A&E To Air Two-Night Special, BTK: Confession of a Serial Killer
Dennis Lynn Rader, also known as “BTK,” an acronym he gave himself standing for “Blind, Torture, Kill,” is one of the most infamous killers in recent American history. “BTK: Confession of a Serial Killer,” a two-part documentary event, examines the horrific crimes and psyche of the notorious serial killer and provides unprecedented access into the mind of Rader, who is currently serving 10 consecutive life sentences in El Dorado Correctional Facility.
Dr. Katherine Ramsland, whose correspondence with Rader has spanned a decade and is still on-going, shares the intimate details of Rader’s past and his gruesome murders while providing insight to arm criminologists and law enforcement on how to better identify and potentially deter extreme violent offenders in the future. Having worked with Dennis Rader for over a decade, Dr. Ramsland has forged a rapport in an effort to meticulously detail Rader’s progression from quintessential family man to The BTK Killer.
“Through her deep and extraordinary work mapping some of the darkest corners of the human psyche, Dr. Ramsland has performed an invaluable service to law enforcement and the country at large. Her insights become tools with which we can identify other monsters like BTK earlier in their evolution, and I am pleased to further Dr. Ramsland’s mission through this important and gripping new series” said Dick Wolf.
The renowned professor of forensic psychology and author leads the examination of his transformation from an American boy to an American monster who wreaked havoc in Wichita, Kansas and went uncaptured for thirty years. With exclusive phone conversations with Rader himself, eye-opening new archival, comprehensive interviews, and access to Rader’s drawings and coded diaries all paired with Dr. Ramsland’s expertise, viewers get to know the man behind the moniker, the truth behind the headlines and a glimpse at the secrets Rader is still holding onto.
“BTK: Confession of a Serial Killer” sheds new light on Rader’s double life as both an upstanding citizen and a heartless killer, showcasing the intimate details of Rader’s past and his gruesome murders while providing insight on how to better identify and potentially deter extreme violent offenders in the future.
The two-night documentary event airs on A&E on Saturday, January 8 and Sunday, January 9 at 9pm ET/PT.
