Content Warning: Discussions about harm to children and violence against women. This is a truly horrific crime. I won’t go into any details about the crime itself because I don’t want to glorify it. However, I will touch on a basic background of the case.

With the writing I do for Twin Cities Geek, I’m on all kinds of early access emails. One of the emails I received was about the book My Daddy is a Hero: How Chris Watts Went From Family Man to Family Killer. This details the true crime story of Chris Watts. I was graciously sent a review copy of this book to read. This is a heavy book to read, and while it was interesting, I don’t think I can ever re-read it again.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own. 

I remember watching Chris Watts on TV stating how much he wanted his wife and their two children to be returned. Turns out, Chris murdered them all, and he’s now serving consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. What’s so scary about this is that Chris didn’t look like a killer. He looked like an ordinary person. Detailed in Lena’s book, not one person who was interviewed in this case would have believed Chris would have killed his entire family, so why did he?

Lena does a great job detailing the background information leading up to their deaths. She goes to great length in painting a picture of Shanann. Shanann is a beautiful, loyal, and happy mother who moved to Colorado from North Carolina to raise their daughters. It seemed like Shanann and Chris had a perfect marriage.

Lena Derhally is a licensed psychotherapist who specializes in relationship therapy. She mentions red flags in a relationship that shouldn’t be ignored. The sad part about reading these is that I have seen these in my friend’s relationships, along with my relationships, in the past. I want to list them out for you all:

1. They exhibit no empathy for you or your perspective. – Empathy isn’t the same as sympathy. The definition of empathy is understanding and sharing the feelings of someone else. Sympathy is offering condolences, but not trying to understand what that person is going through.
2. They’re ready to walk away or retreat emotionally. – This is seeing someone become a different person. Did they used to do romantic gestures, and now will go days on end without talking to you? This might be a leap in predicting if someone can be violent, but it’s something to be aware of.
3. They gaslight you. – For those who aren’t aware, gaslighting is where someone makes it seem like it’s your fault for something they have done. For example, if a partner is caught cheating. If their first reaction is to say that it’s your fault they strayed, run the fuck away. You have every right to feel the way you do. This is incredibly abusive and manipulative.
4. Trust your gut. – Women, especially, are taught to be respectful and kind to everyone they meet. If you feel unsafe or if someone keeps trying to talk to you, be rude. This is difficult for me as I’m generally a nice person, and feeling rude feels out of character for me. Our gut is usually right. Be rude and get out. This is easier said than done, but it’s worth noting.

This is a True Crime book that’s extremely well written. It gives a couple of gentle reminders about what can be signs of an abusive relationship. I don’t want to forget Shanann’s existence and how she was an exuberant person in the lives of many. Bella and CeCe were bright and spirited girls who carried their dolls around with them everywhere. I hope they’re all at peace.