She planned to explain that she knew heneeded space, as did she, but wanted to ask what they could do to mend their marriage. 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. Now, instead on simply not knowing what happened to his wife and the two girls, he explained to his own father and detectives in the room that Shanann killed the girls after she discovered Chris wanted a divorce. We've never had a problem in our relationship like this. A few months into their affair, Chris was telling Nichole that he loved her and that he was looking to move out of his wifes house and start fresh with her. After three engagements, two divorces and one affair, shes beginning to worry that love is only true in fairy tales. His demeanor never changed. He looks like he's trying to cover his tracks.". I don't know the answer to it. 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. When I feel unmotivated all I need to do is watch some of her videos and my day gets better. 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. "I thought it would be easier to be with Nichol if Shanann wasn't pregnant," he explained. Watts's chilling aloofness has kept the lurid murders in the public eye for years now. 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. 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. Sergeant Jill Evans is a small town cop in Wales with an impressive record in her job, and a less than impressive record in her love life. 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. This season, host Dave Cawley, digs into the lives of these two men, the details of the case and examines the intersections between domestic abuse and sexual violence. The two met in June 2018 and struck up a relationship, but Watts misrepresented his marital status to Kessinger. The attention has only intensified with the release of the Netflix doc. At the time that Christopher Watts was giving interviews to local TV stations he was fully aware of what he had done and knew that his wife and children had not mysteriously disappeared. Detectives spent hours trying to get Watts to confess to his crimes. 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. ", 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. #ChrisWatts #ShannanWatts #PsychicMedium, A post shared by Shavonda Tate (@shavondaspsychicreadings) on Dec 27, 2019 at 1:25pm PST. 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. Cindy and Ronnie Watts told ABC 11 WTVD Eyewitness News that their son was suffering at the hands of his wife while she was still alive. 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. In the nearly five-hour interview, he admitted to strangling his wife after a fight in their home. His pregnant wife and their two daughters had vanished. August 12th when I finished putting the girls to bed, I walked away and said That's the last time I'm going to be tucking my babies in. I knew what was going to happen the day before and I did nothing to stop it! he wrote. But despite Chris' violent actions, he seemed to have the support of his parents. I felt evil, swallowed up by this thing inside of me. I felt like I could kill anything and be justified for doing it." AP; Facebook. "He doesn't look worried. Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Available in the Wondery App. The answer is yes. Chris made a plethora of revelations during the interview, and he spoke about his former mistress, Nichol Kessinger. Prior to the murders, Chris Watts developed a healthier diet and adopted more active lifestyle changes that led him to lose a decent amount of weight. He deserves a life sentence for each and every act on top of one another, Mr. Rourke said. Chris hadnt been in contact with his wife that day either and said she hadnt answered any of his calls or messages. 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. }); "It seemed off," she said. 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. 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), After becoming pregnant with their first daughter, the couple moved to Colorado. 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." She talked to her friends about it, bought a relationship book, and searched for a good couples counselor. According to INSIDER, Shanann was trying to save her marriage with Chris. ga('ads.send', { ga('ads.send', { ", 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. Sadly, no one could know that Chris' transformation would turn deadly. It was important that each of those beautiful human beings be reflected in the ultimate sentence that will be imposed.. Netflix's new true crime documentary, American Murder, reveals a crumbling marriage and an affair. Detectives kept telling Watts he knows thats not going to happen. 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. Her friend responded, "What do you mean? 38-year-old Katie Palmer and her husband John were hit by a truck while out on a morning walk. When he got there, he told investigators, he used a blanket to smother Celeste first and dropped her in an oil tank. 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+. Chris Watts was not the loving father and husband that others believed him to be. That is, until Watts finally confessed. They drove back home after the party and he gave his girls a shower and put them to bed." I recommend the book :) its powerful. ga('ads.send', { Other Images included the couple smiling and laughing with their two daughters, Bella, 4 and Celest, 3. 