Netflix has dropped a new true crime documentary just in time for the weekend. My Father, the BTK Killer tells the story of Kerri Rawson, who discovered she was the daughter of one of America's most notorious serial killers.
The new documentary recounts Kerri's “unthinkable nightmare” and comes from director Skye Borgman (who worked on Unknown Number: The High School Catfish and American Murder: Laci Peterson), which guarantees you'll be on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
If, like us, you canceled all your social plans to watch My Father, the BTK Killer, you've probably got plenty of questions about the people featured in the gripping documentary. Here, we take a look at who Kerri Rawson is, and where the daughter of the BTK Killer is now.
Who is Kerri Rawson?
Kerri Rawson is the focus of Netflix's newest true crime documentary, My Father, the BTK Killer. In 2005, an “unthinkable nightmare” came true for her when she discovered her dad, Dennis Rader, had been arrested on his lunch break. He was later unmasked as the notorious BTK Killer, who committed 10 heinous murders between 1974 and 1991.
Rader was given the BTK moniker due to the nature of his crimes; it stands for Bind, Torture, Kill. Despite the gruesome killings he repeatedly committed, Rader went undetected by authorities for decades, living as an unassuming church congregation president and Cub Scout leader. It's no wonder then, that the outing of this supposed family man as a serial killer came as a shock to the local community and, in particular, to his daughter Kerri Rawson.
At the time of her father's arrest, Kerri was newly married and expecting her first child, living what Netflix's Tudum describes as a “quiet suburban life.”
“The revelation that her father was responsible for a series of brutal murders forced Kerri to navigate the trauma caused by her father's actions and reevaluate her own childhood memories,” Tudum goes on. “This introspection led her to question the validity of her past experiences, further complicating her healing process.” This is exactly what the new documentary explores, following Kerri as she unpacks the impact of her father's crimes.
Where is Kerri Rawson now?
After initially pleading not guilty to the 10 murders he was charged with, Rader changed his plea to guilty on the schedued start date for his trial, June 27, 2005. Kansas did not enforce the death penalty at the time of the murders, so Rader was sentenced to 10 consecutive life sentences, with a minimum term of 175 years. The 80-year-old is currently imprisoned at El Dorado Correctional Facility, where he will likely remain for the rest of his life. But, where is his daughter, Kerri Rawson?
Following her father's conviction, Kerri sought grief counselling and was eventually diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. She went on to write a memoir, A Serial Killer's Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love, and Overcoming, and became a speaker and victims' advocate. In 2023, she also began assisting investigators on other cold case crimes her father may have been involved in.
Understandably, Kerri is now trying to distance herself from her father's crimes. By the end of the documentary, she says it will likely be the final time she addresses her father's crimes publicly. What's more, she has also “consciously stepped back” from being a “conduit for information” for investigators, according to director Skye Borgman.
“[She recognises] that her healing cannot hinge on what her father does or does not reveal,” the director told Tudum of how Kerri copes with the emotional weight of being the BTK Killer's daughter.
“This isn't a film about a crime—it's a story about a woman who has spent her life trying to reconcile love, betrayal, and family,” Skye added. “[I] don't think closure is ever a neat, final thing for someone in her position. But I do think that telling her story on her own terms has been a kind of reclaiming. It's less about closing a door and more about finally being able to walk through it on her own.”
Does Kerri Rawson have a relationship with her father, the BTK Killer?
In Netflix's documentary, Kerri recalls visiting her father in prison and having an intense confrontation over his potential involvement in other crimes. At the end of the documentary, she says the relationship she has with her father is fraught.
“Since that visit, she's kept the relationship at a distance,” explained Skye. “She has chosen not to maintain contact, and there haven't been any revelations or confessions. That in itself has reinforced the boundaries that Kerri has set.”
Stream My Father, the BTK Killer on Netflix now.
