“I Can Fix Him”: The Internet’s Obsession With Violent Criminals

From Chris Watts’ prison marriage application to viral TikTok edits, criminologists weigh in on the phenomenon of hybristophilia.

Modern media amplifies the psychological fascination with true crime and its perpetrators by turning deplorable events into daily content. True crime podcasts and viral video edits often strip away real-world tragedy, transforming real-life perpetrators into parasocial subjects that viewers feel intimately connected to from behind a screen. For the students scrolling through the true crime breakdowns on TikTok, the headline prompts an immediate question: why would anyone voluntarily marry a convicted murderer?

In 2026, media headlines erupted once again around one of modern times’ most notorious criminals: Chris Watts. Serving multiple life sentences at Dodge Correctional Institution in Wisconsin for the 2018 murders of his pregnant wife and two daughters, Watts made news not for appeal, but for a marriage application. His intended bride, Lizze Henderson, a 39-year-old realtor, moved states from Cleveland, Ohio, to Dodge Correctional Facility in Waupun, Wisconsin, to be near the facility and filed to take his surname.  

When asked about the relationship, Henderson acknowledged public scrutiny, noting their bond was “between me, him, and God”. She described relocating her life to Wisconsin as a small sacrifice, noting, “when you love someone unconditionally, physical distance and prison wall don’t stop you from building a life together.” When pressed on his violent past, Henderson added that Watts “knows how I feel” about the crimes, calling the horrific murders “something harsh for anyone to experience” yet maintaining that she wants “to respect” all involved while standing by him.

Criminologists point to hybristophilia, a.k.a. “Bonnie and Clyde syndrome,” a psychological condition where a person is romantically or intimately attracted to those who commit high-profile, atrocious crimes. Understanding this dynamic shifts the focus from a past crime to human behavior, control, and modern media obsession. While the concept has gained widespread attention in recent years due to easy internet access to inmates, the term was originally coined in the 1950s by psychologist John Money to describe attraction to being with a partner known to have committed violent offences.

While aggressive hybristophiliacs assist in crimes, passive hybristophilia plays out from a distance through letters, visits, and marriage applications. Forensic psychologists highlight three main drivers behind the phenomenon:

The illusion of control: inmates are physically confined, eliminating common relationship anxieties like infidelity or sudden abandonment; the outside partner gains absolute predictability.

Safety Behind Bars: High-stakes emotional intimacy is pursued with zero physical risk. Prison walls act as a permanent barrier, keeping real-world danger contained.

The “I Can Fix Him” Complex: A deep-seated belief that personal affection can redeem someone society has written off, boosting the partner’s own self-worth.

When content treats violence as entertainment, the line between fascination and romantic idealization quickly blurs. While extreme, the phenomenon highlights everyday dating red flags: idealizing a partner over reality, mistaking control for closeness, and believing love can overwrite dangerous history. Examining stories like Henderson’s isn’t about giving inmates Spotlight; it’s a lesson in media literacy and healthy boundaries.

Beyond psychological curiosity, the patterns governing passive hybristophilia and media romanization foster dangerous habits when carried into everyday life. Seeking safety through physical confinement or digital distance creates a false standard for intimacy, training individuals to mistake total isolation and control for genuine connection. When someone believes a relationship is only “safe” if their partner has zero autonomy or mobility, they normalize unhealthy controlling behaviors rather than learning to navigate vulnerability and mutual trust in real life.

Equally harmful is the romanticized “I can fix him” complex. Believing that unique affection or loyalty can rehabilitate a partner with a violent or abusive past minimizes real danger and shifts accountability away from the offender. In everyday dating, this mindset causes people to excuse red flags, ignore escalating warning signs, and put themselves in harm’s way under the delusion that their love is exceptional enough to rewrite history. When viral edits and sensationalization headline-strip violence of its gravity, they teach viewers to consume red flags as romantic challenges, a habit that carries severe real-world consequences.