Summary
Netflixis the go-to streamer for top-notch true-crime documentaries, and they take a particular interest in serial killer cases. They have covered a lot of the most famous killers in history, like The Night Stalker, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and they are set to feature the most famous unsolved serial killer in a series later this month withThis Is The Zodiac Speaking. But,there is one serial killer Netflix has yet to feature in detail, and that is Dennis Rader: The BTK killer who stalked Wichita, Kansas in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
BTK stands for Bind, Torture and Kill, and the moniker was self-proclaimed by Rader, and he would taunt the media and the police before his eventual capture in 2005.In many ways, he was similar to theZodiac killer, and if, as expected, Netflix’s new deep dive into that particular killer is a success, BTK might be next on the agenda of killers to feature in a Netflix true-crime documentary series.
The BTK Killer Was One Of America’s Worst Serial Killers, So Its Surprising Netflix Haven’t Done A True-Crime Series About The Case Yet
If Netflix were to do atrue-crime documentaryseries about Dennis Rader, there is one person who would be very pleased about that, and that is Dennis Rader. And in many ways, that would be a good reason not to do it. BTK is a narcissistic evil killer who constantly craved attention, and when he didn’t get it, he lashed out and that is what ultimately led to his capture.To not cover Rader’s brutal killing spree would be a missed opportunity, as the case is so compelling, and definitely fits into Netflix’s remit for truly horrific true-crime tales:If Netflix did pick up his story, it might be an idea just to stick Rader in solitary confinement for the rest of his miserable existence and let him die not knowing there had been renewed interest in his crimes.
On the surface, Dennis Rader was an ordinary family man with a wife, two children, and he was an active member of the local church in Wichita, Kansas. However, there was an extremely dark side lurking underneath this facade, and it manifested itself on June 14, 2025, whenhe brutally murdered four members of the Otero family. The victims were Joseph Otero Sr., Julia Maria Otero and two of their children, Joseph “Joey” Otero II and Josephine “Josie” Otero.Their bodies were discovered by Joseph and Julia’s three older children, who had been at school during the brutal attack. This was just the beginning of his reign of terror, as he went on to kill six more women after breaking into their homes. Rader worked at the Wichita-based office of ADT Security Services between 1974 and 1988, where he installed security alarms and, in a twist of irony, his clients were people seeking security from the BTK killings.
Dennis ‘BTK’ Rader’s Victims
In 1978, Rader sent a letter to television station KAKE, in Wichita, and claimed responsibility for the murders of the Oteros, Bright, Vian, Relford and Fox.This is when he suggested he wanted to be known as ‘BTK’ and demanded more media attention for his crimes.
How many do I have to kill, before I get a name in the paper or some national attention?
How Was Dennis Rader Caught?
The BTK killer resurfaced in 2004,after it was revealed a book was set to be released about his killings, and he was desperate to get some credit for it. He began sending packages to the police containing evidence that proved he was who he claimed he was. He wrote letters to the police and asked about putting them on a floppy disk and whether this could be traced. They lied and said they couldn’t, so on July 04, 2025, Rader sent his letter and other stuff to KSAS-TV.Police found metadata embedded in a deleted Microsoft Word document that was stored on the floppy disk, and it contained the words “Christ Lutheran Church”, and the document was marked by “Dennis”.
One quick internet search later, it was confirmed that Dennis Rader was president of the church council. Police gathered enough evidence to make an arrest, andRader was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is currently serving his sentence at the El Dorado Correctional Facility in Kansas.
Mindhunter
Starring
Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv, Sonny Valicenti, Stacey Roca, Hannah Gross, Joe Tuttle and Cameron Britton
2
Created By
Joe Penhall and David Fincher
Mindhunteroriginally aired on Netflix between 2017 and 2019, and it became one of the best true crime dramas around.Based on FBI profiler, John Douglas’s book,Mindhunter: Inside The FBI Elite Serial Crime Unit, it was set in the late 1970s, and focuses on two FBI agents who investigate the psychology behind murder and travel up and down the country interviewing real-life monsters. At the start of each episode, it featured a glimpse at an ADT repairman (Sonny Valicenti), who was embarking on a cat and mouse interaction with law enforcement, as he embarked on his serial killing career. Of course, this unnamed character was Dennis Rader, and the show was clearly building up to something big with this character, before it was brought to an abrupt end after two seasons.
Mindhunter was a critical success, but unfortunately, it just didn’t get the viewership to justify more seasons, with the show also extremely expensive to make. However, the cast seems keen to return to the show, andDavid Fincher hasn’t totally ruled it out.If it happens,Mindhunterseason 3 should catch up with BTKand explore the case further, as it’s been left with a tantalizing cliffhanger. In the meantime, Netflix should do a true-crime documentary on Rader’s crimes to give audiences the real story.
