Ep 13. The Monster Inside Him

The episode entitled "The Monster Inside Him" is part of the third season of the true-crime documentary series Evil Lives Here. Each episode of the show tells the terrifying story of someone who has lived with a killer, often without realizing that the person closest to them is capable of committing heinous acts of violence and murder.

In this episode, we explore the story of a young man named Mike, who grew up in a seemingly normal suburban household in the 1990s. Mike's father, George, was a respected member of the community, a loving husband to Mike's mother, and a doting father to Mike and his siblings. However, as Mike grew older, he began to experience the dark side of his father's personality, and he quickly realized that the monster he had always feared was living inside the man he called Dad.

Through interviews with Mike and his family members, as well as archival footage and dramatic reenactments, "The Monster Inside Him" tells the harrowing tale of George's descent into madness. As a child, George had been severely abused by his own father, which left him with deep emotional scars that would haunt him for decades. When George became a father himself, he tried to bury his trauma and live a normal life, but the damage had already been done. He became increasingly isolated and paranoid, convinced that the world was out to get him and that his family was in danger.

As the years went on, George's behavior became increasingly unpredictable and violent. He would lash out at his wife and children over minor infractions, and he began to exhibit disturbing sexual impulses towards his own daughter. Despite all of this, Mike's mother was either unaware or in denial about the severity of George's issues, and she refused to seek help for either her husband or her traumatized children.

As Mike grew older, he began to see his father for the monster he truly was, but he was powerless to stop him. In one particularly chilling scene, Mike recalls how George convinced him to participate in a violent, dangerous scheme that ended in tragedy. Mike's guilt and shame over his involvement in the crime would haunt him for years to come.

Ultimately, "The Monster Inside Him" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked mental illness and the devastating impact it can have on families. Even those who seem to be the most loving and stable can harbor dark secrets, and the signs of trouble are not always easy to spot. The episode is a sobering reminder that evil truly does live here - sometimes right under our own noses.