BTK killer waives trial, admits 10 slayings

Victims’ families silent
Victims’ families left the courtroom, escorted by officials into another building, and did not speak to reporters.

Steve Osburn, one of Rader’s defense attorneys, said prosecutors’ evidence against Rader included a confession, DNA and “personal trophies” Rader collected from his victims. “It was a very solid case,” Osburn said.

He said defense attorneys explored an insanity plea but decided not to proceed. “From a legal standpoint, we had nothing to work with,” he said.

Rader did not apologize during the hearing, though Osburn suggested later that Rader may apologize at his sentencing.

“Mr. Rader basically wanted to take responsibility for his actions,” Osburn said.

After the guilty pleas, the Rev. Michael Clark, pastor of Rader’s church, said: “That’s what I hoped he would do.”

After years of silence, the killer resurfaced last year with a letter to The Wichita Eagle that included photos of the 1986 strangulation of Vicki Wegerle and a photocopy of her missing driver’s license. Her case had not been linked to BTK until then.

The messages became increasingly frequent in the months before Rader’s arrest on Feb. 25.

Cryptic messages and packages
That letter was followed by several other cryptic messages and packages. The break in the case came after a computer diskette the killer had sent was traced to Rader’s church.

Rader also is charged with the killings of Marine Hedge, 53, who was abducted from her Park City home on April 27, 1985, and found dead along a dirt road eight days later, and Dolores Davis, 62, who was abducted from her Park City home Jan. 19, 1991. Those deaths were not linked to BTK until Rader’s arrest.

Rader had called the Wichita area home almost his entire life, earning a criminal justice degree at a local university. He worked in suburban Park City as a compliance officer, handling code violations and stray dogs. He had been married for 34 years and has two grown children.

It was only last month that Rader was arraigned, standing mute as Waller entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Most observers had expected the trial to be postponed given the complexity of the 10-count, first-degree murder case. Getting a continuance would have been easy; all it usually takes in Sedgwick County is a call to the prosecutors and scheduling clerk rather than a formal motion, Pratt said.

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