WICHITA, Kansas, Aug 17, 2005 -- Dennis Rader has already confessed to being the BTK killer. On Wednesday morning, the prosecution began their case during his sentencing to demonstrate to the court that his crimes were heinous and deserved the maximum penalty.
During Wednesday morningÂ’s testimony, Judge Waller heard testimony relating to the Otero family, Nancy Fox and Shirley Vian murders.
Security was tight in the courtroom with eight deputies on hand as the hearing began around 9:00 a.m.
Jeff Davis, son of BTK victim Dolores Davis, was staring hard at Dennis Rader from the minute he walked into the room through the first hour and a half of proceedings.
THE OTERO FAMILY CASE
Most of Wednesday morningÂ’s testimony centered on the 1974 murder of the Otero family. Carmen and Charlie Otero were in attendance and often broke down, crying, as graphic crime scene photos were shown.
The first witness to take the stand was Special Agent Ray Lundin, with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Lundin had interviewed Dennis Rader shortly after his arrest and said BTK admitted an obsession with Hispanic women.
"He said that he had always been attracted to Hispanic-looking people -- dark eyes, dark hair, dark skin -- that he was particularly enchanted with young women. I think that Josey was the one who primarily caught his eye and he indicated to us that that was his primary target," said Lundin.
Rader clearly focused on those two targets -- Julie Otero, the mother and 11-year-old Josephine. He said he planned to have sex and strangle them.That plan nearly backfired when Rader showed up to the Otero home and Joseph Sr. and Joseph Jr. were there.
"I believe he had every intent, even before he entered the door, of committing this act.I think his only surprise was that he encountered some difficulties that he hadnÂ’t planned on.I think he believed that Mrs. Otero and Josey would be home alone, that her husband and son wouldnÂ’t be there," said Lundin.
Testimony from the second witness, Larry Thomas, assistant director of the KBI, was somewhat gruesome.He said that Joseph Otero, Sr. chewed through a plastic bag that Dennis Rader had put over his head. As the strangling and asphyxiation continued, apparently Rader learned and he started using t-shirts over their heads before putting plastic bags on.
"There was two t-shirts and one bag," over the head of Joseph Jr. said Thomas.
Thomas said Rader told him it was, "So that he couldnÂ’t breathe through it and couldnÂ’t chew through it.
As Joseph Otero, Jr. lay suffocating, Rader brought a chair in and placed it in the room.
"There was a chair that was later determined had been brought in from another room. It had been placed just inside the doorway facing the bed and the floor in front of the bed. He said he had put the chair there to watch," said Thomas.
Some of the hardest testimony to listen to was related to the murder of 11-year-old Josephine Otero. She was found hanging from a sewer pipe in the basement.
"Basically, he had removed some of her clothing and retied her. He commented that he didnÂ’t have sex with her. He may have touched on her or felt on her a little bit. He had already been downstairs and discovered the sewer pipe that he suspended the rope over. He said he had the rope prepared," said Thomas.
"As he walked her over to that position, he first asked for a camera because he wanted to take a picture. She responded that she did not have a camera. She then asked Â’what is going to happen to me?Â’ He told her that she would soon be in heaven with the others."
Rader also told detectives that he believed in the afterlife and that members of the Otero family would be his personal slaves there.
When testimony was given that Rader had pulled up a chair to watch Joseph Otero, Jr. die, Rader continually shook his head as if to say Â’No, thatÂ’s not the way it happened.Â’
He did look down when some of the crime scene photos were shown but, as usual, he normally expressed no emotion.
In a photo recovered from his Park City office that was shown in court but not aired, Dennis Rader is seen dressed in womenÂ’s underwear, bound. He had apparently hung himself from a pipe in his parentÂ’s basement.
KATHRYN BRIGHT HOMICIDE
According to testimony by Wichita Police Detective Clint Snyder regarding the Kathryn Bright murder, Dennis Rader told him that he had "trolled" for her many times, calling her "Project Lights Out".
Rader also told Snyder that Kathryn Bright was a "sweet kid".
According to Snyder, when Bright was found she was clutching to a phone and was able to show police where she had been stabbed.
Snyder said Rader told him that when he struggled with KathrynÂ’s brother, Kevin, he did the "John Wayne thing" when he shot him.
During the testimony, Kathryn BrightÂ’s father kept dabbing his eyes and taking deep breaths as several graphic pictures were shown of the crime scene and autopsy.
Rader told Snyder that Kathryn BrightÂ’s role in the afterlife would be that of his personal sex / bondage girl.
