(CBS/AP) A former Boy Scout and church leader pleaded guilty Monday to 10 counts of murder, admitting in a chillingly matter-of-fact voice to a series of slayings that terrorized the Wichita area beginning in the 1970s.

Dennis Rader, 60, of suburban Park City, entered the guilty pleas as his trial was set to begin for the murder of Delores Davis, a 62-year-old woman who was abducted from her home in 1991 and found nearly two weeks later strangled under a bridge.

Referring to his victims as "projects," Rader laid out for the court how he would "troll" for victims on his off-time, then stalk them and kill them.

"I had never strangled anyone before, so I really didn't know how much pressure you had to put on a person or how long it would take," he told the court in describing his first killings in 1974, a couple and two of their children.

Most of the victims' relatives who were in the courtroom sat silent and stared at Rader; one woman wiped away tears. Victims' families left the courtroom, escorted by officials into another building, and did not speak to reporters.

Prosecutors had said before the hearing that no plea deal had been made. Rader was arrested Feb. 25.

Rader can't get the death penalty, reports CBS News Correspondent Erin Moriarty, because there wasn't one when he committed these murders, but the prosecutor may try for something known as the "Hard 40." If she can show at sentencing that the Davis murder was a particularly horrific crime, Rader will get 40 years with no chance of parole, guaranteeing a life in prison.

Saying he was motivated by sexual fantasies, the onetime president of the church council at Christ Lutheran Church and Boy Scout leader, Rader admitted killing 10 people in the Wichita area between 1974 and 1991. The serial killer known as BTK — the self-coined nickname that stands for "Bind, Torture, Kill" — taunted media and police with cryptic messages.

"Today in court, for the first time, our community and the nation has now heard Dennis Rader reveal that he has committed those homicides," District Attorney Nola Foulston said. "Today we have some resolution."

Sentencing was set for Aug. 17. Rader will not face the death penalty because the state had no death penalty at the time. But it's likely he'll never leave prison because each count carries a possible life sentence.

Rader, wearing a beige coat and dark tie, told District Judge Gregory Waller he understood the charges and that he was waiving his right to a jury trial.

"The defense worked with me real well," Rader said. "We went over it. I feel like I'm pretty happy with them."

Asked by Waller if he was pleading because he was guilty, Rader answered, "Yes, sir."

©MMV CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Back To Top