...or what an individual can achieve or become in life. A theory of personality helps us understand the different personality that can be seen in society. [pic] Dennis Rader (BTK) In the world there several unique and interesting individuals which may be dangerous or scary in some cases that can be found in society, like Dennis Rader a serial killer, who was responsible for killing ten individuals. This was a gruesome homicide that left everyone in despair. Dennis Rader called himself the BTK, which stands for bind, torture, and kill according to Kowalski & Western, 2011. He sent several clues and taunting letters to the media and law enforcement office alerting them. Dennis Rader was born on March 9, 1945 to William and Dorothea Rader in Wichita Kansas. They were middle class working citizens that led a normal life. Dennis was the oldest out of three, they had normal childhood where there parents were strict toward Dennis and his brothers, but there was never any signs of neglect or abuse in the household (Davey, 2005). Dennis Rader earned a bachelor degree in criminal justice at Wichita State University and married Paula on May 22, 1971 according to Stritof, 2010. Both Dennis and Paula were very active in...
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...Xylon Thomas CJ2670 Mr. Chism 10 October 2013 Case study Dennis Rader also known as the BTK killer was one of the more infamous serial killers in our world. He sent letters describing the details of the killings to police and to local news outlets during the period of time in which the murders took place. Evidence such as these letters were major factors in proving Rader was the killer. Although most evidence did not need to be used the authorities gathered plenty of it to connect him to the murders. Because Rader did not contest his guilt, most evidence was not tested in court. However, physical and circumstantial facts that would have corroborated Rader as the BTK killer include: * Rader's grammar and writing style match letters and poems received from BTK, though none of his communications were handwritten, but typed, stenciled, stamped with a stamp set, or computer generated. * A pay phone that the killer used to report a murder in 1977 was located a few blocks from Rader's place of work (ADT Security) at the time. * Rader had attended Wichita State University in the 1970s. Wichita Police Detective Arlyn G. Smith II and his partner George Scantlin traced BTK's photocopied communications to two photocopy machines, one at Wichita State University and a second at the Wichita Public Library. BTK murder victim Kathryn Bright's brother Kevin, who was shot twice by BTK, reported that the killer had asked him if he had seen him at the university. A poem in one...
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...What Makes Serial Killers Kill Naomi R. Bowles Valley College Author’s Note Written for Psychology: taught by Isaac Hatley What Makes Serial Killers Kill Looking back through the years there have been many serial killers. There are many throughout the country and even many that have killed in West Virginia. Many psychologists have tried to study serial killers and answer why serial killers kill and also if serial killers suffer from some type of psychological disorder. Doing my research I find that this is a task that is very hard to do. It is difficult to determine possibly because many serial killers turn out to be the people who you would least likely suspect. In this paper I will take a look as to whether serial killers may suffer from psychopathy. I will also attempt to focus on one particular serial killer – Dennis Rader – BTK. Psychology Of A Killer Many psychologists believe that psychological disorders are the only reason for the killings while other psychologists believe that the reason is the environment that they are raised in and/or are currently in. Seeking help when a person is young, if sadistic or animal cruelty behavior is caught early by their caregiver, can reduce the factors of becoming a serial killer. There also may be factors with nature and nurture and how that may have affected them in the creation of a future serial killer. According to my research, the most successful serial killers are people who blend into society who possibly could be a...
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...Helena Eliasson LIBRARTS SOC220 Prof. Edith Linn 7 March 2009 The BTK Killer – Dennis Rader Brief Biography Dennis Rader, who was William and Dorothea Rader’s firstborn son, came into this world on March 9, 1945. After his birth in Pittsburg, Kansas, the family moved shortly thereafter to Wichita, Kansas. As a child, Dennis seemed to be a normal kid with no special interests that could be perceived, by his surrounding society and family, as abnormal or perverted. Little they all knew about what was going on in his fantasies and in his privacy. The young boy Rader was an average student at his elementary school and through his school years he stayed mediocre with weak grades. Dennis has been described by people who knew him back then, as a well-mannered lone wolf who wasn’t really interested in staying socially active. In 1966, Dennis joined the U.S air force and served them for four years. He married Paula Dietz in 1971, shortly after his homecoming, and the two of them eventually had two children, Brian and Kerri. Rader earned an associates degree in electronics in 1973 and started his studies at Wichita State University the same year. It was about to take him an additional six years to earn a degree at the university, and all he had to show for it was C minus or D level grades. Dennis Rader lived a pretty normal life, seen from the perspective of an outsider, and after being let go by the air craft manufacturing company he worked for, in 1973, he got a job with...
