This was an interesting and insightful look into the case of 22 year-old Brian Bechtold, who confessed to the murder of his parents and claimed that he had been possessed by the devil. He was later diagnosed with schizophrenia and deemed "not criminally responsible" for his parents' murders on grounds of insanity.

This is not your usual true crime book where the crime and investigation would be the main focus of the book. The murders in this book was discussed for context purposes but was not the main focus. It focuses more on Brian's life in Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center, also known as Maryland's maximum security forensic psychiatric hospital.

It was a really interesting read for me since I think this was the first book I've ever read about an offender's post conviction life in a psychiatric hospital. I really feel conflicted about Brian. He did murder his parents but instead of getting the help he needs at the hospital, he endured so much pain, agony and abuses at the hospital. I felt infuriated learning about how the patients were treated in the hospital. Every word and actions are constantly being overanalyzed and patients were improperly medicated.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator Christina Delaine did an excellent job!

Overall, I enjoyed (a weird way to say it) this book! I appreciate the extensive research done by the author and I am so glad to have read this book!


Pub. Date: July 6th, 2021

***Thank you Macmillan Audio, author Mikita Brottman and NetGalley for this gifted copy to read and review.***

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

A thoroughly researched and well written account of what happened to Brian Bechtold, a 22 year old man with mental illness, after he killed his parents in cold blood. We are introduced to his family history and follow him through his trial as he’s found to be NCR and his years spent in a forensic psychiatric hospital. It was an incredibly fascinating story that delved into the ins and outs of a forensic hospital, the way patients are treated and one man’s battle against the system. Would recommend to readers who enjoy true crime and are looking for a story that is outside of the typical true crime box. Thank you to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a frustrating listen for both content and narration. The content because it's infuriating to hear how people are treated in psychiatric wards. The narration because it was so monotone and boring.

Very interesting look at what happens after someone is found "not criminally responsible" due to mental illness. It does fall under the True Crime umbrella, but it's really more of an examination of the criminal mental health system through the lens of this one particular crime. The audiobook was great, I found the narrator really engaging but with a straightforward quality in the performance that was perfect for this type of book.

Couple Found Slain at Macmillan Audio, Henry Holt

Posted on June 19, 2021 by michellelovatosbookreviews, world's first book color commentator, book reviews with a twist

Is there ever an acceptable reason to kill your parents? And, is the insanity plea the best way to defend yourself? Finally, can God really make a difference after the devastation is done and two people are left to rot unattended in their home?
I honestly don’t know.
Couple Found Slain: After a Family Murder by Makita Brottman explores all those questions.
Brottman’s subject is Brian Bechtold, a lethally-capable 22-year old karate black belt, who, in 1992, gunned down his parents in their Maryland home and has subsequently spent his life at the mental hospital attempting to prove his sanity. Like all good true crime stories, Bechtold’s actions in maximum and minimum-security hospital wards leave readers with a host of foundational questions to ponder.
Couple Found Slain begins with an overview of the family history into which Bechtold was born, then proceeds through the accumulation of siblings and mental illnesses slowly gathered by its members. Bechtold is born last of several siblings and is raised by older, just-as-crazy-as-when-they-were-younger, parents. By the time Bechtold grabs his legally-purchased gun and takes out his parents, Brottman has laid a foundation of understanding as to why Bechtold did his deeds. After his murderous acts, Bechtold drives aimlessly through the country, finds God in the pages of a King James Bible, then turns himself in to authorities.
That is where this true crime story begins to twist.
Brottman, a psychoanalyst, explores life in a mental institution from a patient’s point of view. Bechtold’s treatment and progressive personality charges illustrate how criminals are treated and what it takes to get released from a mental institution’s locked doors.
In this case of Bechtold, who was also featured on a Bill-Curtis hosted documentary exploring the subject, life rides on waves of ups and downs, depending mainly, according to this story, on the psychiatrist treating Bechtold, and his decision whether or not to comply with the doctor’s orders.
Hint: Comply, or stay in the mental hospital for a lifetime.
In this case, Bechtold, who is determined to be a schizophrenic, refuses to take medication to “help” his condition. According to his doctors, the more Bechtold refuses to comply with his medication schedule, the more defiant and dangerous a patient he becomes. Bechtold disagrees.
Regardless of his actual mental health, according to Brottman, who is working from Bechtold’s records and personal interviews, Bechtold falls deeper into “schizophrenia” the more he refuses medical treatment.
According to Bechtold’s records, the karate black belt feels redeemed by his relationship with God and does not need the mind-altering medication that leaves him impotent and incontinent.
This conflict sets up a lifetime of frustration and difficulty for Bechtold’s that exposes him as a strong-willed leader and some of his professional overseers as legally insane – which actually happened. The result of this system that changes out doctors like it changes laundry and does not change or update diagnosis’ as they progress is a gradually worsening experience that points out that the key to release is compliance.
I listened to this book on audio as I created my latest quilting club sample block. I must admit. I found myself conflicted by Bechtold’s story. In the end, I wrestled with a combination of pity and the sense that I was a sucker for believing a legally insane person can be healed and become a productive member of society. Couple Found Slain: After a Family Murder is a great read for true crime fans and those studying in the field of psychology. However, expect to be changed by a story that both pulls at your heartstrings and develops a few more calluses on your heart.

