If you’ve seen the trailer for Lifetime’s new movie Monster in the Family: The Stacey Kananen Story, you already know it isn’t your average “based on a true story.”
The film is inspired by the book I co-authored with Stacey M. Kananen, Fear of Our Father, which tells the true account of a Florida woman accused of helping her brother kill their mother — a woman who had lived in fear of her violently abusive husband and was helpless to protect her children from him.
The crime that shocked the country and became national news (the trial airing on CourtTV) happened fifteen years after that husband “disappeared.” But as the investigation unfolded, it became clear that he hadn’t vanished at all: he’d been murdered, and Stacey’s mother had possibly been complicit in covering it up.
Writing the story behind the story
I met Stacey about a month after her mother’s body was found. She and her partner, Susan (now her wife) had moved to the vacation resort where I lived and worked, trying to rebuild their lives after the unimaginable. Stacey’s brother, Rickie, had been living with them in Orlando when he murdered their mother and buried her in Stacey and Susan’s backyard. The two of them came to the resort, which Susan’s mother owned, to get away from that horrific scene and start over.
At the time, Stacey ran the kitchen, Susan managed the resort, and I was Susan’s assistant. We also became neighbors and friends. When Stacey was arrested, I stayed behind to keep the place running so Susan could visit her in jail. I sent small gifts and messages to remind Stacey she wasn’t forgotten.
Years later, when her case finally went to trial, I sat in the courtroom each day, watching her fight for her life. After she was acquitted, she asked me to help her tell the story — not to sensationalize it, but to finally put the truth on record. Because of my background as a writer for MSNBC.com, she trusted me to help her shape Fear of Our Father into the book that told what really happened, and why.
From page to screen
Years later, seeing Lifetime take interest in adapting Stacey’s story felt surreal. I wasn’t involved in the production, so watching it move from manuscript to movie has been like seeing an echo of the original … familiar and foreign all at once.
I haven’t yet seen the finished film, but I hope it sparks conversation about how deeply domestic violence and generational trauma can shape the choices people make and how secrecy corrodes entire families long after the first act of violence ends.
Where things stand now
I’ve reached out to Stacey recently and hope to share an update soon about how she’s doing today. Life after the verdict hasn’t been easy, and her journey deserves to be heard with compassion, not speculation.
In an upcoming post, I’ll share more about that — and about what happens when real people, not characters, have to keep living after the cameras stop rolling.
UPDATE: Here is the follow-up article
If you’d like to go deeper
📖 Fear of Our Father is available wherever books are sold — or you can order a copy here.
🎬 Monster in the Family: The Stacey Kananen Story premieres Saturday, October 11 on Lifetime.
If you watch it, I’d love to hear your thoughts — especially from those who’ve read the book. What did it get right? What surprised you? What stayed with you?
Why this story still matters
Stories like this remind me why I write: because truth, even when it’s painful, has the power to illuminate what’s been hidden for too long. Every time someone chooses to face their past and tell their story, a little more light gets in.
About the author
Lisa Bonnice is the co-author of Fear of Our Father, now a Lifetime Original movie (Monster in the Family). Beyond true crime, her fiction explores the mysteries that shape us—from the humor-and-heart metaphysical comedies A Faery on My Shoulder and The Faery Falls to Castle Gate, a genealogy-based historical novel about ancestral healing and resilience, available in both print and audio.
Lisa hosts the podcast NOW with Lisa Bonnice and writes about the intersection of truth, transformation, and storytelling. Learn more at lisabonnice.com.
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