US4 min(s) read
Published 16:07 18 May 2026 GMT
In the age of streaming, Netflix has become the ultimate platform when it comes to airing some of the most chilling and disturbing true crime cases ever.
One of the most horrifying cases involves Chris Watts, 40, who is currently serving five life sentences without the possibility of parole at Dodge Correctional Institution in Wisconsin.
He was sentenced after being found guilty of killing his wife, Shanann, who was 15 weeks pregnant, and their daughters, Bella, four, and Celeste, three, in Frederick, Colorado, in August 2018.
The convict strangled his wife and smothered his daughters, before stuffing their bodies into oil tanks with eight-inch openings, while Shannan was buried in a shallow grave nearby.
In 2020, Netflix released a documentary covering the terrifying case, called American Murder: The Family Next Door, and here are the chilling details that were left out.
The case was particularly disturbing as the father-of-three acted like he was a desperate husband who was searching for his missing family, but this was far from the truth.
While the documentary showed the father confessing to the triple murder, it also revealed some of the aftermath of the killings, though some parts were still omitted from the final cut.
The documentary revealed that Watts was having an affair with coworker Nichol Kessinger; however, it left out something crucial.
According to the Daily Mail, the romance was a real relationship, with Kessinger hoping to one day marry Watts.
In fact, days before the murders, on August 4, 2018, Kessinger had Googled wedding dresses for over two hours, while also searching topics such as “marrying your mistress,” say Business Insider.
However, after Kessinger found that she had been lied to by Watts, she legally changed her name in Jefferson County, Colorado.
It was reported by the Daily Mail that Shanann did not have a great relationship with her husband's parents, describing her mother-in-law, Cindy Watts, as "evil".
Shanann was under the belief that Cindy put their youngest daughter, Celeste, in danger by giving her ice cream with peanut chips, despite her serious nut allergy.
Speaking to her husband at the time, Shanann said: “You should call your dad and tell him you did not appreciate your mom putting your daughter at risk today,
“She’s evil and willing to risk your daughter’s life just to get under my skin.”
Apparently, Watts' parents would also block their daughter-in-law on Facebook and skip Celeste's birthday party altogether, even giving their son's wedding a miss.
Cindy said she would continue to support her son, while in court, despite his heinous actions and killings of his wife and daughters.
Allegations rose in 2018 that Watts had several affairs, with one of the earliest claims coming from a woman named Amanda McMahon, in March 2018.
She claimed that they met on Tinder, saying that the encounter "got really fast and aggressive."
McMahon said she had to physically fight Watts off her after he became violent and put his hands around her throat while trying to initiate anal sex despite her apprehension.
He also allegedly spoke about details of his "rape fantasy" to her in extreme detail.
Another allegation came from gay escort Trent Bolte, who told The Mirror that he was in a 10-month affair with Watts in 2018.
But Watts denied this ever happening, telling police: “I’ve never been with a guy.”
While the documentary hinted that there were marriage troubles between Shanann and Watts, through the use of the former's text messages, it isn't shown that she put a huge effort into saving the relationship.
Shanann loved her husband and did not want her kids to grow up in a broken home, and The Daily Mail reported that the mum-of-two was browsing travel deals on Groupon, while even booking in childcare for daughters Bella and Celeste, so the couple could go on vacation together.
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An “Inmate Visitation History” document dated January 6, 2020, revealed that a woman was approved to see Watts while he was incarcerated.
Her name is Anna Nowak, and she made 31 visits to see him between March and December 2019, often weekly.
The document revealed that she was eventually turned away after exceeding the maximum visits for a single day.
However, the Netflix doc did not address Watts’ personal connections with the woman, or anyone else for that matter, while he was behind bars.
