The Perfect Father
The True Story of Chris Watts, His All-American Family, and a Shocking Murder
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
The Perfect Father
Buy Now for $27.83
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Shaun Grindell
-
Written by:
-
John Glatt
About this listen
In the early morning hours of August 13, 2018, Shanann Watts was dropped off at her Frederick, Colorado, home by a colleague after returning from a business trip. It was the last time anyone would see her alive. By the next day, Shanann and her two young daughters, Bella and Celeste, had been reported missing, and her husband, Chris Watts, was appearing on the local news, pleading for his family's safe return.
But Chris Watts already knew that he would never see his family again. Less than 24 hours after his desperate plea, Watts made a shocking confession to police: He had strangled his pregnant wife to death and smothered their daughters, dumping their bodies at a nearby oil site. Heartbroken friends and neighbors watched in shock as the movie-star handsome, devoted family man they knew was arrested and charged with first degree murder.
The perfect mask Chris had presented to the world in his TV interviews and the family's Facebook accounts was slipping - and what lay beneath was a horrifying image of instability, infidelity, sexual ambivalence, and boiling rage.
In this first major account of the case, best-selling author and journalist John Glatt reveals the truth behind the tragedy and constructs a chilling portrait of one of the most shocking family annihilator cases of the 21st century.
©2020 John Glatt (P)2020 TantorYou may also enjoy...
-
My Daddy Is a Hero
- How Chris Watts Went from Family Man to Family Killer
- Written by: Lena Derhally
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 36
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 31
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 30
Chris Watts was a family man. Everybody, including his family, believed that. Yet, on August 13, 2018, he murdered Shanann, his pregnant wife, and two young daughters. As terrible as his story is, it is also a warning because to this day, living behind bars, Watts is still acting out the character traits that made him kill in the first place.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Not good!
- By Bella Amelia on 2023-11-16
Written by: Lena Derhally
-
The Murders of Christopher Watts
- Written by: Cheryln Cadle
- Narrated by: Madeline Stark
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 10
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 8
On August 13, 2018, Christopher Watts murdered his pregnant wife and two toddler daughters. Cheryln Cadle contacted him and started visiting him in prison. Christopher started writing her letters from his prison cell in Wisconsin. These letters had his confessions of things he had never told anyone else.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Sob story
- By Amanda on 2024-06-25
Written by: Cheryln Cadle
-
Laci
- Inside the Laci Peterson Murder
- Written by: Michael Fleeman
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 4
Praying for a happy ending, friends and family stood by Laci's grieving husband Scott. Four months later, Laci's decomposed body was found in the murky waters of San Francisco Bay. The body of her child had washed ashore about a mile away, after a possible "coffin birth." It was a sad closure to an exhaustive search, and a grim end to a marriage that by all accounts had appeared to be perfect.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
New Information I Had Known Before
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-08-21
Written by: Michael Fleeman
-
The Doomsday Mother
- Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and the End of an American Family
- Written by: John Glatt
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 5
At first, the residents of Kauai Beach Resort took little notice of their new neighbors. The glamorous blonde and her tall husband fit the image of the ritzy gated community. The couple seemed to keep to themselves - until the police knocked on their door with a search warrant. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell had fled to Hawaii in the midst of being investigated for the disappearance of Lori's children back in Idaho - Tylee and JJ - who hadn't been seen alive in five months.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absolutely Riveting & Heartbreaking
- By Candice S. on 2023-04-19
Written by: John Glatt
-
We, the Jury
- Deciding the Scott Peterson Case
- Written by: various
- Narrated by: Shannon Engemann
- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
We, the Jury is the dramatic story of the seven jurors who convicted Scott Peterson of murdering his wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner, despite a series of internal battles that brought the first major murder trial of the 21st century to the brink of a mistrial. The Peterson jurors argued and disagreed but eventually bonded to seal the fate of the icy killer who dumped his victims into the bullet-gray waters of San Francisco Bay.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
short
- By Anonymous User on 2020-08-23
Written by: various
-
Are You There Alone?
- The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates
- Written by: Suzanne O'Malley
- Narrated by: Becky Ann Baker
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
As a journalist, Suzanne O'Malley began covering the murders of Noah, John, Paul, Luke, and Mary Yates hours after their mother, Andrea Yates, drowned them in their suburban Houston home in June 2001. Over 24 months, O'Malley interviewed or witnessed the sworn testimony of more than a hundred participants in this drama, including Yates herself.
Written by: Suzanne O'Malley
-
My Daddy Is a Hero
- How Chris Watts Went from Family Man to Family Killer
- Written by: Lena Derhally
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 36
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 31
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 30
Chris Watts was a family man. Everybody, including his family, believed that. Yet, on August 13, 2018, he murdered Shanann, his pregnant wife, and two young daughters. As terrible as his story is, it is also a warning because to this day, living behind bars, Watts is still acting out the character traits that made him kill in the first place.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Not good!
