Defying Silence: A Memoir of a Mother's Loss and Courage in the Face of Injustice

by Hera McLeod

Two weeks after giving birth to her son Prince, Hera McLeod discovered that everything she knew about her son's father was a lie. After a 12-month custody battle, full of terrifying evidence she uncovered, Prince's father murdered him during one of the first court-ordered unsupervised visitations. Determined to get justice for her son, Hera embarked on a mission to hold both the killer and the system that enabled him accountable. This story takes you through Hera's experience as the romantic target of a serial killer and the deep fractures in the American justice system that routinely leave women and children vulnerable. It will arm you with the knowledge necessary to join the fight, ideas for reform, and the inspiration to speak out against the silence.

Genres: Nonfiction

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 11, 2023

Reviews

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Defying Silence: A Memoir of a Mother's Loss and Courage in the Face of Injustice will be a book that remains with me for a long time.

McLeod's journey through a nightmare relationship fraught with anger, violence, gaslighting, lies, and murder is chilling. Once her fifteen-month-old son is killed by his father, the nightmare intensifies with the court system, law enforcement, and attorneys.

There are many, many lessons in this book, including being a vocal activist for change as well as trusting your initial gut reaction while in a relationship.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

McLeod’s story is riveting from beginning to end. The failures of our justice system are deplorable. This book is a powerful witness to Prince’s life and outcry against the situations and incidents which led to his senseless murder. As a people, we can and must do better for children. This book is a must read for anyone working with family court or abuse victims.

[janet a. perryman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strength through Diversity

I found this book though painful was hard to "Put Down!" Hera seemed to be blocked no matter what venue she took ! Also so many people she reached out to couldn't help or wouldn't help! However Hera FOUND A WAY! I couldn't stop reading this book! Please put it on your reading list! Sincerely Janet Perryman

[Kathleen Riggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Defying Silence by Hera McLeod is the heart rendering story and a Memoir of a Mother’s Loss and Courage in the Face of Injustice. This book is both a compelling and terrifying story. Hera worked in the CIA but as her biological clock is ticking Hera decided to try online dating where she met Joaquin Ram and found him both charming and intoxicating. Ram was also a single father of a ten-year-old son and had full custody. He also said he was a successful singer and opened for a lot of famous bands. He had plenty of money which he flashed around. It was not long before Hera moved in with Ram and everything felt great as he loves bombed her and made her feel so special. Hera then finds out she is pregnant, and she starts to see cracks appearing in their relationship. Shortly after Prince is born her life was thrown into chaos as Ram would fly into a rage for no reason as he became more abusive and violent to both Hera and his son. One day Hera came home from work to find that Ram had beaten up his son and was arrested. Hera now feared for both her and Prince as she realized Ram was unstable and should not be around either of them but if she tried to leave him, he had threatened to kill her. Hera realises she is walking on eggshells every moment she is with Ram, and she realises she has totally misread him.

Two weeks after Prince's birth Hera found out Ram had raped her younger sister after taking her to a concert. This was the final straw for Hera, and she fled the house with her parents. Sadly, the police believed Ram that the sex was consensual as he had secretly videotaped the rape and unbelievably the police watched the video and were declined to charge Ram.

Things then deteriorate as Hera decides to fight back for full custody of her son as Hera learns that she never knew Ram at all as he is delusional, a pathological liar and has been a criminal all his life. Hera finds out the money he used to flash around was life insurance policy’s he had on his previous partner who was murdered the day before she was due to appear in court for a custody hearing. She is now more determined to fight for Prince as they head to court.
The judge eventually gives Ram visitational rights despite Heras warning to her lawyers and the judge that he will hurt him. Sadly, after only four visit Prince is found not breathing whilst in Rams care and after being rushed to hospital, he is declared brain dead. Hera tells the hospital staff that she believes Ram has murdered Prince.
Hera is right as the police inform her after the postmortem that Ram took out three life insurance policies on Prince who was only fifteen months old when he was drowned in the bathtub. Ram is arrested three months later and charged with murder. Hera McLeod has done an incredible job telling this unfortunate story of both her life and her son Prince at the hands of a psychopath. Hera tells her story deeply pulling at your heart strings and Hera’s story will stay with me forever. Sadly, this book is emotional heart wrenching, and extremely incredibly Sad for all the innocent Children taken far too early. Abuse and murder are not OK, and I highly recommend this book to Phycologists, psychiatrists, and anyone in child services, so please if you see the signs and do not be afraid to step in. Thank you to Hera McLeod for giving me a free advance audio book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Joyce Gibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A profound transparent story of injustice within the justice system. Hera’s incredible resilience and willpower to push forward is nothing short of a miracle as she fought for the truth after burying her precious young son Prince.

An ego driven narcissist, her son’s killer continued maintaining his innocence while gaslighting, manipulating, and controlling law enforcement, attorneys and judges, flipping the narrative on Hera with fabricated stories of twisted reality while continuing to get away with murder.

Her son’s killer was always one step of her and two steps above the law as she attempted to seek justice that failed her while protecting him: a reality all too prevalent everywhere.

Hera’s powerful trailblazing story is one that will remain with me forever. God bless her for exposing the travesty of such injustice.

[Stacy Marcucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Triggering

This was a hard book for me to read. The authors experiences we so much like my own. The difference is my children are alive and he continues to slowly kill them inside. My experience with the justice system is the same. Because I didn't have the money needed to fight or couldn't get a loan, I was told to "settle " . Prior police reports of him abusing our 18 year old daughter were thrown out. Older children couldn't testify because it was too old. Our system is horribly broken and we all need to stand up and call out public officials who allow this to occur.
I liked the book, and would recommend people that work in these types of cases read it.

[Kathy Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Defying Silence

Such a tragic situation . Hera writes of the pain she experienced . To read how this child was so mistreated at the hands of his own father is horrific . Hera writes her story with eloquence and dispair . I feel emotionally drained just reading about it ! My thoughts and prayers go out to her .

[Mary S Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept my interest

This is such a sad story and goes to show no matter how highly educated you are, you can fall in love with the wrong person.

[Niki Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this, I know for sure that Hera McLeod is an exceptional person. The fact that she didn't crumble after what she went through is a testament to her character. This book is the story of one woman's tremendous courage not only during a horrific time but during all of the moments afterwards. Her story has shaken my faith in the justice system, that could have allowed something like this to occur and then terrorized the victims.

Instead of falling apart, Hera has dedicated her life to honoring her son's life by helping those who have gone through similar trauma and to speaking her truth to those in a position to make real change. I am so glad that I was able to read her story and I applaud her bravery in sharing it with the world.

[Lizbeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of strength and resilence

This book details an avoidable tragedy, but also shows the reader that healing is possible, and joy can be found again after the bottom has fallen out of our world. Highly recommend!