Years after his first murder, the BTK serial killer was apprehended by authorities in 2005 thanks to a messy digital trail and DNA evidence. This individual now claims to recognize “a clone of me” in Rex Heuermann, who was arrested this week in connection with the Gilgo Beach murders in New York.

Dennis Rader, also known as the BTK serial killer, laid out a series of similarities between the two cold case investigations.

“I was arrested age 59. Married, two kids,” Rader wrote in a letter to Fox News Digital. “Husband, dad longtime a serial killer, stalker, used electronic devices, lives in a neighborhood undetected.”

Who is Dennis Rader?

Dennis Rader, also known as the BTK Killer, was an American serial killer who terrorized the Wichita, Kansas area from the 1970s to the 1990s. BTK stands for “Bind, Torture, Kill,” which were the methods he used to murder his victims. Rader’s killing spree began in 1974, and he targeted both men and women, as well as children.

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Rader’s modus operandi involved stalking his victims, breaking into their homes, and then restraining, torturing, and eventually killing them. He would often taunt law enforcement and the media by sending letters and messages describing the details of his crimes. The case received widespread media attention and created fear and panic in the community.

After a long hiatus, Rader resurfaced in 2004 when he sent letters to local media and police, detailing his involvement in the unsolved murders. This communication led to his eventual capture in 2005 when he was arrested and later confessed to ten murders. He was charged and convicted of these murders and other related crimes, receiving ten consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.

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Rader’s case is infamous not only for the brutal nature of his crimes but also for the audacity with which he taunted law enforcement and the public. His crimes and the subsequent investigation became the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and media coverage.

The impact of Dennis Rader’s actions on the families of his victims and the community of Wichita was profound, and his name remains synonymous with the fear and terror he brought to the region during his reign of terror.