True Crime Analysis, Breakthroughs, Insights & Discussions Hosted by Bestselling Author Nick van der Leek

CRIME NEWS UPDATED DAILY

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True Crime Rocket Science [TCRS] is unique. It is preoccupied with the why of crimes and criminals, and thus is above all focused on anthropodicy, aporia and the science of man

We find out why people do what they do by finding out who people are. And who is a function of identity, social dynamics and backstory.

First time here? Click here for information on how to navigate this site.

Through cogent true crime analysis, especially into criminal psychology, we have a unique opportunity to learn to understand those around us, and principally, ourselves.


This page is dedicated to coverage of current crime news, comments, discussions and brief analysis. Use this page for updates on America’s most high-profile criminal cases,  as well as to find your way to what’s happening where on True Crime Rocket Science [#tcrs].

Use the drop down menus above to source updated content on the Chris Watts case, as well as Patrick FrazeeJonBenet Ramsey, Jason Rohde and WM3. [Update: This feature has been disabled].

Updates include new book releases, news of what’s coming soon, true crime documentary analysis and reviews, interviews and giveaways.

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: TCRS provides insight for a 2-Part Documentary Series coming soon on Netflix

This page also serves as an ongoing archive for true crime news. Your suggestions for true crime news from wherever you are in the world are most welcome.

Become a TCRS Patron on Patreon.

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Note: as from 2020 most of the TCRS content on YouTube will be shifted to Patreon. TCRS will still upload videos for free on YouTube about twice a week.

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Guidelines for users of this site: Commentators are urged to examine and interrogate the merits of the cases covered here, rather than malign or attack one another. Argue the case, argue the criminal, argue the law or argue the facts instead of arguing with each other.

JUNE 2020

June 9th, 2020

1. The Passive-Aggressive Type and the Chris Watts Case – Patreon

 

2. Maddie McCann suspect applies for early release from prison in Germany – as newly unearthed satellite image ‘shows his campervan at his Praia da Luz home’ hours after she vanished – Daily Mail

Madeleine McCann: German prosecutor has ‘evidence’ British girl is dead – Sky News

3. Rare letter detailing Van Gogh and Gauguin’s brothel visits could sell for $282K at auction – CNN

 


POLICE ERRORS Witness ‘spotted Madeleine McCann in German-registered VW van three weeks after she vanished’

– The Sun








April 24th, 2020

1. Cindy Watts Breaks Her Silence on Nut Gate – Patreon

“I did say to Ceecee, ‘You can’t always have what you want.'”

“Ceecee – I am so sorry.” – Chris Watts, as he’s doing the hair of his youngest daughter – Patreon

TWO FACE 1 Backstory Part 4: Motive is simpler and more complicated than you think – Patreon

COMING SOON: The 2nd edition of BOOK 1 in the TWO FACE series in paperback!

 

2. Gannon Stauch: Revisiting Disposal Site #1 + Powers and Carefree Rendezvous Point + Harley’s Work [VIDEO] – Patreon

3. Damien Echols: The Devil is in the Details – Patreon


April 19th, 2020

1. 50 Shan’ann Watts Posts You’ve Probably Never Seen Before

Frank Rzucek takes another Swipe at YouTube Creator

2. LETECIA STAUCH 32-Page Arrest Affidavit

BOY, INTERRUPTED now #3 Amazon Bestseller

 

 

TCRS Analysis on how Al and Letecia were UNEQUALLY YOKED – Patreon

 

3.Coronavirus: The Hammer and the Dance – Medium

Excellent Article on the CoronaVirus:


Episode 5 deals with pages 115-126 of the August 16th redacted transcript.

2.BOY, INTERRUPTED THE MURDER OF GANNON STAUCH is available in paperback at this link.

 

Gannon Stauch: Was Letecia Abusive?


April 14th, 2020

1. Gannon Stauch’s Body was stored for 30 Hours in Letecia’s Black VW Tiguan Before Disposal

GANNON STAUCH: DISPOSAL SITES #1 AND #2 IDENTIFIED

Complete Audiobook available soon. First 15 of 19 chapters have already been loaded onto Patreon [$5 tier].

Letecia Stauch: Any Substance to the Softball Bat Connection? – Patreon

2. Detective Baumhover Breaks His Silence on the Watts Case – Patreon

Shan’ann, Bella [injured] and Ceecee Having Fun with Ronnie Watts [VIDEO] – Patreon

 

3. South Africa’s Ramaphosa blasts ‘despicable’ crime wave during coronavirus lockdown– CNBC




April 1st, 2020

1.CHRIS WATTS: COCKY AND SARCASTIC 24 HOURS BEFORE HIS CONFESSION

Want more content? Support this blog by visiting the TCRS Patreon Page.

 

Right now, having achieved my goal of 10 000 subs onYouTube, I’m focused on updating theTrue Crime Rocket Science Patreon channel multiple times a day, covering everything from the Kessinger Tapes, to audiobooks [Scott Peterson right now] to insightful graphs, projections and analysis on the CoronaVirus Pandemic.

The Patreon channel currently has over 180 patrons and I want to get that number up to 500, so I’m working really hard putting up audiobooks, current analysis and ongoing series every day. I do a My CoronaVirus Diary – updated daily with a peek into what’s going on in my locked down neck of the woods – and I also do two LIVES a month on Patreon, typically on Sundays.

