By September of 1986 Vicki Wegerle, 28 at the time and a mother of two, had caught Rader's eye. He would walk by her house during the day and listen to her play the piano. He thought this murder out carefully, calling it his "PJ" project.
By 10 a.m. on September 16, Rader dressed up as a telephone repair man and knocked on Wegerle's door. She let him into her home thinking that he was going to fix the phone line. He cut the line and told her that he was going to tie her up. At gunpoint, he forced her into the bedroom and tried to tie her up but she gave him a fight causing cuts and scratches on Rader. He got a rope and stopped her fighting by choking her to death. After that he took photos of the body in different positions then left, stealing the Wegerle's car.
Soon after that Bill Wegerle, the husband, said that he saw his own car going the opposite direction of the house but could not identify the driver. When he arrived home, he saw his 2 year old son by himself in the living room. He searched the house for his wife and soon found her on the floor behind the bed in their bedroom. Vicki was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead after a few hours.
As this was happening, Rader was disposing of the evidence and parked the Wegerle;s car just a few blocks away from the home. He went to his own home, changed his clothes, and once again got away with murder.
By 10 a.m. on September 16, Rader dressed up as a telephone repair man and knocked on Wegerle's door. She let him into her home thinking that he was going to fix the phone line. He cut the line and told her that he was going to tie her up. At gunpoint, he forced her into the bedroom and tried to tie her up but she gave him a fight causing cuts and scratches on Rader. He got a rope and stopped her fighting by choking her to death. After that he took photos of the body in different positions then left, stealing the Wegerle's car.
Soon after that Bill Wegerle, the husband, said that he saw his own car going the opposite direction of the house but could not identify the driver. When he arrived home, he saw his 2 year old son by himself in the living room. He searched the house for his wife and soon found her on the floor behind the bed in their bedroom. Vicki was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead after a few hours.
As this was happening, Rader was disposing of the evidence and parked the Wegerle;s car just a few blocks away from the home. He went to his own home, changed his clothes, and once again got away with murder.