Decades-old personal writings discovered from Dennis Rader, famously known as the BTK serial killer, have led Oklahoma law enforcement to consider him the “prime suspect” in a long-standing missing persons case from 1976. The missing person in question is Cynthia Dawn Kinney, a 16-year-old girl last seen at a local laundromat in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, in June of that year. The distance between Rader’s residence and the location where Kinney was last seen is approximately two hours, indicating a potential connection.
Dennis Rader, who confessed to committing ten murders in the Wichita area between 1974 and 1991, is serving ten life sentences. Since January, investigators from the Osage County Sheriff’s Office have meticulously examined Rader’s written materials, initially discovered during his arrest in 2005. Their investigation aims to uncover any possible links to local cold cases and unsolved crimes.
Recently, the investigators obtained additional materials from the Wichita police, including recovered journals and an unpublished book manuscript, to further analyze their cold case investigations. Within these writings, Rader referred to a project named “Bad Wash Day” in a 1976 journal entry made public by the sheriff’s office. In this entry, Rader stated, “Laundry mats were a good place to watch victims and dream. The Brunette was the target.” Additionally, Rader wrote “out of town until things cool down” on the same journal page, suggesting that he may have been absent from his home during the specified time frame in 1976.
The Osage County Sheriff’s Office has also searched Rader’s former residence based on his writings and other investigative tips, primarily focusing on Cynthia’s disappearance. Moreover, authorities are exploring potential connections between Rader and other missing persons cases and unsolved murders in Kansas and Missouri. During the search, investigators discovered “trophies” from at least one woman in a concealed hiding place. They also found chains that appear to have been used for bondage and C-clips that can be used to secure a person’s legs or feet. While further details about the items found have not been publicly disclosed, it has been previously reported that Rader retained the personal effects of his victims.
Rader’s arrest in 2005 occurred after he had eluded capture for several decades. Throughout this time, he sent cryptic letters to the media and investigators, ultimately leading to his identification. The breakthrough occurred when police traced a floppy disk he had mailed to a local TV station to a computer at his church. Subsequently, investigators confirmed that Rader’s DNA matched that of the killer. Rader, a dedicated churchgoer and married father of two, admitted in court to meticulously selecting and stalking his victims before murdering them. He even admitted to taking Polaroid photos of some of his victims.
Rader’s daughter, Kerri Rawson, has been actively assisting investigators in the Cynthia Kinney case and an unrelated unsolved murder in Missouri. Rawson, who has been offering volunteer assistance, was aware of the search conducted at her childhood home and expressed her commitment to supporting law enforcement agencies. She emphasized the importance of collaboration in solving these cases for the victims’ families, highlighting the significance of inter-agency cooperation and modern forensics.
As the investigation unfolds, authorities in Oklahoma and Missouri are now exploring whether Dennis Rader, the notorious BTK serial killer, may be responsible for additional homicides. Their search led them to excavate areas near Rader’s former property in Kansas, hoping to uncover further evidence to shed light on these unresolved cases.