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...It was at night when it happened. Joseph and Julie Otero were sleeping in bed after a tiring day of work, while their children were in the next room. Julie was suddenly awakened by the terrified fear of her husband she only got to see a glance of her husband being strangled by Dennis Rader until he moved on to her next and then the children. The Otero family were the first victims to serial killer Dennis Rader who had a killing spree between 1974-1981. This case is an example of millions of crimes that are committed in which the death penalty should be applicable. However though not all serial killers and murders are caught and takes years to gather up evidence. Rader was ultimately sentenced to life without parole avoiding the death penalty....
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...HOW DIGITAL FORENSICS WAS USED TO IDENTIFY RADER (Student’s Name) (Professor’s Name) (Course Title) (Date of Submission) Introduction Dennis Lynn Rader’s case remains the longest case to be handled ever taking almost 30 years. His case was opened when he handed in a computer floppy to the police. Careful forensics carried out on the floppy revealed a document that had been edited by someone by the name Dennis in computers at the Christ Lutheran Church. This led to physical location of the suspect. To nail down the suspect as the BTN killer, DNA tests were carried out on Rader’s daughter, Kerri Rader and it was found to be matching. Comparing this to the DNA tests from the murder cases BTN killer emerged to be Rader. This was enough evidence to convict Rader for 10 murder cases. Digital evidence uncovered from the floppy disk Immediately Rader sent a floppy to the police containing Microsoft word document, the floppy was handed over to the computer forensic experts at the FBI for examinations. Inside the floppy was a file called “Test A.RTF.” The contents of the file read “This is a test. See 3x5 Card for details on communication with me in the newspaper.” The message referred to the card that was inside the same box that had the floppy. The officers further recovered a word document that had been deleted on the drive. Careful examination on the properties of the retrieved document showed that the document which had been modified on February 10th 2005 and had...
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...Amy Hankins LE300 capstone: serial killers as heroes in popular culture Final Project The Evolution of serial killers and societies fascination A serial killer is someone who is known as a friend, father, co-worker, politician, in fact a serial killer can be anybody. For centuries stories about serial killers have graced the covers of newspapers and magazines. Many famous stories have influenced a lot of films that have been produced and continue to be produced. There is an endless amount of questions as to how serial killers become serial killers, which falls under nature vs. nurture. “The causes of psychopaths remain a mystery. We don’t even have a satisfactory answer to the question of whether psychopath is a product of Mother Nature or a feature of upbringing (Brogaard & Marlow, 2012).” Nevertheless, due to the many serial killers that plague this country, they have come from a very unstable background mostly during the childhood years. Within this essay I would like to discuss not only what has been learned throughout the semester but also bring to light the possible reasons as to why serial killers kill and why society has such an enormous fascination with them. According to the dictionary a serial killers is a person who commits two or more murders at different times. Serial killers are extremely intelligent and some have most likely obtained a degree of some sort. This sort of intelligence is evident in Mr. Brooks, Dexter, silence of the lamb and perfume. All...
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...Dennis Lynn Radar is classified as a serial killer, he committed murders between 1974 to 1991. He was arrested on February 25, 2005 for the murder of 10 people in Sedgwick County, Kansas, located around Wichita area. He seemed like your average person, he was married and the father of two. He lived a normal life. Dennis were the oldest of his four siblings, also college educated. He married his wife Paula in 1971, worked for ADT Security Services. He also served in the U.S. Air Force. When Dennis were a child it was signs that he had a problem because he used to hang stray cats as a child (biography 2015). Dennis committed his first crime on January 15, 1974. Radar killer four members of the Otero family in their home. The victims were Joseph...