I don’t mind keeping CrimeRocket going, but I’ll no longer being doing it for free. If you’d like more CrimeRocket content on CrimeRocket, consider making a $5 donation on Patreon. If I receive $50 or more I’ll resume 1xweekly posts/updates here for one month. $100 or more = 2xweekly posts/updates and so on. If you do donate with a view to reviving CrimeRocket.com be sure to leave a message saying that.

Bear in mind there is a lot of quality content on the Patreon channel that’s even better than what you’ve enjoyed here including:

Chris Watts: 113 posts

Audiobooks: 59 posts [Includes 3 books on Chris Watts].

JonBenet Ramsey: 56 posts

Gannon Stauch: 26 posts

Scott Peterson: 20 posts [Includes 1 book].

 

Nichol Kessinger: 15

Pyschology: 15

CoronaVirus: 30 [Includes the popular My CoronaVirus Diary]

2. Inside the Unknown Story of the Forgotten West Memphis ThreeEOnline

Who do you despise the most in True Crime? Damien Echols is my pick [WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES]

3. CORONAVIRUS: WHY PEOPLE TURN TO CONSPIRACIES

People Get Ready! – Kunstler.com

 



March 18th, 2020

1. Ego – The Invisible Face Underlying the Chris Watts Case– Patreon

 

Why Do Parents Kill Their Children?

 

2. Durst trial postponed due to Coronavirus:

 

3. Coming soon on the YouTube Channel:


March 14th, 2020

1. Self-Esteem: The Key to Understanding Chris Watts – and Ourselves – Patreon

 

2. Defense suggests Robert Durst’s father was behind Kathie Durst disappearance – New York Post

During cross-examination of a prosecution witness at Durst’s Los Angeles murder trial, defense lawyer David Chesnoff asked whether Kathie McCormack Durst ever said expressed fear “that Seymour Durst was going to kill her.”

“She was wary of the family a little bit, yes,” Dr. Marion Watlington answered.

Chensnoff then rephrased his question, saying, “‘She was worried that the father was going to kill her.’ Do you remember saying that?”

“Yes, I do. Yes,” Watlington answered.

3. OCD and anxiety disorder treatment can be complicated by coronavirus fears – Washington Post

 

Don’t Go Down a Coronavirus Anxiety Spiral – Wired

 

4. Justice in a time of coronavirus: Scared jurors, delayed trials, court closures – LA Times



March 6th, 2020

1. Nickole Atkinson talks about the grief not stopping.

Silver Fox The Third Confession now available in paperback.

2. Robert Durst – Trial Day 2 [Analysis]– CrimeRocket2.com


March 4th, 2020

1. How much of Chris Watts’ Sentencing Hearing was true – or how little?

2. Robert Durst Trial Starts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CperKyC1hQk

3. FORENSIC PATHOLOGY REPORT FOR VINCENT VAN GOGH

4. TCRS LIVE on Patreon on Sunday at 10am EST.

 


March 2nd, 2020

1. TWO FACE EPILOGUE, the final book in the bestselling TWO FACE series is available as a complete audiobook for just $5.

2. Inside Amanda Knox’s Perfectly Conventional Love Story – EOnline

 

As far as I’m aware, isn’t the cat sandwiched between the two of them dead now?

3. Latest JonBenet Ramsey podcast focusses on another dead-end, this time John Mark Karr.

4. Coming soon exclusive to Patreon:

5. From the archives: Diane Downs – All Interviews – Patreon

 


FEBRUARY 2020

February 28th, 2020

1. Detective Baumhover Disables Commenting After His Second Post

2. On Day 30 CSI Teams Descend on Stauch Home – Patreon

3. Van Gogh’s Death Dramatized as Accidental Shooting in At Eternity’s Gate is so bad it’s Laughable



February 21st, 2020

1. Legal Battle Over Watts Family Autopsy Reports

Chris Watts or Shan’ann? Who Changed More over the course of their Marriage?

2. Weinstein Jury Appears Deadlocked on Most Serious Counts – Variety

Harvey Weinstein trial: jury reviews Sopranos actor’s testimony – The Guardian


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Brittainy Newman/The New York Times


February 15th, 2020

1. Silver Fox II Latest Review:

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SILVER FOX WEDDED HUSBAND, WEDDED WIFE – Complete Audiobook – Patreon

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2. Kirk Douglas played Van Gogh in 1950s film Lust for Life: a look at the biopic and the myths it made – The Art Newspaper

Fullscreen capture 20200215 094745

Key quote:

To prepare for his role, Douglas practiced painting swooping birds, to portray the moment when the artist was finishing Wheatfield with Crows (1890). In the film, Douglas completes the picture by almost stabbing the canvas with the marks of black crows. He then abandons his painting and leans against a tree, writing a final note and quickly pulling a gun from his pocket. We now know that Wheatfield with Crows was not his final painting, it was done some days before the shooting. But partly thanks to Lust for Life it still remains the picture which is closely associated with the artist’s suicide.

Note: Analysis of this article below:

3. What Really Happened To JonBenet Ramsey? Catch Up On ‘The Killing Of JonBenet: The Final Suspects’– Radar Online


February 14, 2020

1. Is THRIVE the missing piece of the puzzle? – Patreon

2. Oscar Pistorius: 7 years later so many Unanswered Questions

3. This year is the 130th anniversary of the death of the world’s most beloved, expensive and misunderstood artist Vincent van Gogh.

