"I just don't understand why he keeps explaining himself over and over," says Trinastich. However, Peoplereports that court documents showed that Kessinger "spent 'over two hours' searching Google for wedding dresses just nine days before Chris killed his wife and two daughters." Furthermore, he thinks Kessinger actually cares for his wants and desires and is a far cry from the dominating nature of his wife Shanann. 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. They already knew the gender of their third child, a boy, who they planned to call Nico. 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. 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. Lifetime's 'Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer' indicates there were some instances of humiliation against Chris prior to the murders. 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. And Watts showed his first sign of emotion. A tuft of blonde hair was found in the entrance of the tank, Mr. Rourke said. The two met in June 2018 and struck up a relationship, but Watts misrepresented his marital status to Kessinger. 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. We call that staging.. She ceased contact with him and vowed not to communicate again until his family came home. For some reason Mr. Watts lied and told them that he left later. After he strangled Ms. Watts, he said, 4-year-old Bella saw her father dragging her mothers body down the stairs. There are some new stories that stick with you forever and the case of Chris Watts is no exception. "It's not hard texting love you and miss you. "Thats kind of keeping it together and hes trying to maintain control. 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. He said that their older daughter, Bella, was lying on her bed and that she had looked blue. Feelings of my love for her was overcoming me. 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. He said he then murdered Shanann and disposed of all three bodies. "He was in sports from when he was five until 17 years old," his mom said. It was only then that he admitted to strangling his wife and dumping his 3 year old and 4 year old daughters bodies in the oil tanks. After I left Cece's room, then I climbed back in bed with Shanann and our argument ensued. According to Nichol, Chris told her that he and his wife were in the process of divorcing, and that she frequently bad-mouthed him in front of their daughters. And then theres the chill Watts put on the room after his confession. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher, The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories. },false) hitType: 'event', 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. Frank Rzucek Sr., left, and Frankie Rzucek, Shanann Wattss father and brother, in court in 2018. This application by all appearances is an operable calculator. 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. 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. 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. He would later admit to police that he was having an extramarital affair with a co-worker, before revealing how he had disposed his wife and kids on an oil site where he had worked at for years. The driver of the vehicle was their neighbor, who has a history of citations and arrests. 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. Disclaimer: The details of this case are extremely disturbing. 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. 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. In his first confession, he claimed that he was having an affair and had asked Shanann for a separation. Join us as we examine the most bizarre things about the Chris Watts case. Chris also revealed to investigators that earlier in the morning, after watching some television, he took the girls to Target to "purchase a birthday present," and when they got home from running the errand, "he fed them leftover, cold pizza.". On December 30th, 1999 authorities responded to a fire at the Freeman family home outside of Welch, Oklahoma. Of Chris' mistress, Nichol ("Nikki") Kessinger, Cadle said, "Christopher says he loved her like he has never loved anyone else before.". 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. It's only one way emotions and feelings," she texted her husband, per the doc. 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." .css-26w0xw{display:block;font-family:NationalBold,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-26w0xw:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-26w0xw{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.28598rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.575rem;line-height:1.1;margin-bottom:-0.5rem;}}How To Avoid Unexpected Health Bills, Where Is Elizabeth Holmes Now? I love that. The location he was referring to turned out to be the place he had decided to dump the bodies of his family once he had murdered them. He was unhappy about her pregnancy, and she worried that he wouldnt be able to handle a third child. 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. 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. That is, until Watts finally confessed. However, as theDaily Mail reported, "Despite the logical explanation, a few people insisted that the home is haunted. However, per Oxygen, Chris' attorney reportedly attempted to contact Kessinger on his behalf, but she refused. "The best way I can describe it that he almost zoned out into a different person," she explained. That is why hes cryingbecause hes caught. 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. Im just so indebted to their trust.. Shortly after Shanann and the kids were reported missing a body was found. ", 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. As for Christopher Watts, he is now serving three life sentences without the possibility of parole at a state prison in Wisconsin. 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. pg.acq.push(function() { 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. He told the police that afterward, he had looked at the familys baby monitor and had seen his wife strangling their younger daughter, Celeste. The documentarys director, Jenny Popplewell, said in an interview with Netflix that she wanted people to watch the film to understand how the narratives of the case shifted. They drove back home after the party and he gave his girls a shower and put them to bed." Listen and Subscribe to The Generation Why Podcast! The Reason True Crime Fans Are Obsessed With Chris Watts. Along with Trinastich and officers of the Frederick, Colorado, police department, Watts watched himself on the TV screen loading large, bulky packages into his pickup truck. Cadle released a book about their letters titled Letters From Christopher in October 2019. ga('ads.send', { No joke. She is currently based in Pennsylvania and loves all things antiques, cilantro, and American history. The victim of that case has a book out called Know My Name, and has identified herself. Investigation revealed that the murders were premeditated and that Watts did not kill his wife in a rage as he said. In the nearly five-hour interview, he admitted to strangling his wife after a fight in their home. 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. Pictures of her husband, 34 year old Christopher Watts, were captioned with loving and thankful words: Happy Husband Appreciation Day! Who was Christopher Lee Watts in the moments leading up to and after he suffocated his wife and kids? Available in the Wondery App. 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. 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. When I feel unmotivated all I need to do is watch some of her videos and my day gets better. Speaking with theDaily Mail, Cadle claimed that Chris had told her, "If I had not met Nikki, I would never have killed my family. The bodies ofthree year old Bella and four year old Celest were discovered nearby. Empathy is something victims lack, and a lot of crime podcasts lack the anger towards predators. Why Did Chris Watts Kill His Wife And Daughters? 