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. 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. He will spend the rest of his life in prison and is currently being housed at Dodge Correctional Institution in Wisconsin. },false) Vilifying Shanann. Presumably to save face after failing the polygraph test, Chris concocted a story about what happened to his family, which painted him as somewhat of a victim in the proceedings. On August 14, 2018, Chris Watts paced his neighbor Nathaniel Trinastich's living room in agitation. Wish I could have known her if only to thank her for her contagious enthusiasm. He was charming." ", 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. Some readers may find this story upsetting. In his first confession, he claimed that he was having an affair and had asked Shanann for a separation. eventAction: 'click_adunit' Once again, no one was buying the story. That is one evil man.. 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. 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. Become a Patreon Supporter for bonus content! Over 200 Million Downloads! I really enjoy this podcast. 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. Bella fought back for her life, he said, adding that she had bitten her tongue several times before she died. Shortly after Shanann and the kids were reported missing a body was found. However, McMahon claimed that she saw a darker side of Chris during the weeks they were seeing each other. She and her husband, Christopher Watts, got into an argument while their two daughters, Bella, 4 and Celeste, 3, were sleeping upstairs. Roll credits.But that would be boring, wouldnt it? Watts is rumored to have had other extramarital encounters as well, but those have not been verified. 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. That is why hes cryingbecause hes caught. Watts had clearly premeditated the crime and although it was confirmed that he did make it to work for his shift, he apparently kept going back and forth to his vehicle for reasons co-workers didnt understand at the time. 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. Chris Watts, Shanann Watts, and their two daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste. Hes caught and that reality is setting in, Flater said. hitType: 'event', Which brings us to perhaps the most frightening question of all are all of us capable of this kind of evil, this kind of violence? We didn't just start dating yesterday! document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ hitType: 'event', Yeah, Ill have pizza. If you had remorse and grief about killing your kids, Nicoletti added, that would be very intense for you. 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. It made me feel nasty. "There's not one person you can talk to that will say anything about this kid. WebIn this video I continue to give my answers and opinions to viewers' questions. While Chris Watts' mistress has maintained that she believed he was separated from his wife when they met, police discovered a strange piece of information on Nichol Kessinger's mobile phone. Before her death, Shanann, who was pregnant with their third child, packed up the kids and headed back to her parents home in North Carolina. 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. Welch, Oklahoma. 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. Atkinson joined police in the house in the search for Shanann, and it seems likely that her children could have been present, too. His facial expressions and tone of voice, however, convey a complete lack of concern for Shanann and their daughters. They already knew the gender of their third child, a boy, who they planned to call Nico. ", While Chris Watts and his mistress, Nichol Kessinger, reportedly met in June 2018 at work, it wasn't long before Kessinger was also turning to Google for romance advice. Under the agreement, Mr. Watts agreed to serve consecutive life sentences for each of the three deaths. And Watts showed his first sign of emotion. A tuft of blonde hair was found in the entrance of the tank, Mr. Rourke said. I felt no remorse. } 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. ", "I try to give you space, but while you are working and living the bachelor life I'm carrying our 3rd and fighting with two kids daily and trying to work and make money," she continued in another text. The day after Shanann and the girls "went missing," however, Watts wasn't quite so believable. I felt evil, swallowed up by this thing inside of me. 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}} Of Chris' mistress, Nichol ("Nikki") Kessinger, Cadle said, "Christopher says he loved her like he has never loved anyone else before.". Things hadbecome so bad that they had to file for bankruptcy a couple of years earlier. "I'm not sure how they woke back up, but they did. Regardless of his accusations Mr. Watts has been charged with 5 counts of murder, tampering with evidence/a body and the unlawful termination of pregnancy. He later faced nine criminal counts, including murder, the unlawful termination of a pregnancy and tampering with dead bodies. In hindsight, this normalcy appeared to be extremely chilling. That's why the cause of death was smothering. He then loaded his daughters into his truck, with their mothers body nearby, and drove them about 45 minutes to the oil site. Listen and Subscribe to The Generation Why Podcast! It was imperative for her to have the blessing of Ms. Wattss family, the Rzuceks, to make the film, Ms. Popplewell said. Last night was traumatic. 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. Thousands of documents pertaining to Watts' family's annihilation were released after the murder investigations were concluded. 