Kerri Rawson, daughter of BTK serial killer Dennis Rader, is one among America’s most recognizable advocates for abuse victims, with a bestselling e-book and frequent appearances on TV.
Nonetheless, she has now been hit with a home violence injunction herself, The Submit can completely reveal.
A Florida petition for a restraining order filed by her ex-husband, Darian Rawson, 48, alleged a collection of terrifying incidents which left him fearing for the protection of each himself and their kids, with him writing Kerri, additionally 48, had “expressed statements a number of occasions that her children are in fast hazard.”
Because of the petition, which was granted by a decide, Rawson misplaced custody of her two youngsters, for repeatedly warning they had been going to be murdered.
The petition alleges that on Jan. 5, 2025, Kerri had summoned Darian to a police station in Altamonte Springs near the place she lived, the place she allegedly instructed him “she had psychic powers and had detected that the youngsters had been in fast hazard and can be murdered that morning.”
It got here lower than two years after the couple had divorced following nearly 20 years of marriage.
The submitting additional claims Kerri warned police “individuals had been coming to hurt them” after which later positioned a frantic 911 name reporting “photographs had been fired and three individuals had been lifeless” — referring to her kids and their father — regardless of officers who responded to the decision discovering everybody protected.
“Rawson suggested dispatch that there have been roughly three to 4 energetic shooters on the residences and three individuals down,” the police report acknowledged.
“Police had been in a position to find Kerri at [Orlando International] airport and transported her to an area hospital the place she voluntarily admitted herself right into a hospital in Orange County.”
The petition says she was then taken into custody underneath Florida’s Baker Act for a psychological well being analysis.
An incident report obtained by The Submit confirmed police described Kerri as “a person recognized to make inaccurate and fabricated statements about incidents that didn’t really happen, as a consequence of psychological well being points.”
A Florida decide finally granted a home violence injunction for cover till additional courtroom orders following a listening to and there have been no additional updates since.
The order awards Darian short-term full custody of the couple’s two teen kids and restricted Rawson to digital communication with them. It additionally prohibited her from going close to their house, faculty or having contact with their household pets.
The next month, Darien reported to police Kerri had violated the no-contact order and made a number of telephone calls to him on February 4 final yr, data present. Darian didn’t return The Submit’s requires remark.
In a single voicemail Kerri allegedly “requested for cash,” in accordance with the offense report.
In one other, she was “asking concerning the kids and makes reference to the safety order being in place and mentioned ‘I don’t imply to interrupt it with telephone calling, I’m simply attempting to grasp some issues which have occurred within the final month,” police alleged.
In accordance with the report, Kerri additionally despatched a Fb message to a member of the family wherein she “talks incoherently” and “begins by saying that she has to go undercover.
“Kerri additionally acknowledged ‘Now I’m being instructed my children are lifeless and have been since 1-5 [sic]. I attempted to warn my household and went into PTSD mode to grizzly defend them’,” the report claimed.
“[Darien] is apprehensive that Kerri has had a break from actuality.”
Kerri — who couldn’t be reached for remark — has spoken concerning the incidents publicly, however did allude to going by way of a troublesome time and sought donations in a Fb put up final Feb.
“It’s been a brutal few months on prime of every little thing else,” she wrote. “If you’ll be able to assist please give assist beneath.”
The put up linked to a GoFundMe web page which acknowledged Kerri had been hospitalized with what organizers described as lengthy COVID-related well being points. They mentioned medical payments left her with out secure housing, and the marketing campaign finally raised practically $9,500.
Later that month, Kerri’s landlord launched authorized proceedings to evict her over alleged failure to pay lease for January and February that yr, courtroom data obtained by The Submit reveal.
A decide granted the order in March and Kerri was evicted from the property, the submitting reveals.
The revelations stand in stark distinction to Kerri’s public profile. Her father was unmasked because the infamous BTK killer — which stands for “bind, torture, kill” — and arrested in 2005, when Kerri was round 27.
Rader had terrorized the Wichita, Kansas, space, murdering 10 individuals, together with two kids, between 1974 and 1991. He did all of it whereas a married and a father-of-two who labored as a code compliance officer and was a Cub Scout chief and a higher-up within the Christ Lutheran Church.
Since his conviction, Kerri has grow to be a bestselling creator, frequent media commentator, CrimeCon speaker and outspoken advocate for victims of violent crime and home abuse.
“What’s in my previous is what it’s; it may possibly’t be modified — dad murdered 10 individuals and devastated numerous lives,” she wrote in her e-book “A Serial Killer’s Daughter.”
“But on the times once I’m not wrestling with exhausting, horrible truths, I’ll let you know: I like my dad — the one I primarily knew. I miss him.”
She most not too long ago appeared in Netflix documentary “My Father, the BTK Killer” — which premiered in October 2025. Only a few months earlier, she additionally gave an interview on Peacock’s documentary collection, “The Gilgo Seashore Killer: Home of Secrets and techniques.”
“My father lived a double life,” Kerri instructed the filmmakers.
“He was hiding in plain sight for 31 years.”
For many years, Rader’s murders baffled investigators, who initially did not hyperlink lots of his slayings. Craving the highlight, Rader had mailed cryptic letters to native media revealing ugly particulars from the crime scenes, taunting detectives and retaining a whole group on edge as fears mounted he would kill once more till 1979 when he stopped. Nonetheless, he didn’t cease killing, and later confessed to a few extra murders between 1985 and 1991.
After years of silence, Rader resumed contacting the media in 2004 searching for recognition for his crimes, figuring out himself as “the BTK killer.” He requested police whether or not a floppy disk might be traced. They publicly replied that it couldn’t and he mailed one in.
Investigators had been in a position to get well metadata from the disk linking it to Christ Lutheran Church, the place Rader was church council president, and to a pc utilized by “Dennis.” That proof, mixed with DNA from Kerri confirmed he was the BTK killer and finally led to his arrest.
Rader, 81, is serving 10 consecutive life sentences with out the potential for parole.
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“My dad is a chameleon, you’d not suppose something of him in case you met him underneath on a regular basis circumstances. He underwhelms,” Kerri wrote in a December 2024 Fb put up.
“He was additionally extraordinarily lethal when he determined to be. He can flip it on and off like a change. I and my fast household solely noticed mere flashes. If we had seen extra, we’d be lifeless.
“He additionally has the capability to like, information, and defend. No, he’s not rehab-able and he pathological lies like he breathes.
“Nonetheless, I do know man additionally. And it wasn’t only a mirror or performing.
“I like him, and I miss him each rattling second regardless that he’s nonetheless alive.
“It’s past sophisticated.”
