wow, wow, wow. Couple Found Slain by Mikita Brottman is such a different book! I was completely enthralled with this story. Initially when I listened to the intro, I wasn't sure I'd be that into it. Then when it started and I learned that it is a MD case (where I live), I was more interested because that's my backyard! eek. scary.

This story is a broad testament to how people get thrown into and complete abandoned in the mental institution world. Even though it is about a murder who committed a gruesome crime during a psychotic break, and you realize this guy is capable of incredible harm, you find yourself sympathizing and empathizing with him because of how he is so terribly mistreated in the psychiatric hospitals. He is treated as completely insane for decades. He is deemed not fit to stand trial. Even though, he comes out of is psychotic break and is perfectly mentally fit. This was unlike anything I've read or listened to before. I was conflicted the whole book - hating him for being a murderer but also hating how inhumanely he was being treated. What a great read.

Highly recommend this one for all true crime lovers.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Henry Holt and Co. for a copy of this book for review.

I think the title should be something different. There was really more of a focus on the mental health of the son after the crime, although it does talk about the murder a little in the beginning. I found learning about Brians's early days interesting. It definitely helps ine to understand how he might have got to the point he did. The focus on his me tal health after was more difficult for me to dtay interested and focused on. I am usually very interested in mental health, so I am not sure why this one was a miss for me.

This book was marketed as true crime, but the focus is less on the crime and more about the psychiatric hospital where Brian is sentenced. The crime itself is glazed over very quickly within the first 10% of the book. It also seemed very one sided. The author references her interviews with Brian, his childhood friend, and the court proceedings. She doesn't ever bring up interviews with doctors or interview his family that she says he is still close with. She actually doesn't even mention his sisters again until the end of the book. My husband and I listened to the audiobook together on a roadtrip. If I wasn't given a free arc to review from Net Galley, we probably would have given up on this book. We are huge true crime people and thought we would love this book, but it was not really true crime and moves very slowly. The book also doesn't do a very good job of conveying the amount of time passed as it covers his 27 years in the psychiatric hospital.

Couple Found Slain is a non-fiction book about 22-year-old Brian Bechtold. Seemingly a regular guy, he walks into the police department one day to admit to killing both of his parents. Author Mikita Brottman goes into the details of the murders, Brian's confession, the trial, the diagnosis, and the time spent in institutions and prison. She talks about the many appeals there have been to try to get Brian out of the institution, saying he is no longer struggling with mental illness.

I thought the subject matter was very interesting. I love true crime! The narrator did a great job as well. However, the book itself was a little dry at times. I'm not sure if that could have been avoided. There were also many times where the focus was on other people at the institution. However, the title specifies that it surrounds one case.

Overall, it wasn't a bad read. 3.25 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this book! Very insightful! Definitely not your typical true crime book. I would say it dives more into mental health and our psychiatric system. I want to read more books about our psychiatric hospitals and the treatment of the mentally ill. I hope to hear more about Brian and a more positive outcome for him in the future! So scary to have other peoples opinions (Dr’s, other random workers,& even other patients) be in control of every aspect of your life! Every single thing you say and do is a test,will be looked at, judged, and will be held against you for years to come..... Don’t get me started about the drugs!! I love a book that makes me see things differently! For that I’m bumping this up to 5 stars!

Brian Bechtold was 22 when he confessed to murdering both of his parents. Brian told the police that he had been “possessed by the devil” and was found not criminally responsible for the murders by the courts due to religious ideations and was sent to a maximum-security psychiatric hospital.

This book mainly focuses on what life for Brian looked like during his stay at the psychiatric hospital. This was a very interesting book and really shed light into the lives of patients that have been accused of and/or diagnosed with psychiatric disorders. During many points of the story, I thought that the authors take on this murder and Brian Bechtold’s story was too subjective. I think the moral of the story really should be that Brian murdered two people, his parents. Should he have been released from the hospital after so many years? Should he have gone to prison instead? I felt that the authors take on this patient was that after years without another psychotic episode or medication that he should have walked free. Yeah, I don’t think so.

Thoughts on the narrator: It took me quite a while to get into this audio narration as the narrator sounded a bit too robotic.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to an early release copy of this book.

3.5 stars

This book focuses on Brian Bechtold's journey in a psychiatric hospital following his conviction for murdering his parents in the midst of schizophrenic paranoid delusions. He was found “not criminally responsible” and remanded to a maximum-security psychiatric hospital for an undetermined about of time. The book begins with the backstories of the parents, followed by the psychological histories of Brian and his family members.

During confinement, Brian attempted suicide, filed lawsuits, and sought regular criminal incarceration to escape his perpetual confinement. He represented himself in the lawsuits against the hospital, by all accounts, quite effectively. The book details the daily lives of Brian and other patients, who were overmedicated, abused, and victimized by other patients. The most striking aspect of the book was the indeterminable "sentence" the patients were to serve. They were at the mercy of subjective and conflicting psychiatric assessments full of catch-22s, which kept the patients from being able to demonstrate any improvement, due to the lens through which they were evaluated. For example, if Brian made complaints about staff behavior, he was seen as delusional and paranoid. If he refused to disclose any discontent, he was seen as uncooperative and manipulative. Whether you think he's where he belongs or not, you may find yourself rooting for him; at least to have his voice heard. It was easy to see how a psychiatric hospital is a blackhole for some patients, a place they can't ever get out of, particularly for those that are higher functioning. Truly eye opening.

The book basically follows a man who early in his life, used drugs...and was known to have mental issues. He kills his parents and they find him not mentally culpable ...and send him to an mental institution. Over the years he feels he is becoming well and doesn't feel he is still in the grips of his instability. The author is very much on his side...and i can see that...but have to remember the majority of the story is told from his perspective ...

The mental health system in America...along with the judicial system and prison system ...is a mess in America....

This book is constantly full of doctors that say...yes...he acts ok now...but that is proof he is planning something psychotic ...really...and then they tell the courts...the jury that is called for a trial and the prosecutors agreed to them...tells them that you aren't capable of telling his illness...only trained experts...such as ourselves...can tell you...so you have to agree with us because you aren't trained...all the while having a trial for just that...the judge telling him at one point as he defended himself that he is a very likable guy...seems very intelligent...and well spoken....but his doctors say he is ill and so he is ill...the prosecutors case is based on the fact that he gets angry (wouldnt any normal person get angry if they are told they are ill and they are sure they arent?)...he wont just say he is still sick and that non-admission proves he is still sick (so you saying the way you feel proves that you are the opposite???) ...yes he admits that he did it and he was sick but now ...for whatever reason ...he isnt ...basically there is no way to ever get out...when he acts out...he is dangerous...when he doesnt he is dangerous...he will never win...

i have depression and anxiety ...and i am guilty of anger...and acting out...but in their eyes...my admission of this would show i am dangerous and shouldnt be allowed into public...with their arguments ...everyone in the world would be in an institution...I am sure that they as doctors... NEVER act out or get angry...oh wait...one of the doctors that diagnosed him...and stated he was ill and shouldnt be let out...was found guilty of stalking another doctor and fired ...and i can't really remember but think he went to jail...so this is the type of person who is judging him...

I feel for him...and all those trapped in this situation...

I really liked the book but it didn't really surprise me...seems nothing much surprises me unfortunately ....but it makes me sad...i know there are many mentally ill people who need to be locked up ....but if we are never going to try to help them get better...then we are lost....

Follows the story of a man who underwent a severe mental health breakdown which caused him to murder his parents, and the following three decades spent in a mental hospital.

Well, this was A Lot. Maybe too much.

It certainly provides a sobering, thought provoking, and eye-opening look at the mental health treatment practices in the US. In a lot of ways I was reminded of The Great Pretender, and I think as with that book, the author just tried to put in too much information. Of course, it was interesting to see the process from the other side of the mirror as it were, from the point of view of someone who was definitely very mentally ill when he was committed, not just pretending for research.

Ultimately I’m not sure how I feel about the situation, simply because I have no idea how it could be solved. The book describes an awful lot of people who are clearly not to be trusted out in the world, but also demonstrates beyond all doubt that a hellscape of arbitrarily changing goal posts and lack of humane care (whether due to negligence or lack of proper resources) that can make prison look appealing needs reform.

A heavy, hard read for fans of true crime and books on social issues.

Couple Found Slain by Mikita Brottman is the story of Brian Antonio Bechtold. He killed his parents Dorothy and George Bechtold, was found to be not criminally responsible, and was then sent to the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center in Jessup, Maryland, a facility for the criminally insane.