Full transcript of Van Gogh’s letter to Art Critic Albert Aurier [9 or 10 February 1890] – Patreon



February 10th, 2020

1.”Nothing About this case Makes Sense” – Ashleigh Banfield, HLN, September 9th, 2018

2. The Author And Reeva Steenkamp – Patreon

Reeva didn’t plan on spending Valentine’s Night with Oscar – so why did she? – Patreon

0_0_0_0_70__Blogs_20170705065023_bullshit-Detector_top

3. The Killing of JonBebet Farcecast: Phantasms, Kooks and Crooks – Patreon


February 9th, 2020

1. SILVER FOX II now available in paperback.

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2. Bloody Valentine – More Questions than Answers [#2] – Patreon

Documentary series on Oscar Pistorius on the 7 year anniversary featuring TCRS.

Cape family fun run in aid of Reeva Steenkamp’s foundation – iol

3. How murdered Meredith Kercher’s dad spent his final years in agonising ‘limbo’ as Amanda Knox partied and got married – The Sun

4. From the archives: Michael Jackson’s maid reveals sordid Neverland secrets –  60 Minutes Australia


February 6th, 2020

1. Just published!

“How wedded were each of these people, and how did that drive the wheels towards inevitable annihilation?”

2. Preliminary Analysis of Gannon Stauch Family Statement – Patreon

3. “Weckert added that his work highlights the “blindness” that arises when people think of data as “objective, unambiguous and interpretation free.”








January 25th, 2020

1. Lifetime Got A Few Things Right, Didn’t They? – Patreon

The Heartbreaking True Story of Chris Watts and His Wife and Daughters’ Murders – Good Housekeeping

Although Chris had pleaded guilty to all three murders, he hadn’t yet told the real story of what happened on the morning of August 13, 2018. But in a five-hour follow-up interview with investigators from prison, Chris revealed the truth: After fighting with Shanann that morning about his wish to separate, Chris strangled her to death. While he was trying to bring his wife’s body downstairs, he said, Bella and Celeste woke up and came to ask him what was going on. He then loaded the girls and their mother’s body into his truck, drove to the oil site, and smothered the girls one by one before disposing of the three bodies.

The real story?

2. Jeff Bezos’ leaked text messages may have come from his girlfriend – Engadget

Jeff Bezos, Tabloid Man – New York Times

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January 24th, 2020

1. Thrive turned Chris Watts into a Murderous Rage Monster – Lifetime Movie

Does Chris Watts Lifetime Movie Blame Wife for Her Own Murder? – Westword

“Could thrive supplements and patch be the cause of Chris Watts’s Rage?” – Shakedown

2. Domestic worker, two others allegedly try to strangle Durban man in his home – then wife ‘joins’ in – News24


January 23th, 2020

1. The Darkness Inside Chris Watts

5 areas are investigated as a source of Chris Watts’ so-called “Darkness.”

1. Rage.

2. Evil

3. Lust

4. Fear.

5. The Lie of Character

So, if it’s one more than another, which is it?

How the Vital Lie of Character connects all of us to the Criminal Mind – Patreon

2. Wife killer Jason Rohde could score from fallout between judges – TimesLive

3. Schiff brilliantly crushes Trump defense – CNN


January 17th, 2020

1. Preview of the Reelz documentary.

2. The entire Christmas Star Audiobook is now available on Patreon, all 10 chapters for just $5.

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3. Exclusive: Evelyn Yang reveals she was sexually assaulted by her OB-GYN while pregnant – CNN

4. Impeachment trial live updates: Trump expands legal team to include Alan Dershowitz, Kenneth Starr and others – Washington Post

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5. This Is the Guy Who’s Taking Away the Likes – New York Times

…making likes private will be a major shift for Instagram’s more than 1 billion users, for whom daily assessment of one another’s popularity has become like breathing….


January 16th, 2020

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1. Shanann Watts’ family denounces upcoming Lifetime movie about daughter’s murder – ABC7

“Armchair detectives going out there trying to find scraps of evidence, saying, ‘Chris really wasn’t the killer, it was X’ or, ‘his original confession was the true confession and Shanann did have a hand in this’ or ‘there is some sort of conspiracy going to it,’ that kind of stuff bothers them a lot,” family attorney Steven Lambert said to ABC Denver 7.

Family of Shanann Watts speaks out against movie depicting murder – 9News

2. The Senate impeachment trial has officially started– CNN



January 7th, 2020

1.Christmas Star Audiobook – Chapter 2 – Patreon

JonBenet Ramsey: What was the Murder Weapon? – Patreon

2. Magen Fieramusca Complete Arrest Affidavit

Friend of Heidi Broussard tried to pass off the slain mother’s baby as her own, prosecutors say – CNN

TCRS: The information in the above article makes it possible to discern the motive in the murder of Heidi Broussard. Can you see what it is?

Have you been able to figure out Magen’s Motive yet? – Patreon

3. TCRS DEBUNK: The Lies Beneath the Truth – Episode 1 Review and Analysis

4. Latest sexual abuse suit against the Boy Scouts of America could open the door to many more– CNN



January 4th, 2020

1. New Original Special Chris Watts, Colorado Killer Dad: The Friends Speak Premieres Saturday, January 25 at 7pm ET/ 4pm PT on REELZ. [REELZ also produced Capturing Chris Watts on Sunday September 15, 2019].

capturingchriswatts_web_900x506_v02

Chris and Shanann Watts were by all accounts the perfect couple with two adorable children in Celeste and four-year-old Bella. In 2018 this family was shattered by the disappearance and murder of Shanann and the kids at the hands of Chris himself. How is it possible for something this horrific to happen in the sleepy mountain town of Frederick, Colorado, a small suburb north of Denver? Did Chris simply snap the morning of the murders or was it something much more calculated and sinister? Friends and neighbors of the Watts family come together to unravel the secrets behind this story and share their heart wrenching experiences of navigating the aftermath of the tragedy. Viewers will also see chilling police footage of Chris as he unravels from his distraught family man act during police interrogation and his tearful confession to his own father. Also sharing his experience working on the case is Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke who examines the relationship between Chris and Shanann Watts leading up to the murders. Chris Watts, Colorado Killer Dad: The Friends Speak is produced by Kinetic Content and Pyramid Pictures.