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...Nature vs. Nurture has always been the true question for everyone’s behavior or problems. Serial killers are both, born and created, because something in their childhood throws them off into the road of destruction, even though in their genetics they are fully capable of going into the wrong path. Environment influences their behavior, your surroundings also apart of who you are. Based on the findings of two law-abiding college professors, James Fallon and Adrian Raine, found out that serial killers are created from their environment and biologically. Fallon discovered from multiple genetic tests that in a killer’s brain scan, that they lack activity in the brain area for self-control, empathy and ethics. Fallon’s parents were devoted to him, he had been neglected or abused as a child, causing him to be very aggressive and competitive. Similarly Raine stated that devoted parenting [child is separated from their parents before the age of three, or have cold mothers and/or disengaged fathers] grow highly to having signs of psychopathic personality at the age of 28. Raine and his team of criminologist, did a study with two hundred eleven-year-old boys from two towns in the tropical islands known as Mauritius. This test was measuring impulsivity...
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...coworkers were studying ways to resolve immigration and paternity suits by detailing the genetic links between individuals. He soon realized that his discovery could establish the identity of a person and called his technique genetic fingerprinting. Dr. Jeffreys demonstrated that a genetic fingerprint is specific to each individual and the pattern does not belong to any other person on earth except for identical twins. Jeffreys’ techniques were put to the test when law enforcement contacted him to assist in 2 local murder cases. He was asked to compare semen samples from the two murders to the blood sample of a suspect who had confessed to one of the crimes. Dr. Jeffreys’ tests determined not only that this suspect was not the killer, but also that the killer committed both murders. Law enforcement then had over 4,000 submit samples, which were tested using Jeffreys’ process. A local man, Colin Pitchfork, had avoided the dragnet by having a colleague submit samples on his behalf. A local overheard a conversation in a bar where the colleague admitted being paid by Pitchfork to impersonate him and have his own blood tested in place of Pitchfork’s. This led to the arrest of Colin Pitchfork. Dr. Jeffreys then compared Pitchfork's DNA with the DNA of the semen samples found on the two victims. It was a perfect match. Instead of going to trial, Pitchfork pled guilty to both rapes and...
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...Serial Killers, The Media and America’s Fascination Turn on the television in any given evening and you can catch an episode or 20 of any number of crime shows (and all of their spin-offs) that showcases an intricate plot and horrific crimes. It is not uncommon for the viewer to get “sucked” into the storyline and then become personally invested in the outcome of the story. I often wonder what it is about theses crime shows and psychological thriller series that keep the viewer’s tuning in. What’s s the draw? Not only do we become drawn in, but at some point we even become infatuated with the subject matter and long to see more. Have was as a society completely lost all sense of right and wrong or has the media desensitized us to the realities of serial murderers? Defining the Serial Killer. In order to pinpoint the progression of fascination with serial killers, it is important to first establish a working definition of the term. The FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit defines serial killings as “the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate (Morton). Generally the classification of serial murder is accompanied by the length of time between kills, or the “cooling off period.” In addition, the killer is usually a stranger to the victim and the murders appear to be unconnected or random. The FBI is credited with establishing this term, and by doing so, achieved a position of unquestioned authority in defining serial murders. Serial Killers...
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...Explore, in depth, one well-known criminal case. You may select your own case, or select from one of the following: Jeffery McDonald, Andrea Yates, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, Aileen Wournos, John Wayne Gacy, Philip Markoff (the Craigslist killer), Scott Peterson, Anthony Sowell, or Dennis Rader (BTK strangler). Your case study should focus on the following 1. Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. 2. Must include a title page with the following: a. Title of paper b. Student’s name c. Course name and number d. Instructor’s name e. Date submitted 3. Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement. 4. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought. 5. Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis. 6. Must use five to eight scholarly sources from the Ashford University Library. 7. Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. 8. Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. a.Summarize the case, including a description of the offense(s), the investigation, and the outcome (such as the trial and sentencing). b.Analyze the psychological history or path that took the criminal to commit his or her crime(s). Describe the psychological, behavioral, environmental, and cognitive factors that you believe led to the offender’s...
