Why Some Women Fall for Convicted Killers: Chris Watts, Luigi Mangione and Richard Ramirez

In this episode of Profiling Evil, I sit down with clinical and forensic psychologist Dr. Joni Johnston to examine why some women pursue relationships with men responsible for notorious killings. We begin with Chris Watts, who is serving life without parole for murdering his pregnant wife, Shanann Watts, their daughters, Bella and Celeste, and their unborn son, Nico. With reports that Watts may now want to marry a woman who has repeatedly visited him in prison, we discuss what someone may gain from a relationship built around distance, controlled contact and the belief that she alone understands the man behind the crime.

Dr. Johnston explains the limited research surrounding hybristophilia, the term commonly used for attraction to people who commit serious crimes. We discuss rescue fantasies, religious redemption, the desire to feel uniquely important, denial of overwhelming evidence and the emotional appeal of a relationship in which everyday responsibilities are largely absent. We also examine how an incarcerated offender can create intimacy through letters, telephone calls and carefully controlled stories while the person outside supplies money, attention, loyalty and a connection to the free world.

We compare Watts with Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker, who received attention from numerous women while awaiting execution and eventually married Doreen Lioy. Her refusal to accept the evidence against him lasted for years before DNA linked Ramirez to the killing of nine-year-old Mei Leung. We also discuss Luigi Mangione and the public support, romantic attention and substantial defense contributions he received after the killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson. Mangione has now pleaded guilty to two federal stalking charges resulting in Thompson’s death and admitted in court that he shot him; the separate New York murder prosecution is currently being challenged by his attorneys. (Associated Press)

This conversation is not about assuming that every person who writes to an inmate has the same motivation. It is about understanding the different psychological needs that can make these relationships attractive, the ways imprisoned offenders may groom or manipulate people outside and the difference between a sincere claim of change and years of accountable behavior. Dr. Johnston also explains why intelligence, professional training or previous relationship experience does not necessarily protect someone from emotional manipulation.

I want to hear what you think. Should Chris Watts be permitted to marry while serving life for killing Shanann, Bella, Celeste and Nico? Is a prison relationship evidence of love, a rescue effort, a redemption story or something the offender has carefully constructed?

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