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. Chris Watts took a plea deal to avoid the death penalty after pleading guilty to the murders including that of his unborn child. What he was trying to do was permanently erase all traces of all four of his flesh and blood family Shanann, Niko, Bella and Celeste. A triple homicide is a very aggressive act, and in this case, the aggression is mixed with sadism. Even as Weld County homicide detectives interrogated Watts, getting the husband and father to show even a little emotion over the murder of his family was a challenge. The answer is yes. 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. I freaked out.. We call that staging.. 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. "I can't come back like this. I feel it should be required reading, especially for frat bois lol. No one knew that he had then walked upstairs to his daughters rooms andkilled them in their beds. The baby sitter told police that he had hired her to take care of the kids while his wife was away and spun a story about winning tickets to a sports game when in reality he was likely out with his mistress. The Generation Why Podcast released its first episode in 2012 and pioneered the true crime genre in the podcasting world. He then claimed that Shannan strangled their children in response to his request for a separation. It was a very hard relationship, and as far as Im concerned, I couldnt do anything right, Cindy told WTVD. 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. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { hitType: 'event', Michael J. Rourke, the Weld County district attorney, said Mr. Watts had smothered his daughters.. 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. 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. Many have called him a monster, a psychopath, or just pure evil. 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. Throughout her time away, she texted friends about some of the issues going on between her and Chris. 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. He deserves a life sentence for each and every act on top of one another, Mr. Rourke said. 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. 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. It is thought the tanks of gas were used in an attempt to disguise the odor of decay. 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. You spoil us with love an attention! The party was for the younger brother of a girl who babysat the Watts kids, and she told investigators that they left around 3:30PM. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Sheree Warren left her job in Salt Lake City on a mild October evening in 1985. Basically, it would appear that Chris was living a double life before he murdered his wife and children. Chris made a plethora of revelations during the interview, and he spoke about his former mistress, Nichol Kessinger. We are one of the worlds fastest growing These Pregnant Celebrities Have Due Dates In 2023, Shop Amazons Massive Sale On Power Banks. 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 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. Following his confession, Watts was offered lunch. Even when detectives showed Watts several family pictures, there was no emotional response. 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. "If I never met [Kessinger] would I have ever thought our relationship was bad? Heres What To Know, TikTok Loves These Tech Accessories From Amazon, Elizabeth Holmes' Kids: Her New Baby & Prison Time. When she saw him on TV and realized Shanann was pregnant with a third child she was shocked. 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. ", 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 also confessed that he had poisoned his wife with the painkiller Oxycodone, hoping to cause her to miscarry. "I never thought I would have strayed away from [Shanann].". "He has changed. He was normal and not a monster in their eyes. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. If you don't mean it then I get it, but we need to talk. The entire case was later featured in the 2020Netflix true crime documentary, American Murder: The Family Next Door, but it's safe to say that there are many strange details that didn't make it onto the streaming service. eventAction: 'render' 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. UPDATE: In an affidavit released today (Monday 21st of August 2018) Christopher Watts claims that he murdered his wife Shanann in a rage after he witnessed her strangling their daughters on the baby monitor. Over 200 Million Downloads! One extra, ad-free, full length episode a month Access to all past $5 bonus episodes and 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? Are you subscribed to my channel yet? On August 14, 2018, Chris Watts paced his neighbor Nathaniel Trinastich's living room in agitation. The bodies of Shanann Watts and her two daughters were found stuffed into oil filled barrels on property belonging to a company that Chris Watts worked for. When asked about her relationship with Chris Watts, his girlfriend, Nichol Kessinger, told interviewers that she believed the couples financial problems was one of the main stresses in the relationship and most likely the reason that Mr. Watts wanted a divorce. 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. Shanann, Bella, Celeste, if youre out there, just come back, Mr. Watts said, staring into the camera. One such incident was when Shanann had a fallout with Chris' parents after they served her children ice cream with peanut chips, despite knowing Celeste had a nut allergy. ", 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. He was normal, he didnt have a temper, he was just like his dad just easygoing, rolls off his back, goes on.. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. But despite Chris' violent actions, he seemed to have the support of his parents. 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." 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. For the murders, Watts was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in November 2018. I get it, but those have not been verified ), Sheree Warren left her in! 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