She is currently based in Pennsylvania and loves all things antiques, cilantro, and American history. But with two strong persons of interest with competing facts and evidence, it muddied the murder investigation. Last month, the case began to recapture Americans attention when Netflix released a documentary on the murders, the Wattses marriage and the police investigation. 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 was charged with multiple counts of murder, tampering with a body and the unlawful termination of a pregnancy. That is until she meets: Dean. 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.' If you don't mean it then I get it, but we need to talk. 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. It was a very hard relationship (with Shanann) as far as I'm concerned. Web#chriswatts #shannanwatts #nicholkessinger #wattsbook #lenaderhally #scottreischLena's website:https://www.lenaderhally.comAmazon Jill is left to pick up the pieces.From Wondery and Novel, comes a new series. Copyright 2023 Distractify. In the same way that the fairy tale presented on Facebook by the Watts family is inverted into a grotesque nightmare in real life, theres another macabre mirror built into this story. },false) 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. 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. Detectives spent hours trying to get Watts to confess to his crimes. 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. Chris Watts took a plea deal to avoid the death penalty after pleading guilty to the murders including that of his unborn child. Of Chris' mistress, Nichol ("Nikki") Kessinger, Cadle said, "Christopher says he loved her like he has never loved anyone else before.". 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. Watts is rumored to have had other extramarital encounters as well, but those have not been verified. He allegedly confessed to police that he was responsible for the slaying of his family. 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. Watts says Shanann became angry and strangled her daughters. Hes a wealthy beauty entrepreneur with his own range of toiletries.Girl meets boy. Per Kessinger's account to the outlet, "Watts told her that he had two daughters and, after Kessinger asked, Watts said he was separated and at the end of divorce proceedings, she said.". 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. Disclaimer : The views expressed in this article belong to the writer and are not necessarily shared by MEAWW. According toiNews, "He claimed that she had killed their two girls in response to his request [for a divorce], and said he had killed her in anger after she did this. While Chris and Shanann Watts appeared to have a perfect marriage to onlookers, their relationship suddenly changed in the weeks leading up to the murders. 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. Under the agreement, Mr. Watts agreed to serve consecutive life sentences for each of the three deaths. ga('ads.send', { 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. I feel it should be required reading, especially for frat bois lol. December 25th, 2006. Shetold The Denver Post in November of that year that she believed him when he said he was separated from his wife and finalizing divorce proceedings. As Insider reported in December 2018, Shanann's mother, Sandra Rzucek, told 20/20 that Watts didn't seem worried in the slightest when his wife and kids were first reported missing. Thats pretty thats very, very significant.. You don't consider others at all, nor think about feelings. I recommend the book :) its powerful. There are some new stories that stick with you forever and the case of Chris Watts is no exception. That is one evil man.. 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. 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. Show more Show more Colorado murder home sits in 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. Read more true crime, cold cases and unsolved mysteries from meHERE<<. That night, after Shanann returned to the family home complaining of a delayed flight from Scottsdale, the couple began to argue. 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. The story he told me that night, I believed it: The way he looked at me, the way he was crying, I believed it." He was in sports since he was 5 years old until he was 17 years old, she continued. By all accounts, Chris had spent a pretty regular weekend with his two daughters, and there seemed to be indication that he had planned to murder them and their mother just hours later. At this moment in time, the motive behind the crime is unclear. While Chris, at first, adamantly denied any wrongdoing in the disappearance of his entire family, it wasnt long before he was arrested. Despite suffering from lupus, Shanann managed to get pregnant for a third time, and a sonogram of third addition to the Watts clan was posted proudly for all to see and share in the happiness- I love them already! Chris said in a screen-shotted text message exchange with his wife. Chris Watts killed his pregnant wife Shanann Watts because he wanted to pursue his fledgling romance with colleague Nichol Kessinger and also because he didn't Chris Wattss behavior around his missing and pregnant wife raised red flags for those following the case instantly along with local law enforcement. Wish I could have known her if only to thank her for her contagious enthusiasm. He also received 12 years for tampering with the bodies of each victim.". I just listened to the Brock Turner case, which is what inspired me to write this review. WebThese unseen confession tapes show the moment Chris Watts explains why he put the bodies of his family in oil tanks. She killed the kids. }); Distractify is a registered trademark. When she saw him on TV and realized Shanann was pregnant with a third child she was shocked. ", 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. And then theres the chill Watts put on the room after his confession. When I feel unmotivated all I need to do is watch some of her videos and my day gets better. "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. Their financial issues were so bad that they filed for bankruptcy in 2014. 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. The truth was that he had been cheating for a long while. "I just don't understand why he keeps explaining himself over and over," says Trinastich. 