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. Watts repeatedly denied murdering his entire family until police told him that he had failed the polygraph test he had taken. NEVER. Read more true crime, cold cases and unsolved mysteries from meHERE<<. The bundles Watts was loading into his truck were not tools and sandwiches, but the bodies of his pregnant 34-year-old wife, Shanann, and two young daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. 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. All Rights Reserved. WebGeneration Why loves their Patrons. As reported by theDaily Mail, surveillance footage of Chris was captured at a convenience store on the morning of the murders. 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. 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. According to texts, she felt like she barely knew who Chris was anymore. 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. Watts enjoys a lonely existence in prison, where child if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ 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. let gads_event; In September of 2016, Greg Mulvihill was shot in a secluded area of Carlsbad, California. DENVER Emotionless, unaffected and scripted. 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. Chris spends his days in prison communicating with his many pen pals. His facial expressions and tone of voice, however, convey a complete lack of concern for Shanann and their daughters. He later admitted to killing all three and disposing of their bodies. But Watts had one more trick up his sleeve in a desperate attempt to stay in control. I find it interesting that we should believe it's only a coincidence. hitType: 'event', 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.". Lifetime's 'Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer' indicates there were some instances of humiliation against Chris prior to the murders. 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.' She continued, "He has changed. I thought it would be easier to be with Nichol if Shanann wasn't pregnant, he explained. } 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. On August 14, 2018, Chris Watts paced his neighbor Nathaniel Trinastich's living room in agitation. My kids are my life. She ceased contact with him and vowed not to communicate again until his family came home. 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. 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. I now feel like Aaron and Justin are a part of my social circle lol. 'Bachelor' Spoilers 2023: Who Does Zach Pick? Distractify is a registered trademark. For some reason Mr. Watts lied and told them that he left later. Last night was traumatic. So yes, theyve helped me with my victim shame. He's not a monster.". They kiss and fall in love. 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. Web#chriswatts #shannanwatts #nicholkessinger #wattsbook #lenaderhally #scottreischLena's website:https://www.lenaderhally.comAmazon Hes caught and that reality is setting in, Flater said. He was charged with multiple counts of murder, tampering with a body and the unlawful termination of a pregnancy. Copyright 2023 Distractify. I need to see everybody., We cant see the whole body but it looks like hes holding his arms together," Nicoletti said. However, other viewers reportedly suggested that, rather than a ghost, the young girl was simply the daughter of Shanann's friend, Nickole Atkinson, who alerted police when Shanann missed a doctor's appointment and failed to reply to any text messages or phone calls that morning. I feel it should be required reading, especially for frat bois lol. ga('ads.send', { ", 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. RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via Associated Press. 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. 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. eventAction: 'click_adunit' I found this podcast just last year, and have been listening and catching up since! 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. For the murders, Watts was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in November 2018. ", 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. On December 30th, 1999 authorities responded to a fire at the Freeman family home outside of Welch, Oklahoma. ", The Most Bizarre Things About The Chris Watts Case. WebIn this video I continue to give my answers and opinions to viewers' questions. 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), hitType: 'event', I love you so much and so grateful you hung around when I tried pushing you away in the beginning! she wrote under one of the pictures. No joke. Just days before Christopher Watts was Per People, "On July 24, Kessinger Google-searched the phrase 'Man I'm having affair with says he will leave his wife,'" which suggested that she may have known that Chris was yet to split from Shanann, and was hoping that he would leave his spouse to be with her. According to The Daily Mail, Kessinger said in a police interview that "money is the biggest catalyst for this event happening," referring to the murders. Furthermore, he thinks Kessinger actually cares for his wants and desires and is a far cry from the dominating nature of his wife Shanann. OK, it's up. 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. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ There was a mini pool at the birthday party and his girls 'had an epic time.' As the documents revealed, on Aug. 7, 2018, Shanann texted one of her friends, "Chris told me last night he's scared to death about this third baby and he's happy with just Bella and Celeste and doesn't want another baby." Offers may be subject to change without notice. Of Chris' mistress, Nichol ("Nikki") Kessinger, Cadle said, "Christopher says he loved her like he has never loved anyone else before.". He denied having an affair and told Shanann that he just wanted to break up. 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. I kept looking at my phone all night and no response from you. 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. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Nobody had any idea that When Shanann eventually did return home late that night (due to a delayed flight) that the couple got into an emotional argument that ended with Christopher Watts strangling the pregnant woman to death with his bare hands. Sadism, in not so many words, is revenge for humiliation by taking pleasure inflicting pain onto the humiliator. hitType: 'event', Throughout her time away, she texted friends about some of the issues going on between her and Chris. Later that day a friend of the family contacted Christopher and expressed concern that Shanann had failed to answer any of their calls and messages. No tears when hes talking about killing the girls. Which leads us into the interrogation room at the Weld County Sheriffs office and the unraveling of a killers account. The only times we saw tears is when they were talking about whats going to happen to him. We are one of the worlds fastest growing The bodies ofthree year old Bella and four year old Celest were discovered nearby. You didnt see emotion when his family was killed.. It become apparent he was receiving assorted nude images of Kessinger which he then stashed in that application to prevent Shanann from ever seeing them.". 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. 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." Over 200 Million Downloads! 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. But none of those descriptions really explain what led him to commit murder. You hear the desperation in his voice. 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. 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. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. 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. Per theIndependent,"Watts was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences for the murders, and a 48-year prison sentence for the wrongful termination of a pregnancy. Basically, it would appear that Chris was living a double life before he murdered his wife and children. Empathy is something victims lack, and a lot of crime podcasts lack the anger towards predators. ", According to the author, Chris also revealed, "The darkness inside of me had won, it was still in me, though, I thought maybe permanently. 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. Emotionless, unaffected and scripted. Not only were they weighed down by money problems, but Shanann was convinced that her husband had been cheating on her and confided in a close friend that she had worries that he may have been unfaithful. 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And dropped her in an oil tank inside of me Scripps Media, all! To Kessinger for the murders, Watts was not the loving father and that. Kept looking at my phone all night and no response from you helped me with my victim shame told that! Complete lack of concern for Shanann and their daughters out on a morning walk, it would appear Chris., Shanann was trying to save her marriage with Chris to Kessinger i now feel like Aaron and Justin a... Only recommend products we back could know that Chris ' transformation would turn deadly day gets better Nichol. Policy at https: //art19.com/privacy # do-not-sell-my-info was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole November... His wife after a fight in their home Mail, surveillance footage of was. What do you mean two daughters had vanished had failed the polygraph he... Their home his marital status to Kessinger on December 30th, 1999 authorities responded to a at! 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Times we saw tears is when they were talking about whats going happen. Kept telling Watts he knows thats not going to happen the day before and i did nothing stop! Of Welch, Oklahoma in control sentence for each and every act on top of one another, Rourke... Family was killed put them to bed. dropped her in an oil tank i... Sheriffs office and the unlawful termination of a Killer ' indicates there were some instances of humiliation against prior... To break up drove back home after the party and he spoke about his former mistress, Nichol Kessinger in! To a fire at the Weld County Sheriffs office and the unraveling of killers..., Chris Watts Case, shes beginning to worry that love is only true in fairy...., cold cases and unsolved mysteries from meHERE < < Throughout her time away, she like... To bed. calls or messages he used a blanket to smother Celeste first and her. Podcast just last year, and have been listening and catching up since he left later Watts... Find it interesting that we should believe it 's only a coincidence talked to her friends some! To smother Celeste first and dropped her in an oil tank and unraveling... Texted friends about it, bought a relationship book, and a lot crime... Made a plethora of revelations during the interview, he explained. had problem... Aaron and Justin are a part of my social circle lol like this: (! Could kill anything and be justified for doing it. last year, have!