Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer Cover
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Confession of a Serial Killer The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer

Katherine Ramsland

In 1974, Dennis Lynn Rader stalked and murdered a family of four in Wichita, Kansas. Since adolescence, he had read about serial killers and imagined becoming one. Soon after killing the family, he murdered a young woman and then another, until he had ten victims. He named himself “B.T.K.” (bind, to...

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Dateline NBC

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Dateline NBC

The book was highlighted as required reading for a class on extreme violence, reflecting its status as a key resource from a leading expert on serial killers. Carrie Rosson noted the author's involvement in a docuseries where she spoke directly with the killer, underscoring the book's unique insider perspective. The discussion emphasized how the material resonated personally for listeners familiar with the case.

Highly Recommended

Episode: The Killings on King Road

It was a required reading for a class Brian Koberger took on extreme violence taught by the author, who is a leading expert on serial killers, particularly Dennis Rader.

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I saw the Ramsland name and I was like, seriously?

It's called 'Confession of a Serial Killer', the untold story of Dennis Rader, the BTK killer.

In 2022, Ramsland appeared in a docuseries about her book, speaking on the phone to Rader.

What did you think when you first heard that he had taken classes from her, from the person who wrote a book about your father?

It hit close to home.

Morbid

Podcast

Morbid

It was heavily referenced throughout the episode, detailing the BTK Killer's psychology and crimes, including his letters and insights.

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The source material for this episode is heavily coming from Katherine Ramsland's book Confessions of a Serial Killer, The Untold Story of the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader.

— Episode: Episode 87: Dennis Rader "BTK" Part 2

Episode: Episode 87: Dennis Rader "BTK" Part 2

It was heavily referenced throughout the episode, detailing the BTK Killer's psychology and crimes, including his letters and insights.

"

The source material for this episode is heavily coming from Katherine Ramsland's book Confessions of a Serial Killer, The Untold Story of the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader.

This is the one I discussed in last episode, just in case you guys want to go get it because it's... I mean, she goes so far into psychology. Because she's a criminal psychologist. She's amazing. I love her.

But she goes really deep into like her psychological impressions of him and stuff. So it goes way deeper than what I'm even going to give you here. So definitely go get that book. Do it.

And yeah, so I just wanted to shout her out one more time because I really fucking love that book. And most of it is written by the BTK killer, by Dennis Rader. Because it was... By the BTK killer. By the BTK killer.

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

Podcast

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

It was presented as a guided autobiography of Dennis Rader, the BTK serial killer, and was based on jailhouse visits, phone calls and written correspondence with him.

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I'm Catherine Ramsland. I'm a professor of forensic psychology and the author of Confession of a Serial Killer, what I call a guided autobiography of Dennis Rader, the BTK serial killer.

— Episode: MFM Presents: Wicked Words - Dr. Katheri...

Episode: MFM Presents: Wicked Words - Dr. Katherine Ramslan...

It was presented as a guided autobiography of Dennis Rader, the BTK serial killer, and was based on jailhouse visits, phone calls and written correspondence with him.

"

I'm Catherine Ramsland. I'm a professor of forensic psychology and the author of Confession of a Serial Killer, what I call a guided autobiography of Dennis Rader, the BTK serial killer.

Through jailhouse visits, telephone calls and written correspondence, Catherine Ramsland worked with Rader himself to analyze the layers of his psyche.

Using his drawings, letters, interviews and Rader's unique codes, she presents in meticulous detail the childhood roots and development of one man's motivation to stalk, torture and kill.

Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.