They can take your time, drain your bank account,
and consume your life.
Today, we're going to face the truth on obsessions.
(applause)
They commit unspeakable crimes,
and somehow, still gain love
and attention from admirers.
Some people can't help their obsession with inmates.
[Voicover] The phenomenon of woman obsessed
with men behind bars has been going on for years.
From Charles Manson, to Ted Bundy,
and the Menendez brothers.
Women have sent pictures, fan mail, and love letters,
hoping to catch these prisoners' attention.
The rise in social media, and the Hollywood movie machine,
has added to the public's fascination with criminals.
And, the obsession with inmates continues today,
with Chris Watts, who admitted to killing
his pregnant wife and two daughters.
So, here's the question, what makes these inmates
so irresistible to some women?
Mmhmm. It sounds nuts, but actually,
it's a recognized condition called Hybristophilia.
And it means that there's a person who is
attracted to people who have committed
a series of very serious crimes.
And there's a couple of reasons for this.
On the one hand, I think some of the people
who are attracted to these individuals
unfortunately have a trauma history.
So, that is a higher risk for this type of condition
because they're trying to
re-enact the same trauma again,
sometimes even without them knowing.
So they're attracted to people who might hurt them,
who might damage them, it's really sad.
But, a couple of less sinister reasons,
people sometimes feel like it's almost a celebrity.
Especially the way that
we're profiling criminals nowadays.
And if they can get that person's attention,
it means something about them,
it's a boost to their self esteem.
And finally, this is sort of the ultimate
bad boy attraction.
We know that this Bonnie and Clyde syndrome
happens mostly with females.
So they're more attracted to males in prison,
and they want to fix these guys,
"I know that you're wrong and I'm going
to take you and we're going to be married
and be happy, and you're going to be
a brilliant husband for me."
Yeah, it's like they feel like they can fix them.
Could this also be a security factor
that "I'm in love, I've got those feelings
of happiness but, yet, I know he's
never going to get out, so I'm safe."
Right, absolutely (Vivica laughing)
He's there, I'm here I know where he's at
all the time, okay, okay?
It's actually a good point.
They're safe for a couple reasons.
One is, okay, if they're in jail for life
then maybe nothing will really happen.
But, safe for another reason, emotional distance.
Then they don't really actually have
to truly invest themselves.
And actually put themselves to the test
of a true relationship.
So, it's sort that fantasy relation that they can live out.
But what about the people that go further
than just writing the letters?
'Cause there are a lot people They get married!
that get married, that's a good point.
They get married, they visit on the regular,
they send money, they bring their kids.
I was just about to ask that, do they
go visit them in jail?
Yeah, you see that happening frequently.
And some have married.
Really, wait a minute, murderers get
to have visitors and stuff, they do?
You're thinking of conjugal visits, right?
Right, no they don't get that, right?
Some institutions.
Nah, it depends on the institution.
The federal government won't, no.
We actually have a love letter
that Chris Watts received.
The letter states:
I want to get to know you so bad
it's not even funny.
Literally, you're on my mind almost every single
day since you were in the news.
I think that's the important phrase
"in the news!"
I mean, wow.
It's just like reality tv stars
the way that they're covering the trials nowadays.
They've basically just have it completely
all day long, just rolling cameras.
Oh yeah exactly.
There are these online sites
where you can write in to prisoners,
you know, almost like dating sites.
Now, they're not supposed to be about
making love connections.
But it's about giving the prisoner
some contact with the outside world.
But some women are writing into these sites
with a hope of making a love connection with prisoners.
Poor babies.