The Clovehitch Killer, currently streaming on Hulu, follows the story of Tyler Burnside, a sixteen-year-old boy living in the town of Clarksville, Kentucky. Part of a devout Christian family, most of Tyler's time is spent working on obtaining his scout badges, with the help of his father, the scout master. After he finds a photograph of a tied and bound woman in his father's truck, Tyler begins to suspect his father has some connection to a serial killer.
The further the story progresses the more Tyler and the audience learn about what's really going on, leading to a truly riveting conclusion. The most terrifying aspect of the entire proceeding though is the fact that the character of Tyler's father (masterfully played by Dylan McDermott) is based on the story of a real serial killer, Dennis Rader, more famously known as BTK.
Better known as the 'BTK killer,' (Bind, Torture, Kill), Dennis Rader ended the lives of 10 people around the Wichita, Kansas area between the years of 1974 and 1991. Rader was best known for his penchant for leaving clues at crime scenes as well as taking keepsakes from his victims. One of the most horrifying aspects of Rader's time as BTK was his ability to hide in plain sight as a fixture of his community.
Early Childhood and Pre-BTK
Born in 1945 in Pittsburgh, KS, Rader spent most of his childhood as the oldest of 4 sons in Wichita. It seems that he had a mostly normal childhood, though he secretly did things like hanging stray animals. Rader left college for the U.S. Air Force in the middle of the 1960s, married in 1971 and started working for ADT Security Services in 1974.
The First BTK Murders
Rader strangled four members of the Otero family on January 15th, 1974. He took with him a watch and a radio and left semen at the scene of the crime. He would admit at a later date to deriving sexual pleasure from the act of killing. Later that year in April Rader struck again, lurking within the apartment of a woman named Kathryn Bright, whom he stabbed and strangled upon her return home. He also shot her brother, Kevin, twice, but he did not die from the wounds and survived to tell police about Rader's, "bushy mustache," and, "psychotic eyes."
BTK Goes to the Library
In late 1974, Rader left a note in a public library book. In the note, BTK claims responsibility for the murder of the Otero family. Rader warned he would kill again in the future, stating, "The code words for me will be bind them, torture them, kill them, B.T.K." This is what led authorities to grant him the now-infamous moniker.
A Game of Cat and Mouse
Rader went on a hot streak as BTK in the late 1970s, first with the murder of Shirley Vian, who he tied up and strangled while her children were locked in the bathroom. In December of 1977 he entered the home of Nancy Fox and strangled her, then called the police to alert them of the murder. January of 1978 saw BTK send a poem to a Kansas television station taking ownership for the murders of Vian, Fox, and one other victim while also making references to killers like Ted Bundy and David Berkowitz.
Rader waited in the home of an elderly woman in April of 1979, but left before she came home. He then sent her a letter to taunt her, letting her know BTK had been inside her home. Police released a recording of a 1977 phone call he made to the authorities in the hopes someone would recognize his voice. His next known murders would not be for several years.
In April of 1985 Rader set his sights on his neighbor Marine Hedge. The body of this victim was found off to the side of the road. In 1986 he took the life of yet another victim, Vicki Wegerle. January 19, 1991 would mark the taking of his final known victim, Dolores Davis.
Hiding in Plain Sight: Family and Community Life
Despite the growing fame of BTK, Rader sustained a wholly normal family life and was an active member of his community. This is where The Clovehitch Killer draws a large amount of inspiration and more parallels can be seen between the movie and Rader's actions in real life. He was known as an attentive husband and he and his wife Paula had two children, a boy in 1975 and a daughter in 1978. He graduated from Wichita State University in 1979, obtaining a degree in administration of justice.
Rader would leave his job with ADT at the sunset of the 80's and and in 1991 took on the role of a compliance supervisor in 1991. Rader could be seen chasing off stray animals with a tranquilizer gun and apparently took pleasure in enforcing rules upon others, going so far as to measure the height of people's lawns to make sure they were up to code. He served as president of his church council and a Boy Scout troop leader.
The Downfall of BTK and Rader's Arrest
The year 2004 marked the 30th anniversary of the Otero family murders, which were covered again in local newspapers. In response to this renewed interest in BTK's killings, Rader sent out items linked to his crimes to authorities and news outlets. These items consisted of photographs, a word puzzle, and an outline of the "BTK Story."
Rader's demise as BTK would be cemented by a computer disk left in one of his clue packages that put police on a path directly to his church. Police also spotted Rader's Jeep on surveillance footage from the areas he dropped off his packages. Authorities confirmed his identity thanks to a DNA sample provided by Rader's daughter. He was then arrested on February 25th, 2005.
To the complete and total shock of his church and community, Rader was charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder. He pled guilty to the charges and as part of his plea also recounted in detail his crimes to the court. As his crimes occurred prior to the reinstatement of the death penalty in Kansas, Rader was taken to El Dorado Correctional Facility to spend his 10 life sentences.
BTK in Pop Culture and The Clovehitch Killer
BTK has inspired several stories in pop culture, such as the Stephen King tale A Good Marriage (published within King's Full Dark, No Stars) as well as the character ADT Man from Netflix's Mindhunter. A forensic psychology professor named Katherine Ramsland released a book in 2016 titled Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer, that confirmed the Rader had plans to take the life of an 11th victim. This 11th murder attempt was thankfully thwarted by his arrest.
The Clovehitch Killer is not a direct adaptation of Rader's story, though the influences are clear. In the film, the main character Tyler's father is a Boy Scout leader as well as active in his church and with his family. The film opts to look at events from Tyler's point of view instead of the killer or the authorities.
According to an article by Metro, Director of the film Duncan Skiles has gone on record about this narrative choice, stating, "I thought it would be very interesting for one of the kids to find out before he was caught... I wanted to do something from the perspective of someone who is not a serial killer but is closely related to one." It's this choice that gives the film its unique sense of uneasiness, uncertainty, and dread.
The Clovehitch Killer is currently available to stream on Hulu.
Source: Biography.com