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WICHITA, Kansas (AP) — The man accused of the BTK serial killings waived his right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday, meaning he acknowledged the state has enough evidence to go to trial.
During the hearing, which lasted only a few minutes, Dennis Rader answered "Yes, sir" to questions from Sedgwick County District Gregory Waller about whether he understood his rights. Prosecutors presented no evidence against him.
Rader, formerly a city ordinance enforcement officer for suburban Park City, was arrested on Feb. 25 and is charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder. Rader, 60, will enter a plea at his arraignment, which was set for May 3.
The BTK strangler, whose nickname stands for "Bind, Torture, Kill," had been suspected of eight deaths beginning in 1974, but since Rader's arrest authorities have linked two more victims to the serial killer. Prosecutors can't seek the death penalty because the crimes were committed before 1994, when Kansas passed its capital punishment law.
See Crime Library's background information on the BTK killer
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