On This Day

Dennis Rader is sentenced to 175 years in prison for the BTK (bind, torture, kill) serial killings in Sedgwick County, K

Dennis Rader is sentenced to 175 years in prison for the BTK (bind, torture, kill) serial killings in Sedgwick County, Kansas

Dennis Lynn Rader, better known by his pseudonym BTK (for "bind, torture, kill"), is an American serial killer and mass murderer who murdered at least ten people in Wichita and Park City, Kansas, between 1974 and 1991. Although he occasionally killed or attempted to kill men and children, Rader typically targeted women. His victims were often attacked in their homes and then bound, sometimes with objects from their homes, and either suffocated with a plastic bag or manually strangled with a ligature.

In a series of crimes that terrorized Wichita in the mid-to-late 1970s, Rader also initiated a series of taunting letters sent to police and media outlets, describing his crimes in detail and referring to himself as "BTK".

Historical Significance

Dennis Lynn Rader, better known by his pseudonym BTK (for "bind, torture, kill"), is an American serial killer and mass murderer who murdered at least ten people in Wichita and Park City, Kansas, between 1974 and 1991.

Events Before

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  2. Britney Spears has her surprise marriage annulled less than 55 hours after tying the knot with childhood friend Jason Al

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  3. Mark Zuckerberg launches Facebook from his Harvard dormitory room

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  4. American singer-songwriter Solange Knowles (17) weds Texas Southern University football player Daniel Smith (19) at Old

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  5. Luciano Pavarotti performs in his final opera, "Tosca," at New York's Metropolitan Opera

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Events After

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    Sydney, Australia, swelters through its hottest New Year's Day on record, with the temperature peaking at 45.8 degrees Celsius, sparking bushfires and power outages

  2. American actor Eddie Murphy (44) divorces Nicole Mitchell after 13 years of marriage

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  3. Actor-writer Charlie Shanian (39) divorces former Beverly Hills, 90210 actress Tori Spelling (32) only 15 months after t

    Actor-writer Charlie Shanian (39) divorces former Beverly Hills, 90210 actress Tori Spelling (32) only 15 months after their lavish $1-million wedding

  4. Nepalese security forces open fire on pro-democracy protesters demonstrating against King Gyanendra, injuring hundreds.

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  5. "Dallas" actress Victoria Principal (56) divorces plastic surgeon Harry Glassman (63) due to irreconcilable differences

    "Dallas" actress Victoria Principal (56) divorces plastic surgeon Harry Glassman (63) due to irreconcilable differences after nearly 21 years of marriage

More from the 2000s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 18, 2005?
Dennis Lynn Rader, better known by his pseudonym BTK (for "bind, torture, kill"), is an American serial killer and mass murderer who murdered at least ten people in Wichita and Park City, Kansas, between 1974 and 1991. Although he occasionally killed or attempted to kill men and children, Rader typically targeted women. His victims were often attacked in their homes and then bound, sometimes with objects from their homes, and either suffocated with a plastic bag or manually strangled with a ligature.
Why is Dennis Rader is sentenced to 175 years in prison for the BTK (bind, torture, ... significant?
Dennis Lynn Rader, better known by his pseudonym BTK (for "bind, torture, kill"), is an American serial killer and mass murderer who murdered at least ten people in Wichita and Park City, Kansas, between 1974 and 1991.

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