Welcome to May’s look at the truth, the lies and what is being hidden inside words.
When Jack Met Casey
Normally in this newsletter I look at interviews, public statements and leaked documents. This month I’m starting with one of my own conversations… and it’s slightly surreal.
In the couple of weeks since I’ve had a conversation with one of true crime’s most famous names - Casey Anthony. I’m still slightly amazed it happened!
It started when I saw her post this on Substack:
That seemed to promise some words for me to analyze. However, when I clicked to read I discovered she wanted us to pay to read the preview.
That’s strange I thought. I’d assumed a preview would be free, something to get people interested in purchasing the book. So I responded to her post asking a question:
And I got a reply, and suddenly I had some words to work with! So let’s breakdown what Casey said to me.
“It’s up to you whether or not you want to read it now, you’d have to pay for the book in entirety down the road anyway.”
It’s not a yes or a no response to my question is it? The word “pay” jumped out at me, yes I’d introduced that word in my question but I’ve questioned Casey’s use of Substack before when she appeared to be asking for payments on the platform but not offering anything in return.
And “down the road” made it feel like this book was a long way off - much longer than the initial post made it feel when she said the book was “upcoming”
Next:
“It’s very rare that someone previews sections of their book in advance, but that’s the way I am approaching this’.
The logic here got me stumped, book previews are common and by definition a preview is in advance so it’s not “very rare” at all.
I always say pay more attention to what is after the “but” and here it is “that’s the way I am approaching this”. That indicates personality coming through - stubbornness? independence? innovation?
“Approaching this” also signifies the future again, the third mention that this book is in the future. That’s factual, she is offering a preview to the book. However I noted she’s talking about the book in the future rather than the book is present (ie she’s written it) and its release is in the future.
“The people that are paying to preview now it will end up having the full book at the end of the subscription.”
Mention of payment again, leading me to believe Casey is wanting some money out of this. No judgement there, just an observation. I spot the word “people” there, always a red flag, who are these people? Well according to Casey they are paying to preview the book now and will have the full book at the end of the subscription. Now they are buying the book by installments, not simply a preview. It’s a perfectly valid way of operating but not what she said in the original post. It was a preview of a book that was upcoming. She didn’t mention you could subscribe to get the full book.
Now I had a contradiction. When you spot a contradiction it’s easy to wave it away as insignificant. My first thought was “maybe she’s not the brightest” but I stayed with that contradiction.
Given making money seems a priority, I’d expect the initial pitch to be along the lines of “subscribe and get my book chapter by chapter - or buy it when it’s published in full” but it wasn’t. It was “pay for the preview”.
That observation, along with the mentions of the book being in the future made me question whether the book was written in full yet, or whether she’d rushed to write the “preview” to make some fast cash.
“It’s up to you whether you want to see it as it’s unfolding”
and the use of “unfolding” again makes me suspect there is no finished book, “unfolding” is seeing things happen in real time.
“or wait until later this summer when it is fully published”
once again some future feel in there.
Casey’s replies to others on her post also had much vagueness in them for example “I will be ready to publish late this summer”. Which isn’t “the book will be released late this summer” only that it will be ready to publish then.
I couldn’t leave it there! I posted a follow up question… and it went missing… hmmm. So I asked it again:
And here’s Casey’s reply to me:
It’s not a yes or a no again. Which might be another of her marketing ploys but it didn’t give me any confidence that the book was written in full. If that story is in the book a “yes” would be a good ploy. if it isn’t, then this coy answer would be a good way not to put me off purchasing.
However once again we have a future focus with “wait”.
So after my quick chat with Casey, my view of what is likely happening is, there is no complete book right now, she thought putting the preview out would raise some fast cash. Maybe she does plan to write the full book, publish it in installments on Substack and in full late this summer but I would not be putting money on it.
So… we’re now two weeks on from that conversation - let me go and check on Substack if Casey has posted another installment for those that have paid… I’ll come back with the answer at the end of this newsletter.
When Kouri Richins Met Accountability
From someone found not guilty of murder to someone found very much guilty and sentenced this week - Kouri Richins.
I always say the more words we have to work with the more accurate and detailed an analysis will be. Speaking at her sentencing hearing, Kouri gave us 40 minutes worth of words to look at.
You can find a detailed breakdown of that speech on my youtube channel or on podcast, links at the bottom.
Kouri’s words showed some horrible personality traits, and it’s worth looking at those and learning because if you hear someone making these forms of statements its a big red flag
First, she regularly spoke about what “I need” from others. That’s a demand, a piece of control. She could have stated what “I’d like” or “I want” but she regular reached for “need”
Be wary of people who tell you what they “need” especially when it is demanding of others.
“I need to get up earlier’ is a statement of discipline, “you need to get up earlier” is one of control.
Kouri also used the words of a manipulator. In her statement she regularity told her children what they would feel in the future. She was stating her opinion as fact, imposing her view on the. In the cold light of day it’s chilling and appallingly manipulative
Finally she showed a lack of accountability. Listen to this section, I’m sure she wants those listen to hear this and think “She’s denying the killing here” or “she’s right, we’re all flawed and that doesn’t make us murderers” but listen to who Kouri is talking about - it’s not herself, it’s an undefined “someone”
If you know these speech patterns they are easy to spot, to label and to protect yourself from them. If you don’t consciously know them they may still create an uneasy feeling inside when you hear them. I heard from one viewer this week who said they go cold when someone uses the “you need to…” form of control.
Are you guilty of using them? If you do, you’re putting others on edge when you talk and therefore what you’re trying to say won’t be getting through. Check out my “How Words Work” podcast to make sure you’re not talking like a killer.
When The Answer Doesn’t Meet the Question
Finally, one of my YouTube members suggested I have a look at the current state of British politics for some interesting statements to analyze. I’m not sure I have the stomach to go deep with that, but I did find this. One of the best (worst?) examples of not answering a question I’ve seen.
Remember when someone doesn’t answer a question they are asked directly the reason is most often that the truthful answer feels dangerous to say. That appears to be the case here as he keeps moving on the conversation to “safer ground” and subjects he’s much more comfortable with.
Back to Casey
Back to Casey Anthony. Has the published another installment from her book on Substack? The answer is no. I’m not surprised. However, she did publish an FAQ post to subscribers yesterday about the book (the first mention of it since the preview). I’m not a subscriber so I can’t read it all but I can see the first FAQ
Q: Is the book finished?
A: “I’m still finishing the final manuscript, with editing right around the corner.”
The truth is always in the words.
I’m off to see if someone else in the true crime world will talk to me for next month’s newsletter - any suggestions?
Jack
There’s a wild case about threatening letters that appeared in a town just came to mind. A guys ex wife accused him of being the one but the evidence was questionable and she herself had reason to be looked at. He went to prison for a long time. Circleville Letters in Circleville, OH. Have you ever heard of it? Could make for some fascinating analysis! There are multiple people who “could have” done it. I heard a true crime podcast on it but that doesn’t qualify as interview 😅 there’s a pretty unknown case I have some experience covering in my social media world about fraud and the guys were pretty blatant on social media! The main guy has interviewed before. …and made fun of on Comedy Central. As always, I formally suggest Dylan Carlson (KC) or perhaps the man who publicly “confessed”(?) about it. What about something really different like Bob Lazar? That’s what I’ve got so far!
I second everything you wrote about Casey Anthony except I won't hold back.
I read her initial post and thought "excellent, I'll read the first few pages and get a sense of her style of writing etc."
Got to the post and found a paywall and laughed, literally laughed. Thought to myself - once a BS-er always a BS-er. She has always relied on people filling in the gaps.
An example here: "You can read a preview of my book" = I've written a book and you can get a taste of it.
Nope.
It's a read as I write.
A 'shape my story for me' please...
For someone with her personality traits, writing a book from her own perspective, about her life, would be almost impossible. She woukd need the reflection from others to get a view of herself.