Chris Watts' mom opened up about her son's crimes, and even revealed a chilling comment that he made prior to murdering his wife and kids.
Watts is now behind bars for the brutal murders of his pregnant wife and two young daughters - a case that horrified the world and sparked widespread outrage.
His case has been the subject of a documentary, but even that left parts out - including an interaction he had with his mom.
Chris Watts' Mom Opens Up
Speaking to 9News in 2018, Cindy Watts revealed her horror at what her son had done and began piecing together all the signs.
When Shanann Watts became pregnant, Cindy revealed that her son was not excited about welcoming a new child, but instead it came as a shock, as they had been discussing divorce.
Cindy revealed that Watts had explained to her that he and Shanann were "not compatible" and that he wasn't happy in the relationship.
His mother seemed happy with this revelation, as a divorce would have benefited the couple; however, things soon took a dark turn.
Chris and Shanann Watts were drowning in debt
Years before the murders, the Watts family was already under serious financial pressure. In 2015, the couple filed for bankruptcy.
Court documents cited by CNN revealed that after purchasing a $400,000 home, they were buried under $70,000 in student loans and credit card debt.
At the time, Chris was the main breadwinner, earning about $63,000 of their $91,000 combined income. But things began to change in 2018 when Shanann got a job with a lifestyle company.
Her income surged, and she started traveling for work to places like Mexico and the Dominican Republic - all while driving a Lexus.
While Shanann was away on business trips, Chris stayed home with their daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3 - and secretly started a relationship with a co-worker named Nichol Kessinger.
Chris Watts confessed even darker truths in prison letters
Watts is now serving five life sentences at Dodge Correctional Institution in Wisconsin.
But even after his conviction, more disturbing details have come to light through letters he’s sent from prison.
In 2019, author Cheryln Cadle published Letters From Christopher: The Tragic Confessions of the Watts Family Murders, which included firsthand accounts of what happened in Chris's own words.
He revealed that the murders were not spontaneous - they were planned.
“I walked away and said, 'That's the last time I'm going to be tucking my babies,’” he wrote, describing the night he put his daughters to bed.
In another chilling passage, he admitted: “All the weeks of me thinking about killing her, and now I was faced with it.”
Even more horrifying, Chris claimed he first attempted to smother Bella and Celeste in their beds - but they survived the initial attack.
“They woke back up,” he wrote. “It makes the act that much worse knowing I went to their rooms first and knowing I still took their lives at the location.”
He also revealed that he had tried to make Shanann miscarry before the murders.
“I thought it would be easier to be with Nichol if Shanann wasn’t pregnant,” he confessed.
He admitted to giving Shanann Oxycodone, hoping it would end the pregnancy of their unborn son, Nico.