American murder: The family next door

[thebeachismyhappyplace2]

Netflix documentary based on true story - has anyone watched it? (look away now if you haven’t yet seen it)

I watch a lot of documentaries about killers/psychopaths etc but this one has really shocked and disturbed me!!

What I don’t understand is he didn’t appear to be a domestic abuser or display mental problems. Ok so he became obsessed with other woman and wanted to leave his old life behind him. (But let’s face it this happens everyday around the world!)

So why didn’t he just get divorced? How could someone do that to their kids too!

I know I watched this yesterday and had nightmares last night. Those poor children. Was it his sister saying his wife drove him mad? And then his mum saying don’t victim blame?
And then he tried to blame his wife and say she killed the children.
Just so awful. And the whole car journey with his wife and kids in the car and he drove for an hour??
Just awful.

Pammie - I know just horrific that this actually happened. Going to watch it again tonight as it was really late when I watched it last night so the end was a bit of a blur - but am I right in saying he put those kids in the oil tanks alive?

I watched this last night those poor poor children

@thebeachismyhappyplace2

Netflix documentary based on true story - has anyone watched it? (look away now if you haven’t yet seen it)

I watch a lot of documentaries about killers/psychopaths etc but this one has really shocked and disturbed me!!

What I don’t understand is he didn’t appear to be a domestic abuser or display mental problems. Ok so he became obsessed with other woman and wanted to leave his old life behind him. (But let’s face it this happens everyday around the world!)

So why didn’t he just get divorced? How could someone do that to their kids too!

Because he's a psychopath.

"but am I right in saying he put those kids in the oil tanks alive?"

No, thankfully (??) he smothered the girls before they went into the oil tanks. He did however travel for over an hour with them in the boot next to the body of their dead mother

I knew about this case a while ago after listening to a podcast, but have watched the Netlfix doc. Yes, it was very shocking!

I haven't seen this particular episode, but I find these shows really interesting.

It never ceases to amaze me how evil human beings can be...the motives usually being money, affairs or the end of a relationship.

What I don’t understand is he didn’t appear to be a domestic abuser or display mental problems.

I agree, it is confusing. Although I suspect there were red flags in thier relationship. The only person who can give insight is Shannan.

It was so horrible when he described how he killed those girls. I don't agree with the death penalty but really what is the point in him being alive? Hopefully he is remorseful and has to live with it for the rest of his life in prison.

Two threads, in Chat and Streamed TV, already discussed this recently. I am unsure how to do a link. Not being arsey...lots of links/discussions.

I found it disturbing how he appears so normal. He presented as a very passive person but I think that was a role he liked to play.

It struck me how she was always videoing everything and how she ignored how irritated he appeared to be by it. She seemed obsessed with capturing every moment for social media. He looked very uncomfortable and like he was holding in rage when she would put the camera in front of his face but he would smile through gritted teeth and play nice.

I think he has a very passive aggressive, psychopathic personality and once he had enough of her and found a replacement that didn't annoy him, he got rid of his whole family so he could move on. He never really thought much about it once it was done.

I couldn't sleep after watching this.

Absolute evil. And the way he attempted to slander her even in death was sick. That was the worst part. I couldn't listen to his confession right at the end, it was so heartbreaking.

I agree to look for the other threads on this, they were interesting.

It was such a horrific case.

He was cold with her though, rejecting sex and probably making her feel worthless. It sounds like there may also have been a bit of triangulation with him playing her off against his parents (I dont think it mentions him stoking the flames there but I wouldnt be surprised).

I agree with pp though, he was a straight up psychopath so I think they can kinda just act on the flick of a switch due to the lack of empathy. It wasnt about sadism ect...it was just about getting what he wanted when he wanted.

he says as he put her in her grave he noticed she had given birth

so cold

that was his son

Truly awful. I really don’t understand why. He could have just got divorced and had a life with his new girlfriend and still seen the kids ??? Just horrific The trial of Gabriel Fernandez was the most upsetting thing I’ve watched. Most evil people ever and it really disturbed me aswell

@GirlCrush

he says as he put her in her grave he noticed she had given birth

so cold

that was his son

They were discussing this on Reddit and the conclusion was that he was probably bullshitting and it was unlikely to be true a few hours after he killed her. He lies a lot about a lot of things. His statements often contradict themselves. I’d take most things he says with a pinch of salt.

why would he want to make himself look worse than he already does though?

it came from a prison warden. same warden also says he gets 100's of letters from women. theres a topic lasting 72 threads on web sleuths,its horrific

Watched this. I normally watch a lot of true crime stuff, and never get fazed, but this has stuck with me.

Just so horrific. Why kill them? So bloody senseless and cruel. He seemed so normal too. Gives me chills to see him trying to pretend he's looking for them when the police first arrive. Evil man.

There are some DR Phil clips regarding this case on YouTube where Shanan's family are interviewed. Absolutely heartbreaking.

I followed this on websleuths as it happened and was appalled. He is definitely a psychopath. What makes the documentary so watchable is that they had so much footage of him from the moment they went missing and he was making an appeal, in police custody etc. Many men walk away from marriages but it takes a brutal psychopath to take his own children and suffocate them as they pleaded 'no, Daddy no' and then sling them in an oil silo. It gives me nightmares.

It is also beyond understanding that so many women have been writing to him in jail declaring their undying love. What is wrong with them?

So so awful and can not understand why he didn’t get death penalty!

Do you think it was premeditated?

@GirlCrush

why would he want to make himself look worse than he already does though?

it came from a prison warden. same warden also says he gets 100's of letters from women. theres a topic lasting 72 threads on web sleuths,its horrific

I don't understand any of his motivations, let alone this. But the very rare and gruesome phenomena of a post mortem birth happens as a result of decomposition so wouldn't happen so soon after death. He's lying about it but I can't understand why.

There was a lot of information missing from the documentary and it didn't go enough into enough detail about the husband and the reasons why he did it.

The footage the wife put on Facebook showed she was very controlling. I wonder what she was like when the camera was off? How we would feel about the domestic set up if the roles were reversed and he was the controlling partner?

How did he find the time to go hiking with the other woman? It looked like there was photos of them both on FB. Giving the amount of time his wife spend on FB I'm surprised she or someone she knows didn't see them.

I don't think it was ever explained why he was speaking to police without a lawyer. That stuck out to me as you would think that would be the first thing he would ask for. Considering he confessed all to his father while under police custody.

@thebeachismyhappyplace2 it appeared in the documentary that he didn't get the death penalty because he plead guilty. Perhaps this is done to encourage defendants to tell the truth for the benefit of victims families?