BTK History

The Otero family

Editor's note: The following is an Eagle transcript some of Dennis Rader's court testimony Monday. Some of the content is graphic, and reader discretion is advised.

Nancy Fox

Rader: Nancy Fox was another one of the projects. When I was trolling the area, I noticed her go into the house one night and anyway put her down as a potential.

Kathryn Bright

Editor's note: The following is an Eagle transcript of some of Dennis Rader's court testimony Monday. Some of the content is graphic, and reader discretion is advised.

Marine Hedge

Rader: Well, actually, kind of like the others, she was chosen. I went through the different phases, stalking phase, and since she lived down the street from me I could watch the comings and goings quite easily. On that particular day, I had another commitment. I came back from that commitment, and parked my car over at Woodlawn and 21st Street at the bowling alley there at that time. Before that, I had some other clothes on, changed clothes. I went to the bowling alley, went in there under the pretense of bowling. Called a taxi. Had a taxi take me out to Park City. Had my kit in the bowling bag.

Shirley Vian Relford

Waller: Can you tell me what you did on that day?

Vicki Wegerle

Rader: Again, Vicki Wegerle was another potential victim. I went through those different phases, I locked in on her as I would call it, and decided I would try that day. I used a ruse as a telephone repairman to get into her house. I drove over there in my own personal car around lunchtime, or it was earlier in the morning than that. I actually went somewhere else and changed my clothes, what I call my "hit" clothes.

Rader's testimony

Editor's note: The following is an Eagle transcript of some of Dennis Rader's court testimony Monday. Some of the content is graphic, and reader discretion is advised.

Dolores Davis

Rader: That particular day I had some commitments. I left those, went to one place, changed my clothes, went to another place, parked my car, finally made arrangements on my hit kit, my clothes, and walked to that residence. After spending some time at that residence, it was very cold that night and I had some reservations about going in. I had cased the place before and she was in the house, so I finally just selected a concrete block and threw it through the plate glass window on the east and came on in.

JOSEPH OTERO

There was Joseph Otero the dad -- sometimes stern with high expectations for his five children. Report cards with B's required explanations.

SHIRLEY VIAN

What Shirley Vian's son Steven Relford remembers about his mother is that she sang in a church choir. She liked to sing.

KATHRYN BRIGHT

"When I think of Kathy," said Marcia Brown, "I think of laughter."

JULIE OTERO

Julie Otero was a lot tougher than she looked, her son Charlie remembers.

VICKI WEGERLE

Vicki Wegerle loved children -- her own as well as others -- say those who knew her.

DOLORES DAVIS

Amy Davis remembers the nutty things Grandma did.

JOSEPHINE OTERO

Eleven-year-old Josephine Otero was known as "the new girl" among her sixth-grade peers at Adams Elementary School in the fall of 1973.

MARINE HEDGE

In a sweet Southern voice reminiscent of her Arkansas roots, Marine Hedge always prefaced each sentence with "says well."

JOSEPH OTERO II

Joseph Otero II was the baby of the family, but he wasn't babied.

'BTK' made first contact through newspaper in '74

The first contact from the BTK Strangler was made in October 1974, when he said in a letter that he was responsible for the slayings of four members of the Joseph Otero family and warned: "The monster goes on."

City's 'BTK Strangler' claims he's killed 7

Tape of BTK call aired; police are hoping for ID

A Wichita television and radio station began broadcasting a police tape of the BTK Strangler's voice Tuesday in the hope that someone will be able to identify the man who claims to have killed seven persons.