Popplewell watched the tragedy play out in real time.
There have been some amazing archive documentary portraits.
But this felt like it would be an unfolding narrative.
Shanann, Bella and Celeste became three-dimmensional humans, not just victims.
So it was important to show her in an honest, multi-dimensional way.
He closed his Facebook page a few weeks before the crimes because he doesnt want to give himself away.
But his YouTube is left up.
This man has no depth, no emotional intelligence.
He never wrote the letter back…
He killed her instead.
And thats corroborated with her story.
You know, shes a divorcee.
Shes done with men.
She doesnt just want another relationship.
Shes pushing him away.
But he wears her down and she decides, okay, hes the one for me, Popplewell said.
And then the next question is, Who said I love you first?
I was expecting it to be Chris again.
They put the paddle up, and it was Shanann.
I just thought, exactly.
This is who she was.
She was someone who wore her heart on her sleeve.
And she if she felt something she told you, she was so open with her friends.
Shes open with her family.
She was open with Chris and he was not.
And yeah, she loved him.
When she loved him, she told him.
And when there was trouble, she begged him to tell her why.
And he could not offer that courtesy.
The director said her goal was to reach people who have been desensitized by watching true crime shows.
We need to remember these are real stories about real people, not just numbers.
