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TWO FACE: RAPE OF CASSANDRA
In the early hours of August 13, a Ring doorbell camera records 34-year-old Shan'ann Watts arriving home in Frederick, Colorado from a business trip at 01:48. The pregnant mother enters her home on Saratoga Trail and is never seen alive again. Shan'ann's 33-year-old husband Chris Watts is seen on his neighbor's doorbell camera from 05:27 onward. The camera records Watts backing his truck into the driveway, then heading back into the house and out to the truck several times. Although no bodies can be seen on the camera, during one of the trips to his truck he appears to be walking backwards, dragging something. Exactly what happened in the 3 hours 39 minutes between those two camera recordings remains unclear and uncertain. RAPE OF CASSANDRA undoes the distortions, untangles the web that exists on both sides of the crime, and probes deep inside the fabric and psychology of the crime scene to find the signal buried in the noise. During the sentencing hearing on November 19, 2018, Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke said investigators don't know the exact sequence of events. Because of the gruesome manner the bodies of his two children, Bella [4] and Celeste [3] were disposed of, investigators haven't been able to establish time of death either. Were the children killed before or after their mother? RAPE OF CASSANDRA investigates the exact sequence of events, from the time of the first death in the Watts home, to the disposal at the Cervi site, to how and why a “normal” family man wreaked a holocaust against his own family, and ultimately, himself. The Discovery Documents reveal how Watts' story of the crime comes about. Eventually Watts is "Did Shan'ann do something?" But even Watts' confession isn't reliable. In the moment that Chris Watts steps forward out of his quiet, introverted self and rises as the hero in his "confession", Shan'ann falls as the villain, a convenient, symbolic and of course cowardly distortion of the truth. So what is the truth? Watts was undoubtedly devoted but weak during his marriage, inspired but duplicitous during his affair, and the murders themselves were the ultimate manifestation of his quintessential cowardice. But his resolve to murder didn't arise in a vacuum. It germinated in a troubled paradise; that aspect has to be acknowledged as well. That aspect is RAPE OF CASSANDRA's terrifying terra firma.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 16, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 20, 2018
Highly recommend these books!!
This is my first time reading this author. Although I am obsessed with all things true crime, my genre is romance books. So this was stepping out of my comfort zone. This author's writing is extremely thought out and powerful. His research and hyperlinks were spot on. I was very impressed. I read all 4 books and definitely got an inside view of this family's dynamic and how things went down. I will not go into detail as I don't want to spoil this for anyone. I suggest you read these books. I am anxious to read the next book now that more information has been released. I’m excited that the author has explained he’s going to dissect this information even further. I am anxious to see what Mr. Van Der Leek has to say. Definitely recommend.
This is my first time reading this author. Although I am obsessed with all things true crime, my genre is romance books. So this was stepping out of my comfort zone. This author's writing is extremely thought out and powerful. His research and hyperlinks were spot on. I was very impressed. I read all 4 books and definitely got an inside view of this family's dynamic and how things went down. I will not go into detail as I don't want to spoil this for anyone. I suggest you read these books. I am anxious to read the next book now that more information has been released. I’m excited that the author has explained he’s going to dissect this information even further. I am anxious to see what Mr. Van Der Leek has to say. Definitely recommend.
February 2, 2019
Excellent read
The 4th book in this series probes deeper into a motive for this crime. Lots of links to articles and other relevant information that makes this book educational as well as entertaining. This author is unique in that his writing makes you think and ask yourself questions about yourself and your role in society. He describes the characters as real people with strengths and weaknesses - not one dimensional good\evil players. Very thought provoking series, I highly recommend!!
The 4th book in this series probes deeper into a motive for this crime. Lots of links to articles and other relevant information that makes this book educational as well as entertaining. This author is unique in that his writing makes you think and ask yourself questions about yourself and your role in society. He describes the characters as real people with strengths and weaknesses - not one dimensional good\evil players. Very thought provoking series, I highly recommend!!
December 24, 2020
Outstanding analysis, as always.
March 7, 2021
The fourth in the series, this book focuses on Cassandra-like elements of the Chris Watts / Shan'ann Watts murder case. In Greek mythology, Cassandra is the seer who gives true prophecies, but is cursed in that no one believes her prophecies.
