When Chris Watts’ pregnant wife and two young daughters went missing from their Colorado home on August 13, 2018, he publicly portrayed himself as a desperate, worried husband. He gave interviews pleading for their safe return, claiming he had no idea what had happened. But just days later, that façade crumbled; Watts confessed to their murders, a crime that shocked the nation.
Initially, Watts claimed he had only killed Shanann Watts, 34, in a “crime of passion” after she allegedly smothered their daughters, Bella, four, and Celeste, three, upon learning he wanted a separation. Investigators, however, didn’t believe his story.
The evidence pointed to a calculated act, and in November 2018, he pleaded guilty to all charges of first-degree murder. In exchange, prosecutors agreed not to pursue the death penalty.
The father of two (and soon-to-be father of three) was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, receiving five life sentences plus additional years for related charges. He has been serving that sentence primarily at Dodge Correctional Institution, a maximum-security prison in Waupun, Wisconsin, after being transferred from Colorado for security reasons, KKTV reported.
The Watts family before the murdersChris, a former petroleum company employee, met Shanann on Facebook in 2010. They married and went on to have two daughters, Bella in 2013 and Celeste in 2015. In 2018, Shanann became pregnant with their third child, a boy they planned to name Niko. Friends later revealed that Shanann had confided in them about marital troubles and a growing emotional distance from her husband.
Before the murders, Watts had been involved in an affair with a co-worker, Nichol Kessinger, who said she believed he was in the middle of an amicable divorce. Shanann reportedly confronted him about the relationship just days before she was killed.
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Two days after Shanann and the children were reported missing, Watts admitted to killing his wife but insisted it was in retaliation for her harming the children. Investigators soon uncovered the truth: Watts had strangled Shanann after telling her he no longer loved her, then transported her body to an oil site. His daughters were still alive in the truck during the drive. At the site, he buried Shanann in a shallow grave and smothered Bella and Celeste, hiding their bodies in oil tanks.
It was widely reported that, during his confession, Watts' revealed Bella's final words, "Daddy, no", still haunted him.
Life in prisonWhile behind bars, Watts has received disciplinary reports; one in 2020 for unauthorized communication and transfer of property, and another in 2021 for disobeying orders and possessing contraband. Despite the public outrage over his crimes, he has received letters and even suggestive photos from women outside the prison, some claiming he is “misunderstood.”
A 2019 report revealed he kept photos of Shanann and the girls in his cell, sparking a petition with over 20,000 signatures demanding they be removed. The effort failed, with officials stating there was no legal reason to confiscate them, per CNN.
According to acquaintances, Watts spends his time exercising, working as a custodian, and corresponding with women. Though isolated in protective custody and disliked by other inmates, these exchanges appear to serve as his main source of attention and ego boost.