But the truth is she did give plenty of space (by leaving and taking the kids for 6 weeks) and he chose to stay in the marriage and kill her, kill their children and stuff the children in an oil tank. Its less nerve wracking for her detractors to think if she’d been kinder he wouldn’t have killed her. Shannan was in a very common position for a young mother, reliant on her cheating and lying husband, vulnerable due to her pregnancy, embroiled in a finance draining MLM and living away from her family. They won’t hitchhike to avoid becoming Kim Wendy Allen, or avoid walking home alone to try and avoid the fate of Sarah Everard, or lock their doors extra times to avoid home invasions and worse.īut the truth that is revealed in cases like Shannan Watts’ murder is that the signs and steps to avoid becoming a victim are harder to spot in domestic violence murders. The consumers of the media feel themselves becoming more aware and more able to avoid the circumstances. Part of the fascination with true crime, which is predominantly is that it explains the terrifying and often inexplicable reality of true crime. But I think it only speaks to part of the issue in this case. Other very skilled writers have looked at the issue and found evidence of victim-blaming and misogyny, which are definitely true. One of the most surprising aspects of the crime for me, is that Shannan Watts is so reviled when many other murder victims are seen as perfect after their death. The murder of Shannan Watts, her unborn child Nico, and her two young daughters sprang back into the public spotlight this year with the release of the Netflix documentary on the crime - “American Murder, The Family Next Door”.

Shannan watts