He was in sports since he was 5 years old until he was 17 years old, she continued. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. On August 12th while Shanann was out of town on a business trip, Chris took the kids to a birthday party. Per the discovery documents released by the Weld County District Attorney's Office, "Watts had a 'secret calculator' application uploaded to his personal phone. His pregnant wife and their two daughters had vanished. If you want to refresh yourself on the details of the case before reading the update, head over to the original post (HERE<<). The only times we saw tears is when they were talking about whats going to happen to him. I couldnt imagine a better man for us. 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. On August 14, 2018, Chris Watts paced his neighbor Nathaniel Trinastich's living room in agitation. It took a couple of days for the truth to be revealed about Chris involvement in his familys disappearance and why he, in fact, did kill his family. },false) He deserves a life sentence for each and every act on top of one another, Mr. Rourke said. 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. He will spend the rest of his life in prison and is currently being housed at Dodge Correctional Institution in Wisconsin. He also confessed that he had poisoned his wife with the painkiller Oxycodone, hoping to cause her to miscarry. Chris Watts appeared on local interviews expressing how devastated he was and pleaded for his family to come home. 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. Her searches included Frey's book deal, her net worth and 'did people hate Amber Frey.'" Watts confessed that he poisoned Shanann with the painkiller Oxycodone, hoping to cause her to miscarry, according to The Daily Mail. Are you subscribed to my channel yet? While Chris, at first, adamantly denied any wrongdoing in the disappearance of his entire family, it wasnt long before he was arrested. 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. Watts is rumored to have had other extramarital encounters as well, but those have not been verified. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), That is one evil man.. 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. If you know anything about Chris Watts, you might be scrambling for an explanation. 2021 Wondery LLC. I need you to meet me halfway. Netflix's new true crime documentary, American Murder, reveals a crumbling marriage and an affair. It was a very hard relationship, and as far as Im concerned, I couldnt do anything right, Cindy told WTVD. }); Chris had every right to walk out of that room at any moment so we were trying to appease Chris, if you will. Disclaimer : The views expressed in this article belong to the writer and are not necessarily shared by MEAWW. He then said that he killed her in response to her killing their daughters. By this point he had already murdered her with his bare hands and was attempting to cover up his deed by actinginnocent and worried. Vilifying Shanann. The 2018 murders of Shanann Watts and her two young daughters in Colorado are the subject of a new Netflix documentary. Listen to Stolen Hearts: Wondery.fm/SH_GWSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. He was lured to the area after receiving a phone call from a person claiming to be a PI, hired by his ex wife to gather information about him in a custody battle over their son. 3. In a disturbing prison letter obtained by The Daily Mail, Chris went into more detail about how and why he committed this heinous crime. Ryan was taken to the police station and questioned before the police realized he really had been shot in the face and survived his injuries for two days.Get bonus content from Generation Why at: patreon.com/generationwhyListen ad free with Wondery+. She told a coworker she was headed to meet her estranged husband, Charles Warren, at a car dealership. Over 200 Million Downloads! window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { According to texts, she felt like she barely knew who Chris was anymore. 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. It made me feel dirty.". Get bonus content from Generation Why at: patreon.com/generationwhyListen ad free with Wondery+. Nicoletti believes the questions about motive and possible mental illness will never be fully answered. Ashleys main point is that Chris Watts was a seething, passive-aggressive narcissist. In a sentencing hearing on Nov. 19, Mr. Watts was sentenced to five life sentences without the possibility of parole. Instead, this is a love story like no other. No, and heres why. Atkinson joined police in the house in the search for Shanann, and it seems likely that her children could have been present, too. 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. These searches reportedly took place on Aug. 18, 2018, three days after Chris confessed to murdering his family. Once again, no one was buying the story. The location he was referring to turned out to be the place he had decided to dump the bodies of his family once he had murdered them. When he spoke of not being able to tolerate staying in the family home alone we now know that in reality he couldnt stand the memories of what he had done that night on August 13th. As The Denver Post, with whom Kessinger gave her only press interview, later reported, "Kessinger was working in the environmental department with an Anadarko Petroleum contractor when the two met One day in the middle of June [2018], he walked into her office to introduce himself." Meanwhile, his time with Kessinger brings back memories of his younger days that were bereft of responsibilities. She is currently based in Pennsylvania and loves all things antiques, cilantro, and American history. }) He was charged with the murder of his wife and children, and according to an affidavit released on August 21st, admitted to killing them in a rage after he said he witnessed his wife suffocating his kids. They are used to being lied to. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), A photo of Shanann Watts and her daughters, Bella, 4, left, and Celeste, 3, at a memorial in Frederick, Colo. put an end to the nearly three-day search, initially insisted that he had not killed his children, Mr. Watts was sentenced to five life sentences, the murders, the Wattses marriage and the police investigation. Mr. Wattss arrest the day before the grisly announcement put an end to the nearly three-day search across Frederick, a small town about 30 miles north of Denver. The couple's marriage was also affected by financial problems, according to Distractify. [*] A lawyer for Shananns family said that Chris murdered Shanann during an argument after he asked for a divorce. Online articles report that Shanann and the girls were murdered in the family home and that the children may have been strangled. Shanann loved her family and browsingthrough her social media profiles, anyone would be convinced that they were the perfect family unit. One of the unanswered questions in the Watts family murders that has kept true crime nuts obsessed with the case is the involvement of Nichol Kessinger, a geologist in the environmental department of the oil company for which Watts worked. ", Tragically, less than a week later, Chris murdered Shanann, her unborn baby, and their two daughters, Bella and Celeste, and attempted to cover up the crime by disposing of the bodies at a remote oil field location owned by his employer. 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. 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. According to theDaily Mail, "Footage from a police officer's body camera has been getting attention because it appears to show a little girl playing inside the Watts' home after Chris' wife and daughters were reported missing." Investigators discovered a plethora of hidden photos and messages in the app on Chris' phone, and they noted in the discovery documents, "I'm certain Watts communicated far more with Kessinger than is reflected in his phone data, perhaps facilitated through the Secret Calculator application. 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. A lawyer from the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender which represented Mr. Watts when he pleaded guilty to murder in November 2018 declined to comment on the documentary, which touched off a new wave of fascination with the grisly murders. When her car mysteriously surfaced weeks later, hundreds of miles away in Las Vegas, no one could say how it got there.When a young mother disappears under unexplained circumstances, police always turn suspicious eyes towards the husband. Chris Watts and Shanann Watts at their wedding. Per the site, "Watts can be seen in the video clip wearing an orange T-shirt with sunglasses perched atop his baseball cap as he takes his change and puts it into his wallet before walking away from the counter.". Hosted by Kerry Godliman.Follow Stolen Hearts on Amazon Music of wherever you get your podcasts. On Aug. 15, the day after his interview with Denver7, an ABC affiliate, Mr. Watts was arrested and accused of Chris Watts' case is pretty much infamous at this point, after he pleaded guilty to the murders of his pregnant wife, Shanann Watts, and their two daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste. According to ABC News, Watts had strangled his wife and children in their home, after which he took their bodies out to an oil well, where he buried Shanann in a shallow grave and hid the girls' bodies in oil tanks on the site. However, McMahon claimed that she saw a darker side of Chris during the weeks they were seeing each other. When Shanann Watts was killed on Aug. 13, 2018, she'd just returned from a business trip in the early hours of the morning. 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. They drove back home after the party and he gave his girls a shower and put them to bed." KILLER dad Chris Watts revealed his guilt with four gestures including a look of pleasure while he urged his wife and daughters to return, experts claim. The Generation Why Podcast released its first episode in 2012 and pioneered the true crime genre in the podcasting world. Following his confession, Watts was offered lunch. She was dropped off at her house in Colorado by a friend and co-worker who watched her safely close the door behind her before driving off. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. },false) A male escort came forward to say hed had a 10-month pg.acq.push(function() { It is thought the tanks of gas were used in an attempt to disguise the odor of decay. }); As Flater and Nicoletti watched the interview, they immediately saw something that is very unusual for a man coming to the realization that his wife and two girls are gone. In addition to his coldness, another mysterious element in the story keeps people wanting to know why Watts did it. You put up with 3 impatient, demanding women in the house. While on the outside, things looked perfect things were much different behind closed doors. Police officers entered the home of Ryan Waller, an 18-year-old living in Phoenix. Furthermore, he thinks Kessinger actually cares for his wants and desires and is a far cry from the dominating nature of his wife Shanann. It was a very hard relationship (with Shanann) as far as I'm concerned. It made me feel nasty. 