S3 Ep362: BTK | How a Floppy Disk Led to Dennis Rader’s Demise (Part 5)

In 1974, Wichita, Kansas was shaken by a series of brutal attacks inside family homes. Men, women, and children were bound, tortured, and killed by a predator who called himself BTK. For 17 years, he terrorized the community, claiming at least 10 victims and taunting police with disturbing letters that detailed his crimes. Then in 1991, the killings abruptly stopped, leaving law enforcement and the public to wonder if the killer had vanished forever. For more than a decade, there was silence. Then in 2004, BTK resurfaced with new messages, reigniting fear in Wichita. But that renewed need for attention would ultimately be his downfall, and by the following year, detectives had identified the killer as Dennis Rader, a father of two, a Scout leader, and a trusted member of his church council. Rader was the last person anyone suspected of being a sexual sadist serial killer, but once investigators began putting all the puzzle pieces together, it became clear that Rader’s family-man persona was just a mask covering the monster beneath. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. https://www.HelloFresh.com/CrimeWeekly10FM - Get 10 FREE meals and FREE breakfast for LIFE! 2. https://www.Incogni.com/CrimeWeekly - Use code CRIMEWEEKLY for 60% off! 3. https://www.HelixSleep.com/CrimeWeekly - Get 27% off sitewide NOW! 4. https://www.EatIQBAR.com - Text WEEKLY to 64000 for 20% off ALL IQBAR products and FREE shipping! 5. https://www.Rula.com/CrimeWeekly - Make your mental health your top priority today with Rula! Let them know we sent you!

Nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard, last seen on October 7, 2025 after traveling with her mother in a rented white Chevrolet Malibu, remains missing as investigators follow leads across multiple states. Surveillance footage suggests her appearance may have been altered with a disguise, and search warrants have yet to reveal her location. Authorities describe Melodee as an at-risk child and continue urging the public to report any information. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. https://www.OneSkin.co/CWN - Use code CWN for 15% off! Let them know we sent you! 2. https://www.UncommonGoods.com/CrimeWeekly - Get 15% off your next gift!

In 1974, Wichita, Kansas was shaken by a series of brutal attacks inside family homes. Men, women, and children were bound, tortured, and killed by a predator who called himself BTK. For 17 years, he terrorized the community, claiming at least 10 victims and taunting police with disturbing letters that detailed his crimes. Then in 1991, the killings abruptly stopped, leaving law enforcement and the public to wonder if the killer had vanished forever. For more than a decade, there was silence. Then in 2004, BTK resurfaced with new messages, reigniting fear in Wichita. But that renewed need for attention would ultimately be his downfall, and by the following year, detectives had identified the killer as Dennis Rader, a father of two, a Scout leader, and a trusted member of his church council. Rader was the last person anyone suspected of being a sexual sadist serial killer, but once investigators began putting all the puzzle pieces together, it became clear that Rader’s family-man persona was just a mask covering the monster beneath. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. https://www.PDSDebt.com/CrimeWeekly - Get your FREE assessment and find the best option for you at PDS Debt! 2. https://www.EatIQBAR.com - Text WEEKLY to 64000 for 20% off ALL IQBAR products and FREE shipping! 3. https://www.Coyuchi.com/CrimeWeekly - Get 20% off your first order with Coyuchi! 4. https://www.Smalls.com/CrimeWeekly - Get 60% off your first order plus FREE shipping with Smalls! 5. https://www.SmartCredit.com/CrimeWeekly - Start your 7-day trial with Smart Credit for just $1!

A major development has cracked open the 15 year mystery of the Skelton brothers: John Skelton, the father of Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner, who vanished in 2010 while in his care, has been charged with three counts of open murder and three counts of evidence tampering, just days before his planned release from prison. A judge legally declared the brothers dead, though at that time ruled there was not enough evidence to confirm their father was responsible. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. https://www.UncommonGoods.com/CrimeWeekly - Get 15% off your next gift! 2. https://www.SurfShark.com/CrimeWeekly - Use code CRIMEWEEKLY for FOUR extra months of Surf Shark VPN!

In 1974, Wichita, Kansas was shaken by a series of brutal attacks inside family homes. Men, women, and children were bound, tortured, and killed by a predator who called himself BTK. For 17 years, he terrorized the community, claiming at least 10 victims and taunting police with disturbing letters that detailed his crimes. Then in 1991, the killings abruptly stopped, leaving law enforcement and the public to wonder if the killer had vanished forever. For more than a decade, there was silence. Then in 2004, BTK resurfaced with new messages, reigniting fear in Wichita. But that renewed need for attention would ultimately be his downfall, and by the following year, detectives had identified the killer as Dennis Rader, a father of two, a Scout leader, and a trusted member of his church council. Rader was the last person anyone suspected of being a sexual sadist serial killer, but once investigators began putting all the puzzle pieces together, it became clear that Rader’s family-man persona was just a mask covering the monster beneath. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. https://www.HelixSleep.com/CrimeWeekly - Get 27% off sitewide now! Select our podcast after checkout and let them know we sent you! 2. https://www.SKIMS.com - Shop your favorites at SKIMS.com and select our podcast after you order! 3. https://www.SimpliSafe.com/Crimeweekly - Save 60% on a SimpliSafe home security system today! 4. https://www.HungryRoot.com - Use code CRIMEWEEKLY for 40% off your first box, plus a FREE item of your choice in every box FOR LIFE! 5. https://www.FactorMeals.com/CrimeWeekly50Off - Use code CRIMEWEEKLY50OFF for 50% off your first box and FREE breakfast for a year!

