Paula Dietz is a well-known American public figure. She gained notoriety as the ex-wife of American serial killer Dennis Rader. Paula, on the other hand, has kept a private life and has not contacted her ex-husband since his arrest.
Dennis Rader, also known as B.T.K. Killer, is an American serial killer. From 1974 to 1991, he murdered ten people in Wichita and Park City, Kansas, and sent inflammatory letters to police and newspapers detailing his crimes.
Age of Paula Dietz
Paula Dietz was born on May 5, 1948. She was born in the United States of America, in Park City, Kansas. Unfortunately, Paula has not disclosed any information about her education, parents, or siblings.
Professional Career
Paula Dietz is best known for being the ex-wife of the infamous American serial killer Dennis Rader. She shot to fame after she tied the knot with him. Aside from that, no information is available about Paula’s occupation.
The Career of Paula Dietz’s Ex-Husband
Rader strangled four members of the Otero family in their Wichita home on January 15, 1974—parents Joseph and Julie, as well as two of their children, Josephine and Joseph Jr.—before fleeing with a watch and a radio.
Choking and collecting souvenirs would become his modus operandi or pattern of behavior. He left sperm at the crime scene and later stated that Rader derives sexual pleasure from killing. Charlie, the Oteros’ 15-year-old son, returned home later that day and discovered the bodies.
A few months later, Dennis Rader struck again. Dennis waited in the apartment of a young woman named Kathryn Bright on April 4, 1974, before spearing and strangling her when she returned home. He also shot her brother, Kevin, twice, though he survived.
According to a Time magazine article, Kevin later described Dennis as “an average-sized guy with a bushy mustache and ‘psychotic’ eyes.”
In October 1974, he hid a letter in a public library book in which he admitted to killing the Oteros. The letter was published in a local newspaper, and the poorly written note provided authorities with some insight into who they were dealing with.
“It’s difficult to control myself,” Rader wrote. You probably refer to me as “crazy with a sexual perversion hang-up.” Dennis threatened to strike again, saying, “The code words for me will bind, torture, and kill them, B.T.K.” The initials stuck, and the murderer became known as the “B.T.K. killer,” or simply “B.T.K.”
Rader’s next known crimes were committed in 1977. He strangled Shirley Vian in March of that year after locking her children in the bathroom. He choked Nancy Fox in her home in December and called the cops to report the homicide. In January 1978, he sent a poem about the Vian murder to a local newspaper.
Several weeks later, Rader sent a letter to a local television station claiming that Dennis was responsible for the deaths of Vian, Fox, and another unidentified victim. Rader also made references to Ted Bundy and David Berkowitz, also known as the “Son of Sam.”
Despite his cat-and-mouse game with authorities, Rader was able to keep his secret, murderous life hidden. He and his wife had a son in 1975 and a daughter in 1978, and he was said to be a wise husband.
The following year, he graduated from Wichita State University with a degree in justice administration. Nonetheless, he continued to taunt authorities and was preparing to strike again.
Rader waited in an elderly woman’s home in April 1979 but left before she returned. Rader wrote her a letter informing her that B.T.K. was present. Authorities released a 1977 recording of his phone call to police in the hopes that someone would recognize the voice.
Dennis killed his neighbor Marine Hedge on April 27, 1985, after going several years without committing a crime, and his body was discovered days later on the side of the road. Rader then murdered Vicki Wegerle in her own home.
Dolores Davis, his final known victim, was taken from her home on January 19, 1991. Rader was so heinous that he was named one of history’s Most Depraved Serial Killers.
Paula Dietz’s Ex-Husband Dennis Rader Arrested
Paula Dietz’s ex-husband was arrested while driving near his home in Park City on February 25, 2005. “Do you know why you’re going downtown, Mr. Rader?” police inquired. “Oh, I have a feeling why,” he replied.
Agents from the Wichita Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, and the ATF searched Rader’s home and vehicle, seizing evidence such as computer equipment, a pair of black hoses retrieved from a shack, and a cylindrical container.
The church he attended, his office at City Hall, and the Park City library’s headquarters were also searched. Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams stated at a press conference the next morning, “the bottom line: B.T.K. is arrested.”
Married Life of Paula Dietz
Paula Dietz is a divorcee. She had previously married Dennis Rader. On May 22, 1971, the couple married. Kerri and Brian are the couple’s two children. Unfortunately, the couple became estranged after her ex-husband was arrested. On July 26, 2005, the authorities granted her an emergency divorce.