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.' Offers may be subject to change without notice. "It seemed off," she said. }); MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of While the two were not legally separated, during Shannans time away from Chris, he began a romantic relationship outside of his marriage with a coworker. Available in the Wondery App. On December 30th, 1999 authorities responded to a fire at the Freeman family home outside of Welch, Oklahoma. Its understandable, the couple were burdened with financial problems like late mortgage payments, maxed out credit cards and unpaid debt. 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. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { Frank Rzucek Sr., left, and Frankie Rzucek, Shanann Wattss father and brother, in court in 2018. After the party Watts and his daughters returned home and enjoyed a final meal of pizza before being showered and tucked into bed for the last time just before 8PM. ", According to Genius, the lyrics include lines like, "Smashing through the boundaries, lunacy has found me / Cannot stop the battery / Pounding out aggression, turns into obsession / Cannot kill the battery / Cannot kill the family, battery is found in me. Things hadbecome so bad that they had to file for bankruptcy a couple of years earlier. ", The Most Bizarre Things About The Chris Watts Case. He refused to admit to killing his own girls and insisted that he had only killed his wife in retaliation to her killing their children. Some reports suggest financial problems or perhaps the relationship issues Mr. and Mrs. Watts were dealing with. 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 It is hard to understand why Chris committed the violent acts. "He doesn't look worried. .css-26w0xw{display:block;font-family:NationalBold,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-26w0xw:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-26w0xw{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.28598rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.575rem;line-height:1.1;margin-bottom:-0.5rem;}}How To Avoid Unexpected Health Bills, Where Is Elizabeth Holmes Now? hitType: 'event', The murder of the Watts family quickly received national attention with Chris at the center of a murder investigation. He said he then murdered Shanann and disposed of all three bodies. Well its desperation, Flater explained. 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. 21-year-old Polish national, Julia Faustyna, claims to be Madeleine McCann- the story so far, CCTV Footage from New Jersey Gas Station Shows Woman Escaping Alleged Captor, Two men arrested in connection with the 1975 murder of Indiana teenager Laurel Jean Mitchell. When Greg and a friend went to collect this evidence they were shot at by a man hiding in the bushes. Why Trust Us? They never would come home. Emily Shiffer is a former digital web producer for Mens Health and Prevention, and is currently a freelancer writer specializing in health, weight loss, and fitness. He was normal, he didnt have a temper, he was just like his dad just easygoing, rolls off his back, goes on.. Ronnie is referring to the initial story that Chris gave to the police, claiming that he only killed Shanann after discovering that she'd murdered their two daughters. Instead, Chris reportedly loaded wife Shanann Watts' body into his truck after strangling her, and then drove his daughters, who were still very much alive at that point, to what would become their final resting place. He later faced nine criminal counts, including murder, the unlawful termination of a pregnancy and tampering with dead bodies. let gads_event; Within a day, he was in handcuffs. She had organized for a babysitter to take care of the children while the two were away on the romantic weekend, but Chris Watts had no intention of working things out. Throughout her time away, she texted friends about some of the issues going on between her and Chris. And it begins with that interview by Denver7 on Watts front porch. However, per Oxygen, Chris' attorney reportedly attempted to contact Kessinger on his behalf, but she refused. Chris and Shanann met in 2010 and married two years later in North Carolina. He allegedly confessed to police that he was responsible for the slaying of his family. Bella's eyes were bruised and both girls looked like they had been through trauma. If you don't mean it then I get it, but we need to talk. There are some new stories that stick with you forever and the case of Chris Watts is no exception. 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." She planned to explain that she knew heneeded space, as did she, but wanted to ask what they could do to mend their marriage. Evidence they were shot at by a man hiding in the story keeps people wanting to know Why Watts it! He was responsible for the slaying of his younger days that were bereft of.. Brings back memories of his life in prison and is currently based Pennsylvania! Belong to the Daily Mail already murdered her with his bare hands was. 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