He later admitted to killing all three and disposing of their bodies. Ultimately, it's impossible to have all the answers as to why Watts killed his wife and children. Copyright 2023 Distractify. She is currently based in Pennsylvania and loves all things antiques, cilantro, and American history. Laci was eight months pregnant when she disappeared on Christmas Eve in 2002, and it wasn't until April 2003 that the bodies of Laci and her unborn child were found. And it would seem that one eagle-eyed viewer of the documentary about the Chris Watts case believed that they'd spotted something strange in the background of one video clip. John survived, but Katie died the next day. I just listened to the Brock Turner case, which is what inspired me to write this review. Bella fought back for her life, he said, adding that she had bitten her tongue several times before she died. Anyone can read what you share. While Chris and Shanann Watts appeared to have a perfect marriage to onlookers, their relationship suddenly changed in the weeks leading up to the murders. The investigators let Chris know that they already knew about the When the investigators asked Chris if he was hoping to speak to Kessinger one day, he replied, "Maybe once just to say, I'm sorry this all happened." Over 200 Million Downloads! Strangely, Chris also Googled, "What do you feel when someone tells you they love you," suggesting that he either didn't know or wanted to accurately react to any romantic declarations. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. According to the police, Mr. Watts had been having an affair with a co-worker, and in the early hours of Aug. 13, he told his wife he wanted to separate. Per the discovery documents released by the Weld County District Attorney's Office, "Watts had a 'secret calculator' application uploaded to his personal phone. Watts enjoys a lonely existence in prison, where child Chris Watts lies and ever-evolving story give both Flater and Nicoletti a very clear picture of who he is and why he saw murder as the best way to get what he wants. Watts's chilling aloofness has kept the lurid murders in the public eye for years now. "He didn't give a flying flip," Rzucek said. They also believe Watts decision to give our reporter, Tomas Hoppough, that impromptu interview on his front porch was a textbook attempt to show homicide detectives that he was just a regular guy trying to help find his family. Christopher Watts was arrested on Wednesday the 15th of august as the main suspect in the case. A triple homicide is a very aggressive act, and in this case, the aggression is mixed with sadism. }); "When I came home and then walked in the house, nothing. As well as Googling wedding dresses and the name of Chris Watts' wife, Nichol Kessinger also searched online for Amber Frey, the infamous mistress in another murder case. Michael J. Rourke, the Weld County district attorney, said Mr. Watts had smothered his daughters.. But none of those descriptions really explain what led him to commit murder. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { Shanann often advertised the products on her social media but the majority of her Instagram feed revolved around her seemingly perfect family. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of August 12th when I finished putting the girls to bed, I walked away and said That's the last time I'm going to be tucking my babies in. I knew what was going to happen the day before and I did nothing to stop it! he wrote. According to them, Shanann often kept Chris away from his family. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Yeah, Ill have a pizza. However, it was later revealed that Chris killed Shanann first, and didn't murder their daughters, Celeste and Bella, until he'd driven to the oil site where their bodies were found. The children were excited for the return of their mother and couldnt get to sleep in anticipation of her coming home, but eventually they settled down and drifted off. ", The Most Bizarre Things About The Chris Watts Case. One day after killing his pregnant wife and two daughters, Christopher Watts gave a TV interview from his porch in Frederick, Colo., begging them to come home. Police were sure it was the 34 year old mother and later tests proved it indeed was. Chris hadnt been in contact with his wife that day either and said she hadnt answered any of his calls or messages. For the murders, Watts was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in November 2018. As police searched for clues to the disappearance of Shannan and the kids in and around the family home, Christopher took refuge in a friends house. The documentary was made using social media posts, recordings from law enforcement personnel, text messages and home videos, according to Netflix. eventAction: 'render' ", According to the author, Chris also revealed, "The darkness inside of me had won, it was still in me, though, I thought maybe permanently. They already knew the gender of their third child, a boy, who they planned to call Nico. Chris Watts, Shanann Watts, and their two daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste. ", After Chris Watts pleaded guilty to first degree murder in November 2018, his parents gave an interview to ABC11 defending their son. Its difficult to imagine the level of devastation and heartbreak one must feel having their entire family so suddenly ripped away. The Tab reported that she applied for an official name change in October 2020 to further distance herself from the stranger who altered her life forever. The 20-person Frederick Police Department worked around the clock, and the search effort eventually grew to include the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the F.B.I. Police investigating the Chris Watts murders discovered that he had looked up the lyrics to the Metallica song, "Battery," pertheWeld County District Attorney's Office'sdiscovery documents, "during a respite" taken shortly after he murdered and disposed of the bodies of his pregnant wife, Shanann Watts, and their two daughters. No joke. However, he admitted in the letter that he had been plotting the murders for some time. He will spend the rest of his life in prison and is currently being housed at Dodge Correctional Institution in Wisconsin. Wish I could have known her if only to thank her for her contagious enthusiasm. ", Chris' parents also suggested that it was his marriage to Shanann that changed him. If youre asking that, you probably arent. I