I stumbled on this while flipping through Prime. Never in all my years of true crime have a witnessed such a grotesque cast of characters. There was probably only 3 teeth between 15 family members of this incestuous cesspool of cowards, murderers, rapists, & pretend gang members. This victim, Vera, was abused so violently and yet only 3 people were held somewhat responsible. The matriarch, Sugar Bear, a prize winning hefer child molester who looks like she crawled out of the crater hydrogen bombs were tested in, is the ring leader who walked away with zero repercussions. Where's the justice? Where's the police? Everyone failed this woman & turned a blind eye & frankly they should all be charged upon viewing this film. Outrageous & disgusting.
48 Reviews
True horror.
BandSAboutMovies13 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Director J. David Miles went to the heart of darkness, which ends up being Findlay, Ohio - which is also the home of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. There, Cheri Brooks is the matriarch of a family that seems to be the stuff of Rob Zombie movies. She's as horrible a person as it gets - her children Scottie, Michael, Maria, Joshua, and little Cheri were all taken away from her and all molested by her except for the youngest, who was taken immediately after her birth.
Meanwhile, Vera Jo's life was one of pure terror. At the tender age of eleven, she was raped by her own father, Willard Reigle. It was suspected that she had ADHD and had an IQ in the mentally retarded range, which made learning difficult. She did, however, graduate high school but then began dating 13-year-old Zachary Brooks. This was a relationship that his mother Cheri actually encouraged because it allowed her to collect Vera Jo's disability checks as well as get another child in the house, as she not only desired them, but wanted the perfect male child.
Vera Jo was basically a servant and scapegoat for the family and despite police calls and numerous people knowing that she was being abused (and this is all from a family that had a pig that lived in the house and was allowed to defecate anywhere it wished), when she was murdered people reacted with a mixture of surprise and we saw that coming. Yet no one did anything. At all.
The depths that Cheri pushed on Vera are heartbreaking, like forcing castor oil on her to induce labor, telling everyone that Vera's child Willadean was hers, refusing to allow the new mother to hold her child, encouraging her own children and their insignificant others to abuse Vera and blaming her for the accidental death of her son Punky, which may have led to her death.
There's also the matter of the family - backwoods as they may be - being part of the Crips. Yep. The same ones as South Central L.A.
This isn't an easy movie to watch, based on the subject matter. The way it's filmed is also completely all over the place. They had full access to so many people, so the subject matter is certainly compelling. But between the bad camera work, horrible font choices and rough editing, this could have been such a better film. Yet you can't look away and I've recommended it to many true crime buffs.
I'd compare this to The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia if that family was only concerned with abuse and torture instead of drugs and dancing.
Meanwhile, Vera Jo's life was one of pure terror. At the tender age of eleven, she was raped by her own father, Willard Reigle. It was suspected that she had ADHD and had an IQ in the mentally retarded range, which made learning difficult. She did, however, graduate high school but then began dating 13-year-old Zachary Brooks. This was a relationship that his mother Cheri actually encouraged because it allowed her to collect Vera Jo's disability checks as well as get another child in the house, as she not only desired them, but wanted the perfect male child.
Vera Jo was basically a servant and scapegoat for the family and despite police calls and numerous people knowing that she was being abused (and this is all from a family that had a pig that lived in the house and was allowed to defecate anywhere it wished), when she was murdered people reacted with a mixture of surprise and we saw that coming. Yet no one did anything. At all.
The depths that Cheri pushed on Vera are heartbreaking, like forcing castor oil on her to induce labor, telling everyone that Vera's child Willadean was hers, refusing to allow the new mother to hold her child, encouraging her own children and their insignificant others to abuse Vera and blaming her for the accidental death of her son Punky, which may have led to her death.
There's also the matter of the family - backwoods as they may be - being part of the Crips. Yep. The same ones as South Central L.A.
This isn't an easy movie to watch, based on the subject matter. The way it's filmed is also completely all over the place. They had full access to so many people, so the subject matter is certainly compelling. But between the bad camera work, horrible font choices and rough editing, this could have been such a better film. Yet you can't look away and I've recommended it to many true crime buffs.
I'd compare this to The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia if that family was only concerned with abuse and torture instead of drugs and dancing.
