Overview
- A petition filed by Rawson’s ex-husband led a Florida judge to grant a temporary domestic violence injunction that awarded him full temporary custody and limited Rawson’s contact with the children to electronic messages while banning her from the family home, school and pets.
- Court and police records cited in the filing describe a series of incidents in which Rawson warned police and family that people were coming to harm the children and later made 911 calls reporting shots and multiple shooters, but responding officers found the family safe.
- Officers located Rawson at Orlando International Airport and took her to a hospital, where she voluntarily admitted herself and was later held under Florida’s Baker Act, the state law that allows short-term detention for a mental health evaluation.
- The ex-husband later told police Rawson violated the no-contact order by calling and leaving voicemails, and the injunction and custody order remain in force while courts and authorities continue to handle the matter.
- The case has gained wide attention because Rawson is a bestselling author and victims’ advocate and the daughter of BTK killer Dennis Rader, and further hearings could change custody or protective terms as the legal process moves forward.