2. TCRS Recommends: American Animals – Patreon [Free Content]

How the Vital Lie of Character connects all of us to the Criminal MindPatreon [Patrons Only]

3. Netflix names 2019’s 10 most popular shows – Harper’s Bizaar

TCRS: 2 true crime shows appear in the top 10 at #1 and #10. #1 is The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann. TCRS has reviewed and analzed each episode. Visit the MCCAN tab and scroll down for all the reviews. This is the first:

Netflix Doccie on Madeleine McCann – Episode 1 Review and Analysis


DECEMBER 2019

December 28th, 2019

1. This is why Chris Watts thought he could get away with the annihilation of his family

The fifth book in Nick van der Leek’s definitive TWO FACE series on Chris Watts does exactly what the title claims: it drills deep through the mountain of Discovery Documents. Now available in paperback!

two-face-drilling-through-discovery

2. New “Last Photo” of JonBenet Ramsey has just been released – and there’s a problem…

In CHRISTMAS STAR the world’s most prolific true crime author tackles brand new evidence related to the unsolved JonBenent Ramsey case, in a brand new way.

3. Jamal Khashoggi: Saudis sentence five to death for journalist’s murder – BBC

‘This is the moment’: Calls for action after Khashoggi verdict -AlJazeera

Scant justice to be found in Jamal Khashoggi verdicts – Financial Times

The trial of 11 Saudis accused of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi was Riyadh’s chance to prove it was sincere in its pledge to hold to account all those responsible for the gruesome killing of the journalist and critic of the kingdom’s regime, regardless of rank. Yet the verdicts handed down this week carry all the hallmarks of a sham trial.

Eight of the 11 were convicted. Five were sentenced to death and three to 24 years in prison. But the two most prominent officials implicated in the murder, Saud al-Qahtani and Ahmed Assiri, were cleared of any wrongdoing. Both were confidantes of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the time of the killing and both had previously been implicated by the state prosecutor as masterminds behind the operation that led to Khashoggi’s death. But it was revealed that Mr Qahtani, a senior adviser to the crown prince, never even made it to trial after the prosecutor deemed there was insufficient evidence to charge him. Mr Assiri, the former deputy intelligence chief, was released because of a lack of evidence.

The Khashoggi Cover-Up Goes On – The New York Times

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Chris Watts Family Homicides were far from a “Perfect Murder” – HERE’S what a perfectly executed murder looks like

4. McDonald’s employees assist woman who mouths ‘help me’ in the drive thru – CNN


December 21st, 2019

1. Book 6 of the TWO FACE series is now available in paperback. TWO FACE THE MYSTERIOUS MISTRESS is 346 pages long, it’s the longest book in the TCRS series on Chris Watts.

MISTRESS

Order here.

2. Who Tipped the Cops Off About Maygen Fieramusca?

CCTV shows Heidi Broussard got into Maygen’s car – Willingly – CrimeRocket II

Heidi and Shane: The Plot Thickens – CrimeRocket II

3. Most Popular on CrimeRocket.com right now:

New “Last Photo” of JonBenet Ramsey has just been released – and there’s a problem…


December 19th, 2019

1. Chris Watts Agrees to Pay $6 Million in Civil Suit to His Murdered Wife’s Family – People

TCRS Assessment of “The Dark Triad”

TCRS’ Analysis of Criminal Confessions


FULL EPISODE ANALYSIS

2. Day 7 of Heidi Broussard Disappearance: Statement Analysis, Social Media Analysis and TCRS Assessment

https://youtu.be/eBP785pm2fs

Police Search for Missing Texas Mom and Her 2-Week-Old Baby – The Daily Beast

Boyfriend of missing South Austin woman, baby speaks out – Fox7

Austin dad pleads for safe return of his two-week-old daughter, her mother – CBS Austin

3.Patrick Frazee had 1,500 calls the week after he was sentenced to life in prison – KRDO


December 9th, 2019

1. New book published on Chris Watts, focussing on the psychological angle.

2. Nora Quoirin’s parents say ‘criminal element’ involved in her death – The Guardian


December 4th, 2019

1. Chris Watts ‘Criminal Confessions’ Trailer – Oxygen

Shanann Watts And Her Children Have Been ‘Erased Out Of Their Own Murder’ – Oxygen

The Atkinson Transcripts [#1]: “I found Shan’ann’s purse…” – TCRS Patreon

What Was Chris Watts Motive For Killing His Entire Family? – Oxygen

What was Chris Watts’ Most Emotional Moment?

2. Patrick Frazee’s Hit List to Snitch Jacob Bentley [PHOTOS] – CrimeRocket II

Krystal Kenney to know her fate on January 28th +”Kenney’s actions were not aggravated…” – CrimeRocket II


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75 Comments

  1. George Barters

    With thanks! Valuable information!

  2. Karen

    I remember when this little Madeleine girl disappeared. I didn’t follow the story and haven’t read anything about it and I know less than 1/8 about what happened but when the reporter asked the McCanns “did you murder your daughter” why did the mother immediately look at the father as if to see what the answer is? Or should be? That looked like she was looking to him for the answer. I’ve done that myself when asked a question and I wasn’t quite sure what I should say, I would look at whomever I was sure knew the answer. Interesting

    • nickvdl

      Karen the unsolved McCann case is Britain’s version of the JonBenet Ramsey story. In my opinion it’s even crazier, because after eleven years and over £11 million pounds spent on searching for her, she’s considered the most expensive missing person case in history.

      The McCanns maintain their daughter is still alive out there – think of it as the kidnapping phase of the Ramsey case multiplied over years, and now the years are hitting double digits, but there’s still hope! The search continues! Oh and no Ransom Note.

      The Daily Telegraph in 2008 described the search for Madeleine as the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history.And yet cadaver dogs picked up cadaver traces inside the McCanns’ Ocean Club apartment – in the cupboard of the bedroom, behind the couch in the living room, in the garden under the balcony, in the trunk of the rental they hired a few weeks after the incident, on the key of the rental, on Madeleine’s cuddly cat [a favorite toy], inside the villa they hired and on certain items of Kate McCann’s clothing.

      If you’re interested in the Rocket Science analysis of this case, consider reading the DOUBT trilogy.

      When DOUBT was published in 2017, on the 10 year anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance, DOUBT was a #2 bestseller on Amazon.co.uk’s overall True Crime category, edging out the McCann’s book throughout this critical period.

      https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZYP2BMN/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i15

      • Karen

        As soon as I read the 3rd book of the Watts case I’ll read this. I couldn’t decide from the Anthony case or this but I’ll read this one. Thanks so much

  3. Spock

    I’m sure you already know this but I don’t see it posted here. Chris Watt’s court appearance has been moved up from Nov 19 to next Tuesday Nov 6. Interesting how his appearance is now scheduled for Election Day. Is someone hoping there will be less media coverage/interest due to all the coverage on the election?

    • nickvdl

      I think you’re spot-on. I think the DA is trying to avoid a media circus.

      • Spock

        That’s funny. Good luck with that Michael Rourke.

  4. Karen

    Well I hope they have SOME coverage

  5. fromheretohome

    I’m definitely looking forward to your analysis of the #Rohde closing arguments.

    • nickvdl

      What do you think so far?

      • fromheretohome

        So far I’m rather disappointed in the presentation of the State’s heads. I feel VN placed too much focus on certain aspects and far too little on other (far more damning) points. Perhaps Judge Salie-Hlope’s constant interjection threw him off his game… I feel his overall argument lacked certainty and left far too much ambiguity (if that makes sense). How I wish our “learned friends” would put more effort into their delivery. I did enjoy reading your tweets and additional observations… It allows readers to see the bigger picture – the human picture.

  6. fromheretohome

    Oh, and I agree 100% about the eye-to-eye case… Public Speaking 101.

    • nickvdl

      I think the Judge was also not happy. It’s a difficult horse to ride though, deliver quickly and succinctly but make time for being interrupted often…

  7. fromheretohome

    With so many major cases being ‘wrapped up’ this week (Watts, Rohde, Hannah Cornelius) I decided I needed something for the weekend. Can’t wait to sink my teeth into DOUBT. I’ve had so many opinions in the last 10+ years… time to see if they bear any weight.

  8. Karen

    Weld District Attorney’s Office says it will release autopsy reports in Watts case after sentencing
    The Weld District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday confirmed it will release the autopsy reports for Shanann, Bella and Celeste Watts following a scheduled sentencing hearing for Christopher Watts, Shanann’s husband and father of the two girls, who has pleaded guilty to killing all three.

    The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 19 and follows a Tuesday guilty plea entered by Watts in exchange for the death penalty being taken off the table in the case.

  9. Karen

    Am I the only one here that thinks this has all been wrapped up so quickly is because Chris told his lawyers the truth and they went to the prosecutor with a deal (twice) and that’s why Chris just rolled over? I feel like I’m the only one who thinks he isn’t getting a trial because he doesn’t want one and just wants this to be done

    • Carol

      Yea, I think he didn’t want all the info to come out, the fact that the neighbors camera never showed shanann ever leaving the house was all they needed. His truck was the only vehicle seen. Karma for him is it came out anyways in discovery being released. That interview with his parents when they were asked what happened to that boy they were describing and they replied he met shanann. So are they going to say now he changed cause he met Nichole? Who raised him that he could not seem to stand up for himself? His mother, she’s narcissistic and controlling as well

    • ganana

      Maybe Chris ultimately wanted less publicity so as to increase his chances of surviving prison – low profile as it were, without details of the horrible killings of his children. He was intelligent but not smart – his attorneys may have pointed out that he could die in prison, sooner rather than later.

      • Sideaffected

        It didn’t work then, since i just read that an inmate was selling “Chris Watts’ semen-stained underwear” for $500 on Craigslist.

  10. Oliviajoy1995

    Didnt the detectives double check the number Chris’s alleged male lover had for Chris against Chris’s cell phone numbers he had? He had a work and personal cell seems like it wouldn’t be hard just to verify the cell numbers.

    • Sherri

      In the discovery documents, there is a statement that there is no recorded communication between Trent and Chris.

  11. Georgia

    If Patrick Frazee is having a Public Defender represent him, from what I understand that means he wouldn’t have money to pay a lawyer. How does it work then with the Federal suit Kelsey’s parents have filed, if he has no money who would pay the amount they are seeking?

  12. Nick

    They could sell his truck, equipment and animals to raise a portion of the money.

    • Ralph Oscar

      Does he own that property, though, or is it in his mother’s name? She lives on the property, too. Is there some reason Frazee would have put purchases in his mother’s name (tax break, bad credit, etc.)? If so, then a suit couldn’t touch that. I think it’s kind of complicated, as his mother might rely on that equipment for her livelihood. I dunno.

  13. ganana

    Sometimes I think these lawsuits are filed more to make a point than anything else. Depositions can also show more than strict cross examinations in court. A “win” in one of these suits, if it occurs before the criminal trial, could help the prosecution pursue new leads. Plus, prevailing in the suit may even reduce the convicted killer’s chance of parole later on if there are bombshells in the depositions that can be publicized. It’s often all about public perception, and manipulating that.

  14. Oliviajoy1995

    Maybe this was addressed somewhere else on here but I couldn’t find it. Why wasn’t Chris Watts guilty pleas on November 6th, 2018 allowed to be recorded like his other court dates?

    • nickvdl

      Good question.

  15. ganana

    The most heartbreaking picture in the Watts story, to me, is the one above of little Cece hugging her Dad at the airport in NC. At that moment, she had days to live..

    I know how those little hugs feel…this is the purest love there is.

    Wonder if he remembers how that felt.

  16. Maura

    @Nick I watched the video posted 1/23 about the Vivint Security and the camera that records data the homeowner can’t access or erase, but Vivint keeps for 3 months. Do you think CW was recorded carrying the bodies and police used this evidence?

    • nickvdl

      Maura I think the cops are sitting on a lot of evidence.

      But I suspect Watts turned off the Vivint security between roughly 02:00 and 04:00. Same reason he probably turned off the router – to create digital black holes. It would be interesting to know if this turning on or off is logged anywhere. If he didn’t turn it off he may have “tricked the system”. For example placing a piece of paper over a motion sensor defeats its capability – simple, quick and easy to do.

  17. flawedplan

    This is the person you just kicked out of your group… I come from a long line of convicted criminals. I spent years eye-to-eye counseling criminals in prisons (for free), have held the hands of killers who were terminally ill as they confessed their last before crossing over. I’m proud of this skill-set, but that’s not why I’m telling you this. I am telling you this for your benefit.

    • Nick

      You were kicked out because you’re the expert. As stated here too. In order for you to establish your expertise you try to undermine mine.

      • Seriously!!

        Nick, what’s the criteria for kicking people out? Anyone who challenges you?

        • nickvdl

          Challenging and intelligent discussion are welcome here. Bickering isn’t. The point of this page isn’t to engage in distracting contests with one another [like this, right here], but to figure out the merits of this case.

          I like to run a tight ship, and unfortunately due to the sheer number of visitors, there are many who don’t know me or my work, and many who see true crime as simply a venue to blame, label and throw stones. There are many forums that do that. That’s not what we try to do here.

          I try to encourage those at this site to think, and also to think beyond the ways they normally think. The key to criminal psychology doesn’t start with personalizing the characters involved in a crime, but it does end there.

          https://crimerocket.com/2018/12/21/true-crime-rocket-science-how-to-have-conversations-on-this-site-and-how-not-to/

    • Ralph Oscar

      Hey, I’m related by marriage to a notorious serial killer, Richard Biegenwald!

  18. Ralph Oscar

    Are you at all interested in a Canadian serial killer preying upon Toronto’s gay community, Nick? https://www.yahoo.com/news/vans-photos-deceased-key-evidence-slideshow-wp-212054221.html

    • Shannon

      Ralph. The gay killer, no trial, jail. Hardly any info on this case. We don’t know where he killed them. He stangled, he staged the bodies, clothes, pictures. But no info on how he chopped up bodies. Only bones found in flower pots.
      Cops actually broke in after watching a guy go into his apt. The guy was naked, tied to the bed. He arrested.

  19. ganana

    It was frustrating watching the trauma-sensing dog in the Watts basement on the video posted today. The bodycam work was so poor, it almost negates the whole purpose of that equipment. Put the damn camera on the dog, ffs.

    Noticed that the dog alerted at the area at the right of the base of the stairwell. Could Watts have lain in wait there when Shan’ann came home, the children already dead and stored in the refrigerator. Shan’an could have gone upstairs and not found anybody, then raced down to the basement where he waited.

    Being the clean freak he was, he could have prepared the area with sheets of plastic or just the bedsheets.

    Haven’t see any videos relating to the cadaver dogs’ findings in the basement.

  20. Susan

    NVDL: pay no attention to the toxic “fans”! Your books and commentary are so fascinating. You said you may end the Watts coverage at the end of February. Does this mean the Annihilation and Oblivion books may not be available? Oh no!!!!!

    • nickvdl

      Hey Susan, the series will certainly continue! Keep your eyes peeled 😉

  21. JH

    Nick, I agree with Susan.
    Don’t stop contributing your insightful, and incredible work!
    I look forward to reading your books!!
    I enjoy learning so much from the debates, introspect, and
    thought provoking style that you provide.
    Thank you for this!!

    • nickvdl

      Thanks JH. I will be scaling down coverage of the Watts case from this point onwards. The books will continue though. I may cover the Frazee case next, later this month or I might not. Watch this space 😉

  22. Sylvester

    There is another case that sounds intriguing to me but I know you have your hands full. Ryan Widmer, who was convicted of drowning his newlywed wife in the bathtub (2008?). There is doubt though – there have been 3 trials and he’s still appealing. There are similarities to Watts – the couple appeared so happy together, etc. But shortly after marriage he claims she stopped taking an interest in his career, she had OCD, she wouldn’t let him so much as pick out a can of paint for the house and she had a strange illness that caused her to fall asleep at odd moments. Which was his defense of course – she fell asleep in the tub and drowned. In interviews Widmer seems disconnected, almost happy. There is a book out about it called “Submerged” and the author has changed her mind as to whether Ryan is guilty or not. There is so much crime to research and write about, isn’t there? This one seems very interesting.

    • Ralph Oscar

      “she had a strange illness that caused her to fall asleep at odd moments”

      Exactly as if she was being drugged without her awareness, right?

  23. beth646charternet

    You lost me with your politics. Why don’t you stick to crime you do that well.

    • nickvdl

      That’s the plan. I also want to choose my readers, and this way I think I achieve that.

  24. Susan

    Listening to the 2nd confession tapes…I’m feeling very uncomfortable about the collegial atmosphere. I also hear a lot of Shan’ann bashing.

  25. Ralph Oscar

    ‘Kenney reportedly told investigators that Frazee had called her on that day and said, “You need to get out here now. You’ve got a mess to clean up.”’

    That last bit would’ve pissed me right off. I would have said, “No, YOU’ve got a mess to clean up. Hop to it, buddy!”

  26. Ralph Oscar

    The CCTV IDIOTS clip above is *hilarious*!!

  27. Ralph Oscar

    Breaking news: Some beauty company has pulled a new product, a bronzer, named “Killawatt”: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/everything-know-newest-fenty-beauty-174627794.html

    • Shannon

      Ralph….to funny.
      Lol

  28. Ralph Oscar

    Yet another case of a “missing child” who turned out to have been murdered and concealed by his birth parents.

  29. Aaren

    Nick, where are you??

    • matt

      Check his Instagram.

  30. Ralph Oscar

    And in a report that surprises no one, researchers find that a married person who suddenly starts hitting the gym and getting in shape is doing it to impress someone *other* than who they’re married to: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/scientific-between-exercising-cheating-wife-042619492.html

  31. Ralph Oscar

    Couldn’t figure out the best place to put this, so here it is. Surely you’ve noticed the latest from “Foxy Knoxy” – she and her fiancé want everybody to pay for their wedding and party (for their invited guests only) – from https://www.yahoo.com/gma/amanda-knox-denies-claims-she-her-fiance-crowdfunding-082845431–abc-news-topstories.html

    “Let’s face it, we don’t need any more stuff,” the couple write…on their crowd-funding page. “What we do need is help putting on the best party ever for our family and friends! Now we’re asking for help so that we can shower our friends and family with love and celebration! Instead of a traditional registry, we are asking for donations towards the cost of the wedding,” they write. “Whether you’re attending or not, all are welcome to donate to specific costs, or at a patron level.” Doesn’t seem that they’re just “asking for tips and suggestions” to me.

    We’re not crowdsourcing but we “didn’t want to put the registry behind a similar protection because…there are “thousands of people who are supportive of me who follow me and very often [they] want to feel connected to me and I try my best to share that.” Offering “multiple levels of patrons (stellar, galactic, or temporal) that visitors (public and private) could opt to become, that will help pay for things” isn’t asking the public to help pay for this extravaganza. Who is she trying to kid.

    so it’s not a crowdfunding site…it’s just a site where her ‘well-wishers’ can give her money…which is a CROWDFUNDING SITE. Come off it Knox. You thought you’d try to get some money from your ‘fans’ (which is perfectly legal and fine…if people want to give you money, that’s their own business). Don’t start crying now about how you’re misrepresented because LOTS of people are not on board with your plans.

    My wife and I have been supportive of her throughout her legal tribulations, but this puts an entirely different spin on things. I don’t know much about bridal registries,
    but my wife says she’s never heard of awarding ‘level’ status to donors except at
    fundraisers for nonprofits etc. Seems to me a rose is a rose by any other name and this ‘rose’ is a stinkweed.

    “Our wedding registry was never meant to be a crowdfunding source. It was meant for our family and friends and any well-wishers that I have”…

    Well-wishers? Translated…strangers. She can spin it if she likes, she WAS expecting more than a dime from pure strangers. Sorry, that’s crowd sourcing, sweetie.

    “Let’s face it, we don’t need any more stuff. What we do need is help putting on the best party ever for our family and friends!”

    Sounds to me like they are asking people to pay for her wedding / party. If you don’t have the money to have the party you want, have the party that you can afford.

    Amanda Knox and her fiance have launched a crowd-funder appeal to help make their wedding the ‘best party ever’ after she used their savings to return to Italy.
    Knox, 32, who was served four years in jail for the murder of British student Meredith Kurcher but was cleared of the crime on appeal, asked for donations online.
    As a reward for giving money for the nuptials, which appear to be space themed, donors will receive a copy of the couple’s love poems book The Cardio Tesseract.
    Generous donors can become stellar, galactic or temporal patrons depending on how much they donate or can give to specific things including the entertainment.

    She doesn’t even *care* that she’s being transparently shitty. What a duper.

  32. Ralph Oscar

    Per this tweet of yours: “How does someone on suicide watch commit suicide?”

    My friend predicted he’d be suicided. He had the goods on too many rich, powerful, influential people.