Disturbing on so many levels...
brandiginn-5524714 November 2019
These people are just absolute garbage human beings. I don't think a single person in that family has any redeeming qualities. I am not normally a judgmental person, but oh my god...this entire bloodline needs to be put out of it's misery. The Brooks family make regular white trash look like the Kennedy's. I feel so sad for the poor girl who got caught up in this mess and lost her life, although seeing her background, it's unlikely she had a chance in life anyway. The problem with this show is that Vera seems to play a minor role in the story of her own murder. A lot more focus is put on these "hills have eyes" rejects that barely pass for humans. It so heartbreaking that children are even allowed around a single member of this psychotic, despicable family. If ever there was a case for forced sterilization, this is it! These people continuing to breed is more terrifying than any potential terrorist attack.
No justice. No peace.
misskayleigh-4247922 April 2019
I gave this movie a six because I love crime documentaries. However while this is that, it seems less about the very tragic life of Vera, and more about how this jaba the hut of a womans evil puppeteering caused an entire family to become complete animals and brutalize another human being for fun before ultimately murdering her for the sole purpose that they no longer had fun doing it. The police and everyone else in this pathetic town should be held accountable. Every single person let this woman down but that disgusting family should be in prison for the rest of their days. One family member couldn't help but smirk and smile each and EVERY SINGLE TIME he saId ANYTHING about what happened to this womab. They are all guilty and not a single one of them deserve to see the light of day ever again except at yard time in prison. This sugarbear is as vindictive as the crazy woman from Evil Genius. It goes to show you true evil is walking (waddling?) among us and weather you believe in a God or not, it's plain to see real evil exsits. This family is proof. I understand they wanted to do a documentary about this hienous crime but i think the focus was on the wrong subjects. Vera was only the backdrop even in a movie about the crime that was her murder. Its a shame, for her and her poor daughter, the moment she ever laid eyes upon the Brooks family. May she rest in peace.
Just disturbing!
dnvn052529 December 2019
I don't want to give the director a bad review but justice wasn't served and these disgusting people all deserve to be punished for what they did to this young lady. Ugh!! Wish someone would ever do that to someone I know yet alone related too! The state prosecutor/ city lawyer should be fired too! I'm just upset justice didn't fully get served
Trashiest people ever
amycoats-397652 August 2020
Sad story, an even sadder film
loveandthunderstorms28 January 2018
I'm a big fan of documentaries and while browsing Amazon, stumbled upon this film. I wasn't sure what to expect but figured it had to at least be an interesting story. This film was sort of like watching an episode of Jerry Springer. The colorful characters that make up the story seem as though they'd fit perfectly on the set of the notorious talk show, unafraid to air personal dramas and tales of violence. I say this, not to be mean, but to make the point that this film does not seem focused on portraying the victim or embarking on a larger narrative about her, the cycles of abuse that seem commonplace according to the family members and acquaintances interviewed, or how her mental capacity may have made her a target for abuse. Instead, the focus of the film seems to be on the victim's abusers, with much of the subject matter revolving around the matriarch of this "family". I also found myself uncomfortable with how locals and family members were portrayed. This film feels like sensationalism, intent on pointing out the most lurid and shocking details about these people and their behaviors, despite the fact that some of it is irrelevant to the story.
This film also feels incredibly amateur. Production quality is low, with much of the film looking and feeling like something made by sophomores in the AV Club at the local high school. There is little structure to the story. You're given a quick slideshow presentation of everyone being interviewed for this film, with its respective fade in/out of each photo and their names typeset in Bradley Hand below each one. And then the story takes off. The information comes in small jumbles that are (kind of) in some type of order. But it all ends up feeling like you're sitting in their living room, surrounded by all of them, and being bombarded with the story of every extenuating circumstance surrounding this woman's murder and having to do your best to make sense of it all. Occasionally I found myself lacking clarity on the victim's murder itself, which...well isn't that why we're all here??
Despite the films preoccupation with the seedier details of the people in the victim's life, I did feel a sense of sadness for this woman. She had no advocate and local authorities did little to nothing to help her. In fact, this is one of the points I wish had been further explored as well. Overall, a truly sad story made even sadder by what I saw as a pervasive atmosphere of neglect, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, poverty and incest surrounding this woman with mental challenges. I don't really recommend this film. It feels seedy, exploitative and cheap.
