Kansas man admits 'BTK' killings

Dennis Rader had previously pleaded not guilty

A US former church leader has pleaded guilty to the notorious "Bind, Torture, Kill" (BTK) murders that terrorised the Wichita area of Kansas for 17 years.

Dennis Rader, 60, admitted 10 counts of murder between 1974 and 1991.

Police arrested Rader in February after he wrote anonymously to a local TV station claiming to be the BTK killer.

Rader could face life in jail, but will not be executed because the crimes were committed before Kansas adopted the death penalty.

He made the admission as his trial was scheduled to begin. Sentencing was set for 17 August.

'Worked quick'

Referring to his victims as "projects", Rader clinically told 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 said of his first murders, the Associated Press news agency reported.

I strangled Mrs Otero. She passed out. I thought she was dead. Dennis Rader

His first victims were an entire family, killed in January 1974: Joseph Otero, 38, his wife Julie, 34, and their two children.

"The whole family just panicked on me. I worked pretty quick," he told the court on Monday.

"I strangled Mrs Otero. She passed out. I thought she was dead. I strangled Josephine. She passed out. I thought she was dead. Then I went over and put a bag on Junior's head."

He later said her went back to Mrs Otero and "strangled her again".

Rader is a church elder and former Boy Scout leader. He is also a former compliance supervisor with the Park City administration in Kansas state, dealing with such things as animal control and broken-down cars.

Most of his victims were women killed in their homes. Most of them were strangled, although others were stabbed or shot.

Rader contacted the media with rambling letters, including one in which he named himself BTK for "Bind them, Torture them, Kill them".