Trapping the BTK Killer

When Vicki Wegerle, the mother of two young children, was strangled in Wichita, Kansas, in 1986, her husband Bill was considered by many to be the prime suspect. For the next 18 years, police lacked evidence to charge Bill, or anyone else with Vicki’s murder. Subsequently, a desire for recognition led Dennis Rader, aka the BTK (bind, torture, kill) killer, to fall into a police trap and supply them with incriminating evidence. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 10/1/2005. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+.