Inside the Mind of BTK
The True Story Behind the Thirty-Year Hunt for the Notorious Wichita Serial Killer
Published on 28. June 2008
368 pages
978-0-7879-9709-0 (ISBN)
Description
A dramatic and compelling true-crime psychological thriller
This incredible story shows how John Douglas tracked andparticipated in the hunt for one of the most notorious serialkillers in U.S. history. For 31 years a man who called himself BTK(Bind, Torture, Kill) terrorized the city of Wichita, Kansas,sexually assaulting and strangling a series of women, taunting thepolice with frequent communications, and bragging about his crimesto local newspapers and TV stations. After disappearing for nineyears, he suddenly reappeared, complaining that no one was payingenough attention to him and claiming that he had committed othercrimes for which he had not been given credit. When he wasultimately captured, BTK was shockingly revealed to be DennisRader, a 61-year-old married man with two children.
Reviews / Votes
"...It's an unforgettable portrait of a guy most of us are glad wenever met." (Bloomberg.com, November 8, 2007) Legendary profiler and bestselling author Douglas(Mindhunter), who pioneered the FBI's systematic study ofserial killers, offers his insights into one of this country's mostchilling killers--Dennis Rader, a seemingly innocuous familyman and municipal employee, whose brutal murders terrorizedWichita, Kans., for three decades. Identifying himself by theinitials BTK (for Bind, Torture, Kill), Rader (who in 2005 pledguilty to 10 murders and is serving consecutive life sentences)taunted the press and law enforcement, striking at random in savageattacks that often decimated families, and then confounded hispursuers with long dormant periods. With the aid of Peoplemagazine writer Dodd, Douglas nicely weaves the story of his owndevelopment as a profiler with the history of BTK's crimes and hisown role in the investigation, drawing on analyses he developedearly on in the rampage; he noted, for instance, "the razorsharp control" the killer maintained after his crimes. Whilethe stomach-turning story of BTK's crimes has been told by others,Douglas's unique professional experience and his exclusive personalaccess to Rader offers a different perspective, even as the answerto the question of how such a monster comes to be remains elusive.(Oct.) (Publishers Weekly, August 20, 2007)"Inside the Mind of BTK is a chilling and fascinating placeto be, and there is no better guide to take us there than greatAmerican Mindhunter, John Douglas. This is a story of ordinarypeople and extraordinary evil - lock your doors, check yourtelephone lines, and read this book." --Linda Fairstein, bestselling author or Bad Blood, DeathDance and Entombed, and for twenty-five years was thechief prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's OfficeSex Crime Unit "Riveting! Douglas and Dodd have focused a laser sight on one ofthe most fascinating and disturbing serial killers of our time.Their in-depth analysis of the BTK's early childhood, his seemingly"normal" everyday life and his shockingly well-hidden "other" life,deftly explores the nature of evil and how we can better protectourselves from such cunning predators." --Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling suspenseauthor of HIDEMore details
Other editions
Additional editions
John Douglas | Johnny Dodd
Inside the Mind of BTK
The True Story Behind the Thirty-Year Hunt for the Notorious Wichita Serial Killer
Book
09/2008
Jossey-Bass
€24.00
Shipment within 10-20 days
John Douglas | Johnny Dodd
Inside the Mind of BTK
The True Story Behind the Thirty-year Hunt for the Notorious Wichita Serial Killer
Book
09/2007
Jossey-Bass
€42.31
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Persons
John Douglas, a former FBI agent and pioneer serial killer profiler, is one of the most successful true crime authors in the country. He is the author of the New York Times number one best seller Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, which first introduced the public to the idea of psychological profiles as a tool in hunting down killers. Douglas served as technical advisor for the film The Silence of the Lambs, much of which was based on his work. He has consulted on thousands of cases worldwide providing case analysis, interview and interrogation techniques, investigative strategies, prosecutorial strategies, and expert testimony. Since his retirement in 1995 from the FBI, Douglas has been donating pro bono assistance whenever possible to police and victims of violent crime. Mr. Douglas lives near Washington, D.C.
Johnny Dodd is a writer at People magazine who lives in the Los Angeles area.
Content
Preface to the Paperback Edition.
Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
Act One: My Lifelong Hunt for BTK.
Act Two: The Capture and Arrest of BTK.
Act Three: Meeting BTK: An Exclusive Interview.
About the Authors.
Index.
