Chris Watts' daughter Bella reportedly uttered two heartbreaking words before he took her life; a detail that has come to symbolize the horror of the 2018 family murders in Colorado.
Watts is currently serving multiple life sentences after pleading guilty to the 2018 murders of his pregnant wife and two young daughters in a case that drew widespread attention and national outrage.
In August 2018, Watts, then living in Frederick, Colorado, killed his wife, Shannan Watts, 34, who was 15 weeks pregnant, along with their two daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3.
He later disposed of their bodies at an oil worksite where he was employed.
Watts pleaded guilty to nine criminal counts, including three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of murdering a child under the age of 12, one count of unlawful termination of a pregnancy, and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body.
He was sentenced to five life sentences without the possibility of parole, including three to be served consecutively.
The case shocked the state of Colorado and gained widespread media coverage due to the nature of the crime and the initially deceptive public statements made by Watts. In the early stages of the investigation, Watts appeared on television pleading for the safe return of his missing family. However, law enforcement quickly identified inconsistencies in his account, as well as his odd demeanour, and he later confessed to the murders.
According to court records and reports from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Watts admitted to strangling his wife at their home before transporting her body and their two children in his truck to a remote oil field.
During the drive, Bella and Celeste were reportedly still alive. Watts told investigators that one of his daughters asked about her mother’s condition, and later asked whether the same thing was going to happen to her. Watts confessed to smothering both children before placing their bodies into separate oil tanks.
The tanks had small hatches, only eight inches in diameter, through which Watts inserted the bodies. Shannan Watts was buried in a nearby shallow grave. Autopsy reports confirmed the cause of death for all three victims.
Investigators stated that Watts’ motive may have been tied to an extramarital affair he was having at the time with a co-worker, Nichol Kessinger, The Independent reports. Watts initially denied the affair but later admitted to it during the investigation. Kessinger cooperated with authorities, telling investigators that she was unaware Watts was still married and that his wife was pregnant. She said she ended their relationship after learning the truth.
In a letter later shared by a former cellmate, Watts attempted to rationalize his actions, suggesting personal dissatisfaction and strained marital dynamics. However, he has not provided a clear explanation for the killings.
During his confession, Watts told law enforcement that his daughter's final words, "Daddy, no", still haunted him.
Shannan Watts’ family requested that prosecutors not pursue the death penalty. As a result, the case was resolved through a plea agreement in November 2018, avoiding a trial.
Watts is currently incarcerated at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Wisconsin, where he was transferred for security reasons, PEOPLE detailed.
The case remains one of the most widely reported instances of familial homicide in recent U.S. history.