  33. Ralph Oscar

    NVDL – have you been following the story about the Barnetts and their Ukrainian-born adopted daughter Natalia? It’s BEYOND weird – and creepy! https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/viral-story-orphan-girl-might-171500300.html

  34. Ralph Oscar

    Hey, Nick. In embarking on your books (so many!), I decided to start with the Scott Peterson case. I’d never used Kindle before, and I love the way your Blood & Seawater was organized, with the links to outside sources like news articles. Although I was aware of this case as it was developing, I only knew a little about it and I still had nagging questions. I’m getting all my questions answered now! I just left you a 5-star review for B&S, and now I’m about halfway through Night Before Christmas: December 24th to December 31st (Amber Alert Book 2). Wow, that mistress was a piece of work, wasn’t she? Her fetish was seducing married men and manipulating them into leaving their very pregnant wives, apparently. Salacious! Absolutely fascinating analysis – the *Glock*! OF COURSE!!! Thanks, Nick, for all you do – a very satisfied customer

    • Ralph Oscar

      Also, it was really striking the way Scott Peterson, in talking with the detectives, wouldn’t say Laci’s *name*. And the way he spoke so contemptuously about her. Just like Chris Watts…

      Is this a typical thing, that the murderer has depersonalized and dehumanized his victim to the extent that they don’t even have a *name* any more?

      • nickvdl

        Yes, the disassociation is all part of the psychological preparation. Which in turn shows the length of the premeditation. This is why it was so obvious Watts’ crime was premeditated. The standoffishness points to his resignation and acceptance of what he’d already committed to do in his mind. What followed was getting his heart on the same page.

        • Ralph Oscar

          I’m reading Night Eternal now – so interesting. One of the fascinating details that stands out to me is that the $500,000 reward (or however much it was – a large amount) was offered for information that brought Laci back ALIVE. What a safe “reward” to offer – impossible to claim.

          BTW, per the image farther up this page, “The Stranger Beside Me” was my first true-crime book – I found the premise irresistible: To realize that you *know* the nation’s most notorious serial killer and that while he was your coworker, he had already started his killings!

          Do you have any idea *why* Amber Frey posed for those nudie pics? What was the point of those?

  35. Ralph Oscar

    Hey, Nick, I’m *desperate* to read the third installment in the Scott/Laci Peterson series, “Weight of the World”, but I can’t find it! Can you point me to it? Thanks!

    • nickvdl

      I haven’t written it yet. The 2nd and 3rd books didn’t get many reviews for a long time after they were written, so I started work on another project. Unfortunately in my line of work I have to balance what I’m interested in with what the market wants. But yeah, I was also looking forward to completing Weight of the World. I just could no longer justify the investment in time.

      • Ralph Oscar

        I completely understand – life must needs or whatever and all that. I’ll keep busy with your other books until such a time as Weight of the World shows up. Thanks again for making all this so readily available!

      • Ralph Oscar

        Hey, Nick – take a look through this article: https://abcnews.go.com/US/young-women-murdered-found-oil-field-1986-1991/story?id=62352978

        FOUR dead women within 7 years found in a Texas oil field…

        • nickvdl

          Thanks very much for sharing this Ralph.

  36. Ralph Oscar

    Say, Nick, thought of your site and your work the other day. I started smelling a distinctive smell of carrion in the hallway of the master bedroom one morning – we have several cats and the door to the master suite is kept open for them, though they aren’t allowed in the rest of the house. After much searching, I found one of the *tiniest* mice I’d ever seen (not a shrew) – it was probably less than an inch and a half long, not counting the tail. It had apparently been batted or tossed into the shadows next to the leg of a dresser against the wall, so it was hard to see. It wasn’t visibly decomposed or liquified or maggoty, but the smell! Unbearable!

    You’ve talked at some length about cadaver odor (cadaverine?) and this got me to thinking about that. If a not-quite-an-inch-and-a-half long dead mouse that probably only weighed an ounce or so can make enough of a stench to fill an entire hallway with detectible odor, how much would an entire *body* stink, whether it’s a *small* body (Madeleine McCann or the Watts children) or a *large* body (such as Shan’Ann Watts)? It’s absolutely *horrific* to contemplate.

  37. Ralph Oscar

    Apparently, eye drops are the new murder technique of choice: https://www.yahoo.com/gma/woman-sentenced-25-years-prison-poisoning-husbands-drinking-204943901–abc-news-topstories.html

  38. Steve Johnson

    Hey Nick I happened to stumble across a couple of YouTube videos you have done on the Watts case and I thought you did an excellent job with those. I am a true crime junkie lol and now I’ve found someone who finally does a great job analyzing ever part of a case. Your insights are spot on I believe in the Watts case and I love how you try to let us know both sides of the case and not just the victims side. So anyways I appreciate your hard work and wanted you to know you have a new follower I hope to purchase some of your books soon. Also I don’t know if you take request on certain cases but I am from Tennessee in the United States and we had a huge case that went nation wide about a nursing student named Holly Bobo who went missing from her house as she was going to school one morning in Decatur County Tennessee it was a huge case and trial and I would love for you to give your insight on it if you can find the time.

    • nickvdl

      Hi Steve. The Holly Bobo case is complex and fascinating. I’m looking into it.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Holly_Bobo

      • Steve Johnson

        It really is a fascinating case that ended in such tragedy unfortunately. I believe the more you read about it you will see how frustrating it was for our community because of how long it took them to catch these boys and how the TBI wasted so much time looking at the wrong people. I grew up about 30 miles where this happened. Thank you for looking at it I hope you can write about it sometime. Keep up the good work you do.

  39. Ralph Oscar

    Nick, did you see the news reports that Meredith Kercher’s father has died under suspicious circumstances?

    • nickvdl

      Yes I did. I’m not sure if the circumstances are suspicious.

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