A dramatic and compelling true-crime psychological thriller This incredible story shows how John Douglas tracked and participated in the hunt for one of the most notorious serial killers in U.S. history. For 31 years a man who called himself BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill) terrorized the city of Wichita, Kansas, sexually assaulting and strangling a series of women, taunting the police with frequent communications, and bragging about his crimes to local newspapers and TV stations. After disappearing for nine years, he suddenly reappeared, complaining that no one was paying enough attention to him and claiming that he had committed other crimes for which he had not been given credit. When he was ultimately captured, BTK was shockingly revealed to be Dennis Rader, a 61-year-old married man with two children.
Table of Contents:
Preface to the Paperback Edition ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 1
Act One: My Lifelong Hunt for BTK 11
Act Two: The Capture and Arrest of BTK 111
Act Three: Meeting BTK: An Exclusive Interview 273
About the Authors 337
Index 339
About the Author :
John Douglas, a former FBI agent and pioneer serial killer profiler, is one of the most successful true crime authors in the country. He is the author of the New York Times number one best seller Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, which first introduced the public to the idea of psychological profiles as a tool in hunting down killers. Douglas served as technical advisor for the film The Silence of the Lambs, much of which was based on his work. He has consulted on thousands of cases worldwide providing case analysis, interview and interrogation techniques, investigative strategies, prosecutorial strategies, and expert testimony. Since his retirement in 1995 from the FBI, Douglas has been donating pro bono assistance whenever possible to police and victims of violent crime. Mr. Douglas lives near Washington, D.C.
Johnny Dodd is a writer at People magazine who lives in the Los Angeles area.
Review :
"...It's an unforgettable portrait of a guy most of us are glad we never met." (Bloomberg.com, November 8, 2007) Legendary profiler and bestselling author Douglas (Mindhunter), who pioneered the FBI's systematic study of serial killers, offers his insights into one of this country's most chilling killers—Dennis Rader, a seemingly innocuous family man and municipal employee, whose brutal murders terrorized Wichita, Kans., for three decades. Identifying himself by the initials BTK (for Bind, Torture, Kill), Rader (who in 2005 pled guilty to 10 murders and is serving consecutive life sentences) taunted the press and law enforcement, striking at random in savage attacks that often decimated families, and then confounded his pursuers with long dormant periods. With the aid of People magazine writer Dodd, Douglas nicely weaves the story of his own development as a profiler with the history of BTK's crimes and his own role in the investigation, drawing on analyses he developed early on in the rampage; he noted, for instance, “the razor sharp control” the killer maintained after his crimes. While the stomach-turning story of BTK's crimes has been told by others, Douglas's unique professional experience and his exclusive personal access to Rader offers a different perspective, even as the answer to the question of how such a monster comes to be remains elusive. (Oct.) (Publishers Weekly, August 20, 2007)
