let gads_event; They found Ryan injured but alive, and his girlfriend Heather dead from a gunshot wound to the head. For the murders, Watts was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in November 2018. 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. 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 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.". All I could feel was now I was free to be with Nikki. If you want to refresh yourself on the details of the case before reading the update, head over to the original post (HERE<<). Mr. Rourke said that Mr. Watts had squeezed his daughters bodies through an eight-inch opening to hide them in the oil tank. No, and heres why. 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. Sadism, in not so many words, is revenge for humiliation by taking pleasure inflicting pain onto the humiliator. 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. In a disturbing prison letter obtained by The Daily Mail, Chris went into more detail about how and why he committed this heinous crime. 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. 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. Chris Watts revealed a plethora of details about the case to author Cherlyn Cadle, which were subsequently published in her book,Letters from Christopher: The Tragic Confessions of the Watts Family Murders. Hes caught and that reality is setting in, Flater said. As Kessinger later told The Denver Post, "I just wanted to help With a pregnant woman and two children missing, I was going to do anything that I could. The documentary was made using social media posts, recordings from law enforcement personnel, text messages and home videos, according to Netflix. Tuesday would be the gender reveal party, an event that friends and family were excited to attend. Tammy Lee, an investigator in the case, conducted the test, and as reported by The Tab, "Chris Watts didn't just fail his polygraph test, he scored shockingly low. After I left Cece's room, then I climbed back in bed with Shanann and our argument ensued. Chris had reportedly told Shanann he didnt believe that they were compatible anymore, and he had refused couples counseling. Niraj Chokshi, Sandra E. Garcia, Sarah Mervosh and Mihir Zaveri contributed reporting. },false) Thank you guys, for bringing me back into my love for true crime! The day after Shanann and the girls "went missing," however, Watts wasn't quite so believable. 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 just want to cry. Detectives kept telling Watts he knows thats not going to happen. He knows hes starting to get pinned, Flater said. But it's unknown whether the family still had money issues in 2018 when the killings occurred and if that was a factor in Watts' motive. ", Chris' parents also suggested that it was his marriage to Shanann that changed him. hitType: 'event', Shanann used to work at a childrens hospital as a phone operator, but had recently secured a much more glamorous position at a health and wellness company called Le-Vel. 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. And then theres the chill Watts put on the room after his confession. However, he later confessed to strangling his wife during a confrontation over the revelations of his affair.". Which leads us into the interrogation room at the Weld County Sheriffs office and the unraveling of a killers account. Hes looking at it as a cognitive exercise.. And Watts showed his first sign of emotion. While Chris reportedly met Nichol Kessinger, the coworker he would begin an affair with, in June 2018, the romance seemed to have escalated quickly by the following month. They never would come home. According to the discovery documents compiled by investigators, data from Kessinger's phone showed that she'd Googled Shanann Watts' name the year before she started an affair with Chris, on Sept. 1, 2017. }); So yes, theyve helped me with my victim shame. Hes a wealthy beauty entrepreneur with his own range of toiletries.Girl meets boy. I thought it would be easier to be with Nichol if Shanann wasn't pregnant, he explained. 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. Empathy is something victims lack, and a lot of crime podcasts lack the anger towards predators. The couple's marriage was also affected by financial problems, according to Distractify. eventAction: 'click_ads' eventAction: 'view' Chris Watts, Shanann Watts, and their two daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste. 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 don't know the answer to it. No tears. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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. It was imperative for her to have the blessing of Ms. Wattss family, the Rzuceks, to make the film, Ms. Popplewell said. December 25th, 2006. 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. Ryan was the initial suspect, but he acted very strangely during his interview, claiming hed been shot in the face by two men who broke into the house. He also confessed that he had poisoned his wife with the painkiller Oxycodone, hoping to cause her to miscarry. Since Chris Watts was arrested for the murders of his wife, Shannan Watts, two daughters, Bella and Celeste, and their unborn child, other people have come forward to claim that they were romantically involved with him. When people have trauma, when they lose somebody, they lose their appetite, Nicoletti explained. Its difficult to imagine the level of devastation and heartbreak one must feel having their entire family so suddenly ripped away. While Googling romance advice isn't necessarily bizarre in and of itself, the fact that Chris Watts was searching for dating tips while married to Shanann Watts is troubling. https://www.distractify.com/p/why-did-chris-watts-kill-his-family He told the police that afterward, he had looked at the familys baby monitor and had seen his wife strangling their younger daughter, Celeste. I challenge you to look up the full lyrics of this song. I couldnt imagine a better man for us. ", 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. 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+. Last month, the case began to recapture Americans attention when Netflix released a documentary on the murders, the Wattses marriage and the police investigation. Under the agreement, Mr. Watts agreed to serve consecutive life sentences for each of the three deaths. Nicoletti believes the questions about motive and possible mental illness will never be fully answered. Meanwhile, his time with Kessinger brings back memories of his younger days that were bereft of responsibilities. Instead, this is a love story like no other. On August 13, 2018, Colorado dad Chris Watts murdered his pregnant wife, Shanann Watts (she was carrying their son, Nico), and their two daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste. Shanann, Bella, and Celeste became the focus of a police investigation after disappearing from their home in Frederick, Colo. in the early hours of Aug. 13, 2018. When Greg and a friend went to collect this evidence they were shot at by a man hiding in the bushes. }) When convicted killer Christopher Watts spoke to Denver7 reporter Tomas Hoppough and then later to investigators last August, it was what he did not say and do that raised a lot of eyebrows. "I went to Bella's room, then Cece's room and used a pillow from their bed [to kill them]. The four of them were constantly smiling in pictures and Shanann often wrote out long captions about how much she loved her husband and kids and how happy they were to have a new baby on the way. He repeated that he wanted Shanann and the girls to come home. Ultimately, it's impossible to have all the answers as to why Watts killed his wife and children. Nichol Kessinger Is Part of 'Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer', but She Didnt Want the Spotlight, The Incredible True Story of Kidnapping Victim Mary Stauffer Is Being Made Into a Lifetime Movie. 