RDK (short for "Rape, Dismember, Kill") was a notorious serial killer who raped, mutilated, and murdered several women back in the 1970s and who was never identified or captured. His crimes were later recreated by a frustrated crime novelist named Humphrey Becker. (SVU: "Scavenger")
History
In the 1970s, Captain Donald Cragen and Sergeant Max Greevey investigated an unknown man when he began to rape and murder women. It was never understood why, but by the time he'd finished, five women were dead, their bodies mutilated. A later victim, Jeannette Henley, survived. During her rape, he poured gasoline on her skin to torture her, and she managed to grab the bottle and splashed it in his eyes. 25 years later RDK was later recreated by a copycat named Humphrey Becker, a rejected writer and record keeper at the New York Ledger.
Trivia
- RDK was probably based on the notorious BTK (for "Bind, Torture, Kill"), another anonymous serial killer in Wichita, Kansas who killed from 1974-93 and then disappeared until 2004. However, BTK was later identified as Dennis Rader, who has since been locked away for his crimes. He is also possibly based on the Zodiac Killer for never being caught, though Louie Myers admitted on his deathbed he was the Zodiac and had connections to some of his victims.
- RDK hung his first victim, then with a knife he cut his second victim's skin which led to her bleeding to death, then he possibly drowned his third victim, decapitated his fourth victim and asphyxiated his fifth and last victim using a plastic bag.
Known Victims
- Five unnamed women
- Jeannette Henley (attempted)