A few months ago, we covered the disturbing case involving rising R&B artist David Anthony Burke, better known as D4vd, and the disappearance of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez from Riverside County, California. Celeste vanished in April of 2024, when she was just thirteen, and over time, online chatter began linking her to Burke, a singer whose breakout hits like Romantic Homicide and Here With Me had made him one of the biggest viral artists of the last few years. Those rumors took a horrifying turn in September of 2025, when Celeste’s remains were discovered inside an abandoned Tesla registered to Burke. Speculation was that the body had been in the vehicle for an extended period of time, and although the cause of death hasn’t been officially released, authorities were treating it as a homicide. Since then, Burke has cancelled his world tour, suspended upcoming releases, and become the focus of an active death investigation. As we learned in our first video, there were already unsettling connections between the two; from matching tattoos and online interactions to song lyrics and videos that many fans now view in a far darker light. Today, we have some updates in this case. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. https://www.Wildgrain.com/CRIMEWEEKLY or use code CRIMEWEEKLY at checkout - For a limited time, Wildgrain is offering our listeners $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants in every box! 2. https://www.oneskin.co/CWN with code CWN - For a limited time, try OneSkin for 15% off using code CWN. After you purchase, they’ll ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them we sent you.

In 1974, Wichita, Kansas was shaken by a series of brutal attacks inside family homes. Men, women, and children were bound, tortured, and killed by a predator who called himself BTK. For 17 years, he terrorized the community, claiming at least 10 victims and taunting police with disturbing letters that detailed his crimes. Then in 1991, the killings abruptly stopped, leaving law enforcement and the public to wonder if the killer had vanished forever. For more than a decade, there was silence. Then in 2004, BTK resurfaced with new messages, reigniting fear in Wichita. But that renewed need for attention would ultimately be his downfall, and by the following year, detectives had identified the killer as Dennis Rader, a father of two, a Scout leader, and a trusted member of his church council. Rader was the last person anyone suspected of being a sexual sadist serial killer, but once investigators began putting all the puzzle pieces together, it became clear that Rader’s family-man persona was just a mask covering the monster beneath. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. https://www.EatIQBAR.com - Text WEEKLY to 64000 for 20% off ALL IQBAR products and FREE shipping! 2. https://www.LiquidIV.com - Use code CRIMEWEEKLY for 20% off your first order! 3. https://www.Rula.com/CrimeWeekly - Take the first steps to better mental health today. After signing up, let them know we sent you! 4. https://www.HelloFresh.com/CrimeWeekly10FM - Use code CRIMEWEEKLY10FM for 10 FREE meals and FREE breakfast for life! 5. https://www.TryFum.com - Use code CRIMEWEEKLY and get a FREE gift with your order!

Investigators have announced the arrests in connection with the recent heist at Louvre Museum in Paris, where thieves stole eight pieces of the French crown jewels valued at around €88 million. Authorities warned the stolen jewels could be dismantled before recovery and confirmed the museum’s security systems had critical blind spots. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. https://www.JonesRoadBeauty.com - Use code CRIMEWEEKLY for a FREE cool gloss with your first purchase!

In 1974, Wichita, Kansas was shaken by a series of brutal attacks inside family homes. Men, women, and children were bound, tortured, and killed by a predator who called himself BTK. For 17 years, he terrorized the community, claiming at least 10 victims and taunting police with disturbing letters that detailed his crimes. Then in 1991, the killings abruptly stopped, leaving law enforcement and the public to wonder if the killer had vanished forever.  For more than a decade, there was silence. Then in 2004, BTK resurfaced with new messages, reigniting fear in Wichita. But that renewed need for attention would ultimately be his downfall, and by the following year, detectives had identified the killer as Dennis Rader, a father of two, a Scout leader, and a trusted member of his church council. Rader was the last person anyone suspected of being a sexual sadist serial killer, but once investigators began putting all the puzzle pieces together, it became clear that Rader’s family-man persona was just a mask covering the monster beneath. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. Download June's Journey: https://woo.ga/v79wbxd2 - Love solving mysteries of your own? Play June's Journey today! June’s Journey is available on iOS and Android mobile devices, as well as on PC. 2. https://www.littlespoon.com/CRIMEWEEKLY50 - Use code CRIMEWEEKLY50 for 50% off your first Little Spoon order! 3. https://www.Quince.com/CRIMEWEEKLY - Get FREE shipping and 365-day returns at Quince!

Nearly two decades after Jennifer Kesse vanished from her Orlando condo in January 2006, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has announced significant progress. Previously untested DNA evidence has been discovered and the pool of persons of interest has been narrowed down to just a few individuals, leading the family to say the case is “no longer cold”. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod