search on the Church gave Rader's full identity as its warden. He was easily caught and his murderous career ended.

Rader's identity was a shock to his family and the community at large. He had never been considered as a candidate. Rader did have some peculiarities and was not always very popular. As a Dog Warden he was known to be over-officious and excessively reactive, but that would not mean that he could be a murder suspect. He enjoyed the power of limited authority, hence his Church activities, but that would also not be indicative of his criminal activities.

The four co-authors of this book were not part of the official investigating team but TV reporters and researchers who attended the Court case, reported on it, interviewed investigators and family members (the victims' and Rader's). The book is the consequence of their efforts.