Christina Delaine is the narrator and does an excellent job creating the appropriate tone for the factual subject matter. The narration is straight forward and without emotion. She does use some voice modulation and inflection but not much.

This true crime story is less about the murders, but more about the aftermath of the perpetrator’s life and about the stark realities he faced within the American mental health care system created for patients who have committed crimes. This book is a depressing and accurate account of lost lives.

The early Bechtold family dynamics are covered, as are the events leading up to the murders, and a deep study of Brian’s mental illness from his point of view. The story lacks any in depth examination of how Brian’s actions impact his brother and sisters and their struggles in surviving the aftermath of violent crime.

This story is an expose and commentary on how the American criminal system manages those that have been deemed not criminally responsible. Mikita Brottman’s tone throughout her book is sympathetic toward Brian. She focuses on Brian’s moments of lucid reasoning and valid complaints while downplaying facts that hint at how ill Brian might still have been. There are no passages regarding interviews of Brian’s physicians or staff members at Perkins that worked with him.

The problems depicted are very real and at times horrific. The book presents multiple care challenges as diagnosis classification changes, the liberal use of medications to control patient behaviors and not treat thought aberrations, and a distinct lack of available resources for mental health treatments. However, the reader is overwhelmed by the problems but never given hope that real change is possible.

This is a serious story, and not easy to listen to as an audiobook. There are multiple passages regarding statistical data that slow the story at times. In some instances, Brian’s documented delusions are glossed over in favor of showing him in a more rational viewpoint. I was left feeling that we have truth here but not the entire truth. I would rate this audiobook a 3 out of 5 stars.

A horrifying and sad glimpse inside life at a state institution for the "criminally insane." Brottman tells this story in a way that makes you start to feel bad for Brian Bechtold and start to root for him to get out of there, until you remember that he murdered his parents and never actually seems to feel any remorse over it. A real mind warp.

In Couple Found Slain, we get to see a side of the criminal justice system that is frequently ignored and under-appreciated. The author examines the aftermath of a horrendous murder committed by an obviously mentally ill patient. We see the legal recourses available to the defendant as well as the struggle to prove his recovery of his faculties and change in his sentence.

With thorough research and a pleasing writing style, Couple Found Slain should interest anyone with a penchant for true crime and the criminal justice system.

I am all kinds of here for this. It brought so much into perspective and while I think what happened was wrong, I could understand what led to Brian's mental health problems. I really appreciated the authors work on this book and I really can't wait to recommend it to others.

At the age of 22, Brian Bechtold shot and killed his parents in Silver Springs, Maryland. Then, after days on the run, he walked into the Port St. Joe Police Department in Florida and confessed. He claimed that the devil possessed him during his killing spree. But now, God convinced him to confess his crime. The jury found Brian “not criminally responsible” or NCR, commonly known as criminally insane. The judge sentenced Brian to Clifton T Perkins, a psychiatric hospital where he's diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

Here is where the story mainly occurs.

Brottman’s book is a case study of what happens after a person is sentenced to a psychiatric hospital. She follows Brian Bechtold’s 27-year stay - his doctors, treatment and drug regimens, other patients, dynamics and working of Perkins, and Brian’s quest to leave Perkins. According to Brottman’s research, of all psychiatric patients committed to these facilities by the court:
1/3 will never commit another violent act once given treatment.
1/3 will never hurt anyone else but may cause self-harm.
1/3 will need constant supervision because their psychosis will never be under control.

Where does Brian fall?

Brottman thoroughly lays out all the facts for the reader to decide.

I was expecting a true crime story similar to a Dateline episode, which this isn't. But I wasn't disappointed with the book either!
Brottman thorough research is evident. I was riveted by the in-depth look into an NCR patient, how our judicial system is dysfunctional at dealing with mental health issues, and the path psychiatry has taken over the past three decades treating these patients. I’m not qualified to pass judgment on whether or not Brian should be released; however, I found both Brian and this case study of NCR thought-provoking, heartbreaking and educational.

Thanks to NetGalley and McMillian Audio for the audio version in exchange for my honest review.