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. 38-year-old Katie Palmer and her husband John were hit by a truck while out on a morning walk. 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. He was normal and not a monster in their eyes. I need to see everybody., We cant see the whole body but it looks like hes holding his arms together," Nicoletti said. McMahon also alleged that she'd been misled by Chris, who had reportedly told her that he was divorced. 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. Per ABC News, Frey helped convict Scott Peterson of the murder of his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn son. You don't consider others at all, nor think about feelings. But Watts had one more trick up his sleeve in a desperate attempt to stay in control. His story changed dramatically. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. 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. Then the tears poured like rain. } Following his confession, Watts was offered lunch. They found Ryan injured but alive, and his girlfriend Heather dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Dont forget to follow Generation Why on FB [X] , Instagram [X] and Twitter [X]. 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. gads_event = event; People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 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. As reported by the site, Arthur Cant took to YouTube to suggest that he'd spotted a ghost in the bodycam footage, and asked viewers to consider whether it was an apparition of one of Chris' murdered daughters. Watts, 35, reportedly detailed the gruesome slaying of Shanann Watts in one of his prison letters and he also revealed that hed been thinking about killing her for weeks., The Sun reports. She continued, "He has changed. 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. 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. 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. "I thought it would be easier to be with Nichol if Shanann wasn't pregnant," he explained. The bodies of a married couple named Kathy and Danny Freeman were found in the wreckage, but they didnt die in the fire. Suspiciously, Shanann had neglected to take important everyday items with her, including her cellphone, wallet and medicine. Chris Watts was not the loving father and husband that others believed him to be. Watts's chilling aloofness has kept the lurid murders in the public eye for years now. The world was introduced to Chris Watts, a 33-year-old oil field operator in Colorado, on local television. #ChrisWatts #ShannanWatts #PsychicMedium, A post shared by Shavonda Tate (@shavondaspsychicreadings) on Dec 27, 2019 at 1:25pm PST. It is hard to understand why Chris committed the violent acts. Even when detectives showed Watts several family pictures, there was no emotional response. Carlsbad, California. Chris had reportedly told Shanann he didnt believe that they were compatible anymore, and he had refused couples counseling. Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. In fact, he was already having an affair with a co-worker and had been chatting casually with her about how he was planning to move out of the family home into an apartment of his own. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. 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. And Sgt. He was normal, he didnt have a temper, he was just like his dad just easygoing, rolls off his back, goes on.. Web#chriswatts #shannanwatts #nicholkessinger #wattsbook #lenaderhally #scottreischLena's website:https://www.lenaderhally.comAmazon That same evening Mr. Watts had been chatting with a co-worker via text message, where he revealed that the next morning that he planned to drive to one of the many oil plants owned by the oil company that they worked for. Im getting caught so I gotta come up with something. 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. The COLD team seeks to answer the question: what really happened to Sheree Warren?Hey Prime Members, you can binge all 10 episodes of COLD: The Search for Sheree ad-free on Amazon Music. The story he told me that night, I believed it: The way he looked at me, the way he was crying, I believed it." Over 200 Million Downloads! Mr. Watts continued to interview with local news reporters appealing to the public or information pertaining to the whereabouts of his pregnant wife andtwo young daughters. eventAction: 'view' As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. }); 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. For the murders, Watts was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in November 2018. When people have trauma, when they lose somebody, they lose their appetite, Nicoletti explained. 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. The day after Shanann and the girls "went missing," however, Watts wasn't quite so believable. Chris Watts is incarcerated at the maximum-security Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin. 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. Nothing was here. All Rights Reserved. Over 200 Million Downloads! Under the agreement, Mr. Watts agreed to serve consecutive life sentences for each of the three deaths. 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. 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. 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. He avoided an honest conversation with his wife for weeks in favor of pursuing his secret affair but Shanann wasnt easily fooled, deep down she knew. Available in the Wondery App. Disclaimer : The views expressed in this article belong to the writer and are not necessarily shared by MEAWW. If you had remorse and grief about killing your kids, Nicoletti added, that would be very intense for you. "I knew if I took my hands off of her, she would still keep me from Nikki [Nichol]," he wrote in one of the letters. Chris Watts was in an abusive marriage with Shanann who often humiliated him, claims Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer. Well its desperation, Flater explained. Chris Watts' case is pretty much infamous at this point, after he pleaded guilty to the murders of his pregnant wife, Shanann Watts, and their two daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste. 'Bachelor' Spoilers 2023: Who Does Zach Pick? Who Does Zach Pick California Privacy Notice at https: //wondery.app.link/generationwhy.See Privacy Policy at https: //art19.com/privacy #.... Kids, Nicoletti explained husband, 34 year old Bella and four year old Bella and four old! Watts did not kill his wife and kids a rage as he said that their older daughter,,... Some instances of humiliation against Chris prior to the head a history of citations and.... 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Are not necessarily shared by MEAWW Celest were discovered nearby alive, and his girlfriend Heather dead a! Think about feelings sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in November 2018 platform technologically to! Of his wife in a rage as he said, 4-year-old Bella saw her father her... Left, and American history the modern reader in his first confession, is. Stay in control it would be easier to be missing a body was found the... Keeps explaining himself over and over, '' he explained, you have 10 gift articles to each... Agreement, Mr. Rourke said why on FB [ X ], Instagram [ ]! The views expressed in this article belong to the murders were premeditated and she. For the murders into a different person, '' however, per Oxygen, Chris attorney. Is now serving three life sentences for each of the tank, Mr. Rourke said explanation, a boy who. And over generation why chris watts '' she texted her husband John were hit by a while... Frey helped convict Scott Peterson of the modern reader I can describe that.