My Daddy is a Hero

How Chris Watts Went from Family Man to Family Killer

By: Lena Derhally

Narrated by: Tanya Eby

A husband. A father. A killer. 

Chris Watts was a family man. Everybody, including his family, believed that. Yet, on August 13, 2018, he murdered Shanann, his pregnant wife, and two young daughters. 

As terrible as his story is, it is also a warning because to this day, living behind bars, Watts is still acting out the character traits that made him kill in the first place. 

In this, the first and only psychological exploration of the Watts family murders, psychotherapist Lena Derhally has pieced together the crime, the events leading to it, and most of all, her beliefs about the "why". She explores the childhoods, families of origin, meeting, and early relationship of Shanann and Chris Watts. She also examines Watts's double life and duplicity regarding his well-publicized affair with a coworker. 

The audiobook includes an in-depth look at community psychopaths, the different subtypes of narcissism, how to prevent this type of violence, and interviews with a neuroscientist, a criminal psychologist, and a journalist. Using her knowledge of attachment theory, Imago relationship theory, and psychopathology, Derhally draws a profile of the real Chris Watts and - just as important - she warns listeners that he is still a danger today.

©2019 Lena M. Derhally (P)2020 Tantor

The author had a lot to work with but missed the mark

This book was so disappointing. The author had so much to work with but it was as boring as watching paint dry. The narrator made it worse.

well written

I've followed this horrible event since it happened. so very tragic, this book was very informative on exactly the worthless person Chris watts is. must read!!!!!

Fascinating, horrifying and necessary

Derhally, a psychologist, details what facts are known about this crime and then endeavors to explain how such a thing could happen. None of this knowledge could have been garnered before Watts killed his family, however, and it is important to understand that she is not diagnosing him. she explains how his actions and recorded statements indicate disturbed thinking, but also shows how he hid such thoughts so well because he was a hider all of his life.

Not just a story, this book helped me understand more about why family annihilators take these horrid actions.

I enjoyed

I enjoyed. It to me was informative, this hold case made me mad and sad for that family and he was horrible

Interesting perspective

This story is so fascinating that I really wanted to gain new perspective. The author’s use of a psychological evaluation offered fresh perspective. But the narration was terrible. She sounded like a telephonic computer voice. I definitely will be sampling books before I purchase in the future.