Along with the graphic nature of the crimes, we also heard how Rader did not want to get caught.
"He didnÂ’t want police to make the linkage between the Otero murders and the Kathryn Bright murder. He wanted to change his M.O. so that police would think that this was a different crime committed by a different perpetrator," said Snyder.
Even during his interview with Rader said he had just gotten "outsmarted" by police and had not expected to get caught.
SHIRLEY VIAN MURDER
Next on the stand was Detective Timothy Relph, testifying on the Shirley Vian case.
According to Gouge, Rader described himself on the day of VianÂ’s murder as being dressed "James Bond-style".
Reportedly, Shirley Vian told Rader she was very sick and he tried to comfort her.
We also saw images of Shirley VianÂ’s legs bound. Rader had referred to that as "high stuff" in the bondage world.
Most disturbing was testimony that ShirleyÂ’s three children, shut in the bathroom at the time, were able to peek out of the door and see what was happening to their mother. They were begging Dennis Rader to stop but he told them that if they came out he would "blow their heads off."
Rader also told Gouge that the Vian children were very lucky that the phone rang while he was killing their mother because he had every intention of repeating the Otero crime and killing them as well.
Steven Relford, one of ShirleyÂ’s sons, was in the courtroom during the testimony. He was visibly shaken.
Rader had said during his plea that he had shown a photograph to Steven Relford, one of ShirleyÂ’s children, in order to gain his confidence and appear to be a detective looking for the woman in the picture.
"I asked him what photograph he had shown Steven and he said it was actually a photograph of his own wife and his own son," said Gouge.
NANCY FOX
The next case discussed was that of Nancy Fox. Rader dubbed her as "Project Fox Hunt."
Rader had described this "project" as being "what I call a perfect -- a perfect hit. Although she gave me a lot of verbal static, she cooperated, she didnÂ’t fight me."
Investigators testified that Rader told them, "I had complete control of her, thatÂ’s why it was one of the more -- more enjoyable kills, as I call them."
At one point, Rader described to investigators that he had choked her enough with a belt to black out but then he released the pressure so that she could revive a little.
Rader was quoted as saying, "I had her come back and I whispered in her ear a little bit. I told her I was BTK, I was a bad guy. And then she really squirmed and then -- I pulled -- put the pressure down on it."
ThatÂ’s when he finished killing her.
MARINE HEDGE
During testimony regarding Marine Hedge, RaderÂ’s "Project Cookie", he was quoted as saying "Ooh, this will be a biggy if I can," meaning if he could kill someone so close to his own home.
Hedge lived just down the street from Rader in Park City.
Sgt. Tom Lee of the Sedgwick County SheriffÂ’s Department testified to what Rader had told him about the case.
"He advised that he waited in the closet for quite a while. He heard a male leave. He waited a little while longer, crept to the bathroom, turned the light on and saw that she was laying in bed and he jumped on her."
"She started to scream and he put his hand over her mouth and he started to Â’throttle herÂ’ as he called it."
VICKI WEGERLE
Rader referred to Vicki Wegerle as "Project Piano" because he would hear her playing the piano in her home as he was stalking her for about three weeks.
Wichita Police Detective Kelly Otis said Rader told him that Vicki fought harder than any of the other victims.
"He said that, during the fight, she Â’nicked him.Â’ He indicated that she had scratched him, he said on the face. In his written document, he documented that she had scratched him on his neck."
It was when Vicki scratched him that she got some of his skin under her fingernails. The DNA retrieve there was later matched with DNA found in the basement of the Otero home and on Nancy FoxÂ’s robe.
Rader said he was disappointed with the Wegerle murder because he had to act too quickly and didnÂ’t get time to "enjoy it."
In fact, it was later determined that VickiÂ’s husband actually passed Rader driving VickiÂ’s car away from the scene as he was coming home for lunch.
DOLORES DAVIS
Rader referred to DavisÂ’ murder as "Project Dogside" because she lived on Hillside and there was a dog kennel nearby.
He admitted that he started to get lazy with DavisÂ’ murder because, again, he was trolling near his own neighborhood, something "serial killerÂ’s donÂ’t do."
In fact, he once spooked DavisÂ’ cat while "trolling" around her home.
We later learned that Rader was at a Boy Scout function in Harvey County called the "TrapperÂ’s Rendezvous." He used that as an alibi to commit the murder.
RECESSED FOR THE DAY
During testimony for Dolores DavisÂ’ case, Judge Waller recessed court until 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
