# BTK Killer Confesses in Court. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 28, 2005, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135 "2005-06-28T02:22:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/21 "2005-06-28T16:18:07Z")
Well, there’s more than one type of killer, and your basic serial killer like BTK is most often a sociopaths. Sociopaths really are different from the rest of us. They just don’t have any sense of empathy whatsoever. Most who’ve studied them will tell you they think the wiring in their brains is not working properly. Now, I have no problem with locking up BTK forever or killing him, as the things he’s done are terrible enough that he’s used up any sympathy I might have for him. But I don’t hate him in the way I’d hate a normal person. They’re not normal. BTK is more like the human equivalent of a rabid dog. I don’t hate him, but he’s disposed to bite and I don’t want him biting anyone. I think the logical thing to do is to study the hell out of these people and see if we can figure out where their wiring has gone wrong, and if it can be detected/prevented. Probably a few years down the road before we can manage it, if we can manage it at all, but if we COULD, we could save some people from being attacked by all the guys like BTK who are running around loose because we can’t be bothered to think clearly about who they are. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/22 "2005-06-28T16:23:00Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > I suspect they are some kind of glitch in evolution. Nah, he’s crazy. Something’s broke in there. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/23 "2005-06-28T16:30:17Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Not all of us. You’re in the thread. Seriously. Not trying to be a wanker, but unless you read through every thread in the Pit just for kicks, there’s a reason you clicked on the BTK thread. ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/24 "2005-06-28T16:52:09Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > SERIAL KILLERS DO NOT FEEL ONE OUNCE OF REMORSE. They have no conscience whatsoever. > … > Since there is no way to guarentee this guy could not escape from prison and kill more people a la Ted Bundy, I say fry his ass. Yes. We have to remember that this guy is a sociopath (this is not a medical or psychological diagnosis) who feels no remorse and feels no compulsion to follow rules or laws. They do what they want, when they want, where they want. They have no empathy, no real way to understand what others feel, and may not even know what they feel beyond some basic emotional states. In order for a punishment to be effective as a correctional tool, the subject has to understand what they did wrong and be motivated by the punishment to change their behavior. When it comes to punishing Dennis Rader (or a very low-IQ criminal), the reasons for punishment become a little clearer. We have a choice of incarceration or death, and since Dennis is not likely to be truly remorseful in the face of his death, then the death penalty becomes vengance that doesn’t lead to any kind of healing. Incarceration will not mean much to him either, but it will serve to remove him from society, where otherwise he may inflict more damage and destruction. Vlad/Igor ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/25 "2005-06-28T16:52:38Z")
Wanker! 😃 Since you called me on my BS, I admit to watching some of his statement on CNN. I’m sorry I know what I know now. But I was surprised to find myself being morbidly curious. It sent chills up my spine to hear his factual and detatched descriptions. I don’t need any more details though. Lock him up and throw away the key. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/26 "2005-06-28T16:57:50Z")
It’s about 30 years late to punish him. I’m surprised how sloppy he was in his crimes. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/27 "2005-06-28T16:57:52Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Wanker! 😃 > > Since you called me on my BS, I admit to watching some of his statement on CNN. I’m sorry I know what I know now. But I was surprised to find myself being morbidly curious. It sent chills up my spine to hear his factual and detatched descriptions. I don’t need any more details though. Lock him up and throw away the key. I also saw part of his statement. I’m sorry I did. It’s stuff I don’t need to know, and now feel I’d rather not know. At the time morbid curiosity compelled me to watch far longer than I should have. Sometimes I resent cable news for appealing to that morbid curiosity that exists in all of us, but is one of our more shameful aspects. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/28 "2005-06-28T16:57:53Z")
Does anyone else think it’s stupid that the media calls him by the nickname he gave himself? wtf? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/29 "2005-06-28T16:58:40Z")