I am a fan of true crime, but this was unlike most that I have read. What I expected was a deep dive into this crime that I was pretty unfamiliar with, with maybe some additional information about the aftermath. What I got was just a little bit of a focus on the person and the crime and a lot about the aftermath. However, that is not a bad thing. There was a lot about the institutionalization of criminals and what that looks like and how it effects these people and that was fascinating. There were parts that did drag a little, but overall it was a very interesting and informative read. Would recommend if you have an interest in true crime and an interest in psychology.

To say that this book was an eye opener would be definitely selling the book short!
This follows Brian Bechtold from before his parents were murdered to after he murdered them and his stay in the mental facility. While this story is definitely an eye opener on a lot about the mental health industry I am not quick to make judgements on anything in this particular story because there is soo much going on in it. Do I think that Brian was held in the mental facility because some psychiatrist were on a power trip, yes I do. Did Brian handle things in the best way, no he did not handle them in the best way.
What I hated about this story is how powerless Brian was. Anything he said or did was used against him, like literally twisted and used against him even if he was following the rules and trying to make an effort to show his doctors he was doign better. While I honestly cannot make a judgement on either side whether Brian should be allowed back in real life or if he should stay in the mental facility because of his history or crimes I cannot say but I can say based on the evidence provided in the book that the psychiatrist were on a power trip and they abused their power with him many times.
I did enjoy the light that was shed on this type of deal. Many people including myself thought that when someone wasn't fit for trial that usually they were given an easier way out and in Brian's case that really was not what happened. He spent decades in a facility that had many issues due to the staff and lack of staff that his treatment was dragged on through different medicine regumes and things like that.
This author did a superb job with everything she told Brian's story and shared it in a manner that helped the reader not only understand his journey but also have empathy towards him.
If you are looking for a gripping True Crime story to follow the true crime aspect in this book is kind of on the minimal side however this book does a lot to enlighten the reader on that happens after they deem that an individual is not fit for trial as well as the doctors don't really know what causes schizophrenia or how to properly treat it because each case is so different from the next one.
I would recommend this book. I enjoyed the different viewpoints as well as the light that was shed on what goes on after an individual is deemed unfit for trial.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity!

Couple Found Slain is very well written and engaging. I listened to the audio and the narrator was fantastic. Unfortunately, I do not agree with the premise of this book.

Spoilers below.






The premise of this book is to talk about what happened to one man, Brian, after he was placed into a mental hospital. He committed parenticide and was found not criminally responsible.
Couple Found Slain is extremely biased. The author knows Brian from working in the mental hospital. She found him to be very affable.

Brian came across as very manipulative, narcissistic, and violent when he didn't get what he wanted. I don't understand how the author believed he wasn't violent. He attacked staff twice when he wasn't getting what he wanted. The author seemed to think that the violence was justified because Brian felt like he was being treated unfairly. If Brian really wanted out of the institution or moved to different security levels, the average person would work to follow protocol, not commit violent acts. Brian spent too much time comparing himself to other patients and not enough time working on himself.

I agree that mental health can and has been misdiagnosed, I cannot agree with the author that this was the situation with Brian.
I was unable to determine if Brian is still alive at this time. Also, I have concerns that Brian is getting compensation from the writing of this book. I couldn't find anything that says one way or the other.

There was a "throwaway" chapter that seemed completely irrelevant to the entire book. Said chapter is about sexual assaults and a murders that different patients committed in the hospital. However, they have nothing to do with Brian's story. Seemed like they were added to the book for shock value.

Couple Found Slain was not what I was expecting, but it was really good. The title is a bit misleading, but the book focuses on Bryan Bechtold, a man who killed his parents. However, this isn’t a true crime novel. It is more an evaluation of the mental hospital where Bryan was sent when he was deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial. The book was horrifying and devastating at times, but it brings the reader to empathize with Bryan, the murderer...which is odd for a true crime novel. By the end, I was outraged that he had been so abused by the hospital’s doctors and the justice system. The book was well written and interesting.

I haven't had anyone in my family in a mental health hospital so this book was a real eye opener. I cant give my opinion as to wither I believe he should have been let out but I do now understand that it is totally personal opinion as to wither they should be released more than a judicial decision and I think this book is a real eyeopener for all to read as to what happens in those hospitals.

I couldn't get through this book because the narrator was very dull and hard to listen to. I got about 4% in and couldn't listen anymore. I kept falling asleep.