"BTK."

Seldom have three initials struck such terror into the hearts of a local population as BTK (which stands for "Bind, Torture, Kill").

When the BTK serial killer was finally captured in the summer of 2005 people in the Wichita, Kansas area first breathed a sigh of relief, then drew in a gasp of surprise. The man who had left a sadistic trail of tortured and murdered women since 1974 turned out to be the most average appearing, normal neighbor anyone could imagine. No one suspected Dennis Rayder of being anything other than an ordinary guy. He was quiet, well-mannered, usually pleasant, a Boy Scout leader and a loyal church member who never caused any trouble.

When interviewed by the court-ordered psychiatrist to determine whether BTK was mentally competent to stand trial, the mild-…