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Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things. Psalm 128: 1-2

I expected this to be a bit more of a True Crime listen - and while the beginning follows that format as you learn about the Bechtold family, the focus soon shifts. A large Catholic family, the parents hardly sound like exemplary models of the roles. Abuse at home ran rampant and running away sounded like a common goal across the siblings. Youngest son, Brian, at 22, murdered both of his parents in 1992. The bulk of the book lies in his aftermath - after his confession over a week after the murders (which still had gone undiscovered), to being found not criminally responsible due to his mental state - and then 27 years of being institutionalized. The violence within these systems - abuse not only at the hands of other patients, but at the hands of staff members as well is horrendous and heartbreaking to listen to.

It is a fascinating and deeply sad listen. While I do think that the author's objectivity is not exactly the most level, the picture painted here makes it hard to not sympathize with Brian. There's rampant inconsistencies in treatments, diagnoses, and once again it is quite evident that additional reform is needed to care for those caught in this system. The audio is well-performed - but I must admit that there were times that I wished that I had a physical copy to go back over some of the details without the trouble of rewinding. Solidly fascinating from start to finish!

The title led me to believe there was a true crime event with all of the details surrounding a couple being slain. Perhaps I should have paid more attention because the book was about the killer and his life post conviction. The material was interesting on its own, but the narrator used little to no inflection. I was super disappointed and probably would not recommend to anyone.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Mikita Brottman, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

While I rarely read true crime, I was drawn to this book by Mikita Brottman, which seeks to explore a unique perspective. After a young man killed his family, he went to authorities to admit the act, but felt that he was not in his right mind at the time of the murder. Deemed not criminally responsible, Brian Bechtold was sent to live in a psychiatric facility for the foreseeable future. After meeting Brottman there, Brottman is able to slowly reveal the truth behind what happens inside these facilities. What is presented is as chilling as the lead-up to Brian Bechtold’s arrival! An explosive book that really had me thinking throughout and a must-read for true crime fans!

In 1992, Brian Bechtold walked into a police station in Florida with a stark admission. After some mumbling and confused banter, Bechtold told authorities that he had killed his parents within the last few weeks in the family home. When the police in Maryland made their way to the Bechtold house, they found two bodies, dead for over a week, all of which substantiated Brian’s comments down in Florida.

Citing years of abuse—which the author depicts in the opening chapters that summarise the Bechtold family—Brian did not deny what he had done, but felt that his actions were fuelled by feelings that left him not responsible for his actions. The State of Maryland agreed and deemed Brian Bechtold not criminally responsible for the murders. This would not set him free, however, but rather force him to reside in a psychiatric facility for the foreseeable future. It is here that the crux of the book presents itself.

The book continues by picking up the thread of Brian’s story—and life—within the walls of this facility. The author met Brian as she came to hold weekly meetings with residents to hone their reading and fiction skills. Brian’s story explores not only life within an institution, but also how residents live under constant scrutiny of staff, guards, doctors, and the general public. Some residents, like Brian, were suffering from obvious mental illnesses, but whose live were manageable with the proper medications and daily rituals. Others, on the other hand, appeared highly troubled and in a world all their own. The variance is substantial and truly remarkable for the attentive reader.

The struggle is not only one of the life of a psychiatric patient, but how they are treated and what rights they have. The author shows on numerous occasions the powerlessness that Brian suffered and how his diagnosis all but neutered his ability to stand up for himself. There are both legal and health issues that emerge throughout, many of which led to actual court proceedings. These interactions, albeit brief, with the outside world, show the limits that patients have, particularly when saddled with crimes they have committed.