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. All Rights Reserved. His facial expressions and tone of voice, however, convey a complete lack of concern for Shanann and their daughters. As she said in the Denver Post interview, "We had just met. During this same interview, Chris also emotionally suggested that if he hadn't begun an affair, he might not have become dissatisfied with his marriage to Shanann Watts. eventAction: 'render' However, that's not all that he did. You didnt see emotion when his family was killed.. Then a fidgety Watts scurries out of the house, and Trinastich tells the officers he's got a funny feeling about his neighbor's behavior. That November, Mr. Watts pleaded guilty to nine criminal counts in a deal with prosecutors, who agreed not to pursue the death penalty. The normal score to indicate that someone is lying is around -4, and Watts scored -18. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Yeah, Ill have pizza. Once again, no one was buying the story. The day that Shanann went missing he sent her a text asking where she was. }); Soon after his arrest, he confessed to killing Shanann after failing a polygraph test. Women's Health may earn commission from the links on this page, but we only feature products we believe in. Empathy is something victims lack, and a lot of crime podcasts lack the anger towards predators. Bella fought back for her life, he said, adding that she had bitten her tongue several times before she died. On August 14, 2018, Chris Watts paced his neighbor Nathaniel Trinastich's living room in agitation. "I went to Bella's room, then Cece's room and used a pillow from their bed [to kill them]. Most notably, the tragic events have been covered by Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, and ABC's 20/20, and they have been adapted into a Netflix documentary called American Murder: The Family Next Door, released in September 2020. While this is far from the only bizarre thing about the Watts murders, it's definitely strange to consider that Chris decided to run some normal-seeming errands right after committing these heinous crimes. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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. John survived, but Katie died the next day. Shanann was buried in a shallow grave, while Bella and Celeste were left submerged inside two oil tanks at the site. Presumably, Kessinger may have been concerned about what the public perception would be once it was revealed that she was the mistress of a convicted murderer. Many people have watched the Netflix documentary,American Murder: The Family Next Door, which pieces together the events leading up to the murders of Shanann Watts, her two daughters, and unborn son. 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. Which leads us into the interrogation room at the Weld County Sheriffs office and the unraveling of a killers account. Chris made a plethora of revelations during the interview, and he spoke about his former mistress, Nichol Kessinger. When Shanann Watts was killed on Aug. 13, 2018, she'd just returned from a business trip in the early hours of the morning. 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. His story changed dramatically. 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, this was, of course, later revealed to be untrue. Shanann appears to display some signs of narcissism when she disregards what Chris wants to eat and proceeds to order for both of them. #ChrisWatts #ShannanWatts #PsychicMedium, A post shared by Shavonda Tate (@shavondaspsychicreadings) on Dec 27, 2019 at 1:25pm PST. Why Trust Us? Thousands of documents pertaining to Watts' family's annihilation were released after the murder investigations were concluded. They never would come home. Shanann booked a trip to Aspen which the couple were due to take just a few days after she went missing. This is all about him. He said he then murdered Shanann and disposed of all three bodies. The murder of the Watts family quickly received national attention with Chris at the center of a murder investigation. ", 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. That made the act that much worse knowing I went to their rooms first and knowing I still took their lives at the location of the batteries.". }); 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." We put that question to a pair of Colorados most respected police psychology experts, Lottie Flater and John Nicoletti. Watts then changed his story about his marriage and didn't show the kind of emotion one would expect from a man who can't find his family. However, as theDaily Mail reported, "Despite the logical explanation, a few people insisted that the home is haunted. Chris Watts, Shanann Watts, and their two daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste. 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. It is thought the tanks of gas were used in an attempt to disguise the odor of decay. ga('ads.send', { Get bonus content from Generation Why at: patreon.com/generationwhyListen ad free with Wondery+. Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Available in the Wondery App. Hes caught and that reality is setting in, Flater said. It made me feel nasty. }); Just days before Christopher Watts was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his pregnant wife and two daughters, his parents claimed he was actually the one being abused in the relationship. 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. 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." "I can't come back like this. When she realized her marriage was crumbling before her, she tried everything she could to save it. WebIn this video I continue to give my answers and opinions to viewers' questions. She planned to explain that she knew heneeded space, as did she, but wanted to ask what they could do to mend their marriage. 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.' 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. 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. This is the first time you see emotion. At this juncture, Chris was already having an affair with his mistress Nichol Kessinger and is mentally weighing his relationships with both women in his life. 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. This beautiful angel inspires me every single day. 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. She and her husband, No tears. He was normal, he didn't have a temper, he was just easy-going like his Dad. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. However, McMahon claimed that she saw a darker side of Chris during the weeks they were seeing each other. 