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Chris Watts wrote a birthday letter to be read at his wife's grave
Chris Watts, who killed his wife and children in a horrific attack, had written his wife a birthday letter to be read at her grave, it has been revealed.
Watts, murdered his wife, Shanann, along with their two children, Bella and Celeste, in 2018, in an incident that stunned the United States.
Then-33, Watts strangled his wife before taking their daughters to an oil field where he worked, smothering them and then callously disposing of their bodies in oil tanks.
After initially claiming he knew nothing of their disappearances, he was later arrested, charged with their murders, before pleading guilty, for which he was handed life imprisonment.
The birthday letter Watts wrote his wife to be read at her grave
It has since been revealed by the Daily Mail, that Watts had given a birthday letter to his parents to read at the grave of his wife and children when they visited.
The letter reportedly read, “Dear Shanann, Hey boo! Happy Birthday! Thirty-six years young today. This is the first time of year when I could always say you're 'two' years older than me. You didn't like that too much, but I liked messing with you.”
The letter continued: “There's so much I wish I could say to you and make up for what I did to our family. No one needed to go through this. You and our babies had a long life ahead of them and deserved to see that life.”
Watts reveals excuse for why he murdered his family
Yet, it was perhaps what the familial murderer said next that was the most revealing about his remorse.
“I promise the man you married isn't the man who turned his back on his family. That man was an aberration brought on by an evil outside source. You know the husband and dad I am and would testify to that today,” he admitted.
“I look outside my window and wonder what we would be doing and then I get this overwhelming feeling you're looking at me with our babies saying, 'We love you!'
“All of you are a blessing to my life and your memory lives in my soul every waking moment. I close my eyes and imagine the light of God shining across your cheeks and radiant smiles beaming down from Heaven when you look down upon us.”
Watts, whose wife was 15 weeks pregnant when he killed her, had been having an affair with Nichol Kessinger, whom he had planned on leaving Shannan for, it has been reported.
Watts finished the letter writing: “The love you felt down here won't compare to the love you feel up there – God's love – and I've dedicated the rest of my time on this earth to showing the love He has shown me.
“Cheer me on as I walk the path God is putting in front of me. I love you all to the moon and back!”
The murderer was offered a plea deal, and pleaded guilty while avoiding the death penalty, at the request of Shanann's family.