Kerri Rawson, the daughter of one of America's most notorious serial killers, has broken her silence about the unimaginable horror of discovering her father was the BTK murderer who terrorised Kansas for three decades.
A Father's Double Life
In a powerful new documentary, Rawson describes growing up with Dennis Rader - the man she knew as a loving father and devoted churchgoer, who secretly brutalised and killed ten victims between 1974 and 1991.
'The man who tucked me in at night was the same man who strangled women and children,' Rawson reveals in emotional interviews. 'He was a monster hiding in plain sight, and we had no idea.'
The Day Everything Changed
Rawson's world shattered in February 2005 when FBI agents arrived at her Michigan home to reveal the devastating truth. Her 59-year-old father, then working in home security, had been arrested as the BTK killer - a moniker he gave himself meaning 'Bind, Torture, Kill'.
'I collapsed on the floor,' she recalls. 'How could the man who taught me to ride a bike, who attended my school events, be responsible for such atrocities?'
Living with a Stranger
The documentary exposes the chilling duality of Rader's life:
- He served as a Cub Scout leader while plotting murders
- He held a position on his church council between killings
- He maintained a regular job while taunting police with cryptic messages
- He documented his crimes in meticulous detail while playing the role of family man
A Daughter's Trauma and Recovery
Rawson speaks candidly about the psychological toll of her father's crimes and her journey toward healing. 'The guilt, the shame, the confusion - it nearly destroyed me,' she admits.
Now an advocate for victims' families, Rawson has written a memoir and works to help others affected by violent crime, turning her personal nightmare into a source of support for those facing similar trauma.
The documentary serves as both a warning about the hidden nature of evil and a testament to human resilience in the face of unimaginable circumstances.
