Welcome to Episode 14 of the True Crime Review Podcast. This is a True Crime Audio episode, presenting primary source audio (complete with full transcript below) from the trial of Dennis Lynn Rader, who called himself BTK, which stands for “bind, torture, kill.”
This episode is actually the first of a two-part series on B.T.K. and presents his court room confession. The next episode, episode 15, will be a standard episode including news updates and a cold case. Episode 16, our next True Crime Audio episode, will include Rader’s own sentencing mitigation statement and, most importantly, several victim impact statements read aloud in court, in Rader’s presence, by the people whose lives were affected by Rader’s evil.
We go now to the June 27, 2005 confession of Dennis Rader, a.k.a. B.T.K.
[ audio ]
This has been Episode 14 of the True Crime Review Podcast.
This was part one of a two part True Crime Audio series about Dennis Rader, a.k.a. BTK. This episode was the killer’s court room confession.
The next True Crime Audio installment of the True Crime Review Podcast will be Episode 16.
It will include Rader’s sentencing mitigation statement and, most importantly, several victim impact statements made in court by those affected by the evil serial killer’s homicidal acts.

The following is a transcript from the court proceeding which occurred on June 27, 2005 in the Eighteenth Judicial District Court, Sedgwick County, Kansas, Docket Number 05-CR498.

In the Eighteenth Judicial District
District Court, Sedgwick County, Kansas
Criminal Department
Case No. 05 – CR498
Transcript of Pleas of Guilty
Proceedings had before the Honorable Gregory L. Waller, Judge of Division 5 of the Eighteenth Judicial Districtof Kansas, on June 27, 2005.
Murder of the Otero Family
The Defendant: On January 15th, 1974, I maliciously, intentionally and premeditation killed Joseph Otero. Count Two –
The Court: All right. Mr. Rader, I need to find out more information. On that particular day, the 15th day of January, 1974, can you tell me where you went to kill Mr. Joseph Otero?
The Defendant: Mmm, I think it’s 1834 Edgemoor.
The Court: All right. Can you tell me approximately what time of day you went there?
The Defendant: Somewhere between 7:00 and 7:30.
The Court: This particular location, did you know these people?
The Defendant: No. That’s – (Off-the-record discussion between the defendant and Ms. McKinnon.) No, that was part of my – I guess my what you call fantasy. These people were selected.
The Court: All right. So you — (Off-the-record discussion between the defendant and Ms. McKinnon.)
The Court: — you were engaged in some kind of fantasy during this period of time?
The Defendant: Yes, sir.
The Court: All right. Now, where you use the term “fantasy,” is this something you were doing for your personal pleasure?
The Defendant: Sexual fantasy, sir.
The Court: I see. So you went to this residence, and what occurred then?
The Defendant: Well, I had – did some thinking on what I was going to do to either Mrs. Otero or Josephine, and basically broke into the house –or didn’t break into the house, but when they came out of the house I came in and confronted the family, and then we went from there.