Mikita Brottman may focus much of her attention on Brian Bechtold’s life, including many of his advancements and regressions, but also branches out to tell the stories of other residents at times, offering strong contrasts in how others were treated, handled, and relegated to a sort of psychotic heap when things got to be too much. There is not a single chapter that does not raise many interesting arguments about psychiatric facilities or the treatment of those within their walls, as well as the difficulties of those who are inside to ever make it back in to the general population. While some have drawn parallels to famous movies about life on a psychiatric ward, Brottman offers fact, rather than glamourised fiction, to tell a story that will surely offer true crime fans new horrors and fears about what happens when most of their books end. The story is far from over at the point of conviction!

I will be the first to admit that true crime is not usually the type of book I flock to read, though there was something here that drew me in. Perhaps it was Brottman’s desire to ‘show the view behind the curtain’ or to discuss the other side of true crime. It may have been the author’s clear narrative that built the story up while also tackling key aspects of the Bechtold experience. The story progressed nicely and the narrative clearly laid things out in such a way that the reader could follow the story without much trouble. The content was, at times, staggering in its bluntness and also somewhat ghastly. That people are regularly treated in such a way, outside the view of the public, is astonishing. It is, however, something that must be said and Brottman has done so effectively. I felt a part of the struggle throughout Bechtold’s turmoil, which is what I expect Brottman wanted.

Kudos, Madam Brottman. You have me curious about what else you may have penned in the genre and so I will have to scour some library shelves to see what I can find.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It was interesting to learn more about what happens after a crime takes place and raises questions about our present justice system.

Couple Found Slain: After a Family Murder is a very different kind of true crime book. The crime is the very least of the story. We know the perpetrator from the very beginning - he turns himself in. The real story starts after Brian Bechtold is found not criminally responsible for slaying his parents and is sent to a maximum-security psychiatric hospital.
Brian's experience in the hospital is eye-opening. He lives in an in-between world, not truly in prison but definitely not free. The ultimate goal for Brian and every other patient at the hospital is release. Brian spends 27 years as a patient and in that time he witnesses assaults on patients, attempts to escape, and is shot by the police, and is forced to comply with drug regimens that sap him of mental and physical energy.
Brian never stops advocating for himself. He also never denies that he committed a terrible crime, which makes him more sympathetic than I had expected.
Couple Found Slain is an eye-opening look at what it means to have a successful insanity plea and how devastating it can actually be. The book left me with far more questions than answers - questions about the best way to punish people like Brian, questions about how to resolve their cases, and questions about the overall state of the penal system.
I can't say that I liked this book, but I can say that it was worth reading. And, I will be recommending it to my friends and family so that they can be part of the conversation we all need to have about how mental illness is treated in the United States.
Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to read and review this book.

“There’s no blood test or genetic marker to prove a person has schizophrenia. Mental illnesses, especially personality disorders, are so interwoven and bound up with a person’s life history, disposition, and temperament that no one experiences them in the same way or shows precisely the same symptoms.”

True crime novels deal with the buildup to a crime, the crime itself, and the investigation that surrounds it. Couple Found Slain is a non fiction book that dives into what happens to the perpetrator 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 the verdict, once the sentence is read and they enter the penal system. This one digs deeper. As an ID addict myself, I could not wait to read this one!

“Something bad happened.” Fascinating. Simply fascinating. This book follows Brian Bechtold in the aftermath of his conviction for murdering his parents in 1992, where he was found “not criminally responsible” by reason of insanity. Brian goes on to spend 27 years in a maximum security psychiatric hospital and boy oh boy is that life not what you would think. It seems to be widely believed that a mental hospital vs jail is like taking the easy way out. Whelp, that could not be farther from the truth! If you have ever wondered what life is like on the hamster wheel that is the American psych system, look no further. I was simultaneously disgusted, fascinated, frustrated and profoundly sad at the treatment of the criminally insane. It’s a twisted world, one that seems to fly just under the radar and, unfortunately, doesn’t garner a lot of attention.

The narration of the audiobook was wonderful and I found myself wanting to listen more than read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Henry Holt & Company, Macmillan Audio, and the author for these ARC’s in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the first 2/3 of this book, but the last 1/3 got very confusing. It seemed to veer off of te main story and began to focus on the stories of some of the other patients. I began to lose interest at this point. That being said, I did find it to be a very eye-opening look at mental institutions.
I rated this one a 3, rounded down from a 3.5

A profound account of the horrors one family endured and what lead to the murders. Mikita Brottman did a marvelous job of setting the story and leading into the childhood of the killer. This approach allows you to understand the motive and mindset of the killer and the repercussions he had to face. A well written and thought out book which leaves you pondering once you finish.

