The horrific murders of Shanann Watts and her two young daughters, Bella and Celeste, sent shockwaves across America.
On August 13, 2018, Chris Watts, 35, committed one of the most shocking family annihilation crimes in modern U.S. history.
After killing his pregnant wife, Shanann, and their daughters, Bella and Celeste, he disposed of their bodies at an oil site where he worked, all while publicly pretending to be a distraught husband.
But behind closed doors, Watts was hiding his affair with a woman named Nichol Kessinger, which ultimately played a role in the deadly acts.
The Haunting Final Text Between Chris Watts and His Mistress
The chilling details of Watts' behavior leading up to the murders have been revealed through various sources, including a new police interview with Nichol Kessinger, his mistress at the time.
In a heartbreaking exchange, Kessinger recounted her final conversation with Watts before she learned the truth about his crimes.
According to Kessinger, she repeatedly asked him where his family was and what had happened. "I kept asking him, ‘What did you do, Chris? What did you do?’ I asked, ‘Where’s your family?’” she recalled.
Kessinger sent him one last message, warning him that his actions would ruin both their lives: “If you did anything bad, you’re going to ruin your life and you’re going to ruin my life. I promise you that.”
Watts' response, "I didn’t hurt my family, Nicky," was the last communication Kessinger received from him. She revealed: “I never said another word to him after that.”
Chris Watts' Deception and His Public Plea
The day after the murders, Watts appeared on television, making a public plea for the return of his wife and children, saying: “Shanann, Bella, Celeste, if you’re out there, just come back. If somebody has her, just bring her back. I need to see everybody.”
His seemingly desperate appeal to the public was a calculated deception, as he had already brutally ended the lives of his family members.
Despite his repeated denials to Kessinger, Watts had already begun to unravel his own dark truths, which ultimately led to his confession.
He later pleaded guilty to nine charges, including murder and the unlawful termination of a pregnancy, and was sentenced to five life terms in prison without the possibility of parole.
Chris Watts in Prison
While Watts' life behind bars may have seemed like a new chapter for him, disturbing details have surfaced about his behavior and mindset during his imprisonment.
Former cellmate Dylan Tallman, who spent seven months in an adjacent cell to Watts in 2020, has revealed unsettling aspects of Watts' character, particularly his obsession with women.
Tallman explained that Watts’ infatuation with women was a recurring theme even while incarcerated. “He will talk to a girl and she becomes his everything really fast,” Tallman said.
“He becomes obsessed with a woman and she becomes all he can think of - and he’ll do whatever they ask him to do.” Watts would allegedly often spend hours on the phone, writing long letters, and calling women incessantly.
Despite his monstrous past, Watts continued to receive attention from women, many of whom wrote to him in prison. Tallman noted that Watts' obsession with women didn’t stop behind bars.
"A lot of women write him in prison," Tallman added. "He talks to them a lot." In a twisted pattern, Watts' fixation on women reportedly persisted, even after he had already destroyed the lives of his own family.
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Chris Watts Blames His Crime on Nichol Kessinger
Even more disturbing is how Watts attempted to justify his brutal actions by blaming his affair with Nichol Kessinger.
In letters from 2020, Watts referred to Kessinger as a "seductress" who led him astray.
Using Biblical language, he tried to paint her as the root cause of his crimes.
"The words of a harlot have brought me low," Watts wrote in one letter, confessing that Kessinger's “flattering speech was like drops of honey that pierced my heart and soul. Little did I know that all her guests were in the chamber of death.”
Tallman, who described himself as Watts' "spiritual twin," said that Watts' tendency to blame others was evident in his discussions about Kessinger.
Watts sought solace in religion, trying to reconcile his actions with his newfound faith. However, his attempts to excuse his crimes by blaming others seemingly show a lack of true remorse for his actions.