The BTK Killer unmasked. Mindhunter fans will definitely be watching this.
During the first two seasons of Mindhunter, Denis Rader has been a haunting and ominous presence throughout.
Given the more public profiles of Charles Manson and David Berkowitz (Son of Sam), it's understandable if Mindhunter viewers were more intrigued about how those killers would be portrayed in Season 2 of the Netflix drama.
However, it's arguable that Rader has left a more lasting impression on viewers, mainly due to the mysterious way that he has consistently been depicted in the show.
In Season 2, viewers were given brief glimpses of the mysterious ADT security worker that also appeared in Season 1- the character is played by Sonny Valicent.
It turns out that Valicent's unnamed character is in fact the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader.
Named after his M.O. (Bind, Torture, Kill), Rader murdered 10 people in the Wichita area between 1974 and 1991, but he went unidentified and un-captured until the 21st century.
The BTK Killer committed murders from 1975 through 1991 before going dormant. He was only captured in 2005 after he started to write letters to local press in a bid to take credit for his crimes.
After sending the police a floppy disk, the authorities were able to trace it back to his location and catch him.
Sky have announced that they'll be showing an episode of
World’s Most Evil Killers that will document Rader's crimes.
In terms of the episode synopsis, it states: "Perhaps one of the most sadistic serial killers on record, Dennis Rader himself coined his nickname – the BTK Killer, an acronym for bind, torture, kill.
"Growing up, he displayed all the hallmarks of a disturbed individual that posed a danger to others – he would torture and kill animals, and also harboured sadistic sexual fantasies involving torturing trapped, helpless women, often acting out his fantasies by dressing as a woman while spying on his neighbours.
"In 1974, the bodies of the Otero family, aged 9 to 38, were found in their own home, and Rader sent letters to media outlets claiming responsibility and taunting law enforcement. More victims would follow, but Rader would not be caught until 2005."
World’s Most Evil Killers - Dennis Rader airs on Tuesday 28 January at 9pm on Sky Crime and NOW TV.
Mindhunter fans are bound to be tuned in.
