Kriti Mehrotra
It was in February 2005 when the entire world turned upside down for Kerri Rawson as she realized her father had been leading a double life — he was a family man and a serial killer. Dennis Rader seemed like an unassuming, god-fearing individual, but he was actually the BTK Killer, responsible for 10 brutal murders between 1974 and 1991. This dichotomy is precisely what his only daughter delves into on Netflix’s ‘My Father, the BTK Killer,’ all the while ensuring not to negate any trauma he inflicted over several decades.
Kerri Rawson Had No Idea of Her Father’s Truth Until His Arrest
Since Dennis Rader and Paula Dietz had reportedly fallen head over heels in love at first sight while attending church in August 1970, they didn’t hesitate to tie the knot 9 months later. The couple subsequently settled down in suburban Wichita, Kansas, where they happily welcomed two beautiful kids into their world – Daniel Rader, followed by Kerri Rader in 1978. According to the aforementioned original, the latter’s earliest memories are actually of their happy home, which was often filled with care, joy, and support more than anything else.
Kerri still vividly remembers how her parents never treated her and her elder brother differently, with her father even teaching her how to cycle, garden, hike, and build a treehouse. Her childhood was not all sunshine and roses, though, with her even admitting in the documentary that she had terrible incidents of wetting the bed and night terrors owing to fear as a toddler. She alleged she had the feeling of a “bad man” breaking into the family home and watching her in her bedroom for years, only to realize decades later that this was her father’s modus operandi. She does wonder if this was her subconscious’ way of telling her something was wrong, but she truly had no idea about Dennis being the BTK killer until the FBI informed her after his 2005 arrest. We should mention her DNA is indeed what led to his identification, yet the sample was procured without her knowledge, so she was really in the dark.
After Years of Silence, Kerri Rawson is Trying to Heal While Serving as a Victims Advocate
When the news of Dennis’ secret identity came out, Kerri claims the family “imploded,” owing to the ensuing media frenzy, public pushback, and his open admission of his heinous crimes. That’s when they decided to avoid any public appearances and refused to give interviews. Still, they continued to follow the case to understand who the individual they knew as a dedicated family man really was. Kerri even wrote him a letter reminiscing about the good days they shared while she was growing up, so as not to sound angry, all in the hopes of understanding his motives/psyche, but to no avail. In the end, while Dennis was handed 175 years in prison for 10 homicides over 2 decades, she was reportedly diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Kerri initially chose to deal with all her issues privately, but upon hearing that Stephen King’s ‘A Good Marriage’ was inspired by the tale of her family, she decided it was time to speak out. Thus, she gave her first interview in 2014, asserting that although she still had trouble merging her father with the BTK killer, she supports his victims and their families rather than him. In fact, she didn’t hesitate to say that he is in prison where he belongs, adding, “He has said he is sorry, but that means nothing. He is not worth all the books and the news stories and all the attention.” Since then, she has evolved into an advocate for victims of abuse, crime, and trauma, meaning she now publicly shares her experiences to let others know they are safe and not alone.
Kerri has given countless interviews on various platforms, spoken at engagements across the nation, and penned a memoir, ‘A Serial Killer’s Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love, and Overcoming’ (2019). She even published a second book in 2023, ‘Breaking Free: Overcoming the Trauma of My Serial Killer Father,’ to delve into how being open about her family/past has helped her healing process. She is admittedly not completely, magically healed since she still reportedly struggles with her mental health, but she claims it has slowly yet steadily improved over the years. That’s how she is now also able to serve as a police consultant, working to help them determine through her father’s seized private diaries whether he has been responsible for any other crimes.
Kerri Rawson’s Personal Relationships Have Taken a Toll Since 2005
According to records, when Dennis was arrested in 2005, Kerri had just settled into suburban life while expecting her first child with her relatively newlywed husband, Darian. The couple had tied the knot in 2003, the same year she graduated from Kansas State University with a double Bachelor’s in Life Science and Elementary Education. They had met at college too, so it was a really significant year for them, following which they happily chose to settle down in the suburbs, hoping to build a stable life and start a family. They eventually welcomed two adorable children into their world – Emilie, followed by Ian – but things changed in the summer of 2021 as they announced they were getting a divorce after nearly two decades of togetherness.
From what we can tell, Kerri is still heavily, positively involved in both her kids’ lives, but it has been an arduous journey, considering she is a single mother without a massive support system. As per the documentary, she is reportedly estranged from her mother and brother. She does have two close friends who have known her since she was a young girl, so she feels as if they are the only people who truly understand who she is and can separate her from her father. It seems that she currently resides in Greater Orlando, Florida, where her priorities include her children, her career as an advocate, her dog, her two cats, and her passions for reading and traveling. It’s imperative to note that Kerri had a severe health scare in early 2025, leading her to lose her house during the extended hospital stay. Yet, thanks to the kindness of strangers on her GoFundMe, she has since managed to find temporary housing.
While Kerri had maintained contact with her father via letters for years, that changed in 2023 when she finally visited him in prison to help the police on a case. In the documentary, Kerri described how, during her visit, her father became angry and manipulative when she refused to reminisce about the past. Therefore, she said she directly asked him if he had ever harmed her as a child, reportedly referring to some disturbing notations she read in his journals. According to Kerri, Dennis responded that those writings were “just fantasies.” She has described the encounter as her emotional breaking point.
