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They saved the BTK serial killer’s life
Here is an
excerpt from Mary Capps’ book about the time her aunt and another Park
City, Kansas employee saved Dennis Rader’s life—only later to find out
that he was the notorious BTK (Bind Torture Kill) serial killer:
Have you ever played “What if…?”
I have; more times than I could count. What
if I’d gone ahead and joined the Air Force? What if I’d never worked
for Park City? What if Aunt Ruth had never helped save Dennis Lynn
Rader’s Life?
Oh boy…that last one is a BIG “What if?”
Here’s how it happened.
The construction crew was nearing completion
of the new addition at the back of City Hall. One night they left a
propane heater running inside the unfinished area. I think they did this
to keep the mudding on the sheet rock from getting too cold.
As usual, Dennis showed up to work way before
anyone else, probably about 7:30, a half-hour early. So, he caught the
full brunt of the carbon monoxide. He was slumped over his desk when
Aunt Ruth, Deputy City Clerk for Water Service, and Sylvia, who also
worked there, walked past the open door to our little office. One of
them asked, “Dennis …Dennis…are you all right?”
He raised himself a bit and mumbled, “I need
to sit for a while…” Then he slumped again and closed his eyes.
Aunt Ruth and Sylvia grabbed him and dragged
him out of the building. A little longer and he probably would have
died.
Some time after Dennis was arrested I asked
her, “How do you and Sylvia feel about helping the BTK killer out of his
office and saving his life?”
“Oh my gosh, I forgot all about that,” my
aunt replied, her face flushing red.
Although I didn’t voice it, I wondered if I
should grab her and shake her every now and then just to remind her of
what she’d done.
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