Is Stacey Kananen Still Alive?
Yes, Stacey Kananen is alive; and after everything she has endured, that (being alive) in itself feels almost miraculous. She lives quietly in Largo, Florida, with her wife, Susan Cowan, and their two cats, Oreo and Minnie.
Every so often, she shares glimpses of her life; birthdays on cruise ships, small-town Pride parades, garden photos, moments that stand in sharp contrast to the horrors that once defined her name.
Once accused of murdering her own mother and father, Stacey was tried for her life in 2010; the case televised by CNN’s In Session, watched by millions who weren’t sure whether to see her as a victim or a villain. But she walked out free. The jury found her not guilty. The child who had lived through beatings, terror, and manipulation had finally been believed.
Now, more than a decade later, she’s using her survival as a platform for others; not for sympathy, but to show that even in the darkest families, there’s still light left to find.
And so Lifetime’s 2025 biopic, “Monster in the Family: The Stacey Kananen Story,” a dramatized version of her life; from terrified child to wrongly accused adult to survivor, now premieres October 11, 2025.
Who Is Stacey Kananen?
Stacey Kananen, whose real name is Stacey Marie Kananen, was born in 1966 and is currently 59 years old. She is the woman who lived through one of the most chilling domestic tragedies in Florida’s history. A survivor of child abuse, accused of murder, and ultimately acquitted, Stacey became an author and advocate for victims of violence and wrongful accusation.
Her 2013 memoir, “Fear of Our Father: The True Story of Abuse, Murder, and Family Ties,” co-written with Lisa Bonnice, reveals a story most people could never imagine living through; a daughter who survived both her parents’ murders and her brother’s betrayal.
Stacey Kananen Wiki
- Full Name: Stacey Marie Kananen
- Date of Birth: 1966
- Age: 59 years old
- Birthplace: Florida, United States
- Education: Colonial High School
- Occupation: Author, Advocate
- Known For: Surviving family abuse and wrongful murder accusation; author of Fear of Our Father
- Marital Status: Married
- Spouse: Susan Cowan (m. 2015)
- Residence: Largo, Florida
Stacey Kananen Story
To understand Stacey’s story is to confront the unimaginable. She grew up in an abusive home, the kind of place neighbors suspected but never intervened. Her father’s violent temper ruled their lives. In 1988, he suddenly disappeared.
Years later, in 2003, Stacey’s mother, Marilyn Kananen, vanished just as abruptly. It was Stacey’s brother, Rickie, who eventually confessed; first to killing their father, then to murdering their mother.
But in a cruel twist, Rickie turned on Stacey, accusing her of being an accomplice. The sister who had tried to protect him as a child now faced a death sentence.
Stacey Kananen Verdict
The trial that followed was both sensational and devastating; televised on CNN’s In Session, the nation watched as Orlando defense attorney Diana Tennis fought to prove Stacey’s innocence. There were suicide notes, handwriting disputes, and the testimony of siblings who cried on the stand.
When the verdict came; “Not Guilty”, it was close to midnight. Outside the courthouse, Stacey’s supporters wept and hugged as her ankle monitor was cut off. Her attorney would later say,
“I woke up the next morning to blue skies and thought of how it must feel to wake up free after years of fearing prison.”
Stacey Kananen Brother
Rickie Kananen (born Richard Kananen, Jr., on April 18, 1956, and now aged 69 years) was once the only family Stacey had left. But his accusations changed everything.
During her trial, however, he testified against her; claiming she’d helped him bury their mother’s body. Stacey denied it all. Since the verdict, the two have had no relationship.
Rickie Kananen remains associated with his parents’ deaths, while Stacey has spent her years trying to live beyond that name, that past.
What Happened to Stacey Kananen’s Parents?
In 1988, Stacey’s father disappeared. Family and friends assumed he’d left; few suspected foul play. But fifteen years later, when her mother went missing, detectives began to dig, literally. Beneath one of the family’s Florida homes, they found remains. Both parents had been killed by their son, Rickie.
It was a discovery that exposed decades of buried violence, both literal and emotional. For Stacey, it meant reliving her childhood trauma; and facing the justice system that almost condemned her for someone else’s crime.
Stacey Kananen After the Verdict
Freedom didn’t mean peace. Stacey Marie Kananen began therapy for the first time in her life, confronting years of abuse she had spent decades suppressing. “I’d been surviving, not living,” she would later say. Writing became her recovery.
Her memoir, Fear of Our Father, was published in April 2013 by Berkley Books. It detailed the unthinkable; and became an anthem for survivors of familial abuse and wrongful accusation. The book’s success led to media appearances, including an interview in BBC’s America’s Child Death Shame, which was later Emmy-nominated.
Who Is Stacey Kananen Married To?
In 2015, Stacey Kananen found love again; the kind that heals instead of hurts. She married Susan Cowan, a quiet, grounded woman with a background in accounting and property management. Together, they built a calm life in Largo, Florida.
The two often travel, frequent local pride events, and share photos from trips to EPCOT and the Royal Caribbean cruise lines. In 2025, they attended the Evolution of Drag show in Central Park Performing Arts Center; a celebration of self-expression, something Stacey had once been forbidden to show as a child.
Where Is Stacey Kananen Now (2025)?
As of 2025, Stacey Marie Kananen continues to advocate for child abuse survivors and victims of false accusation. She plans to establish the Marilyn Kananen Foundation, in memory of her mother, to reform how courts handle domestic abuse cases.
She recently inspired Lifetime’s 2025 biopic Monster in the Family: The Stacey Kananen Story, starring a dramatized version of her life; from terrified child to wrongly accused adult to survivor.
Stacey Kananen Net Worth (2025)
Stacey Kananen’s estimated net worth is between $300k thousand and $500k thousand, largely from her memoir sales, documentary rights, and public speaking engagements. She has stated that a portion of her earnings will go toward funding shelters and advocacy programs for abused families.
Stacey Kananen Wikipedia
Stacey Kananen’s story has not yet been published on Wikipedia. But… there are crime stories; and then there are survival stories that rise from them. Stacey’s life belongs to the latter. She wasn’t defined by what was done to her, or by what she was accused of, but by what she chose to do afterward: heal, forgive, and help others find their way out of silence.
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