Richard Ramirez rare pic

via ~  Jennifer Ramirez Sahs

Dennis Rader, aka the BTK killer (Bind, torture, kill)

Country: United States (Kansas)

Years Active: 1974-1991

Victim Count: 10

Punishment: Life imprisonment (10 consecutive life years)

BTK And Other Infamous Serial Killers: Why Naming These Monsters Gives Them More Power

BTK. The Nightstalker. The Happy Face Killer. These are the names or serial killers whose real names may be forgotten, even as their dark legacies live on.

In the light of the Moscow, Idaho killings and a well-known serial killer, BTK, speaking out on the sympathy that he feels towards the suspected killer, now is an important time to talk about the impact that naming serial killers has.

While Bryan Kohberger was not given the opportunity to become a true serial killer, he shares many similarities and traits with true serial killers such as Dennis Rader, better known as BTK. BTK has even spoken on how he feels sympathetic to how Kohberger must feel in solitary confinement, yet there is a clear difference in how the media has portrayed these individuals. While BTK was allowed to go be a self-given title, Kohberger was never given a title.

This lack in a title may be due to how swiftly Kohberger was caught. In an interview with Aaron Taylor, an individual who lived in Portland, Oregon while the Happy Face Killer was active, he stated, “Maybe these killers are caught sooner so there is not as much time for the media and investigators to characterize the killings with a name.” This could easily be the case. While there is no proof that Kohberger was planning to kill again, if he had, he would have become a textbook serial killer.

But why does the media give these serial killers these names? Why do they use the names the killers want, such as BTK, an acronym for Bind, Torture, Kill? Using these frightening titles makes for better news stories, leading to higher viewer ratings and an increased number of readers. On the flipside, these titles can also lead to increased fear in the public that can sometimes get out of hand.

In an interview with Jared Taylor, a former Washington State University student who attended the university at the same as Kohberger, stated, “These nicknames that are meant to be attention getters end up turning a serious event into a spectacle. Uncovering and arresting a serial killer isn’t an episode of Scooby Doo, its real life, and it affects real people.”

This is something that the media may have thought about when reporting on Kohergers’ arrest. In recent years there has been backlash against media outlets glamorizing serial killers and their crimes. Whether it’s the Netflix drama series Dahmer glamorizing and exaggerating some of Jeffery Dahmer’s actions or their other show Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile casting a more attractive actor such as Zach Efron to play Ted Bundy, these shows both received backlash for their portrayals of serial killers.

Hopefully Kohberger is the beginning of a positive trend, where the news and entertainment industries are respectful of the seriousness and impact that these killers have. Instead of using scary names to spread fear, these industries may begin to focus on simply reporting the facts and portraying events as they happened.

Sources:

Blanco, A., & Hurley, B. (2023, February 2). BTK Killer Dennis Rader shares sympathy for Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger. The Independent. Retrieved February 3, 2023, from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/bryan-kohbergers-idaho-murders-btk-dennis-rader-b2274735.html

Fontaine, K., & Taylor, A. (2023, February 1). Portland During the Happy Face Killer. personal. Fontaine, K., & Taylor, J. (2023, February 2). The Impact of the Media. personal.

“…CANNIBALISTIC URGES” – Man on trial for brutal murder of four Idaho University students

A forensic psychiatrist has told Newsweek that the man charged in connection with the slayings of four University of Idaho students in November 2022 had battled with “cannibalistic urges“. Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old Ph.D. student and teaching assistant in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University, was arrested at his parents’ home in Albrightsville,…

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names dennis rader suggested for himself in his letter to KAKE:

the btk killer

the btk strangler

the witchita strangler

the poetic strangler

the bondage strangler

the witchita hangman

the witchita executioner

the asphyxiater

the garrot phantom

Study in Crime

Dennis Rader BTK Bondage Polaroid

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According to Marcelo's mother, Marcelo left the house one night with a machete to cut bananas and came back full of blood.

Marcelo came from Rio by the same route as always when he saw a boy, liked him so he offered him some money and eventually took the boy to a soccer field and there he raped him, strangled him, killed him, and left the body there, then Marcelo went home but when he arrived he remembered to cut the child's head off so he returned to the scene of the murder.

"Marcelo, what did you take the machete for?”

“Ah, to cut bananas”

“No, tell me the truth”

After returning home and seeing Marcelo's condition, his mother took the machete and hid it.

This is so funny to me like bro you are literally called Dennis Rader maybe stop worrying about whether you remind people of blue hair and pronouns and start worrying if you remind people of bondage, torture or perhaps killing?!?!

The second half of our 100th episode celebration is now up!! Check out part 2 for a deep dive on the serial killer: BTK! 😱

You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Hi everyone, I made a sideblog so I can reblog the CC I download and resource/information posts that may seem helpful. I mostly made it to help myself keep track of things, but feel free to follow if you'd like: @stk-ccfinds

When my coworker went on a pretty intense “be careful about safety around customers, they could be dangerous” I thought she was being a smidge dramatic but nah. She had a positive relationship with a serial killer who frequently stayed at the hotel I work at. Like she recognized him by name when he was arrested 😬

Just saw someone called "the rick and morty killer" like,,, please stop? Stop giving people these crazy ass titles for murdering people. In the news it should always be "Serial Killer in [location] Found Guilty" or "A Third Victim Found..." or so. Keep the names out. Prioritise the victim and their family. Stop downplaying a crime because the victim happened to be a sex worker, addict, mentally ill, homeless, POC, LGBTQ+, or any combination of the above or something else (👀 at the police and the press!). They were people before they were labels. They should not be "less dead." They should not be dead, and their killer should not be glorified. Shut up about the "stick in the mud" killer and the "Santa's funny red hat" killer and shit.