BTK stands for "Bind, Torture, Kill" and is the self-given nickname of Dennis Rader, an American serial killer who murdered at least ten people in Wichita and Park City, Kansas, between 1974 and 1991. Rader played a cat and mouse game with investigators and sent letters and packages to the media, including a chapter list for a proposed book titled "The BTK Story". BTK resurfaced in March 2014 with a letter to The Wichita Eagle that included photos of the 1986 strangulation of Vicki Wegerle and a photocopy of her missing driver’s license.

It is important to note that BTK can also refer to Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki, a naturally occurring bacteria used as a biological insecticide.