Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of BTK, the Serial Killer Next Door

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This riveting chronological narrative of Wichita's infamous Bind Torture Kill (BTK) murders is one of the finest true crime books I've ever read, as well as the definitive account of the crimes (and capture) of the churchgoing citizen serial killer Dennis Rader. What made the BTK case so unusual, of course, was the very ordinary nature of the killer himself, a Boy Scout (who learned his knots all too well), civil servant, husband, and father to two. No one could believe that this solid member of the community could have committed such heinous acts, or that he could have gotten away with his crimes for decades. Unfortunately even this comprehensive and well-written book can't answer the ultimate mystery: what made BTK kill? He was NOT the product of an abusive or alcoholic home. Yet from early adolescence he was driven by sexual compulsions he could not control, which somehow caused him to confuse sex with bondage and suffering in his mind. At any rate, this book is a page-turner if ever there was one; I defy you to put it down until you finish it. IMO this title is FAR superior to FBI profiler John Douglas' book on the same subject. Highly recommended.

Dennis Rader also known as BTK Killer which stands for Bind, Torture, and Kill murdered over ten innocent people over the period of 30 years. He had led a double life of devoted husband and father in Wichita, Kansas. He was also a serial killer who murdered the entire Otero family on January 15, 1974. The book is well-written and told by the people who were directly involved in the investigation and case. Since January 15, 1974 when the Oteros were brutally murdered, Wichita had learned that there was a monster in the mist. For over 30 years, people particularly women checked to make sure the phone lines weren't cut as they entered their homes. Women were terrified because the main target of his BTK's victims are women. Rader's secret life was complicated by his obligations as husband, father, and Christian. While the police wondered why BTK stopped killing, it was because he was busy. Rader was smart, calculated, slick, and purely evil in determining his victims. He stalked them, followed them, monitored them, and watched their habits before he attacked like a predator to the prey, BTK knew he didn't want to get caught because he was ashamed of how his other life as husband and father would be shattered. He also worked in the security business ADT setting up alarms. Think of the irony, here was a man who installed security systems because of the BTK killings. Rader knew no mercy towards his victims. When he wasn't raping and killing, he posed and wore his victims clothing. The authors of this collaborative effort did an amazing job in putting the story together. It's not without effort that this is probably the best book on the BTK case that I have read so far. Also, the book goes insides those affected by the case that went unsolved for so long. Wichita lived in horror and terror for over 30 years. The terrorism that BTK inflicted upon Wichita for so long affected those residents. Rader also knew how to play games with the police, press, and his victims. One victim, Anna Williams, came home to find her home burgled and then she later learned that she was a potential victim of BTK from a chilling note. Rader loved to play deadly games of scaring people. He had changed his modus operandi several times which threw off police. Unlike Bundy, Gacy, and Dahmer, Rader is fascinating because he knew how to be careful, controlling, and deadly at the same. He watched, stalked, wrote notes, and learned how to pick his victims carefully. He made notes on when to attack to rape and kill his potential victims. He defiled his victims by posing their dead bodies and even wearing the victims' clothing at times. He showed no mercy towards even the youngest of victims and would have gladly killed Shirley's children if he had the time and change but the phone rang constantly. He is now spending the rest of his life in prison but nothing will make up for the terror and horror of the residents of Wichita and it's surrounding area of what BTK had done to them. It is n

Straight forward storytelling with great accuracy and full details. One of the best books I've read this past year.

This book is fascinating. It is an "insider" account into the BTK murders in Kansas. It is well-written and factual, often clearing up many misconceptions about BTK from the mass media. It is a must read for anyone interested in serial crime, especially those who are interested in how law enforcement solves crime. Some parts of the book are disturbing, be forewarned. A+ for "Bind, Torture, Kill."

Unfortunately, this is a true story, about a serial killer in Kansas, known as the "BTK" Killer. (Bind, Torture, Kill.) His name is Dennis Rader, and any further reference to him in this review will be as "Monster", because he is that, and much more. This book, is written by four journalists, with the Wichita Eagle, who were probably, more intertwined with this case, than any newspaper was with a crime, in modern history. The author's hit the ground running, and never slow down throughout this story. They really did a marvelous job, of recreating this heinous, debauchery, that spanned over 3 decades. What stands out to the reader, like a shining light, is the moral compass that guided this Wichita newspaper. They constantly had to make the decision, of whether to be like, almost every other newspaper, large or small in the country, and give in to sensationalism, and headlines, or truly care, about saving, even one more innocent life. They continually, chose the high road, and used restraint, rather than, short-term glory. I have read an awful lot of criminal psychology, and serial killer books, and have never heard of any "long term" cooperation, between the media and police, for the "better good", rather than headlines, as this book conveys! Above and beyond, the demented physical destruction, the monster created, is the fear, at the realization, that the monster, existed in the midst of all of us. He went to school at Wichita State University, where he majored in Administration Of Justice, he worked for the Alarm Company ADT, he was active in the Boy Scouts, and in his church. After his capture, he showed the fact, that you couldn't even consider this monster human, as he made comments such as: "Serial killing was like fishing, sometimes you're unlucky." There is so much more I could write, but it's better if you read it for yourself. The writing is excellently paced, so that even though it covers three decades, there are no lulls in the story.