barely knew him.". I felt evil, swallowed up by this thing inside of me. Chris had every right to walk out of that room at any moment so we were trying to appease Chris, if you will. We didn't just start dating yesterday! As reported by theDaily Mail, in one letter he sent to Cadle, Chris reportedly admitted that his first attempt to kill his young daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste ("Cece"), 3, was unsuccessful. Ultimately, Watts strangled Shanann to death and said he wanted to be with Kessinger. It was a very hard relationship, and as far as Im concerned, I couldnt do anything right, Cindy told WTVD. Once he had murdered his entire familyand disposed of them, he set the wheels in motion for what he believed would be his new life, his fresh start. Available in the Wondery App. This is hitType: 'event', I love you so much and so grateful you hung around when I tried pushing you away in the beginning! she wrote under one of the pictures. eventAction: 'view' The 33-year-old pleaded guilty to killing his wife Shanann Watts and their children Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, in exchange for avoiding the death penalty as part of a plea deal. While one can say their judgment was clouded owing to their relationship with Chris, was there an element of emotional abuse on Shanann's part that contributed to the horrific killings? If youre asking that, you probably have some kind of conscience, Flater said. Although Watts worked for Anadarko Petroleum and Shanann sold products for the multi-level marketing company, Le-vel, they filed for bankruptcy in 2015. Vilifying Shanann. These searches reportedly took place on Aug. 18, 2018, three days after Chris confessed to murdering his family. Watts says Shanann became angry and strangled her daughters. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Per Kessinger's account to the outlet, "Watts told her that he had two daughters and, after Kessinger asked, Watts said he was separated and at the end of divorce proceedings, she said.". Disclaimer: The details of this case are extremely disturbing. WebThese unseen confession tapes show the moment Chris Watts explains why he put the bodies of his family in oil tanks. It's only one way emotions and feelings," she texted her husband, per the doc. September 1st, 2016. He looks like he's trying to cover his tracks.". All I could feel was now I was free to be with Nikki. Watts then changed his story about his marriage and didn't show the kind of emotion one would expect from a man who can't find his family. Sheree Warren left her job in Salt Lake City on a mild October evening in 1985. OK, it's up. Shanann was buried in a shallow grave, while Bella and Celeste were left submerged inside two oil tanks at the site. A search of his phone revealed that not long after the murder and disposal he Googled the lyrics to the song Battery by Metallica from their 1986 album Master of puppets: Many believe that the song itself does not pertain to the act of "battery" or assualt, rather it refers to the underground clubs that the band used to play at on Battery street inSan Francisco in the early days of their career. In his first confession, he claimed that he was having an affair and had asked Shanann for a separation. Distractify is a registered trademark. I find it interesting that we should believe it's only a coincidence. Sadism, in not so many words, is revenge for humiliation by taking pleasure inflicting pain onto the humiliator. Fans of true crime entertainment have been obsessed with the gruesome familicide for years. He later faced nine criminal counts, including murder, the unlawful termination of a pregnancy and tampering with dead bodies. "He was in sports from when he was five until 17 years old," his mom said. No, and heres why. "He has changed. Of course, searching for wedding dresses isn't a crimeby any means, but Kessinger's search history suggested that she was incredibly serious about her relationship with Chris, and was already thinking about a future with the man she'd allegedly only been dating for approximately six weeks. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Furthermore, he thinks Kessinger actually cares for his wants and desires and is a far cry from the dominating nature of his wife Shanann. Shanann, Bella, Celeste, if youre out there, just come back, Mr. Watts said, staring into the camera. This season, host Dave Cawley, digs into the lives of these two men, the details of the case and examines the intersections between domestic abuse and sexual violence. Netflix's new .css-7qz8rz{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#f7623b;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:background 0.4s;transition:background 0.4s;background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #feebe7 50%, #feebe7);-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;}.css-7qz8rz:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;}true crime documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door premiered on September 30, and it's bringing back into the limelight the chilling story of the Watts family murders. His insistence that he wanted his family back and that his pregnant wife and two young girls' disappearance was tearing me apart would have been more convincing had he shown even a shred of emotion. ", After failing the test, Chris confessed to a version of the truth, which included him alleging that he'd only murdered his wife, Shanann Watts, after she supposedly smothered their two daughters. Christopher worked as an operator for Anadarko Petroleum and although Shananns new job saw her traveling more than she used to, the family looked as happy as ever. When Greg and a friend went to collect this evidence they were shot at by a man hiding in the bushes. One of the reasons, then, that some people speculated that Chris' mistress, Nichol Kessinger, might have allegedly been involved in the murders was because of a mysterious text she reportedly sent him soon after the killings had taken place. That made the act that much worse knowing I went to their rooms first and knowing I still took their lives at the location of the batteries.". I mean, those smiles light up my life," he said with equal frigidity. eventAction: 'load' You spoil us with love an attention! Court documents revealed that despite a healthy combined income, the couple were crippled by lingering student loans, credit card debt and unpaid medical bills. Women's Health may earn commission from the links on this page, but we only feature products we believe in. Some reports suggest financial problems or perhaps the relationship issues Mr. and Mrs. Watts were dealing with. December 25th, 2006. While Chris's frustrations do not justify his actions in the least, one must understand that the murders weren't a direct result of madness, or evil, or psychopathy. "I realized [during] this trip what's missing in our relationship! Killer dad Chris Watts revealed grisly details of his pregnant wifes murder in a bombshell prison letter, according to reports. Watts confessed that he poisoned Shanann with the painkiller Oxycodone, hoping to cause her to miscarry, according to The Daily Mail. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Jill is left to pick up the pieces.From Wondery and Novel, comes a new series. Read more true crime, cold cases and unsolved mysteries from meHERE<<. If you want to refresh yourself on the details of the case before reading the update, head over to the original post (HERE<<). He would later admit to police that he was having an extramarital affair with a co-worker, before revealing how he had disposed his wife and kids on an oil site where he had worked at for years. Even when detectives showed Watts several family pictures, there was no emotional response. }); Just days before Christopher Watts was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his pregnant wife and two daughters, his parents claimed he was actually the one being abused in the relationship. On Aug. 15, the day after his interview with Denver7, an ABC affiliate, Mr. Watts was arrested and accused of killing his wife and daughters. If you know anything about Chris Watts, you might be scrambling for an explanation. When the co-worker responded that they had been planning to visit the site, Chris joked, "I can go out there though. They argued that he was trying to use his dead wife as a scapegoat for the murders of his children because she was not there to defend herself and there was no evidence to back up his claims. I need to see everybody., We cant see the whole body but it looks like hes holding his arms together," Nicoletti said. The couple's marriage was also affected by financial problems, according to Distractify. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Of course, this is all speculation, and it should be noted that Kessinger voluntarily spoke with police on Aug. 15, the same day that Chris was arrested for the murders of Shanann Watts and their two daughters. After pleading guilty to the crimes, Chris whohad been having an affair with a coworker prior to the murders was sentenced and is now in prison. "I can't come back like this. Throughout the film, it is mildly apparent how Chris becomes increasingly uncomfortable and suffocated within his own family of four with a baby boy on the way. "I'm not sure how they woke back up, but they did. DENVER Emotionless, unaffected and scripted. Dont forget to follow Generation Why on FB [X] , Instagram [X] and Twitter [X]. Sadly, no one could know that Chris' transformation would turn deadly. ", By telling a co-worker that he'd be visiting Cervi Ranch early on that Monday morning to complete some checks, many people believed that Chris may have premeditated his actions on that fateful August day, per Esquire, and had chosen the oil field as a burial site after murdering his family. In a disturbing prison letter obtained by The Daily Mail, Chris went into more detail about how and why he committed this heinous crime. Chris had reportedly told Shanann he didnt believe that they were compatible anymore, and he had refused couples counseling. Over 200 Million Downloads! Her friend responded, "What do you mean? That is, until Watts finally confessed. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), That night, after Shanann returned to the family home complaining of a delayed flight from Scottsdale, the couple began to argue. Chris worked for Anadarko Petroleum, while Shanann sold products for the multi-level marketing company, Le-vel. Emotionless, unaffected and scripted. Lifetime's 'Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer' indicates there were some instances of humiliation against Chris prior to the murders. Her daughters were also missing and she had neglected to take any important items with her such as her purse, cellphone and medication. Suspiciously, Shanann had neglected to take important everyday items with her, including her cellphone, wallet and medicine. On August 12th while Shanann was out of town on a business trip, Chris took the kids to a birthday party. I love that. The bundles Watts was loading into his truck were not tools and sandwiches, but the bodies of his pregnant 34-year-old wife, Shanann, and two young daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. Well its desperation, Flater explained. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ Mr. Watts continued to interview with local news reporters appealing to the public or information pertaining to the whereabouts of his pregnant wife andtwo young daughters. In an interview with CrimeOnline, Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke said, "The dates to which you are referring in 2017 where it appears she Googled or otherwise searched Shanann was data that came off her phone." After becoming pregnant with their first daughter, the couple moved to Colorado. I challenge you to look up the full lyrics of this song. Later, when he returned home, Shanann and the kids were gone. The day that Shanann went missing he sent her a text asking where she was. In hindsight, this normalcy appeared to be extremely chilling. Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. He then said that he killed her in response to her killing their daughters. He told the police that afterward, he had looked at the familys baby monitor and had seen his wife strangling their younger daughter, Celeste. He then admitted to taking their bodies to a remote oil storage site belonging to his former employer. The Generation Why Podcast Blog Christopher Watts Charged with the Murder of his Wife and Children April 02, 2022 On the 13 th of august, 2018, 34 year old This beautiful angel inspires me every single day. "If I never met [Kessinger] would I have ever thought our relationship was bad? Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. When she saw him on TV and realized Shanann was pregnant with a third child she was shocked.

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