Dennis Rader describes Nancy Fox's murder

WICHITA, Kansas -- Judge Gregory Waller: Alright, in count seven, it is claimed that on the 8th day of December 1977, Sedgwick County, Kansas, that you unlawfully killed a human being, that being Nancy Fox, maliciously, willfully, deliberately and with premeditation by strangulation, inflicting injuries in which the said, Nancy Fox, died on December 8th 1977. Can you tell me what you did on that day here in Sedgwick County?

Dennis Rader: Nancy Fox was another one of the projects. When I was trolling the area, I noticed her go in the house one night. Sometimes I would.. uh, anyway I put her down as a potential victim.

Judge: Let me ask you one thing Mr. Rader. You've used that term when you were patrolling the area. What do you mean?

Rader: It's called stalking or trolling.

Judge: So you were not working in any form or fashion?

Rader: Well, (he starts to wipe his forehead), I don't know. If you've read much about serial killers, they go through what you call, different phases. That's one of the phases they go through as a trolling stage. Basically, you're looking for a victim at that time. You can be trolling for months or years but once you lock in on a certain person, you become stalking. And that might be several of them, but you really home in on that person. They basically become the.. it's, that's the victim.

(attorneys talk about.. patrolling or trolling)

Rader: No. No, I wasn't working sir. No, this was, this was off, off, off my hours.

Judge: Alright, so you basically identified Nancy Fox as one of your projects. What happened then?

Rader: At first, she was spotted and then I did a little homework. I dropped by once to check the mailbox to see what her name was. I found out where she worked. I stopped by there once -- Helzberg. I kind of sized her up. The more I knew about a person, the more I felt comfortable with it. So I did that a couple of times. And then I just selected a night, which was this particular night, to try it and it worked out.

Judge: Alright, can you tell me what you did on that night of December 8, 1977.

Rader: About two or three blocks away, I parked my car and walked to that residence. Knocked at the door first to make sure, see if anybody was in there because I knew she arrived home at a particular time from where she worked. Nobody answered the door so I went around to the back of the house, cut the phone lines. I could tell that there wasn't anybody in the north apartment. I broke in and waited for her to come home in the kitchen.

Judge: Alright, did she come home?

Rader: Yes she did.

Judge: What happened?

Rader: I confronted her. I told her that I was a -- that I had a problem, a sexual problems -- that I had to tie her up and have sex with her. She was a little upset. We talked for awhile and she smoked a cigarette. While we smoked a cigarette, I went through her purse identifying some stuff and she finally said, 'well, let's get this over with so I can go call the police' and I said 'okay' and she said, 'can I go to the bathroom?' And I said 'yes.' She went to the bathroom and came.. and I told her that when she came out to make sure that she was undressed. When she came out I handcuffed her and uh..

Judge: You handcuffed her? You had a pair of handcuffs?

Rader: Yes sir, uh-huh.

Judge: What happened then?

Rader: Well anyway, I handcuffed her, had her lay on the bed. I tied her feet. I was also undressed to a certain degree. And then I got on top of her and reached over, took, either her feet were tied or not tied. But anyway I took.. I think I had a belt. I took the belt and I strangled her with the belt at that time.

Judge: Alright, after you had strangled her, what happened?

Rader: Okay, after I strangled her, I took the belt off and retied that with pantyhose real tight, removed the handcuffs and tied those with pantyhose -- I can't remember the colors right now. I think I maybe retied her feet if they hadn't already -- they were probably already tied, her feet were. And at that time I masturbated sir.

Judge: Had you had sexual relations with her?

Rader: No, no, no. I told her I was but I did not.

Judge: So you masturbated, then what did you do?

Rader: Uh, dressed, then went through the house and I took some of her personal items and kind of cleaned the house up, went through, check everything and then left.

(attorneys talk about the address)

Judge: For purposes of this it's in Sedgwick County. Do you remember the address Mr. Rader?

Council: Do you remember the address for Miss Fox?

Rader: Oh Fox? 913 or 9-0-3? No I sure don't. I know it was on Pershing -- South Pershing that's all. It was 9-something sir but I don't know the other digits.

Judge: That's alright. The address, as I said is really not important as long as you remember it happened here in Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas.

Rader: Yes, Sir.