This film also feels incredibly amateur. Production quality is low, with much of the film looking and feeling like something made by sophomores in the AV Club at the local high school. There is little structure to the story. You're given a quick slideshow presentation of everyone being interviewed for this film, with its respective fade in/out of each photo and their names typeset in Bradley Hand below each one. And then the story takes off. The information comes in small jumbles that are (kind of) in some type of order. But it all ends up feeling like you're sitting in their living room, surrounded by all of them, and being bombarded with the story of every extenuating circumstance surrounding this woman's murder and having to do your best to make sense of it all. Occasionally I found myself lacking clarity on the victim's murder itself, which...well isn't that why we're all here??
Despite the films preoccupation with the seedier details of the people in the victim's life, I did feel a sense of sadness for this woman. She had no advocate and local authorities did little to nothing to help her. In fact, this is one of the points I wish had been further explored as well. Overall, a truly sad story made even sadder by what I saw as a pervasive atmosphere of neglect, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, poverty and incest surrounding this woman with mental challenges. I don't really recommend this film. It feels seedy, exploitative and cheap.
Solid film, but emotionally disturbing
mallory-carpenter19 April 2018
This was one of the most infuriating documentaries I have ever watched. The entire cast of people interviewed in this film appear to be products of incest, rampant drug/sexual abuse, and mental illness. I had no idea people this creepy even existed, especially not in Ohio. I am a social worker with homeless people in a major southern city, and I have never witnesses anyone even remotely as grotesque and ultimately insane as these people. It was hard to look at and listen to these people. What really enraged me was that everyone knew exactly what was going to happen as Vera left the house the night of her death, and yet they just stood by and watched. Not to mention the many other incidents of abuse that they all watched Vera endure. I'm still not sure how all of these people were witnesses to some of the events that occurred and not charged with anything..seriously, how many people lived in that house? They all seem so aloof and most of them seem developmentally delayed. The entire family is revolting, and I don't understand why Cheri "sugar babe" is not in prison. Good film, but trashy people and disturbing events.
Sad
thacker2723 July 2018
A splendid glimpse into the mindset of human garbage. I feel unclean having set my eyes on The Brooks family and 90 minutes. You probably will too.
Other than the narration being a little judgy at times, it was a pretty solid true crime doc. Also, any narrator who thinks about using the term "baby daddy" should refrain from doing so.
Honey Boo Boo Meets the Manson Family ...
nybackgammon-117 February 2018
VILE
mrsaalvarado11 February 2019
Just when I thought I saw it all in regards to the worlds most disturbing films....enter this. This story hits from every angle in which the human race can be the most disgusting and vile on the planet. Not often do I watch something with my mouth hanging open the whole time in awe... but with this... it seemed to just get worse and worse. This is real life folks. This is not a movie. So if you want to witness life at it lowest point, where every person is a victim turned demon, please look no further.
A little hard to follow
vickyhatessprint8 September 2020
Sugar Babe is a nickname for Cheri. So the people being interviewed bounce back and forth between the names when they talk about her which was confusing. They also interview about 40 people who give their personal accounts (while sprinkling in 3 or 4 more names of people associated with their story) of what they saw leading up to the killing. I couldn't keep track of who was who and why they were relevant to the case. I'm convinced that the 40-50 toothless people interviewed for this are the only people living in that town. Im going to have to re watch this because all I could gather in this was that Cheri/Sugar babe held Vera captive so she could get her pregnant and take the baby. I thought the guy who killed her had a giant mole near his eye but it's actually a teardrop tattoo that just looks like a mole. Aside from the confusing back stories, this story is pretty horrible, there's quite a few "wtf?!" bits, and it gives you an in-depth look at how depraved the family is. Give it a watch.
Ok second review
jen-0172319 December 2019
Ok after I read others reviews, I didn't feel so bad about stating the truth. Does anyone in that town have teeth or do exercise?? They need to look into that. And also such a frustrating documentary because it's about this messed up family, who should all be in prison, instead of vera who was brutally murdered.
7 stars for Vera, but not 10 because of production value.
rlpayne-0899913 April 2020
I am sad and angry that this happened and these monsters are still free to walk the ground. Sure a couple of them landed behind the bars, but the person most culpable still gets too wheel around possibly creating more victims. Also, there were plenty of adults that enabled all of this to happen, granted many of them do not have the mental capacity to effectively change anything about the situation.
