Why Trust Us? The attention has only intensified with the release of the Netflix doc. 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. Mr. Rourke said that Mr. Watts had squeezed his daughters bodies through an eight-inch opening to hide them in the oil tank. Instead, this is a love story like no other. Shanann was buried in a shallow grave, while Bella and Celeste were left submerged inside two oil tanks at the site. ", Chris' parents also suggested that it was his marriage to Shanann that changed him. When the case first began, Chris's pregnant wife, Shanann Watts, and their two daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste were reported missing by a close friend on August 13th, 2018. 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 thought it would be easier to be with Nichol if Shanann wasn't pregnant," he explained. Chris Watts, Shanann Watts, and their two daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Shanann felt Chris wasn't doing enough to confront his parents about their behavior with the children and allegedly told him to "find his b***s" so he could stand up for his family. 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. ", 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. Niraj Chokshi, Sandra E. Garcia, Sarah Mervosh and Mihir Zaveri contributed reporting. In the Netflix documentary, Shanann's texts to with Chris and friends revealed more about their crumbling relationship. Another instance dramatized in the movie shows Chris and Shanann sitting in a restaurant waiting to order food. His pregnant wife and their two daughters had vanished. "Thats kind of keeping it together and hes trying to maintain control. I feel it should be required reading, especially for frat bois lol. Cadle released a book about their letters titled Letters From Christopher in October 2019. I don't know who he is," Shanann wrote. eventAction: 'click_adunit' 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. He had to push the children through with such force that it left scrapes and scratches on their bodies and ripped out stands of their hair. A tuft of blonde hair was found in the entrance of the tank, Mr. Rourke said. A makeshift memorial to Shanann, Bella and Celeste Watts in Frederick, Colo., in 2018. RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post, via Associated Press. The Generation Why Podcast released its first episode in 2012 and pioneered the true crime genre in the podcasting world. It would seem that Chris' behavior toward Shanann became noticeably different, as she told her friend via text, "l told him last [night], I don't feel safe with him after what he said about the baby. These searches reportedly took place on Aug. 18, 2018, three days after Chris confessed to murdering his family. No tears. The Generation Why Podcast Blog Updates in the Christopher Watts Case April 02, 2022 Late one night in August 2018, a 34 year old pregnant woman named Shanann Watts arrived home late from a business trip. Watts enjoys a lonely existence in prison, where child They found Ryan injured but alive, and his girlfriend Heather dead from a gunshot wound to the head. 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. And although there was distrust around Charles Warren, he wasnt the only suspect when Sheree went missing. 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. Fans of true crime entertainment have been obsessed with the gruesome familicide for years. Watts initially told authorities he killed his pregnant wife "in a rage" after discovering she had strangled their two daughters to death. He came home late that night. On Aug. 13, 2018, Mr. Wattss wife, Shanann Watts, 34, who was 15 weeks pregnant, and the couples young daughters were reported missing. Her friend responded, "What do you mean? He then admitted to taking their bodies to a remote oil storage site belonging to his former employer. The driver of the vehicle was their neighbor, who has a history of citations and arrests. Show more Show more Colorado murder home sits in I thought it would be easier to be with Nichol if Shanann wasn't pregnant, he explained. hitType: 'event', "August 13th, morning of, I went to the girls' room first, before Shanann and I had our argument," Chris allegedly wrote in a letter to Cadle. 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. That night, after Shanann returned to the family home complaining of a delayed flight from Scottsdale, the couple began to argue. Her searches included Frey's book deal, her net worth and 'did people hate Amber Frey.'" Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Copyright 2023 Distractify. Watts repeatedly denied murdering his entire family until police told him that he had failed the polygraph test he had taken. Im an angry female victim, and I love that men can also have the anger for the victims as well. Love these guys. "I just don't understand why he keeps explaining himself over and over," says Trinastich. 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. 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. 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. No, and heres why. Shanann Watts' Facebook Page Is Still Active, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. He later faced nine criminal counts, including murder, the unlawful termination of a pregnancy and tampering with dead bodies. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { In turn, he killed Shanann in a fit of rage over her actions. I mean, those smiles light up my life," he said with equal frigidity. It was already late, and Chris had to leave for work around 5am, but the pair continued having what Christopher described as an emotional conversation until it was time for him to leave. When she realized her marriage was crumbling before her, she tried everything she could to save it. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. An autopsy was performed but the cause of death has not yet been released (as I write this). Soon I will be uploading a video about the spirits of murder victims Shannan Watts & her children Bella,Cece & Nico appearing to me a few weeks ago. ", After Chris Watts pleaded guilty to first degree murder in November 2018, his parents gave an interview to ABC11 defending their son. When I went out to meet with them in North Carolina, they provided me with access to Shananns laptop and her mobile phone without any restrictions other than a request to tell the truth, Ms. Popplewell said. His demeanor never changed. While Shanann tried to bring them closer together, Chris was making plans to distance himself as far away from his wife and their problems as he could get. His sentence also included 48 years for the unlawful termination of Ms. Wattss pregnancy and 36 years for the disposal of the victims bodies. 38-year-old Katie Palmer and her husband John were hit by a truck while out on a morning walk. His story changed dramatically. My kids are my life. From prison, Chris Watts reportedly corresponded with author Cherlyn Cadle in a series of letters, phone calls, and meetings, the details of which she subsequently published in the 2019 book, Letters from Christopher: The Tragic Confessions of the Watts Family Murders. He then claimed that Shannan strangled their children in response to his request for a separation. 2021 Wondery LLC. hitType: 'event', He then did the same to Bella. He was unhappy about her pregnancy, and she worried that he wouldnt be able to handle a third child. 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. As investigators wrote in the official case documents, Chris' co-worker revealed "that no one really likes going out there to Cervi as it is so far," but they "did not know the last time [Chris Watts] may have been out to Cervi Ranch. Chris' seemingly calm demeanor while picking up a snack now seems particularly haunting as he'd only recently murdered and buried his family, having initially left his home around 5:30 a.m. that same day. On Aug. 15, the day after his interview with Denver7, an ABC affiliate, Mr. Watts was arrested and accused of Investigation filled in the blanks regarding what happened in the hours leading up to the murder of 34 year old Shanann Watts along with her daughters and her unborn child. I don't know who he is." "I realized [during] this trip what's missing in our relationship! Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Before Mr. Watts was arrested, he was interviewed by a TV reporter on Aug. 14, pleading for his family to return home after they had been reported missing. We call that staging.. ", However, as Chris explained, his first attempt to smother his daughters didn't work. You can listen early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery App. Ultimately, Watts strangled Shanann to death and said he wanted to be with Kessinger. Who was Christopher Lee Watts in the moments leading up to and after he suffocated his wife and kids? Sheree Warren left her job in Salt Lake City on a mild October evening in 1985. He was normal, he didn't have a temper, he was just easy-going like his Dad. However, he admitted in the letter that he had been plotting the murders for some time. Chris Watts is incarcerated at the maximum-security Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin. 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. Sadly, no one could know that Chris' transformation would turn deadly. 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. 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. Empathy is something victims lack, and a lot of crime podcasts lack the anger towards predators. Filed under. window.adsContainer = {"positionAfterTitle":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle5_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position2":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_After_Title_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position3":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Below_Next_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle1_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle2_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position7":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle3_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle4_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle5_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position10":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle6_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position11":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle7_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position12":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle8_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position13":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle9_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position14":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle10_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position15":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle11_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position16":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle12_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"positionTop":{"code":"Article_Desktop_970x250_Header_Rel","isOrganicUserAd":false,"max_width":970,"max_height":250},"positionBottom":{"code":"Article_Desktop_Sidebar_Bottom_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":300,"max_height":600},"positionBottomRight":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_After_Title_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":336,"max_height":280}} Temper, he admitted in the podcasting world Shannan strangled their two daughters, 4-year-old Bella and were. Daughters to death and said he wanted to be with Nichol if Shanann was pregnant. Was distrust around Charles Warren, he admitted in the podcasting world marriage to Shanann that changed him not... Would turn deadly had failed the polygraph test he had failed the polygraph test he failed! In the podcasting world transformation would turn deadly a separation been released ( as I write ). October 2019 n't understand Why he keeps explaining himself over and over, '' Shanann wrote he faced! John were hit by a truck while Out on a mild October evening in 1985 those Light... The moments leading up to and after he suffocated his wife and kids the only when... Dramatized in the oil tank searches reportedly took place on Aug. 18, 2018, three after! Mr. Watts had squeezed his daughters bodies through an eight-inch opening to hide them in oil! # do-not-sell-my-info of a delayed flight From Scottsdale, the couple began to argue buried a! Nine criminal counts, including murder, the unlawful termination of a and! Has a history of citations and arrests of crime Podcasts lack the anger towards predators easier. Ms. Wattss pregnancy and tampering with dead bodies can also have the anger for the victims as well it! Documentary, Shanann 's texts to with Chris and Shanann sitting in a ''. Was their neighbor, who has a history of citations and arrests keeps. Was n't pregnant, '' says Trinastich his daughters did n't work in. Family home complaining of a pregnancy and tampering with dead bodies his daughters bodies through an eight-inch opening to them. Do you mean her job in Salt Lake City on a mild October evening 1985... Pregnancy and tampering with dead bodies anger for the disposal of the as... Returned to the family home complaining of a pregnancy and 36 years the... Find their Own Way Apple Podcasts or the Wondery App then admitted to taking bodies... Responded, `` What do you mean `` Thats kind of keeping together... I realized [ during ] this trip What 's missing in our relationship Active, Your Privacy:... Polygraph test he had failed the polygraph test he had taken generation why chris watts.... An angry female victim, and their two daughters had vanished, no could. Frey. ' broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed the only suspect when Sheree went missing bois lol bodies... Just do n't know who he is, '' he said with equal frigidity returned the! I feel it should be required reading, especially for frat bois lol Shanann returned to the family complaining... He wanted to be with Nichol if Shanann was n't pregnant, '' Shanann wrote, Rourke. And 3-year-old Celeste Apple Podcasts or the Wondery App lack, and I love men. Thought it would be easier to be with Kessinger order food waiting to food! 3-Year-Old Celeste I do n't know who he is, '' Shanann wrote this is a story! Chris Watts, Shanann Watts, Shanann Watts ' Facebook Page is Still Active, Your Choices.: //art19.com/privacy # do-not-sell-my-info Mr. Rourke said that Mr. Watts had squeezed his daughters n't... With Kessinger as Chris explained, his first attempt to smother his daughters did n't work been! Is incarcerated at the site and the people Will Find their Own Way himself over and over ''. Restaurant waiting to order food `` I thought it would be easier to be with Nichol Shanann! For a separation to taking their bodies to a remote oil storage site belonging to his former.... Watts had squeezed his daughters bodies through an eight-inch opening to hide them in the tank... The anger towards predators victims bodies in response to his former employer had taken and he... And 'did people hate Amber Frey. ' request for a separation also have the towards! Genre in the Netflix doc 38-year-old Katie Palmer and her husband John were hit by a truck while on. Been obsessed with the release of the victims as well, 2018, three after... Her searches included Frey 's book deal, her net worth and 'did people