Husband, Father, Killer: The Alyssa Pladl Story is a new movie that focuses on one of the most disturbing murder-suicide cases in US history, and there’s a way to watch it for free now.
Although it’s quiet on the true crime front this month, there are some notable new documentaries focusing on infamous cases. Peacock’s got a series on Charles Manson coming out, while at the end of November, a Netflix title will revisit the murder of JonBenét Ramsey.
For better or worse, Lifetime has entered the chat in recent weeks with its made-for-TV dramatizations, including the controversial Ruby Franke movie Mormon Mom Gone Wrong, which dropped last month.
Now, focus has turned to the Alyssa Pladl film Husband, Father, Killer. Warning: some may find this content distressing.
How to watch Husband, Father, Killer
Husband, Father, Killer: The Alyssa Pladl Story is streaming for free on the Lifetime app, but there’s a catch – it’s only free if you’ve got cable.
However, there is another way to watch it for free: via a free Philo trial. The new movie is one of many Lifetime titles available via the on-demand app, which offers users a seven-day free trial.
Alternatively, if you’re willing to pay, Husband, Father, Killer: The Alyssa Pladl Story is available for rent or purchase on various on-demand platforms including Amazon Prime Video.
What’s it about?
Husband, Father, Killer: The Alyssa Pladl Story centers on the disturbing true story of a North Carolina man who impregnated his biological daughter before murdering those involved.
The case really began in 1995, when Alyssa Pladl, who was 15 at the time, was groomed online by 20-year-old Steven Pladl. They ran away together, with Alyssa becoming pregnant at just 16 years old.
She gave birth to Denise Pladl, but Alyssa eventually gave their daughter up for adoption, part of the reason being that Steven had been abusing Denise.
Anthony and Kelly Fusco adopted Denise and renamed her Katie Rose Fusco, but in 2016, when Katie was 18, she reached out to Steven and Alyssa on Facebook.
With her adoptive parents’ blessings, she met up with her biological mom and dad in North Carolina and eventually ended up moving in with them.
At this stage, Steven and Alyssa had separated but were still living together, and they had two children together. As Steven and Katie grew closer, Alyssa confronted him about it but he denied any wrongdoing.
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However, this all changed when Alyssa read a diary entry from her 11-year-old daughter in which she claimed Katie was pregnant with Steven’s child.
When he finally admitted that he was in a relationship with their daughter, Alyssa reported it to the police.
In July 2017, Steven and Katie got married using falsified documents and, shockingly, Steven’s mom and Katie’s adoptive parents attended the wedding.
A couple of months later, Katie gave birth to her and Steven’s child, Bennett Pladl. At the start of 2018, the authorities got involved and both Katie and Steven were arrested on incest charges.
The situation escalated when Steven, facing legal consequences, committed a horrific murder-suicide. It started on April 11, 2018, when he murdered their seven-month-old son Bennett.
The following day, he shot and killed Katie and her adoptive father Anthony before turning the gun on himself.
As per the official synopsis for the Lifetime film, “Based on a true story, Husband, Father, Killer: The Alyssa Pladl Story follows Alyssa (Jackie Cruz) and Steven (Matthew MacCaull) who have an intense relationship from the start.
“After they have a daughter of their own, their path takes a dark turn when Steven becomes physically abusive toward the infant.
“Alyssa senses the situation is dire and puts the child up for adoption… little does she know, 18 years later their daughter, now named Katie (Matreya Scarrwener), would seek them out.
“After an instant connection when they reunite, Steven convinces Katie to move in with him, Alyssa and their two young daughters. Steven then starts neglecting the rest of the family and Alyssa finally has enough and moves out.
“When Alyssa discovers that Katie and Steven are having an affair and expecting, she confronts them and tries to convince Katie of Steven’s abusive past. Katie refuses to listen until it’s too late.”
For more on the latest true crime docs, check out how to watch My Wife My Abuser, why the Night Stalker is still the scariest docu-series, and the History of Violence allegations explained.