Also, these people need to get off the drugs and brush their teeth at least once a week, that is all I am asking.
Also, these people need to get off the drugs and brush their teeth at least once a week, that is all I am asking.
A very hard movie to rate
nothingforzoie29 April 2022
In a way, part of me wants to give this documentary a 9, based on the pure disgust I so deeply felt. I love documentaries and horror and I like to watch the most disturbing movies you can find sometimes. I've pretty much seen them all. This one for me is the most disturbing documentary I have ever seen. The family doesn't seem real. You wonder how such people could exist and call themselves human. Incredible monstrosity. I don't want to over exaggerate - it's hard to find the right words to properly describe and review this documentary. So I guess I give it a 7. I respect any Director that presents a film so evocative that you feel it physically. That said, this is not a movie fit for a rewatch. And not a movie fit for many people probably. It's not a happy story; or one left with much hope.
So sad
riccabrowning9 January 2019
This documentary is a true example of miscarriages of justice. It is a graphic and difficult to watch at times. It seems that the family is so inmeshed and many people are to blame for why this woman is dead. People criticize this documentary, for the images/ nature of the people; however I believe this is just the way the people are in the film. Worth watching for true crime lovers.
Why isn't this crazy woman in JAIL !?
terryh121328 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
First, trying to get last all the people and their lack of oral hygiene, is hard enough. All these idiots involved in beating and raping and forcing this poor girl into being a salve, should be behind bars ! And that poor baby ! I hope some day Karma comes and bites that Cheri in the A$$ big time. Omg ..... so so so sad. And to RAPE A BABY !!?? I can't even ...... she should die the way that poor girl did. Except..... the train wouldn't miss her fat ass. Jeeeeeze.
Very disturbing
pensacolacomputer27 January 2021
This is one of the most disturbing documentaries I've ever watched. I almost turned it off in the beginning though because it jumped around so much and it's really hard to follow. But eventually it becomes more coherent and that's when the horror really begins.
Only watch this if you are prepared to be disturbed. This documentary is not for everyone. You have been warned.
Only watch this if you are prepared to be disturbed. This documentary is not for everyone. You have been warned.
What did I just watch?
Pilolai4 July 2022
And what happened? I found this on auto watch from tubi and by God was I left feeling like I'm in the twilight zone. How are all these people free? What is going on in this town that law enforcement and government is allowing this abuse? Their teeth!?!?
I needed a shower after watching this
Hajimoto062520 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
OMG, where to start...
If the intent of this film was to help tell Vera's story and bring justice for her, it failed miserably. Instead, it was content to sensationalize a contingent of vile, gross, disturbed, inbred people and their brutal, impoverished way of life. I actually felt like I had to bathe after watching this.
My heart broke for Vera, and the little I learned about her. But the story was too haphazard to help me understand how she wound up in this predicament, and why her mother didn't do ANYTHING to get her out of it.
One thing that I did learn from this film is that we, as a society, are much to willing to throw disability checks at people and then tuck them away in some backwoods place and forget about them.
Oh, and one word to almost everyone in the film...'Dentist'.
All in all, this documentary is creepy, but not in a good way. Pass it by on Amazon...
If the intent of this film was to help tell Vera's story and bring justice for her, it failed miserably. Instead, it was content to sensationalize a contingent of vile, gross, disturbed, inbred people and their brutal, impoverished way of life. I actually felt like I had to bathe after watching this.
My heart broke for Vera, and the little I learned about her. But the story was too haphazard to help me understand how she wound up in this predicament, and why her mother didn't do ANYTHING to get her out of it.
One thing that I did learn from this film is that we, as a society, are much to willing to throw disability checks at people and then tuck them away in some backwoods place and forget about them.
Oh, and one word to almost everyone in the film...'Dentist'.
All in all, this documentary is creepy, but not in a good way. Pass it by on Amazon...
Compelling
NeedAnswers8 February 2018
Warning: Spoilers
It's unbelievable this is a true story. I'm astonished how disturbed this family was to the point where there is no remorse. It's wonderful this truth is out there for Vera since she wasn't strong enough to defend herself from this horrible family. These people represent the lowest common denominator of human life and the movie does a good job of getting the viewer to understand why they're as disturbed as they are. I hope there is further vindication for Vera. The silver lining is that her daughter gets to grow up away from these people.
