Before he was known as the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader was a quiet Midwestern boy with a dark imagination. Behind his polite smile and churchgoing charm, Dennis harbored fantasies of control, torture, and death.

In this first episode, Killer Minds hosts Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Tristin Engels uncover how Rader’s early experiences — from childhood humiliation to secret obsessions — shaped one of the most chilling serial killers in American history.

A disturbing look into how a seemingly ordinary man became a master of deception and murder.

Killer Minds is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. For ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts.

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