The BTK killer featured in the Netflix documentary, My Father, the BTK Killer, is one of the most notorious criminals of all time. The serial murderer, whose real name is Dennis Rader, terrorised Kansas from 1974 to 1991. My Father, the BTK Killer, directed by Skye Borgman, delves into Dennis’s horrific crimes through the perspective of his daughter, Kerri Rawson. The documentary chronicles her journey of discovering her father’s monstrous double life, how his crimes impacted his family, and her path toward healing. It is inspired by her 2019 book, A Serial Killer’s Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love and Overcoming.
Who is Kerri Rawson? When did she know about her father’s crimes?
Kerri Rawson is the daughter of Dennis Rader, better known as the BTK Killer. Born in 1978, she is currently 47 and has been married to Darian Rawson since 2003. Kerri grew up unaware of her father’s secret life as a criminal, as she thought of him as a normal family man. That was because to her, Dennis was a church president, Cub Scout leader and a caring husband and father. However, little did she know that behind the facade was a brutal murderer who had terrorised Wichita, Kansas, for decades.
Kerry was shocked when her father, Dennis, was arrested in 2005 for murdering ten people in the Wichita, Kansas area between 1974 and 1991. It was the first time she learned about Dennis’ dual lives. The truth blindsided her, and since then, Kerry has become an author, public speaker, and victims’ advocate, sharing her story of trauma and healing. Now, her voice reached a wider audience through the Netflix documentary, My Father, the BTK Killer, which was released on October 11, 2025.
How was Dennis Rader as a father to Kerri Rawson?
Kerri Rawson shared that Dennis Rader “on the outside, looked like a very well-behaved, mild-mannered man,” but his family knew he had anger issues and could be triggered by the slightest inconvenience. Dennis referred to her father as a very controlling man, who would ‘flip on a dime’ when something didn’t go his way. According to her accounts in the Netflix documentary, Dennis needed to be the one to get lunch first, always sit at his usual spot, choose the movies he watched with his family and where they went on trips together.
It was an unsaid rule that he would be the one making the decisions, and his family would follow. As long as he was not triggered, he was like an ordinary husband and father, and things were not ‘dangerous’. When Kerri grew up and learnt about Dennis’ crimes, she finally uncovered the dark side of him that he had hidden from her for years. She sustained PTSD since then, and shared her story with the world through her book, A Serial Killer’s Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love and Overcoming and through the Netflix documentary based on it, My Father, the BTK Killer.
Why was Dennis Rader called the BTK killer?
Dennis Rader was called the BTK killer because he himself coined the nickname in letters sent to the media and police during his killing spree. After committing his first four murders of the Otero family in 1974, he sent taunting letters to the Wichita Eagle detailing the crime. He wrote, “The code word for me will be bind them, torture them, kill them, B.T.K.” Dennis’s craving for notoriety led him to resume communicating with the media in the 2000s, which ultimately led to police tracing a floppy disk back to him and making an arrest.
What are your thoughts on Kerri Rawson’s account of her father, Dennis Rader’s personality and crimes? Let us know.
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