Teeth
diskomboabulated24 July 2022
I can't believe the amount of reviews that are going on about teeth!!
Considering the subject matter!!!
It's obvious most are mentally challenged.
As documentries go this was very poorly made and all over the place at times.
But eventually you get the story.
How these people either stood by or contributated to the death of Vera is sickening.
Considering the subject matter!!!
It's obvious most are mentally challenged.
As documentries go this was very poorly made and all over the place at times.
But eventually you get the story.
How these people either stood by or contributated to the death of Vera is sickening.
Amateurishness gets in the way of helping the case
Deimos-remus2 May 2018
True crime documentaries are fascinating to me, but there's a line that can be crossed when the documentary feels incredibly exploitative and clearly produced for shock value.
Centering on a murder within a family plagued by incest and violence, rather than focusing more on the victim and the hard facts of the crime, the documentary instead chooses to focus on "Sugar Babe" Cheri Brooks and the circumstances revolving around her and her sadistic pleasures. While these circumstances are related to the case at hand, the film chooses to highlight these in a reveling way and the shocking nature of it all as 'gross-out' entertainment; to put the spotlight on just how messed up of a family the victim belonged to.
While one can glean much sympathy for the victim of the crime regardless of the skill behind the filmmaking, the documentary's amateurish way of presenting the narrative felt, for lack of a better word, wrong, and its approach was frankly exploitative of mentally, socially and financially troubled individuals, many of which hadn't much relation to the events. A lack of professional commentary from other, more objective observers made it feel as though it was meant to be seen like some sort of twisted clown show.
In essence, knowing the power documentary filmmaking can have in real cases such as these, and potentially change unfavorable outcomes, the filmmakers are doing a disservice to the case by presenting such an amateur production that doesn't do the locals or commentators any favors by how they're presented. A lack of structure makes the case very hard to piece together and follow, and by sensationalizing the grosser details of the case, makes it come across as disingenuous and made for the wrong reasons.
Centering on a murder within a family plagued by incest and violence, rather than focusing more on the victim and the hard facts of the crime, the documentary instead chooses to focus on "Sugar Babe" Cheri Brooks and the circumstances revolving around her and her sadistic pleasures. While these circumstances are related to the case at hand, the film chooses to highlight these in a reveling way and the shocking nature of it all as 'gross-out' entertainment; to put the spotlight on just how messed up of a family the victim belonged to.
While one can glean much sympathy for the victim of the crime regardless of the skill behind the filmmaking, the documentary's amateurish way of presenting the narrative felt, for lack of a better word, wrong, and its approach was frankly exploitative of mentally, socially and financially troubled individuals, many of which hadn't much relation to the events. A lack of professional commentary from other, more objective observers made it feel as though it was meant to be seen like some sort of twisted clown show.
In essence, knowing the power documentary filmmaking can have in real cases such as these, and potentially change unfavorable outcomes, the filmmakers are doing a disservice to the case by presenting such an amateur production that doesn't do the locals or commentators any favors by how they're presented. A lack of structure makes the case very hard to piece together and follow, and by sensationalizing the grosser details of the case, makes it come across as disingenuous and made for the wrong reasons.
Where is the court system?
marigold_bay26 June 2018
What happened to aiding and abetting being a crime???
Every single person that was EVER in that house was part of this crime. (Oh yeah, I would go to their house for pizza and Vera would be getting shoved in the oven, but boy the pizza was good)
WHAT? WHAT ?
My brain is stuck.
Every single person that was EVER in that house was part of this crime. (Oh yeah, I would go to their house for pizza and Vera would be getting shoved in the oven, but boy the pizza was good)
WHAT? WHAT ?
My brain is stuck.
Horrific crime on a mentally challenged female that went unpunished
msbuckeyefan3 February 2014
We need to get this video out and help bring awareness to this crime and how it was left unpunished. Great job on the video. GOD BLESS those who took their time to bring such a horrific crimes awareness to the public. This is a must see video. We need to bring awareness of how the justice system has let this poor girl down and how the crimes have still gone unpunished. The way they schemed and plotted was not even hidden when asked. They openly admitted to the crimes and laugh because they knew they got away with all of this.
This was done with much time and excellence! Wonderfully put together with much information. God Bless David J. Miles for a job well done.
This was done with much time and excellence! Wonderfully put together with much information. God Bless David J. Miles for a job well done.
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