If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood

Shelly’s third husband is a submissive partner who willingly believes her lies and does her bidding. He is often gone for his construction job and only home on weekends, meaning he is not always aware of the extent of Shelly’s violence. Along with Shelly, he is responsible for the deaths of Kathy Loreno, Shane Watson, and Ron Woodworth.

Shelly’s only child with her first husband Randy, Nikki is the eldest Knotek daughter and is especially targeted by her mother’s abuse. She grows close to Shane and dreams of running away. Despite her mother’s manipulations, Nikki manages to escape the family and grows estranged from her parents while staying close to Sami and, eventually, Tori.

Shelly’s only child with her second husband, Danny, Sami is the middle Knotek daughter. Sami is better able to manipulate her mother and stay on her good side than Nikki, often resorting to wishful thinking to do so. However, she still deals with a lot of her abuse. She uses her knowledge of Kathy’s death to coerce her parents into helping pay for college so she can escape. She still checks on her younger sister, Tori, and eventually reunites all three sisters.

Tori is Shelly and Dave’s only child and the youngest Knotek daughter. The age gap between Tori and her two elder sisters, Nikki and Sami, means that she spends much of her childhood alone with Shelly, Dave, and eventually Ron. Her confession to Sami about what is happening at home, and her gathering of physical evidence for the police, help the authorities finally arrest Shelly and Dave.

Dave’s nephew, Shane comes to live with the Knoteks, escaping abuse and neglect from his immediate family only to enter the violent Knotek home. Shane grows close with Nikki and attempts to remain in the house as long as she does although he has had enough of Shelly’s abuse. He is murdered by Dave at Shelly’s bidding because she doesn’t trust him to keep quiet about Kathy’s death.

Shelly’s “best friend,” Kathy is a hairdresser down on her luck when she moves in with the Knoteks until she can get back on her feet. She is a victim of Shelly’s torture and abuse and is eventually murdered. While enduring this abuse, Kathy remains empathetic to Shelly’s daughters, and her presence shifts some of Shelly’s violence and abuse away from the girls.

Shelly’s new “friend” after Kathy’s death is a man also down on his luck and in need of financial assistance. She brings him to their house claiming he will help with chores. Like Kathy, he is subjected to brutal torture, verbal abuse, and harsh living conditions. His “disappearance” when Tori returns from visiting Sami in Seattle prompts her to alert her sisters that the violence at home has escalated once again.

An elderly man whom Shelly and Ron caretake for, Mac dies under strange circumstances and leaves Shelly, whom he only knew for a brief time, as an heir to his estate. His suspicious death (which Shelly blames on Ron) peaks the interest of law enforcement.