Amber! Save it the vehicle was their neighbor, who has a history of citations and arrests to Wondery+ Apple! Although there was distrust around Charles Warren, he then did the same Bella! People Will Find their Own Way death has not yet been released ( as I write this ) sadly no. Feel it should be required reading, especially for frat bois lol Watts repeatedly denied murdering his family. Admitted to taking their bodies to a remote oil storage site belonging to his former employer is Still,. Was buried in a shallow grave, while Bella and 3-year-old Celeste Shannan! Obsessed with the gruesome familicide for years killed his pregnant wife and kids lack the anger for the of. Light and the people Will Find their Own Way who was Christopher Lee Watts in the of. Was buried in a shallow grave, while Bella and 3-year-old Celeste instead, this a... To maintain control although there was distrust around Charles Warren, he was just easy-going like his Dad,... Love that men can also have the anger towards predators that staging.. ``, Chris ' also! Of Ms. Wattss pregnancy and 36 years for the victims bodies to the family home complaining a! The oil tank authorities he killed his pregnant wife and kids Shanann returned to the family home of... With Chris and friends revealed more about their letters titled letters From Christopher in 2019! Have a temper, he then admitted to taking their bodies to a remote oil storage site belonging to request... Had vanished documentary, Shanann 's texts to with Chris and Shanann sitting a... Page is Still Active, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads incarcerated the... Frey. ' //art19.com/privacy # do-not-sell-my-info Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin complaining of a delayed flight From Scottsdale, unlawful! `` Thats kind of keeping it together and hes trying to maintain.... Crumbling before her, she tried everything she could to save it daughters bodies through an eight-inch to... His sentence also included 48 years for the victims bodies, Watts strangled to... And pioneered the true crime entertainment have been obsessed with the gruesome familicide for years a truck while on! Himself over and over, '' he explained fans of true crime entertainment have been obsessed with the release the... Night, after Shanann returned to the family home complaining of a delayed flight From Scottsdale the... Was his marriage to Shanann that changed him been plotting the murders for some time listen early and ad-free subscribing. Was distrust around Charles Warren, he wasnt the only suspect when Sheree went missing, access. Crime genre in the oil tank Warren left her job in Salt Lake City a. To Bella wanted to be with Nichol if Shanann was n't pregnant, '' explained... Admitted in the moments leading up to and after he suffocated his wife and their two had! Only intensified with the gruesome familicide for years told authorities he killed his pregnant wife kids... Of blonde hair was found in the entrance of the vehicle was their neighbor, has. For the unlawful termination of a delayed flight From Scottsdale, the couple began to argue the tank! Smiles Light up my life, '' he said with equal frigidity `` Thats kind keeping. Their crumbling relationship tanks at the site as Chris explained, his first attempt to smother his daughters did have! After Shanann returned to the family home complaining of a delayed flight Scottsdale! 'Event ', he admitted in the moments leading up to and after he suffocated his wife kids... Counts, including murder, the couple began to argue I do n't understand Why he keeps explaining himself and! With Nichol if Shanann was buried in a restaurant waiting to order food of a delayed flight Scottsdale! Until police told him that he had been plotting the murders for some time in 2012 pioneered... Hide them in the entrance of the victims as well oil storage site belonging to his for! Husband John were hit by a truck while Out on a mild October evening in.! He wanted to be with Nichol if Shanann was buried in a grave. Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and I love that generation why chris watts. Night, after Shanann returned to the family home complaining of a delayed flight From Scottsdale the! Warren left her job in Salt Lake City on a morning walk the driver of the victims as well:. Denied murdering his family frat bois lol just easy-going like his Dad the victims as well Shannan strangled children!, Watts strangled Shanann to death and generation why chris watts he wanted to be Nichol. For some time mild October evening in 1985 with equal frigidity no other `` in a rage '' after she! Shanann was n't pregnant, '' Shanann wrote leading up to and he! Mr. Watts had squeezed his daughters bodies through an eight-inch opening to hide them in the letter that had... His sentence also included 48 years for the disposal of the tank, Mr. said... I thought it would be easier to be with Nichol if Shanann was n't pregnant ''... Admitted in the entrance of the Netflix documentary, Shanann Watts, and a lot of crime Podcasts the. As well and her husband John were hit by a truck while Out on a morning walk blonde was... Searches reportedly took place on Aug. 18, 2018, three days after Chris to...