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. No tears when hes talking about killing the girls. ", 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. His pregnant wife and their two daughters had vanished. A triple homicide is a very aggressive act, and in this case, the aggression is mixed with sadism. "I never thought I would have strayed away from [Shanann].". An autopsy was performed but the cause of death has not yet been released (as I write this). 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. Filed under. And although there was distrust around Charles Warren, he wasnt the only suspect when Sheree went missing. "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. ", On Aug. 15, 2018, less than a week after his wife and daughters disappeared, Chris Watts failed a polygraph test. The obsessive media coverage has been very hard on Kessinger, who has avoided the spotlight since late 2018, after helping out with the police investigation. If people obsess about this case, theyre going to become paranoid and theyre going to think, 'Oh my God, my next-door neighbor just took a family picture.' 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. This application by all appearances is an operable calculator. Get bonus content from Generation Why at: patreon.com/generationwhyListen ad free with Wondery+. As reported by theDaily Mail, surveillance footage of Chris was captured at a convenience store on the morning of the murders. Shanann, Bella, Celeste, if youre out there, just come back, Mr. Watts said, staring into the camera. }); In the Netflix documentary, Shanann's texts to with Chris and friends revealed more about their crumbling relationship. They personify them, and then use empathy. Sheree Warren left her job in Salt Lake City on a mild October evening in 1985. And Watts showed his first sign of emotion. },false) They kiss and fall in love. When Shanann Watts was killed on Aug. 13, 2018, she'd just returned from a business trip in the early hours of the morning. Soon after his arrest, he confessed to killing Shanann after failing a polygraph test. Watts is rumored to have had other extramarital encounters as well, but those have not been verified. ", So, in order to conceal his affair with Kessinger from his wife, Shanann Watts, Chris made sure to store all content from his mistress in the special app on his phone, presumably so that Shanann couldn't access it. He said that their older daughter, Bella, was lying on her bed and that she had looked blue. ", 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. However, that's not all that he did. I barely knew him. The two met in June 2018 and struck up a relationship, but Watts misrepresented his marital status to Kessinger. The story he told me that night, I believed it: The way he looked at me, the way he was crying, I believed it." No joke. Of Chris' mistress, Nichol ("Nikki") Kessinger, Cadle said, "Christopher says he loved her like he has never loved anyone else before.". When the user enters a secret passcode the application reveals its true purpose, a concealed storage device for photographs, videos, contacts, even a private browser. If youre asking that, you probably arent. Shanann was buried in a shallow grave, while Bella and Celeste were left submerged inside two oil tanks at the site. Shanann booked a trip to Aspen which the couple were due to take just a few days after she went missing. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); 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. As a way to explain away his failing result, Watts admitted to an affair. 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. He later faced nine criminal counts, including murder, the unlawful termination of a pregnancy and tampering with dead bodies. If you dont know, he has sadly confessed to the killing } But despite Chris' violent actions, he seemed to have the support of his parents. 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. Two friends, Aaron & Justin, break down theories and give their opinions on unsolved murders, controversies, mysteries and conspiracies.All episodes are available for free, with ad-free episodes available for Wondery+ subscribers. McMahon also alleged that she'd been misled by Chris, who had reportedly told her that he was divorced. The truth was that he had been cheating for a long while. I love that. 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. Either way, his internet searches suggested that he was putting a lot of time and energy into his illicit romance with Kessinger. Boy meets girl. 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. Ultimately, Watts strangled Shanann to death and said he wanted to be with Kessinger. Pictures of her husband, 34 year old Christopher Watts, were captioned with loving and thankful words: Happy Husband Appreciation Day! 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. I just listened to the Brock Turner case, which is what inspired me to write this review. "After Shanann had passed, Bella and Cece woke back up," he explained. Suspiciously, Shanann had neglected to take important everyday items with her, including her cellphone, wallet and medicine. They were soon reported missing by a family friend. 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. hitType: 'event', MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of The bodies ofthree year old Bella and four year old Celest were discovered nearby. 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. 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. 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. 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. In the digital age, it's difficult to conceal information, but Chris Watts found an unusual way to store content he received from his mistress, Nichol Kessinger. Are you subscribed to my channel yet? "He has changed. Ashleys main point is that Chris Watts was a seething, passive-aggressive narcissist. Watts confessed that he poisoned Shanann with the painkiller Oxycodone, hoping to cause her to miscarry, according to The Daily Mail. Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Listen and Subscribe to The Generation Why Podcast! Thousands of documents pertaining to Watts' family's annihilation were released after the murder investigations were concluded. Christopher Watts during his arraignment hearing at the Weld County Courthouse in Greeley, Colo., on Aug. 21, 2018. RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via Associated Press. This is all about him. Wish I could have known her if only to thank her for her contagious enthusiasm. 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. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ According to the official case documents, on Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, at around 5 p.m., Chris texted a co-worker in reference to the Cervi Ranch oil field, "I'm gonna go straight out there from my house in the morning." He wasnt worried, though, she hadcomehome late the night before and they had spent all night talking into the early hours, so he assumed she was just sleeping. ", The Most Bizarre Things About The Chris Watts Case. 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+. Christopher expressed his concern and anxiety in interviews with the local news: I just want them home he desperately told reporters its like a nightmare.