Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

 

While law enforcement considers that likelihood that Dennis Rader is BTK, others ask what could have happened in his life (or in the life of any person), that would allow him to become such a vicious killer. How could one of four Rader brothers (Dennis Rader 2006Dennis being the older), a son of a loving mother and “a tough but decent and strict” father who was a former Marine who died in 1996; a former Boy Scout; a U.S. Air Force veteran; a former home alarm installer; the married father of two grown children; the president of his local church; and, a local sworn code enforcement officer— be connected to these brutal crimes?

When we consider criminals— especially killers, and particularly serial killers— we look for individuals considered to be sociopaths, psychopaths, or antisocial personalities, the title of such a person related to whether you are a cop, a lawyer, or a psychiatrist. No matter the name you give such a person or personality, you are basically talking about the same individual.  In the case of BTK, how could someone could commit such heinous crimes and still live with himself? Let’s go behind the mask and into the mind of a serial killer

 

To begin with, you must first consider living life without a functioning conscience. You never experience real concern, real shame, and any feeling of guilt or responsibility for any action that you take.  Society and the people within it are constrained by conscience, but you are not.  Therefore those around you are weak and locked into their politically and socially correct behaviors, but not you.  You can do anything you want to anyone you choose, and your only concern is not getting caught .

 

The pain and suffering of others means nothing to you. You are smart, power hungry, and you love to dominate and control others. You are responsible to no one but yourself, and you are bored easily, therefore you like to take chances and risks and your other special life and personality—one that you’ve successfully hid from those around you, is built on risk taking and out smarting others.  You have read about other serial killers, you have watched all the cop and CSI shows on television and the movies, you know all the right moves, and you could have been a cop, a damn good cop, but you chose otherwise (or you couldn’t get in).

If you are employed, you seek a job that gives you power over others, because power is the ultimate drug, and you can’t get enough of it.  In the case of a serial killer, you know that ultimate power is the power of life and death over others, and that’s you.  You take special satisfaction that you are able to carry on your diabolical activities in your same community, even denying your wife and family (also ultimate victims of your nefarious activities) any knowledge of your secret identity.  You wear the mask of society and responsibility well.  It is only when the mask is removed that the killings Driver License Picturebegin, and you don’t want them to end.  There will be some leakage of your personality though.  You are overconfident to a fault.  Some will believe that you are power hungry, call you a jerk, or believe that you are so scary that they will not want to be around you.  But for others, your mask stays in place—they’ll never guess

he results of this desire for recognition and attention may well be what drove BTK to re-contact the media and law enforcement after this long period of time.  He couldn’t just retire and buy a small home in Florida and take his secret to the grave, for to do so would deny him the ultimate credit he believed he was due. Thinking himself smarter than all who pursued him, he gave more and more clues to his identity taunting law enforcement, the media, and his neighbors, until one name rose above all other suspects.

Then we witnessed the arrest of Dennis Rader husband, father, community official, and now suspected serial killer. Although his local community can now sleep with their lights turned out, they will still lie awake at night wondering why he did what he did, and what makes him different from any of us.

who you and, and of what you are capable.  It’s your secret alone.

Something may eventually be missing in your life though.  What’s missing is the credit, the special attention that you should be due.  After all, who else could have done what you’ve done; who else is as smart and cunning as you?  How do you get the attention that is surely due you after all these years? 

back to top