BTK Killer case on Netflix's My Father, the BTK Killer - A detailed case overview

Dennis Rader was an American serial killer who went by the name BTK Killer. He murdered ten victims, mostly women, with "Bind, Torture, Kill." method. From 1974 to 1991, the city of Wichita, Kansas, was under terror.

The Netflix documentary My Father, the BTK Killer, was released on October 10, 2025. The film focuses on Kerri Rawson, Dennis Rader's daughter, who discovered her father’s horrific secret after his arrest.

In the documentary, Kerri deals with the emotional and mental effects of finding out that her father was one of America's most famous serial killers. The documentary additionally displays the dedication she has to helping the police find more victims of the BTK Killer.

For over three decades, Rader eluded authorities, sending letters to the media to taunt them. The case remained unsolved until his arrest in 2005, which stunned his family and the community.

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How did Law Enforcement finally get a closure on the BTK Killer?

The BTK Killer committed his first known murder in January 1974, when he killed four members of the Otero family. Rader then continued his killing spree over the next several years.

Director Skye Borgman stated to Tudum on October 10, 2025,

"I came [into the project] understanding Kerri as the daughter of a serial killer. Over time, I came to understand her as a woman trying to build a life out of fractured pieces — someone strong, but also profoundly human."

The people he killed were often strangled, and he would take upsetting things from them, like clothes or pictures. Even though Rader did horrible things, he seemed to have a normal life as a church leader, father, and husband. This helped him stay hidden for years.

For nearly two decades, the BTK Killer taunted law enforcement with cryptic letters and bizarre clues. These letters contained details about the murders, as well as personal messages directed at police and the media.

He wrote letters all through the 1970s and 1980s because he wanted people to notice and appreciate him. But the letters stopped coming after 1991, which made it seem like his killing spree was over. The police closed the case owing to insufficient information.

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The story got a separate ending ahead. In 2004, the BTK Killer sent a letter to a local news station with pictures of his latest victim. This letter was the first thing that killed him. Investigators found another evidence, like a hard disk, that led them to Dennis Rader.

The disk had information about the letter that linked it to Rader's church. A number of proofs came up through DNA. In 2005, Radar was caught when DNA from his daughter's medical records became identical to the killer.

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Rader's arrest: How was the killer caught?

A detailed discussion about Netflix's My Father, the BTK Killer (Image via YouTube/Netflix)

So, there were further clues that brought a breakthrough in the BTK case. The investigation took a different turn when Rader sent a floppy disk to a television station. Investigators traced the disk to Rader’s church.

Further forensic analysis led authorities to obtain DNA from Kerri Rawson, Dennis Rader's daughter. Later, it matched the DNA found at the crime scenes. This was the final evidence needed for his arrest in February 2005.

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Since Rader had always seemed good, the neighborhood was shocked when he was arrested. His family, especially his daughter Kerri, was devastated when they learned he was a killer. In 2005, Roder pleaded guilty to ten first-degree murders and received ten life sentences without parole.

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The BTK Killer's current whereabouts

A detailed discussion about Netflix's My Father, the BTK Killer (Image via YouTube/Netflix)

Naturally, the query becomes how the killer is doing right now. The BTK Killer is doing his time at the El Dorado Correctional Facility in Kansas right now. He was sentenced to ten consecutive life terms in prison for the murders of his ten victims. Rader's time in jail has been restricted. He is, however, allowed some privileges, such as watching television and drawing.

Recently, two years back, in 2023, his daughter Kerri Rawson went to see him after 18 years. However, this visit to prison led to a heated argument about his possible involvement in other crimes.

As stated by the director to Tusum,

"Since that visit, she’s kept the relationship at a distance. 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 […] She has also consciously stepped back from being a conduit for information [for investigators], recognizing that her healing cannot hinge on what her father does or does not reveal."

While Rader is in jail, Kerri has continued to work with police to look into the chance of more victims who may be connected to her father. She has mentally cut herself off from him. However, she seems to be determined to help the police find out all of Rader's crimes.

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The documentary, My Father, the BTK Killer is currently streaming on Netflix.

Edited by Rajan Bhattacharya