If You Tell

If You Tell, is a book written by Gregg Olsen. I recently recommended this book to my daughter after reading it myself. This is a true crime novel about several murders committed my Michelle Knotek and her husband.

This book is a true story of murder, family secrets, and the unbreakable bond of sisterhood, published in 2019. I will not tell you all the details surrounding each murder, as I want you to read this unputdownable book yourself but I will give you a rundown of the murders that took place.

Michelle Knotek is an American convicted murderer from Raymond, Washington. Convicted in 2004 of second degree murder and manslaughter, she is serving a 22 year sentence in prison. Her husband David Knoteck after serving a would-be sentence of 15 years was parololed in 2016 after serving 13 of those 15 years. The crimes of Michelle Knotek and her husband David made national headlines due to the horrendous allegations of abuse and torture that took place.

One of the Knotek murders was that of Kathy Loreno, a hairdresser who met Michelle Knotek and became fast friends. After having an argument with family Loreno moves out of her home and in with the Knotek’s where she suffered unimaginable abuse. In 1994, Loreno is reported missing by her family. When the Knotek’s were interviewed they maintained that Loreno ran away with a truck driver and moved to Hawaii, stating that they were in regular contact with Loreno, but after a private investigator is hired by Loreno’s brother, that would be the farthest thing from the truth.

Michelle Knotek’s nephew, Shane Watson, born 1975 in Tacoma, moves in with the Knotek’s around 1988, only to vanish too. The initial claim the Knotek’s give is that Watson ran away to Alaska to work on a fishing boat. Later, David Knotek will admit to what actually happened to Watson and his role in it.

Ronald Woodworth, a local man who moved in with the Knotek’s in 2001, like Kathy Loreno and Shane Watson will be subjected to severe physical abuse. In 2003, Woodworth will go missing, and David Knotek buries his body on the propery after his wife Michelle Knotek tells him Woodworth committed suicide, which is far from what actually happens.

The Pacific County Deputy Prosecutor stated that Michelle Knotek showed “extreme indifference for human life”. Through plea negotiations, the Knotek’s will plead guilty to lesser charges in 2004. Michelle Knotek entered an Alford Plea, which means she did not admit responsibility but acknowledged the prosecutor’s case against her.

This completely seemed unreal to me that she was able to do this.

Michelle Knotek would later try to have her convictions overturned, but through all of God’s graces, this was denied by the Washington Court of Appeals.

Michelle Knotek’s children, Tori, Nikki and Sam, reported their mother after the ordered killing of their cousin Shane Watson. These girls reached out to Gregg Olsen in 2017 and asked him to write this book about their mother for one simple reason, They want to stop her from killing again.

Michelle Knotek, now 65-years-old is set to be released from prison in June 2022. Michelle Knotek’s children want to remindd people what a monster their mother is and to warn about her release this year. This book recounts the absolute horrible abuse these girls endured and the people who thought themselves to be Michelle Knotek’s friends.

I urge you to buy the book or go to a library and pick it up and read it, you will not be disappointed.

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