Into the Fire: Missing Aundria/Alexis

[roamyn]

This was very compelling, and had my attention from the get.  Unlike many of these multiple part docu crimes, they don't drag out who the person of interest was.

The second part dragged a bit more in the middle w/multiple phone calls rehashing stuff.  Like they needed filler.

I will say 

Spoiler

I thought Brenda was very gracious giving Cathy part of Aundria's remains.  While Cathy has every right to be angry at Brenda over her standing up for Dennis, I thought she was very bitter and mean over the remains issue.  She needs to let go of the anger to find some peace.   At least she 'found' a surrogate daughter in Metta.

The one I felt the worst for (other than the victims)....Vanessa.  she was so sure of her father and mother.  I hope she saw some of this and heard the parts where Aundria's friends say how much she loved her baby sister.

Edited October 26, 2024 by roamyn

[Minivanessa]

I've just resubscribed to NF so I'm catching up.

I thought this documentary was excellent.

I have no use for Brenda. At all. Cathy's anger about the remains was jarring, but I can see how she'd feel that way. After Dennis was finally caught for killing her daughter - he and Brenda trash-talked Cathy, sneering that she "abandoned" her daughter. WTAF? So giving a baby up for adoption is evil? Or justifies the adoptive parents freaking KILLING the child and burying the body?

Oh, excuse me, it was just the adoptive father who did that. Brenda had no clue. Sure, Jan.

"Gracious" is not a word I would apply to Brenda. 

[roamyn]

1 hour ago, Minivanessa said:

Oh, excuse me, it was just the adoptive father who did that. Brenda had no clue. Sure, Jan.

"Gracious" is not a word I would apply to Brenda

I felt that Brenda honestly had no clue.  She was devastated when Dennis confessed to her.  But she can't seen to leave him or stop loving him.  I wonder if he was abusive to her in some ways that made her emotionally dependant upon Dennis.  Psychopaths do that. 

She trash talked Brenda because she believed Cathy was unhinged, stalking them, and harassing them.  And again, I think Dennis had her brain wadhed and trained to be a lap dog.  But Cathy did cross the line several times, expectedly.

Edited December 28, 2024 by roamyn

[Minivanessa]

13 minutes ago, roamyn said:

I felt that Brenda honestly had no clue.  She was devastated when Dennis confessed to her.  But she can't seen to leave him or stop loving him.  I wonder if he was abusive to her in some ways that made her emotionally dependant upon Dennis.  Psychopaths do that. 

She trash talked Brenda because she believed Cathy was unhinged, stalking them, and harassing them.  And again, I think Dennis had her brain wadhed and trained to be a lap dog.  But Cathy did cross the line several times, expectedly.

I actually don't disagree very strongly with your position about this. I can see it, but I'm just not there with it.

I absolutely agree that psychopaths can be master manipulators especially over the course of a long intimate relationship. I'm also not in love with everything Cathy did, and I agree that anger is corrosive when held on to for too long. I may watch this series again. If I do, I wouldn't be surprised if some of my opinions change a bit. To the extent of feeling some grace toward Brenda, anyway.

Bottom line for me: the poor kid was abused and killed, and Cathy was devastated to know that she gave her child up with good intentions, only to have her suffer such a fate . So much cruelty and tragedy, more than enough to go around.

[roamyn]

Yeah "gracious" might not have been the right word.  I felt that Brenda giving Cathy part of Aundria's ashes was an apology of sorts.  An acknowledgement that Cathy was right in everything she said abt Dennis.

Everyone was damaged by this one 'man'.  Makes me wonder how Vanessa turned out and that she's the long term victim.