I would definitely recommend this for fans of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Although this is being categorized as true crime just be forewarned that this may not quell your murder porn fix add Explorer exploration into what mental institution for the criminally insane look like.

When I started this book I was thinking it was going to be more of a true crime story, but it turns out that was only about the first 10-15%. The remaining parts were about Brian and his time in the mental hospital along with his diagnosis and trying to be released. While it was interesting, it wasn’t what I expected.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an ALC for my honest review.

Couple Found Slain is a really interesting look at forensic psychiatric hospitals, I’ve always been interested in True Crime, and most true crime ends with a verdict. I enjoyed that for Couple Found Slain, the verdict was more of an introduction than an end, and we got to see what his life was like at Perkins after it was decided he wasn’t fit to stand trial.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to this before it’s release.

But...huh. Not necessarily what I expected, but not entirely unexpected. It's not a true crime novel in the vein of "I Will Be Gone In the Dark," but not mental health advocacy as with "No One Cares About Crazy People"; it's a weird blend of both that makes it fall short of being an exceptional book. Definitely an interesting story; I wish the author focused more on either/or. Either the crime and prosecution or the relationships Brian had with his family (post-conviction) and medical professionals.

I always appreciate a good true crime book: the details of the crime, the investigation, a bit of the killer’s thoughts and motives. Couple Found Slain takes a different tact, focusing on life for the killer after the sentencing is complete. The trial, the jail cells, the appeals, and the continued frustration of not being heard. Mix this in with the realities of the forensic psychiatric situation in our society, and this becomes a very compelling read.

Brian Bechtold has convicted in the murder of his parents, a crime committed during a psychotic episode, and he takes full responsibility for his situation. Deemed not-criminally-responsible at the time of the murder, he was detained in a maximum security psychiatric hospital. Brottman tells Brian’s story of the almost impossible attempts to be heard through the bureaucracy and outdated methodologies that plague our mental health system.

This story will be unsettling for many, and eye-opening for others. As a mental health nurse, I was frustrated, but not surprised, by many of the obstacles that Brian has bumped up against in the decades that he has been incarcerated. It is a truly sad statement that he would have had more rights and privileges being in prison than in a “hospital”. Kudos to Brittman and Brian for telling a very tough story. Christina Delaine’s narration keeps the story moving forward, and adds to the engagement in the narrative. Well done!

Thanks to NetGalley and McMillan Audio for the free audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

Author states in the beginning that this is not a story about the crime per se but about the consequences for one person within mental health system. The author’s perspective is interesting given her background as a scholar with a PhD in English Literature as well as a psychoanalyst.

She describes the family history of the Bechtold family which included his parents, Dorothy and George, several sisters given their Catholic beliefs. Unfortunately, they weren’t the most attentive or supportive parents that their children needed. They moved a few times due to his father’s education and eventual PhD which secured him a stable job for the government.

Brian Bechtold, was their youngest kid, who they left alone most of the time. He endured years of abuse and neglect never being able to hold down a steady job. He turned to drugs which landed him in many unfortunate situations. When Brian was 22 yo, he killed both of his parents in their home. He fled and eventually turned himself in to the police explaining that the devil told him to kill his parents. Since his sobriety, he claimed God wanted him to make amends for his crime.

He was deemed schizophrenic and unable to stand trial for the 1992 murders. He was locked up at Clifton T Perkins Hospital Center where he would spend many more years than deemed reasonable compared to the crimes of other inmates. Brian never denied his crime and acknowledges that he wasn’t thinking clearly at that time. Over the years and many clinicians later, Brian would continue to be denied release on grounds that he was a threat to himself or others. For whatever reason, no one believed anything he had to say whether negative or positive. Oddly, the staff would twist his words to suit their purpose of keeping him at Perkins. He often prayed and attempted escape in order to be sent to prison where the living conditions were better than those at Perkins.

It’s a sad story of the injustices and prejudices within the mental health care system of that institution. They endured he stayed there despite his family and friends living too far away to visit. Through research and interviews, it seems the system unfairly over punished some while others were allowed release. The purpose of mental health confinement is to rehabilitate people to return them to society after receiving the help they need. In this case, this facility seemed to lack staff who would evaluate patients in the present without the prejudice of past mistakes.