- By Bella Amelia on 2023-11-16
Written by: Lena Derhally
-
The Murders of Christopher Watts
- Written by: Cheryln Cadle
- Narrated by: Madeline Stark
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 10
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 8
On August 13, 2018, Christopher Watts murdered his pregnant wife and two toddler daughters. Cheryln Cadle contacted him and started visiting him in prison. Christopher started writing her letters from his prison cell in Wisconsin. These letters had his confessions of things he had never told anyone else.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Sob story
- By Amanda on 2024-06-25
Written by: Cheryln Cadle
-
Laci
- Inside the Laci Peterson Murder
- Written by: Michael Fleeman
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 4
Praying for a happy ending, friends and family stood by Laci's grieving husband Scott. Four months later, Laci's decomposed body was found in the murky waters of San Francisco Bay. The body of her child had washed ashore about a mile away, after a possible "coffin birth." It was a sad closure to an exhaustive search, and a grim end to a marriage that by all accounts had appeared to be perfect.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
New Information I Had Known Before
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-08-21
Written by: Michael Fleeman
-
The Doomsday Mother
- Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and the End of an American Family
- Written by: John Glatt
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 5
At first, the residents of Kauai Beach Resort took little notice of their new neighbors. The glamorous blonde and her tall husband fit the image of the ritzy gated community. The couple seemed to keep to themselves - until the police knocked on their door with a search warrant. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell had fled to Hawaii in the midst of being investigated for the disappearance of Lori's children back in Idaho - Tylee and JJ - who hadn't been seen alive in five months.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absolutely Riveting & Heartbreaking
- By Candice S. on 2023-04-19
Written by: John Glatt
-
We, the Jury
- Deciding the Scott Peterson Case
- Written by: various
- Narrated by: Shannon Engemann
- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
We, the Jury is the dramatic story of the seven jurors who convicted Scott Peterson of murdering his wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner, despite a series of internal battles that brought the first major murder trial of the 21st century to the brink of a mistrial. The Peterson jurors argued and disagreed but eventually bonded to seal the fate of the icy killer who dumped his victims into the bullet-gray waters of San Francisco Bay.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
short
- By Anonymous User on 2020-08-23
Written by: various
-
Are You There Alone?
- The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates
- Written by: Suzanne O'Malley
- Narrated by: Becky Ann Baker
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
As a journalist, Suzanne O'Malley began covering the murders of Noah, John, Paul, Luke, and Mary Yates hours after their mother, Andrea Yates, drowned them in their suburban Houston home in June 2001. Over 24 months, O'Malley interviewed or witnessed the sworn testimony of more than a hundred participants in this drama, including Yates herself.
Written by: Suzanne O'Malley
What listeners say about The Perfect Father
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Krista Tullan
- 2023-10-24
Great book for anyone interested in this case
I thought the British narration was great- I prefer it over an American accident; even tho it’s an American crime. Great story without too much unnecessary information or dwelling on certain aspects of the case.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Langer MD
- 2024-01-17
Fascinating 'Family Annihilator' Case
I have little doubt that this crime is studied at the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit ("Profilers"). It doesn't really fit the pattern of typical perpetrators very well (although the "Living-Beyond-Their-Means" stuff is pretty textbook) - but that can be informative, too.
John Glatt does a marvellous job exploring the personalities and unique dynamics in the Watts family and makes it quite clear that Chris Watts selfishly killed his pregnant wife & daughters to "get them out of the way". The evolving psychological interactions surrounding this tragedy are genuinely captivating (I found myself picking my jaw up off of the floor over and over again). Glatt leads us along brilliantly.
As to performance: Shaun Grindell is characteristically "professional" - delivering a creditable, well-paced narration that nonetheless includes an occasionally annoying sing-song cadence and indistinctive witness interpretations. Tantor Audio Inc cast this project "adequately".
Altogether, I am pleased that I was able to get this audiobook as a 'Plus' option. The 9/10-star book would actually rate a Credit for fans of True Crime.
[Incidentally: The MLM/Prosperity Gospel strategy of living lavishly and ostentatiously in a "you-could-live-with-this-much-luxury-too" effort to manipulate observers into participating/donating is infuriating. No, their lives aren't as perfect as they portray on Facebook or project from the pulpit. Don't fall for it.]
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michelle
- 2020-12-29
Great Book
Overall I give this book a 4/5 and would have given it a 5/5 but there were a few bits of info that were inaccurate!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2021-07-15
Riveting
Excellently read. I felt like I had a better understanding of the dynamic of the marriage
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- sd
- 2020-07-27
Interesting if you are unfamiliar with story
Distracting narration in English accent doesn't connect with the narrative. Not very engaging as plot divulged in the introduction .I kept rewinding as I would drift off. Flat and boring with an abrupt ending.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Mari-Ann Britt
- 2023-02-06
blaming the victim
this book basically blames Shannan for her own death. I have never been so disgusted by a book. I have nothing left to say except this book will leave a bad taste in your mouth. shame on the author
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful