While Chris Watts initially denied murdering his pregnant wife, Shanann Watts, and their children, it later transpired that he'd revealed to a coworker his plans to visit the remote oil field in Frederick, Colo., where their bodies were found. 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. 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. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { However, he later confessed to strangling his wife during a confrontation over the revelations of his affair.". hitType: 'event', Its important to note these two specialists worked with police on two of Colorados most horrific crimes: the Columbine High school shootings and the Aurora theater shooting. His sentence also included 48 years for the unlawful termination of Ms. Wattss pregnancy and 36 years for the disposal of the victims bodies. 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. According to People, prosecutors in the case revealed that Chris had Googled, "When to say I love you for the first time in a new relationship," on July 25, less than three weeks before he murdered his wife, two daughters, and unborn son. According to documents released by the Weld County District Attorney's Office, Shanann had grown suspicious of her husband. He then claimed that Shannan strangled their children in response to his request for a separation. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 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 mean, those smiles are my lifePlease bring her back. That same evening Mr. Watts had been chatting with a co-worker via text message, where he revealed that the next morning that he planned to drive to one of the many oil plants owned by the oil company that they worked for. Some readers may find this story upsetting. Lifetime's 'Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer' indicates there were some instances of humiliation against Chris prior to the murders. An autopsy was performed but the cause of death has not yet been released (as I write this). Per theIndependent,"Watts was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences for the murders, and a 48-year prison sentence for the wrongful termination of a pregnancy. Hes a wealthy beauty entrepreneur with his own range of toiletries.Girl meets boy. Carlsbad, California. Per People, District Attorney Michael Rourke revealed that Chris also spent time "searching the internet for secluded vacation spots" to take Kessinger to during their affair. Jill is left to pick up the pieces.From Wondery and Novel, comes a new series. While law enforcement did their bit scouring through each and every conversation between Chris and Shanann, mainstream publications chose to gloss over most of the investigative reports, probably fearing it would make the narrative fuzzy and confusing for their viewership. Michael J. Rourke, the Weld County district attorney, said Mr. Watts had smothered his daughters.. }); "I knew if I took my hands off of her, she would still keep me from Nikki [Nichol]," he wrote in one of the letters. After three engagements, two divorces and one affair, shes beginning to worry that love is only true in fairy tales. As author Cherlyn Cadle wrote in her book,Letters from Christopher: The Tragic Confessions of the Watts Family Murders (via theDaily Mail), "After Christopher killed his family and drove away, Nikki texted him to look up the song by Metallica band called 'Battery.' Kessinger found out he'd been lying to her when she saw on the news that he was still married to a wife who had been pregnant. That is why hes cryingbecause hes caught. However, Kessinger's search history told a slightly different story. Previously, Chris claimed that the murders were due to a spontaneous outburst of rage. It made me feel dirty.". This is the first time you see emotion. In the nearly five-hour interview, he admitted to strangling his wife after a fight in their home. "If I never met [Kessinger] would I have ever thought our relationship was bad? Hes looking at it as a cognitive exercise.. He claims the crime happened after he and his wife had an emotional conversation about separating as he was having an affair with someone he worked with. On the 13th of august, 2018, 34 year old Shanann Watts arrived home late from a business trip. 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. And although there was distrust around Charles Warren, he wasnt the only suspect when Sheree went missing. I felt like I could kill anything and be justified for doing it." As for Christopher Watts, he is now serving three life sentences without the possibility of parole at a state prison in Wisconsin. I trusted you to take care of them, not kill them, and they also trusted you, said Ms. Wattss father, Frank Rzucek Sr. You disgust me.. No tears when hes talking about killing the girls. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ On Aug. 13, 2018, Mr. Wattss wife, Shanann Watts, 34, who was 15 weeks pregnant, and the couples young daughters were reported missing. Although it seemed as though Shanann had walked out with the children following an argument with her husband, not one friend or family member had been in contact with her since. As NBC News would later report, a police body camera captured Watts nervously explaining his actions from the day before, claiming the packages were tools and a lunch box for his work on oil rigs. But the way they talk about the victims, theyre angry for them. And Sgt. "When I came home and then walked in the house, nothing. hitType: 'event', This is a scenario that he has built up, that he has the right to do this., She was referring to the cold and calculated way Watts made statements like this to our reporter: I mean, my kids are my life. 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. Last month, the case began to recapture Americans attention when Netflix released a documentary on the murders, the Wattses marriage and the police investigation. The answer is yes. He was caught. Searches of her phone revealed that she had been chatting with a close friend about their relationship troubles and had drafted out what she wanted to say to Christopher over text. Thank you listeners! window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { 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. Its all going so well for Jill and Dean, until Halloween night, when Dean disappears. ", The Most Bizarre Things About The Chris Watts Case. He said that their older daughter, Bella, was lying on her bed and that she had looked blue. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); Per the Daily Mail, a man named Trent Bolte told investigators that he'd reportedly been in a ten-month long relationship with Chris, which ended in the spring of 2018, months prior to the murders. ", Shanann texted, "He hasn't touched me all week, kissed me, talked to me except for when I'm trying to figure out what is wrong. Per the discovery documents released by the Weld County District Attorney's Office, "Watts had a 'secret calculator' application uploaded to his personal phone. When I feel unmotivated all I need to do is watch some of her videos and my day gets better. Filed under. ", On Feb. 18, 2019, Chris Watts sat down for a five-hour interview with the Frederick Police Department, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI the audio of which was released to the public. That is until she meets: Dean. Available in the Wondery App. "He doesn't look worried. In an interview (posted on YouTube) with the Denver ABC affiliatetwo days after the murder, Watts said, "I hope that she's somewhere safe right now and with the kids." Their daughter Ashley Freeman, and Ashleys best friend Lauria Bible, who was sleeping over that night, were gone.Did you know you can get bonus content from Generation Why at: patreon.com/generationwhy ?Listen ad free with Wondery+. Shanann Watts' Friend Not Surprised Chris Watts Killed Fami Authorities initially imprisoned him in Colorado but moved him to Wisconsin for security reasons. Just days before Christopher Watts was Love these guys. Chris' Google search indicated that the married man was moving quickly with Kessinger and was ready to take their relationship to the next level, despite already being married to someone else. That is, until Watts finally confessed. 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. On August 12th while Shanann was out of town on a business trip, Chris took the kids to a birthday party. }); Mr. Rourke said that Mr. Watts had squeezed his daughters bodies through an eight-inch opening to hide them in the oil tank. You put up with 3 impatient, demanding women in the house. He said that when he had told Ms. Watts he wanted to end their marriage, she had told him that he would never see their daughters again. But he did give some clues following their murders: He did reveal more about his motive to Cheryln Cadle, a woman he began corresponding with while in prison. Within a day, he was in handcuffs. Its difficult to imagine the level of devastation and heartbreak one must feel having their entire family so suddenly ripped away. Watts, 35, reportedly detailed the gruesome slaying of Shanann Watts in one of his prison letters and he also revealed that hed been thinking about killing her for weeks., The Sun reports. While on a trip to North Carolina with her daughters to see family before her death, Shanann texted Chris about her feelings. pg.acq.push(function() { And it begins with that interview by Denver7 on Watts front porch. Her final Instagram post was one of joy and happiness: You know what I love about waking up everydayIts a brand new day to have a fresh start, to be better than I was yesterday, To help someone feel better and happier, to make someone smile and laugh! she wrote. John survived, but Katie died the next day. 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. They kiss and fall in love. Chris Watts is incarcerated at the maximum-security Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin. When she realized her marriage was crumbling before her, she tried everything she could to save it. However, per Oxygen, Chris' attorney reportedly attempted to contact Kessinger on his behalf, but she refused. When the co-worker responded that they had been planning to visit the site, Chris joked, "I can go out there though. 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. She refused Wisconsin for security reasons Colorado but moved him to Wisconsin for security reasons around Charles,... Her marriage was crumbling before her death, Shanann texted Chris about her feelings women in house. 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