The Dark Secret of Factor X: The Mysterious Force BTK Blamed for His Urge to Kill
Dennis Rader wanted to control everything—including his own terrifying legacy. The seemingly ordinary family man and Boy Scout leader gave himself a chilling moniker: BTK—Bind, Torture, Kill. But that wasn’t the only term he coined. He also spoke of “Factor X,” an unknown force he claimed drove him to murder 10 people between 1974 and 1991.
Was Factor X a supernatural presence? A psychological defect? Or just another way for Rader to evade responsibility?
The Killer’s Self-Made Myth
While corresponding with forensic psychologist Dr. Katherine Ramsland, Rader fixated on Factor X, urging her to uncover its origins. He speculated it could be demonic, yet Ramsland had a far more grounded explanation: Rader followed a classic trajectory toward violence, shaped by a combination of opportunity, sadistic sexual urges, and a hunger for notoriety.
Criminologist Dr. Scott Bonn also studied Rader, exploiting his narcissism to gain insight. “I sort of played Clarice Starling, soliciting his expertise,” Bonn explains. The strategy worked. Rader eagerly corresponded, revealing the way he saw himself—not as a mere serial killer, but something grander.
The Narcissistic Predator
Serial killers come in many psychological shades, but not all are psychopaths. Some lead double lives as successful professionals, even high-ranking CEOs. But Bonn notes that the most prolific killers share one key trait: they blend in perfectly with society while lacking human emotion.
Rader was no exception. In the 1970s, criminal profiling was still in its infancy, and serial killers operated with disturbing ease. “The ‘70s were the ‘Me Decade’—and it was the ‘Me Decade’ of serial killers too,” Bonn says. “Killers like BTK and Son of Sam made sure the world took them seriously.”
But it was Rader’s own arrogance that ultimately led to his downfall. After years of silence, he resurfaced in 2004, taunting police through letters and a floppy disk—an act of hubris that authorities used to track him down.
Is Factor X Just an Excuse?
When asked about Factor X, Bonn doesn’t hesitate: “He’s deflecting guilt. He wants people to believe he had no more control over killing than a venomous snake does over biting.”
But despite his claims of being controlled by an external force, Rader loved his crimes. He gave himself his own nickname, reveled in media attention, and even signed his letters in the shape of shark’s teeth.
FBI profiler Roy Hazelwood once called Rader “a profound, malignant narcissist and psychopath”—one of the worst he had ever encountered. Rader’s sense of self-importance even extended behind bars, where he created an elaborate fantasy world. He imagined himself as a wealthy real estate investor, keeping meticulous records of his imaginary stock portfolio. “He craves fantasy, not emotional connection,” Bonn explains. “For him, this is just another way to maintain control.”
The Ultimate Illusion
Rader’s daughter, Kerri Rawson, once described him as a patient, empathetic father. How could he be both a devoted family man and a ruthless killer?
He called it “cubing.” Psychologists call it compartmentalization. Rader saw no contradiction between his two lives. By day, he was a respected church leader and family man. But when Factor X “took over,” he became BTK.
Other notorious killers—Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy—also wore the mask of normalcy. They are the reason people fear the monster next door. The truth is, serial killers are rare. But when they do appear, they shatter the illusion of safety.
BTK’s Grand Delusion
At one point, Rader tried to distance himself from other serial killers, claiming he wasn’t a mere murderer but a terrorist. It was another attempt to elevate himself, to set himself apart from killers like Bundy or Son of Sam. He wanted the world to see him as a figure of terror, more akin to Osama bin Laden than a “garden-variety serial killer.”
But was Rader really anything more than a cold-blooded killer with an overinflated ego? Or was Factor X just another layer of the twisted narrative he tried so desperately to control?
Even in a cage, BTK still wanted the last word. But the question remains—was it really Factor X that drove him? Or was the only force at work the terrifying emptiness inside Dennis Rader himself?
