Never See Them Again

by M. William Phelps

"One of our most engaging crime journalists." -Katherine RamslandIn the summer of 2003, the Houston suburb of Clear Lake, Texas, was devastated when four young residents were viciously slain. The two female victims were just eighteen-years-old, popular and beloved--but when a killer came knocking, it turned out to be someone they knew all too well. . ..Seventeen-year-old Christine Paolilla was an awkward outsider--until the girls befriended her. In this gripping true story, M. William Phelps delves into the heart of a baffling mystery to get to the truth of an act so brutal it could not be understood--until now.

"Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers." -Allison Brennan

"The best true-crime writer to come along in years." -Gregg Olsen

Praise for M. William Phelps

"Phelps ratchets up the dramatic tension." -Stephen Singular

"One of America's finest true-crime writers." -Vincent Bugliosi

"Phelps creates a vivid portrait." -"Publishers Weekly"

Includes 16 Pages Of Dramatic Photos

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Mystery, Crime, Audiobook, Biography, Suspense

433 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Crime, murder and serial killer expert, creator/producer/writer and former host of the Investigation Discovery series DARK MINDS, acclaimed, award-winning investigative journalist M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 30 books and winner of the 2013 Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award and the 2008 New England Book Festival Award. A highly sought-after pundit, Phelps has made over 100 media-related television appearances: Early Show, The Today Show, The View, Fox & Friends, truTV, Discovery Channel, Fox News Channel, Good Morning America, TLC, BIO, History, Oxygen, OWN, on top of over 100 additional media appearances: USA Radio Network, Catholic Radio, Mancow, Wall Street Journal Radio, Zac Daniel, Ave Maria Radio, Catholic Channel, EWTN Radio, ABC News Radio, and many more.

Phelps is also a member of the Multidisciplinary Collaborative on Sexual Crime and Violence (MCSCV), also known as the Atypical Homicide Research Group (AHRG) at Northeastern University, maintained by NU alumni Enzo Yaksic.

Phelps is one of the regular and recurring experts frequently appearing on two long-running series, Deadly Women and Snapped. Radio America calls Phelps “the nation’s leading authority on the mind of the female murderer,” and TV Rage says, “M. William Phelps dares to tread where few others will: into the mind of a killer.” A respected journalist, beyond his book writing Phelps has written for numerous publications—including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant—and consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter.

Phelps grew up in East Hartford, CT, moved to Vernon, CT, at age 12, where he lived for 25 years. He now lives in a reclusive Connecticut farming community north of Hartford.

Beyond crime, Phelps has also written several history books, including the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling NATHAN HALE: The Life and Death of America’s First Spy, THE DEVIL’S ROOMING HOUSE, THE DEVIL’S RIGHT HAND, MURDER, NEW ENGLAND, and more.

Reviews

[Misty Marie Harms · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seventeen-year-old Christine Paolilla was an outcast. Suffering from Alopecia, she has never fit in with other kids. She meets 2 teenage girls that take Christine under their wing. Tiffany Rowell and Rachael Koloroutis, popular and beloved, helped her blossom into a young woman. Christine meets her boyfriend, Chris Snider. Chris is a loner and into drugs. One day, the doorbell rings at Tiffany and Rachel's house. The two teenagers are shot dead. The killer enters the house and also kills Tiffany's boyfriend and his cousin. The police have no leads and the case goes cold. Then a tip is called in, leading to Christina's new husband, Justin Rott. Justin reveals Christina secret about her involvement in the murder of her two best friends.

This book shows you how hard a person will go to score their next hit. Two people's drug habit so far out of control that they were willing to kill to quench the need to be high.

😺😺😺

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is M. William Phelps' study of the family's pain in the aftermath of the vicious murder of 4 young people, teens really, in an affluent Houston suburb. It also follows the authorities as they gain insight as to what all the clues left behind mean, eventually unraveling the shocking identity of who actually did it.

The book rather draws you in and just takes you right along through it as it unfolds. From figuring out the grotesque, bloody crime scene, to seeing where the detectives wind up, in their hunt for who did such a thing to 4 young friends.

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished a book written by M.W. Phelps and I very much disliked how he wrote that but I decided to try another one. (I had received a lot of his book)

Happy to say that this one is already so much better written!


Update 18 December 2014

Finished it yesterday and really happy it was a good one. I needed a good tc. It was good and what a sad but very interesting story.

In Too Young to Kill there was so much of the authors opinion it was horrible but in this book he did not do that to that extent and it really made the book much better so I am very glad that I can be nice and positive again. :)

It was really the author because both stories were interesting. Now I hope this is the newer book of the two. ;)

As I said I still have many books of him to be read so hope I can find another one as good as this one.

Did anyone read Obsession and if so was it any good?

[Nattie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seems somehow because the girls worked at a strip club and dated hispanic drug dealers that they were white trash that only their family and friends should care about. Adelbert, one of the dead, was never known to be a drug dealer as far as I recall. He was considered a pretty decent young man. Reading the book, I never felt that the two slain girls were so called white trash, and nothing indicates that they were. They were waitresses at a low-brow place, but refused stripping offers. Tiffany wanted to be a social worker, and Rachel wanted to be in law enforcement. They lived in an upper middle class area. Obviously I don't know these people, and yes they did do drugs and Marcus sold them, which of course I'm against. They did some wild and crazy things that I would never do or befriend anybody who did. I've never done a drug, never smoked, and never taken a drink, but I still felt deeply sorry for those killed.

Rachel and Adelbert were apparently killed for just being there, and that fiend Christine was so rough on Rachel when she found out she was in the house because she was envious deep down in her gut, she was the ultimate loser and considered Rachel a better person than she. That she shot the girls in or near their genitals is telling.

I like to believe that Christine and her boyfriend went to the house to kill anybody in there, and then steal drugs and money, but Adelbert and Marcus still had money on them after the killings. Why didn't they take the money? Nobody but that killer will ever know the truth.

[Jill H. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had read one of this author's book last year since I was familiar with him from ID tv where he hosts a true crime series. I rather like him so thought that his writing would be worthwhile. I didn't like the book but thought I would give him another chance as sometimes authors have at least one bad book in a series. Well, now he has two bad books in a series. The same faults appeared in this story as those I found in the first book....repetitive writing. Repeating the same facts ad infinitum becomes quite boring since I understood it the first time he said it. The book almost appears to have been written for the YA crowd. It is an interesting story and should have been much better than it was. I don't think I'll try a third time with this author.

[Joanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do not care if Phelps writes some of the most comprehensive true crime books. His thinly veiled racism and clear disdain for women who have any type of sex life (including victims themselves) along with his ignorant digs at addicts (i.e. only refers to them as Junkies repeatedly, etc) make him the worst true crime author of our time. It didn't used to be this way but it seems Fox News has started to dig their claws in his old age. Gross book, just disgusting. I can't imagine how the victims' families felt after reading this seeing as how they trusted him to tell their children's stories in a sensitive, tactful way. Will never purchase another book from this author and hope the true crime community as a whole follows suit.

[Koren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judging by the size of this book I thought it must not be as overly detailed as most William Phelps can be and I was not disappointed. This is probably the the shortest one I have read so far with the exception of the e-book shorts. I did skim a bit when it came to the trial. It was a bit disappointing that there were not more personal interviews but he stated at the end of the book that they just were not forthcoming. This is the true crime story of 4 friends that were killed by another friend and her boyfriend. The only thing I was disappointed in was that it didnt really go in depth as to why she did what she did.

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 3 out of 5]

On July 18, 2003 four young people were murdered in the Houston suburb of Clear Lake, Texas. Phelps pulls you in on the first page and lets it unfold little by little giving you the full picture of this horrific crime. I did find myself flipping through pages to get through the word by word dialogue. Overall a good book.

[Suzanne Lopes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! What an Amazing Book on the case of Christine Paololia. I have read other books that this Author has written about in his other true crime cases but this book by far was the best he has written. He gave the book justice. I never got bored reading this book. I love how he really cared about the victims families. My heart hurts for those families. The Author nailed it when it came to speaking about the court case. Very well written and the ending of the book was so beautiful that tears ran down my eyes.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author did a nice job of clearly presenting the facts of the events surrounding the murders. I don't think I really understood what drove the 2 kids to commit murder, but that makes it even more tragic (if that's possible). Senseless. The book and the narration were both top notch and I will continue to look for Phelps books when I need a true-crime fix.

[Kimberly Conroy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unnecessary dragged out and made to seem more complex than it actually was.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overdramatized and far too drawn out account of a murder story that really wasn't that interesting. Reading the synopsis made me think this case had potential...teenage girl murders her two best friends along with their boyfriends...however, there is never any real explanation or motive for why two people would gun down four people execution style...the claim it was over drugs seems oversimplified. Unfortunately, the victims hardly came across as people I could give a damn about..two white trash girls who worked in a strip club, did a lot of drugs, took suggestive pictures with the girl who murdered them while at the same time dating hispanic drug dealers loosely tied to Mexican drug cartels. People like this may matter to their families, but I can't count this as any great loss to society. I also found it weird that the author suggests that average teens do coke and other hard drugs...I don't think everyone is as in to this as he paints. The type of characters portrayed here are usually fringe people. I hadn't heard of this case prior to this book, even though I am an avid follower of true crime. I think in order for a case to capture the public's imagination, the victims have to be noteworthy, the murder has to have a better reason than drugs. I also don't really buy that drugs were the real motive here. I think it had way more to do with Christine's jealousy than anything else.

[Lindsie Gatto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skillfully Told … Horrific Account of the Murders

M. William Phelps is right up there with true crime writer Ann Rule. For all those Ann Rule fans, you MUST pick up some of Phelps books. They are told skillfully and make you feel like you personally know the crime from firsthand experience. Phelps’s writing style is on point, flows easily, and keeps readers glued to the pages.

This particular book tells of the murders of 4 innocent teens at the hands of two monsters. While we never get to understand exactly why this crime occurred (the murderer never gave motive), we are taken into the minds of the victim’s families and what their takes are the crime- why it occurred. We get to know the killers, the victims, the families, and others who were touched by these horrific crimes. We gain an understanding why it took nearly 3 years to finally catch those killers. And, we get a look at the interrogation- one of my favorite parts.

This is a great true crime book. The only piece that was missing for me was the exact motive. We have assumptions but the killer never truly confessed the crime or gave reasons why she did it. Very interesting read and I highly recommend it.

Genre: True Crime

Overall Rating: 4.2

One Word to Describe the Story: Horrific

Would I read again: Maybe, after I finish up his other books.

Would I recommend: YES!

[Joey Contreras · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a mediocre true crime book that was hobbled by a writer with a sloppy style. I lost track of the number of times the writer notes "this would prove to be important later," or "the significance would become apparent later," etc. I'm not a huge true crime fan because so many of them read like they're written lightning quick and poorly edited. This book was no exception.

The book describes a horrific quadruple murder in Houston and the efforts to solve them. The story itself is compelling because the victims were young and the crime seemed so inexplicable. The book doesn't do the story justice though and I ended up rushing through the second half. Not recommended.

[Coolreads RA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four young adults were shot and killed in a house in Clear Lake, Texas on July 18, 2003. A friend, who had dropped by to visit, ran out of the house screaming in terror upon discovering the violence inside. Her puzzled boyfriend, went into the house to check what had distressed his girlfriend so much and he came ‘barrelling’ out.

In Never See Them Again, the author M. William Phelps paints a vivid picture of the horrifying discovery, the gruesome crime scene, and the fatal injuries of the victims. The police would later go on record to describe the scene as a total ‘carnage.’

This is a true crime novel, a genre that I was unaware exists in the literary world until I came across this book. Generally, in fiction, you would read about a crime and the novel would lead us to discover whodunit. In this book, thanks to the blurb on the back of the book and the fact that this is an actual incident, readers would already know who died and who did it. So what is the fun in reading this book you may ask? Mine, was reading the police work that went into bringing the killer to face justice and wanting to find out the motive.

From reading the book, it is clear that the author has done enormous research and countless interviews as he brings to life the police investigation while they comb through pieces of evidence, witness statements, and anonymous tips to identify possible motives and suspects. The lead investigators, Detective Tom Ladd and later Detective Brian Harris, faced many obstacles and dead ends for several years. However, they relentlessly persevered until Harris finally manages to uncover the real killers via an anonymous tip. From there on, the story picks up pace as the police track down the killers and successfully bring one of them to justice.

I commend the author for his sensitivity in dealing with each family member as they describe the victims and give voice to their loss. George Kolouroutis, the father of one of the victims, stands out to me as a stoic father who pursues justice and pushes the authorities through the years until they locate the killers. His impact statement that he was allowed to read out in court was heartrending. Lelah, George's daughter and, older sister to victim Rachael Kolouroutis has penned a poignant poem that is included towards the end of the book.

There are two issues I had with the book. The first is that we were not able to hear Chris Snider’s version of the events. This is excusable and not the author's fault, considering Snider was dead before the police found him.

The second issue is the author tends to make unnecessary snide remarks about certain characters. It feels like having a new voice in your head, interrupting your thought process and telling you what to think. I am not sure if this is normal in true crime but I would have preferred that he did not make such commentaries and let the readers judge for themselves based on the facts presented.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

From time to time, I like to read a good true crime book. Done well, they provide insight into the intrigue of criminal investigation and adjudication as well as criminal psychology. I'm usually interested in learning how experienced investigators and prosecutors unravel the circumstances of a crime and put the pieces together in a way that justice can be delivered. I am almost always fascinated to learn about the backgrounds and states of mind of both victims and perpetrators. A good crime book will help me better understand what were the many human factors that led to the horrible reality of a criminal act. While I think that author, Phelps tried to deliver on all that, I finished this book with the distinct feeling that he didn't quite deliver in the way true masters of this genre do. His story of the investigation and of the backgrounds of those involved was sometimes disjointed. His psychological probing seemed incomplete and possibly a little immature. I thought he was striving for objectivity but at the same time, interjecting some amateur analysis. Worst of all, he doesn't write well. I kept resisting the urge to criticize that he placed irrelevant comments in the middle of paragraphs or tacked on meaningless phrases to sentences. There were multiple examples of his incorrect use of basic grammar. I was wondering why he didn't have a better editor or maybe even a co-writer who could help him mold his intent into meaningful narration. Overall, I was fascinated by the story he had to tell but almost constantly distracted by the way he told it. I see that he's somewhat well regarded in the field of true crime exposes and that he's written a number of books. I will give one more of his titles a try, in the hopes that I'll be better satisfied.

[Stacey OBrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profound story of evil and good


Spoiler alert:

Two sweet, kind girls took a lost, bullied kid under their wing. Both girls wanted to work in psychology someday, one as a profiler. But they weren't able to profile the psychopath they were trying to help. This girl rewarded their kindness and friendship with one of the more horrifying murders, causing the cops to describe the scene as "carnage".
This is one of the best depictions of what a sociopath really is, and how innocent that person can seem. It also serves as a warning about getting anywhere near drugs or kids who do drugs, because the people on their periphery could be very extremely hard core, whereas many are just trying to party. But in order to get drugs, you have to be in contact, even if indirectly, with people whose usage may go off the deep end, or with people who are involved with the most terrifying cartels.
It's just not worth it. It's too dangerous, just being around such people, even if they seem like friends.

This story had a deep impact on me. It's not your usual story of crime, not that any murder is deserved by anyone.

If you "like" true crime, this is a must read. But be warned that it will take awhile to get it out of your head. It gets under your skin and stays in your mind. Some of the images are so psychologically disturbing that I'm not sure I would have read it had I known how upsetting it would be. I wouldn't have fed my mind with something that horrible.
But once I had the book, I couldn't stop reading. I'm writing this at 3:43am, having just finished it.

[Tracy Lackey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Briefly, my 2 issues with this book (and the reasons I rated it a 3 instead of a 4):
1) The author doesn't give a clear motive for the murders. I know he didn't directly interview the perpetrator, but he could have speculated or put out some ideas based on his knowledge of the case.
2) I know a lot of people won't feel this way, but I, personally, like a VERY DETAILED description of the crime scene. Then I can picture in my mind what the investigators, crime scene techs, and jurors were seeing. I like to formulate my own questions and theories based on the evidence. The author gives a very brief description of the general scene (there was a couch...with blood on it). Aphrodite Jones' book "A Perfect Husband", about the Michael Peterson/The Staircase crime, was excellent with this aspect.

Also, while I'm at it, Phelps can display a very immature writing style. He tends to interject his own commentary into an otherwise well-written sentence. It's odd, to say the least, and I found that these commentaries disrupted the flow of the writing. But, the other Phelps book that I've read, "Perfect Poison," wasn't like that, so I'm willing to give Phelps a pass this time.

[Marnie Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read quite a few of Phelps books at this point, obviously I find them interesting enough to continue but I do agree with some of the criticisms people have with his writing. His snide comments are annoying and unnecessary, I also don't need to know where everyone that is connected to the story grew up, what they do for a living, etc .. this book was good but as others mentioned we don't get a clear understanding of why this happened, I understand some questions cannot be answered but perhaps if there had been a bit more mentioned of what the relationship was really like between the girls, how close were they really? It sounds like they were close but it seems to me Rachel's family (or maybe it was just her dad?) didn't recognize her when the police showed them her photo so I wondered if maybe the "friendship" wasn't as close as Christine made it out to be but then there was mention that Rachel actually kept a photo of Christine in her wallet? and the photo of Christine w/her underwear in her teeth, maybe they did have a romantic relationship/fling that meant more to Christine than Rachel? I don't know but what a sad story and Christine should never get out of jail

[Carolene N. Neely · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW

Everytime I finish reading a book by M. William Phelps, I feel emotionally exhausted. The writer's style makes you (the reader) feel like you are right there, on the scene, looking and listening to everything in real time and this one is no exception.
I especially appreciate that no cards are turned over until they appeared chronologically in the narrative -- there are no "spoilers" so that in reading this account, the reader "feels" the emotions of the persons involved: the impatience of a grieving father (George K.) when answers about his daughter's murder are not forthcoming, the frustration of the dogged investigator (Detective Harris) when (un)professional "one-up-manship" from a different jurisdiction causes unnecessary delay in searching for a body, etc.
This book, along with his account of the killer nurse (another "must read"), is Phelps at his best.

[Mary Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about a new case that I never heard of before. The book provided lots of details and interview materials. It also included a handful of pages with photos of the crime scene, victims and suspects. I wish, however, they were not in the center of the book or that there was a warning the images & descriptions would give away the second half of the book which I didn't realize until it was too late. I started to lose interest after that since I already knew how it ended. The end of the book is dedicated to the trial. Because the case seemed pretty airtight at that point, I did not find the trial material that interesting. I am sure for other cases though, the trial can be the best or most important part.

[Denise Meister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lives Cut Short

The author presents the horrible murders of 4 teens. The killers are dysfunctional teens who are heavily into drugs. The teen years are turnips
E




The author presents the murders of 4 teens. The killings are horrible. The teen years are turbulent enough but mix in drugs and the typical teen risky behavior and it is lethal. Families devastated and a community shocked at such violence. The book.is well written . I found myself very saddened by lives lost and have to wonder if the breakdown of our society is happening more than we want to admit. Dysfunctional relationships seem to cry out for help and support. Struggling teens turning to drugs is in itself tragic.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sad story happened near Houston TX in Clear Lake to be exact in 2003. I fill I must give the names of these children (still in their late teens to early 20’s) who passed on in such a violent, horrific, and very cruel way . . . Tiffany Rowell (home owner), Rachael Koloroutis (best friend of Tiffany), Marcus Precella (Roswell’s boyfriend), and, Adelbert Sanchez (Precella's cousin). It took the Houston Police Department several years to figure this one out but they prevailed, never giving up until they got their suspects. The families were also involved in the investigation, never letting the area forget about their fallen children. And the “who” of the perpetrators surprised me. Even now, in 2025, my heart breaks for these families.

[Tanya T · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do enjoy this Author’s books, as I have read many others by him also. This one just bombed for me. Maybe it’s because it never really gave a good motive for why Christine would be an accomplice and likely the Mastermind behind the brutal murder of 4 people. Two of which she claims were her very best friends. I felt bad for the victim’s families, as they were almost portrayed as bad people. I guess we will never really know the motive unless Christine herself decides to finally tell the truth while sitting in prison.

[Karen Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always a fantastic true crime!

Thank you M. William Phelps for a finely written true crime!
I love the empathy and compassion that you write with and make the reader feel how much compassion you show the victims of your books. Showing us how criminals can be really stupid in thinking that getting away with certain situations when we all know how detailed forensics, especially DNA, has become the stand-out along with awesome detective work in crime.
Thanks for another great true crime!
Now on to another of your crime books!

[Edgar Camargo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good storytelling

I normally do not read true crime books such as this one however I really enjoyed the book, I liked how the story is presented, I may try another book by this author.
The only part that I seem to have missed was a clear motive for the crime, it is implied but since the victims were supposedly good friend of one of the perpetrators I found the motive a little vague.
Good book I will recommend it

[Kimberly Shifflett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Senseless Tragedy

M. William Phelps did a great job yet again bringing a senseless crime to life for the reader. How tragic it is that this person murdered 4 innocent young people for absolutely nothing. I only wish in this story we would have seen justice served for the other guilty person.

[seb gratz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shattered

Wonderfully written as always, written in such a way that all the people, places, !ovations etc can be visualised and if you're very quiet and still you can even smell the smells. M William Phelps manages to make you feel the deep emotions that the surviving family members feel

[Catmom 4 · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like True Crime, you will really like this one! This takes place during a time when Teenagers were into heavy drugs, as well as adolescence, bullying, and basic family issues.
Four Teenagers are found murdered in the home of one of them.
Justice takes a long time to come about, and it's sad to discover how close the culprit was to the vistims.

[Jennifer Aborn Traynor · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. The only reason I didn’t go to 4 is that I felt there were quite a few sections that had too many unimportant or repetitive details. But I love this author & his books! I’ve read many. I liked the epilogue a lot because Phelps shared Rachael’s sister’s interview & poem. It was a beautiful tribute to one of the murdered girls.