A Serial Killer's Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love, and Overcoming

Kerri Rawson

Jan 2019 · Sold by Thomas Nelson

About this ebook

What is it like to learn that your ordinary, loving father is a serial killer?

In 2005, Kerri Rawson opened the door of her apartment to greet an FBI agent who shared the shocking news that her father had been arrested for murdering ten people, including two children.

That's also when she first learned that her father was the notorious serial killer known as BTK, a name he'd given himself that described the horrific way he committed his crimes: bind, torture, kill. As news of his capture spread, the city of Wichita celebrated the end of a thirty-one-year nightmare. For Kerri Rawson, another was just beginning.

In the weeks and years that followed, Kerri was plunged into a black hole of horror and disbelief. The same man who had been a loving father, a devoted husband, church president, Boy Scout leader, and a public servant had been using their family as a cover for his heinous crimes since before she was born. Everything she had believed about her life had been a lie.

Written with candor and extraordinary courage, A Serial Killer's Daughter is an unflinching exploration of life with one of America's most infamous killers and an astonishing tale of personal and spiritual transformation.

A Serial Killer's Daughter will give you the encouragement you need to learn how to:

• Pick up the pieces of your life when everything falls apart
• Begin to heal from the long-lasting effects of violence
• Trust that light will overcome the darkness

Kerri Rawson's story offers the hope of reclaiming sanity in the midst of madness, rebuilding a life in the shadow of death, and learning to forgive the unforgivable.

Ratings and reviews

I have read many books on different serial killers over the years. But this was the first one from a first hand perspective of someone who knew them in a much different way. While there were some lulls (the long hike/camping trip) I overall enjoyed the narrative and gave a much different insight that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. Definitely reccomended.

Great story! Focusing on the family, who are also victims, this story is relatable and uplifting. Real emotions told by an eyewitness to the family man that Dennis Rader was. As a man with 3 daughters and another on the way, all I could think about was my impact on my kids. My father left when I was two, not anywhere near the level that Kerri experiences, and I relate to her struggles and I know how much getting help and being honest with myself will allow me to be the father that Kerri thought she had. Thank you for being so honest.

I thought this book would be more about her father Dennis Rader. It's not. It's more about her and her feelings. It's a well written book just not my cup of tea. It also seems like he kept the murdering part of his life very separate from his family life. I just wonder if she thinks her father will go to "heaven?"

About the author

Rawson is the New York Times bestselling author of A Serial Killer's Daughter. She is the daughter of Dennis Rader, also known as the serial killer "BTK," and is a passionate advocate for victims of abuse, crime, and trauma. She has turned her experiences into opportunities to write and speak about her journey of hope, healing, faith, and forgiveness. She resides in Florida with her two children.