Pre Sentence Investigation 1

Pre Sentence Investigation Report

Name

Class

Date

Professor

Pre Sentence Investigation 2

Dennis Radar the BTK Killer

To: Judge Gregory Waller Defendant: Dennis Radar

From: Parole Officer DOB: March 9, 1945

Prosecutor: Offense: Serial Murder

Defense Attorney: Offense Dates: 1972-1991

Complaint:

Dennis Radar also known as the BTK Killer is a serial murderer that is responsible for the

murder of ten people. Radar was charged and convicted of the murders of Joseph, Julie, Joseph

Jr., and Josephine Otero, Kathryn Bright, Shirley Vian, Nancy Fox, Marine Hedge, Vicki

Wegerele, and Dolores Davis.

Offense Summary:

On January 15, 1974 Radar entered the home of the Otero family and proceeded to

kill all four members. Joseph Otero was suffocated with a plastic bag, Julie Otero was

strangled with a rope, Joseph Jr. was strangled with a pipe, and Josephine was hung

by a rope.

On April 4, 1974 Radar entered the home of his fifth victim Kathryn Bright and shot

her brother Kevin, who survived, and before stabbing and choking her to death.

On March 17, 1977 Radar entered the home of Shirley Vian when her five year old

son opened the door to the killer. Vian was found strangled with a cord and suffocated

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with a bag in her bedroom. Her three small children where left unharmed. Radar

claimed telephone call interrupted the crime.

On December 8, 1977 Nancy Fox was found by a neighbor strangled by a pair of

stockings. Fox was found partially nude and her hands and feet were bound.

On April 27, 1985 Radar abducted Marine Hedge from her home in Park City, Kansas

and was found strangled on a dirt road eight days after the abduction. Hedge lived on

the same street as Dennis Radar.

On Sept. 16, 1986 Vicki Wegerele was found strangled and raped in her bed by her

husband. Wegerele two year old son was present during the crime but left unharmed

by radar (Baier, 2005).

On January 19, 1991 Radar kidnapped and murdered Dolores Davis. Davis’ body was

found thirteen days later under a bridge. She had been strangled, raped, and her hands

and feet were bound with her pantyhose.

Defendants Statement:

Defendant Dennis Radar made statement at sentencing hearing where he admitted and

apologized to the family for his crimes. Radar admitted to being a sexual predator and said he

belonged in jail.

Criminal Record:

No Previous Criminal Record

Social History:

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Dennis Radar, known as the BTK Killer, was born March 9, 1945 in Kansas to parents

William and Dorethea Radar. He was one of four sons and had a relatively normal childhood.

Radar was in the Boy Scouts and regularly attended church. Radar admitted to having fantasy of

killing and torturing people as young as elementary school and began killing animals at the age

of ten. Radar was never caught for these acts and learned at an early age to disguise his desire to

bind, torture, and kill. Dennis Radar was a loner and have very few friends but was considered a

nice boy. Radar graduated from high school and went on to attend Kansas Wesleyen College

where he was a poor student (Bardsley, 2009). He joined the Air Force at the age of 21 but was

not drafted to Vietnam.

Dennis Radar was in the Air Force for four years where he lived in Tokyo and other foreign

countries before ending his service and returning home. Radar married Paul Dietz and worked at

the meat department of a local grocery store where he was the bookkeeper before finding

employment with Cessna, the small aircraft manufacturer (Evans, 2005). Radar went back to

college an obtained his Associates Degree in Electronics before continuing on to get his

Bachelors degree after six years. Radar was fired from the Cessna manufacturing company in

1973 and left unemployed and depressed.

In 1974 after losing his job and fantasying about binding, torturing, and killing Radar

committed his first murder of the entire Otero family. While Radar appeared normal and had no

previous ruins with police he was fantasying of killing people until he was driven to commit his

first killings. Dennis radar was considered quiet but normal and after killing ten victims and

attempting to kill Radar quit killing and disappeared from the public eye until 2004 when he

began sending letters to the media and was captured.

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Medical/Health Status:

Average intelligence, no health problems

Recommendations:

Dennis radar is a dangerous sexual predator that has fantasized about binding, torturing, and

killing people, especially women, since a young age. While radar was able to quit killing for 13

years he could not resist sending messages to the media in order to bring himself attention. If

Dennis Radar was to be released from custody he would be a genuine threat to citizens in the

community.

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References

Baier, B. (2005). Fast Facts: BTK Victims. Fox News. Retrieved January 17, 2012 from

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,149113,00.html

Bardsley, M. (2009). The BTK Story: BTK Suspect Arrested. Retrieved January 17, 2012 from

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/unsolved/btk/17.html

Evans, C. (2005). BTK Killer Sentenced to Life in Prison. Retrieved January 17, 2012 from

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,166072,00.html