Netflix is set to release a new documentary focusing on one of the most infamous serial killers in American history. This release coincides with the platform’s drama series, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story,” crafted by Ryan Murphy of “American Horror Story” fame, currently dominating the streaming charts.
The series stars Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein and is based on the real-life events surrounding the Wisconsin serial killer notoriously dubbed the Butcher of Plainfield. Gein was responsible for the murder of two women and was found to have exhumed graves and mutilated bodies during the 1940s and 50s, creating a macabre “house of horrors.”
In 1957, authorities uncovered his gruesome activities, including fashioning clothing from human skin. Despite the show’s low Rotten Tomatoes rating of 23%, those interested in true crime will soon have another option with a new documentary centered on the daughter of another American serial killer.
From director Skye Borgman, known for “Unknown Number: The Highschool Catfish,” comes the documentary “My Father, The BTK,” debuting on Friday, October 10.
Kerri Rawson discovered in shock that her father, Dennis Rader, was responsible for at least 10 murders in Wichita, Kansas. Rader, a former church leader, terrorized the community for over three decades starting in the early 70s. His method of stalking, binding, torturing, and killing his victims earned him the nickname “Blind, Torture, Kill,” or BTK.
Among his victims were four members of the Otero family, including young children, and a 63-year-old neighbor. Rader, who also served as a Cub Scout leader, taunted law enforcement for years before being apprehended in 2005.
Rader received ten consecutive life sentences in August 2005, the maximum penalty available. Rawson was 27 when she learned the truth about her father and now, at 47, she reflects on that life-altering day.
In the trailer for “My Father, The BTK,” Rawson asks, “Can you imagine finding out that your father is one of the most evil people on Earth? He didn’t just fool his family. He fooled an entire city. He literally fooled everybody.”
She reveals that she had been concealing her father’s true nature: “The abuse, the trauma.” She adds, “I don’t know who my father is, what he was hiding. Did he really love us, or was he using us that whole time? It’s hard to know who I am if every moment in my life was a lie.”
The BTK documentary is related to Netflix’s “Mindhunter” series, which ended after two seasons in 2019, leaving the BTK story unresolved, hinting at a potential third season that never came to fruition.
Additionally, “Monster” offers a cameo featuring FBI agents John Douglas and Robert Ressler, who were the inspiration for the “Mindhunter” characters Holden Ford and Bill Tench.
“My Father, The BTK Killer” will be available on Netflix starting Friday, October 10.