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...VOLUME EDITOR S. WALLER is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Montana State University Bozeman. Her areas of research are philosophy of neurology, philosophy of cognitive ethology (especially dolphins, wolves, and coyotes), and philosophy of mind, specifically the parts of the mind we disavow. SERIES EDITOR FRITZ ALLHOFF is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at Western Michigan University, as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University’s Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. In addition to editing the Philosophy for Everyone series, Allhoff is the volume editor or co-editor for several titles, including Wine & Philosophy (Wiley-Blackwell, 2007), Whiskey & Philosophy (with Marcus P. Adams, Wiley, 2009), and Food & Philosophy (with Dave Monroe,Wiley-Blackwell, 2007). P H I L O S O P H Y F O R E V E RYO N E Series editor: Fritz Allhoff Not so much a subject matter, philosophy is a way of thinking.Thinking not just about the Big Questions, but about little ones too.This series invites everyone to ponder things they care about, big or small, significant, serious … or just curious. Running & Philosophy: A Marathon for the Mind Edited by Michael W. Austin Wine & Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking Edited by Fritz Allhoff Food & Philosophy: Eat,Think and Be Merry Edited by Fritz Allhoff and Dave Monroe Beer & Philosophy: The Unexamined Beer Isn’t Worth Drinking Edited by Steven D. Hales Whiskey & Philosophy:...
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...the self defense company “The Top 10 Tactics Every Street Smart Person Knows” First of all everyone and their mother will tell you to be aware of your surroundings, trust your instincts and yell “fire” instead of “help”. This advice is all good advice, but since it’s almost common knowledge I’m going to briefly mention our take on these ideas and not “charge” you for it because they’re NOT on the list. The basic rule of measure is if something feels wrong, it is. Pay attention to that little voice inside your head. Women have “intuition” while men have a “gut feeling”. You’re more perceptive than you think. You have been evolving for millions of years and “fear” is your friend when used in the manner in which it was intended. If you get “that feeling”, you need to implement a radical change of action. For example: if you’re looking for your car and you feel like you’re being followed, duck into a store and call someone. If you’re going into your apartment, pretend to remember something you forgot in the car and go get it. This little change in behavior will be the difference of life and death at the cost of a handful of minutes. There are countless instances where people recalled seeing their attacker earlier in the day. Don’t let a little inconvenience cause you to sacrifice your life. Remember most people die in the wild because of shame. They ask themselves, “What did I do wrong? How could I have gotten myself into this?" And so they sit ...
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...this concept because it would give an easy getaway to criminal’s actions, but in general many scientists agree with this concept. Evil minds begin once a child is born and the moment they step foot into this world they are selfish and greedy. “Babies' minds are a wonderful showcase for human nature. Babies are humans with the absolute minimum of cultural influence – they don't have many friends, have never been to school and haven't read any books” (Stafford). Babies minds are like a white piece of paper that have no sense of morals and ethics, yet they still perform selfish and greedy acts. One does not have to be influenced by others or its surroundings in order to pick up selfish traits. “The list of serial killers such as Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Dennis Rader grew up in healthy households with supportive family member” (Brogaard). The surroundings of a child do not impact them because someone can have a healthy, happy childhood but still continue to grow selfish and evil traits as time develops because evil is already in each and every one of us. Neglect at an early age would also not create a difference in a child if they will be evil, but instead “often leads to posttraumatic stress disorder or phobia” (Brogaard). Furthermore surrounding activities or lifestyle does not in a bigger picture affect a baby or child, but simply creates a sense of morality but does not mean they won't be evil or selfish. As humans progress and grow older they begin to know the right...
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