
Unholy Messenger
The Life and Crimes of the BTK Serial Killer
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Narrated by:
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Alan Sklar
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By:
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Stephen Singular
About this listen
The self-named BTK (for Bind, Torture, Kill) had terrorized Wichita for 31 years, not only with his brutal, sexually motivated crimes, but also through his taunting, elusive communications with the media and law enforcement. In 1974, BTK committed his first murders, torturing and strangling four members of the Otero family, and wrote the police an audacious letter declaring his responsibility for the Oteros' deaths and labeling himself, for the first time, BTK. Thus he established a pattern, stalking and killing a series of 10 victims, then bragging and claiming ownership of his crimes, that ended in 1991 but left law enforcement confounded and the public with deeply troubling memories. Until, that is, he resurfaced in 2004 with another string of letters that would finally lead to his arrest.
Drawing from extensive interviews with Rader's pastor, congregation, detectives, and psychologists who worked the case, and from his unnervingly detailed 32-hour confession, best-selling author Stephen Singular delves into the disturbing life and crimes of BTK to explore fully, for the first time, the most dangerous and complex serial killer of our generation and the man who embodied, at once, astonishing extremes of normality and abnormality.
©2006 Stephen Singular (P)2006 Tantor Media IncListeners also enjoyed...
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Bind, Torture, Kill
- The Inside Story of BTK, the Serial Killer Next Door
- By: Roy Wenzl, Tim Potter, L. Kelly, and others
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For 31 years, a monster terrorized the residents of Wichita, Kansas. A bloodthirsty serial killer, self-named "BTK" - for "bind them, torture them, kill them" - he slaughtered men, women, and children alike, eluding the police for decades while bragging of his grisly exploits to the media. The nation was shocked when the fiend who was finally apprehended turned out to be Dennis Rader - a friendly neighbor...a devoted husband...a helpful Boy Scout dad...the respected president of his church. Written by four award-winning crime reporters who covered the story for more than 20 years, Bind, Torture, Kill is the most intimate and complete account of the BTK nightmare
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Stomach churning
- By 6catz on 02-19-18
By: Roy Wenzl, and others
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Confession of a Serial Killer
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In 1974, Dennis Lynn Rader stalked and murdered a family of four in Wichita, Kansas. Since adolescence, he had read about serial killers and imagined becoming one. Soon after killing the family, he murdered a young woman and then another, until he had 10 victims. He named himself “B.T.K.” (bind, torture, kill) and wrote notes that terrorized the city. He remained on the loose for 30 years.
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Boring & lame! Don’t wast your credit!!
- By Iread on 01-23-22
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After Jack the Ripper and before Son of Sam there was only one name their equal in terror: the deadly, elusive, and mysterious Zodiac. Beginning in 1968 the hooded mass murderer terrified the city of San Francisco and the Bay Area with a string of brutal killings. A sexual sadist, his pleasure was torture and murder.
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Interesting
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Bonus material! Includes an excerpt from John Douglas and Mark Olshaker’s Obsession! Discover the classic behind-the-scenes chronicle of John E. Douglas’ 25-year career in the FBI Investigative Support Unit, where he used psychological profiling to delve into the minds of the country’s most notorious serial killers and criminals - the basis for the upcoming Netflix original series.
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I have purchased every book J.E.D. Has made available
- By leelee8888 on 10-29-17
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Performance
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Story
This incredible story shows how John Douglas tracked and participated in the hunt for one of the most notorious serial killers in US 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 the police with frequent communications, and bragging about his crimes to local newspapers and TV stations.
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Have re-read by Jonathan Groff
- By Rachel Lindahl on 10-21-20
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
From 1974 to 1991, someone in the midwestern city of Wichita was leaving behind slain tortured bodies and anonymously proclaiming himself to police and reporters as "BTK" for "Bind, Torture, Kill." Then, for the next 14 years, BTK was silent. But when he began sending letters again, investigators would not miss their chance... Stunningly, police arrested Dennis Rader, the president of his church board and the father of two. As a shocked community watched, evidence began to pile up.
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Alright if you just want the BTK story
- By Oliver on 05-19-20
By: Carlton Smith
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Bind, Torture, Kill
- The Inside Story of BTK, the Serial Killer Next Door
- By: Roy Wenzl, Tim Potter, L. Kelly, and others
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 31 years, a monster terrorized the residents of Wichita, Kansas. A bloodthirsty serial killer, self-named "BTK" - for "bind them, torture them, kill them" - he slaughtered men, women, and children alike, eluding the police for decades while bragging of his grisly exploits to the media. The nation was shocked when the fiend who was finally apprehended turned out to be Dennis Rader - a friendly neighbor...a devoted husband...a helpful Boy Scout dad...the respected president of his church. Written by four award-winning crime reporters who covered the story for more than 20 years, Bind, Torture, Kill is the most intimate and complete account of the BTK nightmare
-
-
Stomach churning
- By 6catz on 02-19-18
By: Roy Wenzl, and others
-
Confession of a Serial Killer
- The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer
- By: Katherine Ramsland PhD
- Narrated by: Michael Braun
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1974, Dennis Lynn Rader stalked and murdered a family of four in Wichita, Kansas. Since adolescence, he had read about serial killers and imagined becoming one. Soon after killing the family, he murdered a young woman and then another, until he had 10 victims. He named himself “B.T.K.” (bind, torture, kill) and wrote notes that terrorized the city. He remained on the loose for 30 years.
-
-
Boring & lame! Don’t wast your credit!!