As in past books, you have to get past a lot of verbage and a good amount of incorrect information to get to the heart of the message, but again I found the book worth reading.
"The Watts case warns fairy tale families about monsters and dark shadows lurking inside beautiful houses, but it comes to why, what, when and how, well then the fairy tale book is removed, and hidden. It's as if what's written in it might save some lives and endanger others, save livelihoods, but destroy others."
"It's a slippery slope because when you look at both Chris Watts and Shan'ann, neither of them seemed to want to be who they really were anyway. Shan'ann didn't want to be a shy, awkward, weak, barren, moody, sleep-deprived, in-constant-pain lupus sufferer. Chris Watts didn't want to be treated like an insignificant errand boy, controlled, dominated, humiliated. But in reality, the whole Thrive spiel [...] wasn't allowing them to be their own person either."
3.5 stars.
Visit my new blog "I Love True Crime Books"
As in past books, you have to get past a lot of verbage and a good amount of incorrect information to get to the heart of the message, but again I found the book worth reading.
"The Watts case warns fairy tale families about monsters and dark shadows lurking inside beautiful houses, but it comes to why, what, when and how, well then the fairy tale book is removed, and hidden. It's as if what's written in it might save some lives and endanger others, save livelihoods, but destroy others."
"It's a slippery slope because when you look at both Chris Watts and Shan'ann, neither of them seemed to want to be who they really were anyway. Shan'ann didn't want to be a shy, awkward, weak, barren, moody, sleep-deprived, in-constant-pain lupus sufferer. Chris Watts didn't want to be treated like an insignificant errand boy, controlled, dominated, humiliated. But in reality, the whole Thrive spiel [...] wasn't allowing them to be their own person either."
3.5 stars.
Visit my new blog "I Love True Crime Books"
November 28, 2021
Mr Van der Leek
Should write fiction. Actually he apparently is. If law enforcement doesn't agree with his preconceived notions, law enforcement is wring or lying or -- in this book -- part of a vast conspiracy to allow cracking in Colorado. He never backs any of his conclusions up with a risky proof and in the index has to explain that some of hid conclusions turned out to flat out wrong. I keep reading or rather skimmimg this insane series to see if he ever starts proving anything. So far he hasn't. At least I get to read it for free. My pity to the poor people paying 6.99 per volume of this 9 volume series.
Should write fiction. Actually he apparently is. If law enforcement doesn't agree with his preconceived notions, law enforcement is wring or lying or -- in this book -- part of a vast conspiracy to allow cracking in Colorado. He never backs any of his conclusions up with a risky proof and in the index has to explain that some of hid conclusions turned out to flat out wrong. I keep reading or rather skimmimg this insane series to see if he ever starts proving anything. So far he hasn't. At least I get to read it for free. My pity to the poor people paying 6.99 per volume of this 9 volume series.
October 14, 2019
More rambling
I’m not sure why this author thinks it’s ok to pick apart a family in their time of suffering. Imagine finding fault with a mother’s statement with respect to her daughters death simply to create an anthropological point where there is none. Also this author has apparently advanced his portfolio which now includes psychic ! He can definitively tell us that Bella’s death was not violent. Lucky these books are free... no way I was giving this man any of my hard earned money.
I’m not sure why this author thinks it’s ok to pick apart a family in their time of suffering. Imagine finding fault with a mother’s statement with respect to her daughters death simply to create an anthropological point where there is none. Also this author has apparently advanced his portfolio which now includes psychic ! He can definitively tell us that Bella’s death was not violent. Lucky these books are free... no way I was giving this man any of my hard earned money.
September 23, 2020
Killing With A Plot While Smiling
The story kept me engrossed in the book. It's hard for me to understand how a father and husband claims he has love for his family, but yet kills them.
The story kept me engrossed in the book. It's hard for me to understand how a father and husband claims he has love for his family, but yet kills them.
February 17, 2024
4.75 stars rounded up to 5. The best book in van der Leeks k9 series so far. Meticulously researched and presented. I like that the hyperlinks are available to fact-check and reference updates on the case after the book was published. Full review to follow.
July 10, 2019
Don't bother
In my opinion, one third of this book was okay & fairly interesting, one third was laughable, and one third was incomprehensible. Don't bother.
In my opinion, one third of this book was okay & fairly interesting, one third was laughable, and one third was incomprehensible. Don't bother.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews