Dennis Rader describes Dolores Davis' murder

WICHITA, Kansas -- Judge Gregory Waller: Sir lets turn to Count 10. In that count it is claimed that on or about the 18th day of January 1991, to the 19th day of January 1991, in the county of Sedgwick, state of Kansas, that you did unlawfully kill a human being, that being Dolores E Davis, maliciously, willfully, deliberately and with premeditation by strangulation, inflicting injuries from which the said Dolores E Davis did die on January 19 1991. Mr. Rader, please tell me what you did here in Sedgwick County, Kansas on that day to believe you are guilty.

Dennis Rader: On that particular day I had some commitments. I left those, went to one place changed my clothes, went to another place, parked my car, finally made arrangements on my hit kit, changed my clothes and then walked to that residence. After spending some time at that residence -- it was very cold that night -- I had reservations about going in but I had cased the place before and I really couldn't figure out how to get in and she was in the house so I finally just selected a concrete block and threw it through the plate glass window on the east and came on in.

Judge: Now where is this residence located?

Rader: It's on Hillside but I couldn't give the address. It's probably 61, probably 62 something. All I know is 62 something.

Judge: North or south?

Rader: North. North Hillside.

Judge: Alright, you used a concrete block to break the window.

Rader: *nods* Uh-huh, plate glass window, patio door.

Judge: What happened next?

Rader: Noise. I just went in. She came out of the bedroom and thought that a car had hit her house and I told her, I used the ruse of being wanted; I was on the run. I needed food, car, warmth, warm up. I asked her, I handcuffed her and kind of talked to her -- told her that I would like to get some food, get her keys to her car. Kind of rest assured, talked with her a little bit, calmed her down a little bit. Then eventually I checked -- I think she was still handcuffed -- I went back and checked out where the car was, simulated getting some food, odds and ends in the house, kind of like I was leaving. Then I went back and removed her handcuffs and tied her up and then, eventually, strangled her.

Judge: You say, eventually strangled her?

Rader: Well, after I tied her up I went through some things in the room there and then, and then strangled her.

Judge: You said you went through. Were you looking for something?

Rader: Well, some personal items, yes. I took some personal items from there.

Judge: Did you take some personal items in every one of these incidences?

Rader: Uhh, I did on the Hedge. I don't remember anything at Vicki's place. The Otero's, I got the watch and the radio. I don't think I did any at Bright's. Vian's? No, I don't think so. Fox? Yes, I took some things from Fox. It was hit and miss. Probably if it was a controlled situation where I had more time, I took something. But if it was, uh, confusion or other things I didn't because I was trying to get out of there.

Judge: Alright, so in regards to the Davis matter, you run around the room, took a few personal things. What did you do then?

Rader: Uh, strangled her.

Judge: What did you strangle her with?

Rader: Pantyhose.

Judge: What happened then?

Rader: Kind of like Mrs. Hedge, I had already figured out my, I had a plan of leaving and I put her in a blanket and drug her to the car, put her in the trunk of the car.

Judge: So you were able to strangle her to death with these pantyhose?

Rader: Yes sir.

Judge: Alright, you put her in your car..

Rader: In her car, her car. The trunk of her car.

Judge: Alright, then what happened.

Rader: I really had a commitment that I needed to go to so I moved her to one spot, took her out of her car -- this gets complicated -- then the stuff I had – clothes, gun, whatever – I took that to another spot in her car, dumped that off (closes eyes like trying to remember). Okay, then took her car back to her house, umm, left that. Let me think. Okay, in the interim I realized I had lost one of my guns -- I dropped it somewhere -- so I was distraught trying to figure out where my gun was. So I went back into the house and realized I had dropped it when I went in, when I had broke the plate-glass window, it dropped and fell on the floor right there and I found it right there so that solved that problem. Anyway, I went back out, threw the keys, checked the car real quick like, threw the keys up on top of the roof of her house, walked from her car back to my car. Took my car, drove it back and I either dropped more stuff off or picked her up and put 'em in my car and then I drove up northeast of Sedgwick County and dropped her off underneath a bridge.

Judge: So all of these instances, these 10 counts, occurred because you wanted to fulfill a sexual fantasy. Is that correct?

Rader: Yes, uh-huh.