- By Iread on 01-23-22
-
Zodiac
- The Shocking True Story of the Nation's Most Bizarre Mass Murderer
- By: Robert Graysmith
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After Jack the Ripper and before Son of Sam there was only one name their equal in terror: the deadly, elusive, and mysterious Zodiac. Beginning in 1968 the hooded mass murderer terrified the city of San Francisco and the Bay Area with a string of brutal killings. A sexual sadist, his pleasure was torture and murder.
-
-
Interesting
- By Z on 05-19-06
By: Robert Graysmith
-
Mindhunter
- Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit
- By: John E. Douglas, Mark Olshaker
- Narrated by: Richard M. Davidson
- Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bonus material! Includes an excerpt from John Douglas and Mark Olshaker’s Obsession! Discover the classic behind-the-scenes chronicle of John E. Douglas’ 25-year career in the FBI Investigative Support Unit, where he used psychological profiling to delve into the minds of the country’s most notorious serial killers and criminals - the basis for the upcoming Netflix original series.
-
-
I have purchased every book J.E.D. Has made available
- By leelee8888 on 10-29-17
By: John E. Douglas, and others
-
Inside the Mind of BTK
- The True Story Behind the Thirty-Year Hunt for the Notorious Wichita Serial Killer
- By: Johnny Dodd, John Douglas
- Narrated by: Jason Klav
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This incredible story shows how John Douglas tracked and participated in the hunt for one of the most notorious serial killers in US 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 the police with frequent communications, and bragging about his crimes to local newspapers and TV stations.
-
-
Have re-read by Jonathan Groff
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By: Johnny Dodd, and others
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The BTK Murders
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- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
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- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From 1974 to 1991, someone in the midwestern city of Wichita was leaving behind slain tortured bodies and anonymously proclaiming himself to police and reporters as "BTK" for "Bind, Torture, Kill." Then, for the next 14 years, BTK was silent. But when he began sending letters again, investigators would not miss their chance... Stunningly, police arrested Dennis Rader, the president of his church board and the father of two. As a shocked community watched, evidence began to pile up.
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Alright if you just want the BTK story
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Critic reviews
"Singular has written a solid account that will both fascinate and terrify." (Publishers Weekly)
What listeners say about Unholy Messenger
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- BRIAN
- 12-06-16
very good
vVery good depiction of a monster.. not sure if you could really stop this or any of this as they say in the book where you might be able to study ptk and stop it from happening. These were heinous crimes.
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- High Helps
- 03-09-15
good read but repetition of subject matter
overall i enjoyed the book. but I had a couple of pet peeves! what's up with the constant repetition of subject matter? Also it does jump all over in terms of dates quite a bit. it is.
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Overall
- Tessa
- 11-15-06
Buy the abridged version
This book goes into excruciating detail about issues that hardly relate to the BTK case. I found myself tuning out for large portions of the text, and I found the level of detail about unrelated topics to be frustrating. About 10-20 chapters could have been completely eliminated. Definitely buy the abridged version if there is one - you're not missing anything. The relevant detail on the BTK case was interesting and worth the purchase.
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12 people found this helpful
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- Molly
- 08-19-20
loved it!
the narrators voice and inflections s are superb! and even though I have read other books on btk this one had things in it I didn't know. and the story is well told. I highly recommend this book.
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- Sara
- 12-21-14
Good True Crime
Many of the current reviews kept me from picking this book. This book is a great read with lots of detail. Several reviewers mention the parts about BTK's pastor as boring or distracting and I'd argue the opposite is the case. BTK was very devoted in his Christianity. The author, clearly intrigued by this, delves into how BTK was able to kill 10 people without remorse and still call himself a man of God.
I really enjoyed this book and I bet you will too!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Susan
- 10-01-15
recommended
informative. nice exploration of the underlying social and moral issues. narrator gave a nice performance.
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- Douglas
- 07-28-11
Informative and compelling...
but not as good as Graysmith's ZODIAC. Singular's insinuation that supposedly repressive midwestern Kansas culture and Bible-belt relgiion were partially to blame for Radar's behavior and "inability to seek help" is really too easy and heavy-handed and seriously overlooks the serial killer process and psyche. He puts a lot of thoughts in Radar's head from thirty years ago that seem a bit more than assumed
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- R. Brown
- 10-25-23
Great story telling and narration
I was going to go for another audiobook on Dennis Rader due to popularity and more ratings than this one, however I enjoyed the narrators voice and the story telling of this audiobook when listening to the sample, compared to the other. I’m glad I did.
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- Rose
- 01-10-13
Facinating
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Yes, if that person was also a true crime reader also.
What did you like best about this story?
I really liked the in depth physiological profile that was used in the book. I thought at first that is was only the imagination of the author until you learn about the confession and how Dennis talked non-stop about the murders. Since I was not very familiar with this case, I did not know that he had divulged that much information to the cops.
Have you listened to any of Alan Sklar’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Alan Sklar is great with these true crime books. He can sound very evil.
Any additional comments?
For any true crime enthusiast, a good read.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Delana
- 12-27-09
Detailed, but Interesting
Others have complained that this book has entirely too much detail and seemingly tangential exposition. As a Kansan familiar with both Kansas culture and the Wichita area, I find these details relevant and fascinating. My only real criticism of the narration is that Mr. Sklar mispronounces several regional names (Arkansas River, Menninger Clinic), which is, I suppose, understandable. Less forgivable is his mispronunciation of the word "synod." Otherwise, the narration is very good.
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