He should not and will not ever walk the streets again. But do not put him to death. Just because he is a murderer doesn’t make me want to also become complicit in murder through our judicial system. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/30 "2005-06-28T16:59:58Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Nah, he’s crazy. Something’s broke in there. Then how do he and others like him keep it so “together” that they can lead peaceful, normal double lives for decades and not get caught? No, I can’t believe these guys fit any consistent definition of “crazy.” Or if it is crazy, it’s a mental disorder so resilient and so sophisticated that it “learns” to mutate and defend itself, like a virus. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/31 "2005-06-28T17:13:21Z")
Exactly. He does not fit any meaningful definition of crazy. Dennis Rader was a married, church-going, respectable city compliance officer. He was also BTK. He’s very much human unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/32 "2005-06-28T17:23:37Z")
> [@Larry Borgia](#): > > I also saw part of his statement. I’m sorry I did. It’s stuff I don’t need to know, and now feel I’d rather not know. At the time morbid curiosity compelled me to watch far longer than I should have. > > Sometimes I resent cable news for appealing to that morbid curiosity that exists in all of us, but is one of our more shameful aspects. Morbid curiosity is a strong strong force. I don’t relish mine, but I’ve come to accept it. When I sit in a traffic for 30 minutes because of an accident, I get pissed when I get there and don’t get to see twisted steel and broken glass. Not looking for blood stains on the asphalt, but just a little carnage to satisfy the beast within. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/33 "2005-06-28T17:28:35Z")
> [@Pedro](#): > > He does not fit any meaningful definition of crazy. A psychologist once told me, “There are some people we don’t know what’s the matter with. They’re just crazy.” ---
**Author:** ![GLWasteful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f05b48/32.png) [@GLWasteful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GLWasteful)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/34 "2005-06-28T17:47:21Z")
One of the things that gets me is that he ceased to be BTK for a very long time. He suddenly became a regular guy: married, family, churchgoer &c. And I was always under the impression that your average serial killer usually feels a driving compulsion to kill again and again. That’s usually what seems to get them caught. But Rader was able to repress those feelings (if, indeed, he even had them) and become just a regular joe. Creeps me right the hell out, it does. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/35 "2005-06-28T18:12:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Nah, he’s crazy. Something’s broke in there. I would say evil. He enjoys killing people, so that’s what he does. It seems that some serial killers do consider the moral aspects of their crimes… for about five minutes. Then they shrug and go kill again. Creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/36 "2005-06-28T19:01:20Z")
He didn’t sound like he was bragging. More of just, ‘yeah, my bad’ sort of confession. In some ways he is a model citizen. When caught he just confesses. At least he didn’t put the families through a long trial. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/37 "2005-06-28T19:14:06Z")
**Zebra** , in a trial, he would likely never get to take the stand. By pleading guilty, he gets to tell his story, in intimate detail. From my readings over at CrimeLibrary, many serial killers like reliving the events, and this was one way for him to do so. I’m no expert though, so I readily admit I could be wrong. Plus, labeling him a _model_ citizen is a bit…wrong. Model citizens don’t bind and strangle people for thrills. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/38 "2005-06-28T19:16:19Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > A psychologist once told me, “There are some people we don’t know what’s the matter with. They’re just crazy.” The matter is that he has sexual fantasies involving murder. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/39 "2005-06-28T19:22:04Z")
> [@Pedro](#): > > The matter is that he has sexual fantasies involving murder. The problem is not having “sexual fantasies involving murder.” The problem is creating these fantasies in real life. If BTK had simply fantasized, or written about, or found a willing partner to discuss them with, or found an on-line chat group of similar fanasizers, he’d be a free man. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135/40 "2005-06-28T19:26:11Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > **Zebra** , in a trial, he would likely never get to take the stand. By pleading guilty, he gets to tell his story, in intimate detail. From my readings over at CrimeLibrary, many serial killers like reliving the events, and this was one way for him to do so. > > I’m no expert though, so I readily admit I could be wrong. > > Plus, labeling him a _model_ citizen is a bit…wrong. Model citizens don’t bind and strangle people for thrills. Well, model citizen is a bit of a joke. Model suspect is more correct. Is there any reason they can’t just say, We charge you with the murder of so-and-so. Then he says I plead guilty. Why does he have to recount the crimes in detail just to plead guilty? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/btk-killer-confesses-in-court/310135.md?page=3)