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. } Baby Mia Jade Riley: Parents Lani and Tom Riley speak out after dog attack killed their 5-week-old infant, Bruce Willis's mom Marlene 'not sure if her son still recognizes her' as 'aggressiveness' creeps in, Kyle Sambrook: Hiker falls 100ft to death while carrying his dog in one hand through 'appalling' weather, Julia Faustyna: 21-yr-old girl who claims to be Madeleine McCann admits to making 'pornographic videos' in past, Internet finds similarities between Julia Wandelt and Livia Schepp, 6, who went missing 12 years ago. 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. Probably not," he told investigators. 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. 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 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. Boy meets girl. ", 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. And they will tell you the lies that Chris Watts told for more than two months about the disappearance of his family were as easy to read as a childrens book. Chris Watts and Shanann Watts at their wedding. Shanann, Bella, Celeste, if youre out there, just come back, Mr. Watts said, staring into the camera. According to Film Daily, the Watts family murders have been the subject of quite a few true crime documentaries, television shows, podcasts, YouTube specials, and more. 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. 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. "The best way I can describe it that he almost zoned out into a different person," she explained. This house is not complete without anybody here.. Are you subscribed to my channel yet? if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ 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. That's why the cause of death was smothering. If somebody has her, just bring her back. Throughout her time away, she texted friends about some of the issues going on between her and Chris. Its understandable, the couple were burdened with financial problems like late mortgage payments, maxed out credit cards and unpaid debt. 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. I couldn't do anything right. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Dont forget to follow Generation Why on FB [X] , Instagram [X] and Twitter [X]. 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. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Following his confession, Watts was offered lunch. ga('ads.send', { After his confession, police found the bodies of Bella and Celeste hidden in oil tanks, and Shanann was buried nearby. 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. It was important that each of those beautiful human beings be reflected in the ultimate sentence that will be imposed.. He later admitted to killing all three and disposing of their bodies. 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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I mean, those smiles are my lifePlease bring her back. Her friend responded, "What do you mean? That is why hes cryingbecause hes caught. Court documents revealed that despite a healthy combined income, the couple were crippled by lingering student loans, credit card debt and unpaid medical bills. He then said that he killed her in response to her killing their daughters. 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. 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. He simply returned to work as normal, made several phone calls to his girlfriend, contacted a real estate agent to put the family home up for sale, cancelled his childrens enrolment at a local school and played the victim in interviews for local news stations. The attention has only intensified with the release of the Netflix doc. Tanned and fit, he looked into the camera apparently in anguish and begged for his family to come home. THIS IS TOTAL LEFT FIELD.". He repeated that he wanted Shanann and the girls to come home. I need to see everybody., We cant see the whole body but it looks like hes holding his arms together," Nicoletti said. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. 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. As reported by the outlet,"Prosecutors have cited Watts' desire for a fresh start with his mistress, coworker Nichol Kessinger, 30, as his motive in the killings. Well its desperation, Flater explained. 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. His demeanor never changed. Hes looking at it as a cognitive exercise.. And Watts showed his first sign of emotion. On August 12th while Shanann was out of town on a business trip, Chris took the kids to a birthday party. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ Two friends, Aaron & Justin, As reported by The Denver Post, Chris reportedly told Kessinger that "he was separated and at the end of divorce proceedings," with his mistress saying that she "believed" she was dating a soon-to-be divorced man with which there would be nothing wrong. April 21st, 2020 Denison, Texas. OK, it's up. They are used to being lied to. 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. Police officers entered the home of Ryan Waller, an 18-year-old living in Phoenix. In a February 2019 prison interview with investigators, Mr. Watts confessed that his daughters had still been alive when he put his dead wifes body in his truck and drove to the oil field where all the bodies were disposed at. In the Netflix documentary, Shanann's texts to with Chris and friends revealed more about their crumbling relationship. The bodies ofthree year old Bella and four year old Celest were discovered nearby. 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. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. However, the case soon became a murder investigation, in which Chris was the prime suspect and after failing a polygraph test, he would confess to murdering his family and disposing of their bodies. ", "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. ", Indeed, the fact that Kessinger reportedly Googled Chris' wife's name in September 2017 seemingly contradicts her own version of events. Chris Watts was in an abusive marriage with Shanann who often humiliated him, claims Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer. Chris and Shanann met in 2010 and married two years later in North Carolina. I find it interesting that we should believe it's only a coincidence. "He doesn't look worried. Shanann Watts' Friend Not Surprised Chris Watts Killed Fami