Monday, Sept. 19, 2005

Dennis Rader’s childhood home is sold. It took less than an hour. A handful of people came out for the auction, but apparently with no real intention of buying.

For Bill and Dorothea Rader, it was their slice of America. A quaint home, two bedrooms, neat and tidy, complete with a tomato garden and sunflowers in the backyard, nestled in a charming neighborhood. But, its connection to BTK killed its charm.

Lon McCurdy started the bids at $90,000, but within 10 minutes, he was begging for $35,000.

The assessed value of the house was $85,900. The Rader’s listed it at $72,500. Turns out the few people who showed up for the auction were mostly neighbors who just wanted to see how much it would go for. One couple looking for a fix-it-up project admitted its connection to a serial killer would make it too hard to re-sell it.

“The house didn’t do anything,” says McCurdy. “This was just a boyhood home. I don’t know that there’s anything sinister particularly about the property. I just know that it’s a good home in a good location with a lot of nice homes all around it.”

The inside is modest: Two bedrooms, a kitchen and a living area. Then there’s the basement, where Rader took pictures of himself in bondage, pictures that prosecutors revealed during Rader’s sentencing hearing.

No one seemed willing to pay more than $35,000 for the serial killer’s former home.

Finally the property sold. A man bought it over the phone for $40,000.

The buyer is a known real estate investor who enjoys buying and selling homes. No word yet on what he’ll do with it.