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A review by lillimoore
My Daddy Is a Hero: How Chris Watts Went from Family Man to Family Killer by Lena Derhally
4.0
There is a special place in hell for people like Chris Watts.
In August 2018, Shanann Watts was raising two daughters, pregnant with a son on the way, and wondering where exactly in the last 5 weeks she had gone wrong in what, up until that point, had seemed like her perfect 6-year marriage to her husband Chris. The normally bright, bubbly, cheerful and outgoing work-from-home mom had been under extreme emotional duress in the months leading up to this point, but she was determined to make it work. She loved her family and the life she had worked hard to build in Colorado with her husband and she knew Chris did too. Or she thought she knew. But so much of what she didn't know ended up killing her and her children.
In the early hours of August 13th, 2018, Chris violently ended the lives of his wife, two daughters, and unborn baby in unspeakable crimes. The case quickly became a national sensation and Americans were collectively outraged that this seemingly normal, easygoing family man could snap and murder his entire family. It would be some time before the truth of the premeditation of these murders came to light along with many other disturbing details, but it took far less time for Chris Watts to become one of the most speculated about and hated men in America.
Lena Derhally unpacks the events leading up to and following these shocking family murders, and goes beyond that to consider the mental state of Chris Watts. Is he a psychopath? A narcissist? What could have happened in his brain to lead to such a devastating outcome?
I appreciate Derhally's handling of such a sensitive topic and murder case. She gives Shanann and her daughters a voice they so deserve and handles their perspectives with great compassion. She analyzes this case from every possible angle, and she does it with compelling storytelling. Living in Colorado and generally in this country I knew about this case and some of the surface level details, but there were so many more sinister text messages, behaviors, and events than I had realized. It was both fascinating and viscerally upsetting to learn about these murders. I don't condone violence, but if the other prisoners incarcerated alongside Chris Watts are interested in beating the life out of him, I would condone that. He is a sick and horrible human being, as evidenced by Derhally's careful analysis of his psychology. This portion of the book dragged on a bit too much for my tastes and was at times slightly too clinical, but I still appreciated the learning experience it provided.
Recommended for fans of true crime, criminal psychology, and those who followed this case closely. Rest in peace to the beautiful Shanann, Bella, Cece, and Nico Watts. Burn in hell to Chris.
In August 2018, Shanann Watts was raising two daughters, pregnant with a son on the way, and wondering where exactly in the last 5 weeks she had gone wrong in what, up until that point, had seemed like her perfect 6-year marriage to her husband Chris. The normally bright, bubbly, cheerful and outgoing work-from-home mom had been under extreme emotional duress in the months leading up to this point, but she was determined to make it work. She loved her family and the life she had worked hard to build in Colorado with her husband and she knew Chris did too. Or she thought she knew. But so much of what she didn't know ended up killing her and her children.
In the early hours of August 13th, 2018, Chris violently ended the lives of his wife, two daughters, and unborn baby in unspeakable crimes. The case quickly became a national sensation and Americans were collectively outraged that this seemingly normal, easygoing family man could snap and murder his entire family. It would be some time before the truth of the premeditation of these murders came to light along with many other disturbing details, but it took far less time for Chris Watts to become one of the most speculated about and hated men in America.
Lena Derhally unpacks the events leading up to and following these shocking family murders, and goes beyond that to consider the mental state of Chris Watts. Is he a psychopath? A narcissist? What could have happened in his brain to lead to such a devastating outcome?
I appreciate Derhally's handling of such a sensitive topic and murder case. She gives Shanann and her daughters a voice they so deserve and handles their perspectives with great compassion. She analyzes this case from every possible angle, and she does it with compelling storytelling. Living in Colorado and generally in this country I knew about this case and some of the surface level details, but there were so many more sinister text messages, behaviors, and events than I had realized. It was both fascinating and viscerally upsetting to learn about these murders. I don't condone violence, but if the other prisoners incarcerated alongside Chris Watts are interested in beating the life out of him, I would condone that. He is a sick and horrible human being, as evidenced by Derhally's careful analysis of his psychology. This portion of the book dragged on a bit too much for my tastes and was at times slightly too clinical, but I still appreciated the learning experience it provided.
Recommended for fans of true crime, criminal psychology, and those who followed this case closely. Rest in peace to the beautiful Shanann, Bella, Cece, and Nico Watts. Burn in hell to Chris.