Tammy Tago can still feel the fear from the night she almost became a victim of the infamous BTK Killer, Dennis Rader.
In 2003, Tammy, from Lawton, Oklahoma, noticed a man crouching near her apartment. Though she didn’t know him at the time, she felt a deep sense of fear. Later, she discovered someone had tried to break into her home, damaging the door frame before giving up.
When Dennis Rader was arrested in 2005, Tammy instantly recognized him from the news. She believed he was the man she had seen outside her apartment, and she felt sure that she had nearly become one of his victims.
Tammy’s fear grew when authorities released drawings from Rader’s former property in Wichita, Kansas. One of the drawings showed a young girl who looked exactly like Tammy’s daughter, Kilani. Kilani, now 27, used to play near the area where Rader had been hiding. This made Tammy believe that her daughter was Rader’s real target.
Rader, known as the BTK Killer, murdered 10 people in Wichita from 1974 to 1991. He would often leave clues after his crimes. In 2004, the case went cold, but in 2005, Rader resurfaced by sending taunting messages to the media. His arrest was made possible when police traced him through a floppy disk he had sent.
Tammy, deeply affected by her near-miss, felt the need to confront Rader. “I want to stand in front of that apartment, tell my story, and maybe finally feel like I can breathe again,” she said.
She remembered the night in October 2003 when she saw the man crouching near the bushes outside her apartment. She was with a friend on the balcony, and when she coughed, she felt the man’s attention shift to her. Tammy wasn’t sure if he was after her, but her instincts told her something was wrong. Later, she found the damage to her doorframe, confirming her fears.
In February 2005, Rader’s arrest brought everything into focus for Tammy. She saw his photo on TV and instantly recognized him. She later learned about Rader’s disturbing crimes, which still haunt her. Although she didn’t speak to the police at the time, she wasn’t sure how anyone would have reacted in such a terrifying situation.
Rader was convicted and sentenced to 10 consecutive life terms in prison. During the investigation, authorities found many drawings, one of which showed a young girl in a red dress, triggering Tammy’s memory of her daughter. She believes Rader had planned to kill her and her kids, but she was lucky to escape.
