We Thought We Knew You: A Terrifying True Story of Secrets, Betrayal, Deception, and Murder

M. William Phelps

Dec 2020 · Kensington Books

About this ebook

In this chilling true crime thriller by New York Times bestselling journalist M. William Phelps, a woman’s mysterious death in upstate New York plunges her family into a nightmare of accusations and vengeance.

In July 2015, Mary Yoder fell ill in the chiropractic center she operated with her husband, Bill. Doctors in the ER and ICU were baffled—and unable to save her life. Weeks later, her family received startling news from the medical examiner: Mary had been deliberately poisoned. Another shock followed when the local sheriff received a claim that Adam Yoder had poisoned his mother. But Adam was not the only person of interest . . .
 
Kaitlyn Conley, Adam’s ex-girlfriend, worked at the Yoders’ clinic and was at Mary’s bedside during her last hours. Still, some spoke of her history of rage-fueled behavior. Had Kaitlyn and Adam conspired to kill Mary? Yet another suspect emerged when accusations were hurled at grieving husband Bill Yoder . . .
 
M. William Phelps unravels a twisting trail of evidence to reveal the heartless scheme that tore a family apart, divided a community, and culminated in two gripping, high-profile trials.
 
“Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers.”
—Allison Brennan

“Phelps knows how to work it.”
—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

“Anything by Phelps is an eye-opening experience.”
—Suspense Magazine

Ratings and reviews

Gripping right from the start. This is a true crime story that is gripping and keeps you at the edge of your seat. It is about Dr. Mary Yoder's murder. The investigation of what killed her and who did it. Mary was loved by all of her patients and everyone had only good things to say about her. She had no enemies. The on and off relationship of the son and the ex-girlfriend. The ex-girlfriend Katie Conley working for the Yoders in their private practice. Katie's sick obsession. It is tragic how this poor woman died. The description of the timeline before she died to the detectives questioning the suspects is well put throughout the book. This book is well detailed and informative. It is a page turner and fast paced. Usually, I do not read true crime stories but with this one I am glad that I did. The style of the storyline grabbed my attention and kept me interested. I could not put this book down.

I really enjoyed this book. It is sad that Mary Yoder was murdered but this case was pretty fascinating. I do like how the author made certain to note that it is not just about the killer, but also about the wonderful Mary who had her life cut short and how she had been such a good person, loved by many. M. William Phelps does a really good job of writing the crime with differing viewpoints of the victim's family and friends and murderer. There is a bit of twisting with backstory of certain people to make the reader keep guessing who did it in the beginning but as the evidence is discovered, it definitely points to one person. I found it interesting how people in that community decided a certain person did it and would not be dissuaded no matter how the evidence proved otherwise. This book was well written and easy to understand, even with some of the bits with all the electronic evidence and metadata descriptions (the author did well explaining it all). This was a good book and I sped through it! I definitely would not mind looking up other books that this author might write, as well as his podcast.

About the author

New York Times bestselling, award-winning investigative journalist, executive producer and serial killer expert M. William Phelps is the author of more than forty nonfiction books and has made over 300 television appearances. He created, produced and hosted the series Dark Minds and is one of the stars of Deadly Women and Oxygen’s Snapped, Killer Couples, andREELZ’s Sex, Lies, and Murder. Radio America calls him “the nation’s leading authority on the mind of the female murderer.” His iHeartRadio investigative podcast, Paper Ghosts: The Five, which he wrote, directed, and executive produced, debuted in 2020 and soared to #1 in popularity. Touched by tragedy himself through the unsolved murder of his sister-in-law, Phelps is able to enter the hearts and minds of his subjects like no one else. He lives in Connecticut and can be reached at his website, www.mwilliamphelps.com.