A new Netflix documentary, My Father, The BTK Killer, has renewed attention on Dennis Rader, the serial killer convicted of ten murders between 1974 and 1991. The film focuses on Rader’s daughter, Kerri Rawson, and her perspective on learning about her father’s crimes.
BTK, which stands for “bind, torture, kill,” was a name Rader used in letters to police and the media to taunt authorities. Viewers of the documentary have raised questions about how Rader was ultimately captured.
Rader was arrested in 2005 after sending a floppy disk to the media, which investigators traced to a church where he worked. DNA testing linked him to the murders.
Police also compared Rader’s DNA to a medical sample of Rawson’s obtained from her college health centre without her knowledge, confirming his identity. Investigators found his semen at crime scenes, although he did not sexually assault his victims.
After his arrest, Rader admitted to his crimes and said he derived sexual pleasure from asphyxiation and controlling women. He also used an exercise squeeze ball to strengthen his grip for strangulation.
Rader is serving ten consecutive life sentences with a minimum of 175 years in prison. In the documentary, Rawson described the emotional toll of her father’s crimes, saying she spent “10 years rotting inside” after his arrest.
My Father, The BTK Killer is now available on Netflix.
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