Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of BTK, the Serial Killer Next Door (Mass Market Paperback)

by Roy Wenzl (Author), Tim Potter (Author), Hurst Laviana (Author), L. Kelly (Author)
Key Phrases: quadruple homicide, homicide section, anniversary story, The Eagle, Park City, Dennis Rader (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

For thirty-one years, a monster terrorized the residents of Wichita, Kansas. A bloodthirsty serial killer, self-named "BTK"—for "bind them, torture them, kill them"—he slaughtered men, women, and children alike, eluding the police for decades while bragging of his grisly exploits to the media. The nation was shocked when the fiend who was finally apprehended turned out to be Dennis Rader—a friendly neighbor . . . a devoted husband . . . a helpful Boy Scout dad . . . the respected president of his church.

Written by four award-winning crime reporters who covered the story for more than twenty years, Bind, Torture, Kill is the most intimate and complete account of the BTK nightmare told by the people who were there from the beginning. With newly released documents, evidence, and information—and with the full cooperation, for the very first time, of the Wichita Police Department’s BTK Task Force—the authors have put all the pieces of the grisly puzzle into place, thanks to their unparalleled access to the families of the killer and his victims.

About the Author

Roy Wenzl, Tim Potter, L. Kelly, and Hurst Laviana are award-winning journalists for The Wichita Eagle, and are all intimately acquainted with the BTK case through the Eagle.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Harper (May 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061373958
• ISBN-13: 978-0061373954
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #30,120 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #17 in	Books > Nonfiction > True Accounts > Serial Killers
  #51 in	Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Specific Groups > Criminals

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars BTK -- The DEFINITIVE Story, July 8, 2007

By	Denny Myers (Yukon, Oklahoma USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Next Door (Hardcover)

Many of the writers and participants in the BTK saga participated in this, the truly definitive story of Dennis Rader and how he terrorized the city of Wichita, Kansas for 30 years.

Unprecedented in the annals of true detective stories, the BTK serial killings continue to baffle the best and brightest of the Wichita PD, KBI and FBI. After a silence of many years, BTK resurfaced. The Wichita PD sank every resource at their disposal into a renewed effort to find this diabolically twisted serial murderer. Millions of federal, state and local dollars were committed to the project. And, one day, BTK made his first mistake and was caught on camera. His second mistake followed as he "communicated" with the Wichita PD with a floppy disk.

Other than the Wichita PD and numerous detectives, there was no one more involved with the case than reporters of the Wichita Eagle newspaper and certain other media reporters in the area.

It is from this "intimate" knowledge of the case that this book springs.

If you have read any other book on the BTK Killer, throw them away, this is the only one that you will every need to refer back to.

The book was extremely well done. And I would highly recommend it.

This is the greatest detective story of our lifetimes ....... It is well worth the money. You will not be disappointed.

Densel Myers
Raised in Wichita, Kansas
Yukon, Oklahoma

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First rate true crime, September 4, 2007

By	kevnm "kevnm" (Costa Mesa, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Next Door (Hardcover)

This strong account of the BTK case benefits from access to the investigators, and manages to shape a lot of interesting history into a swift, compelling narrative. The story is presented chronologically, and deftly conveys the fear loose in Wichita along with the mounting frustration of the police. Slowly, BTK fades away, only to surface years later via a series of communications with police and media. Finally, a trap is sprung. This will be a satisfying read for most true crime devotees, as the persistance of law enforcement and the ego of the the perpetrator bring the case to a satisfying conclusion. The authors are particularly effective in their depiction of Rader as, not some kind of criminal genius, but as a rather shallow nobody. They are also sensitive to the toll these crimes took on innocent people. Good read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brutal killer tortures victims until they are dead, November 1, 2008

By	Cy B. Hilterman "Cy. Hilterman" (Cherry Tree, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The BTK killings began, as far as is known, in 1974 in Wichita, Kansas when four of the Otero family were found dead in their own home by their children coming home from school. Dennis Rader was a family man that, in all appearances, loved his family. Dennis Rader was NOT a nice man. He was the BTK killer who had started his life of fantasy sex and thrills with the Otero killings. He was careful not to leave any evidence around but took souvenirs from his crime sites. At that time little was known about DNA but its beginning was near so the police kept anything they thought would help in the future to help find this killer. The Otero killings by BTK were very violent as the bodies were posed after Rader had strangled them or had started to strangle so he could play with them while they died by taking photos, have his sexual fantasy's, and, if not dead, would make sure they were before he left. He spread his joy further by masturbating on the clothes or even on the dead people themselves.

The killing continued over long periods of time. Many police departments, state, local, and federal, were eventually brought in to the case. The four reporters that wrote this book did an excellent job of recreating the crimes while writing for the Wichita Eagle newspaper, while all along cooperating with the various authorities so the killer did not know the details of the case that was known. Richard LaMunyon was Chief of the Wichita Police Department when these crimes started. He had a lot of organizing to do while keeping panic down as much as possible. But, the people of Wichita could not help but become scared and worried with every move they made whether inside or out of their homes not knowing when this killer would strike again.

Kenny Landwehr was in his teens when the murders started. Kenny always wanted to be a cop and eventually did. He was promoted to Detective on the Wichita Police force in 1986. He was learning fast. He was made head of the Homicide Bureau and became even more involved in BTK's activities. He eventually made Lieutenant and worked day and night on the case. Lundwehr was by far not the only one working the case. Many from other law enforcement agencies were getting deeper into the investigation.

Rader got a job as Animal Code Enforcement Officer, a job that enabled him to get closer to his future victims and also get more strict with those people hoping he could get in their homes and seek his future methods of killing. The hunt for the BTK killer went on for years. Authorities and the press would think the killing had stopped when another victim would show up only to reinforce the fear of Wichita.

I felt occasionally the story got a bit too detailed but in general the BTK killer worked off of details and was sure to leave his handiwork so all would know it was the BTK killer again this time. Dennis Rader was a sadist. His family never had any idea what he was doing when he told his family he had to go someplace and do this or that. They never suspected what he was doing and had a hard time believing it when he was caught and charged. There is lots of gore in the book as it tells quite well what Rader did before and after his killings.