The Untold Truth Of The Chris Watts Case

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In August 2018, Chris Watts made a televised plea for the safe return of his missing wife, Shanann Watts, and their two daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste, after the three were reported missing by a family friend. "I hope that she's somewhere safe right now and with the kids," Chris told Denver7 in an interview. 

Sadly, only two days after the interview, bodies thought to belong to Shanann and the children were discovered by police at Chris' former place of employment, Anadarko Petroleum Company. Bella and Celeste's remains were reportedly located in crude oil tanks, while Shanann, who was 15 weeks pregnant, was found in a shallow grave on the property. Chris was arrested one day before the remains were recovered, and he confessed to killing Shannan in anger after allegedly witnessing her strangle their two kids (via People). In a sworn affidavit, Chris claimed the killings happened after he told Shanann that he wanted a separation. 

Prosecutors charged him with nine felonies, including three counts of first-degree murder, as reported by the Fort Collins Coloradoan. In a shocking twist, Chris pled guilty to all of the murder charges on Nov. 6, 2018, just months after he pointed the finger at Shanann. He was eventually sentenced to three consecutive life terms for his horrific crimes. But just when you thought the case couldn't get more tragic, in February 2019 the convicted killer gave a full confession detailing the horrific crimes. Brace yourself, as we explore the untold truth of the Chris Watts case.

Shortly after Shanann Watts' and her daughters' remains were discovered, there was a lot of speculation about how they died. Although the autopsy reports were completed, the public has not been able to learn about the findings because the documents are sealed. Prosecutors filed for this motion in September 2018 — a request the presiding judge granted — to avoid "tainting witnesses that have not yet been interviewed and impacting future jurors," according to court docs.

"Shanann Watts, Bella Watts and Celeste Watts were murdered and their bodies moved from the initial crime scene," Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke wrote in his request to the judge, according to the Associated Press. "There is a great deal of interest surrounding this case and at this time, the cause of the deaths has not been made public. Consequently, the observations and findings contained in the coroner's autopsy report will be critical evidence at trial."

One of the devastating questions about this case rests on whether Bella and Celeste Watts were already dead when Shanann Watts arrived home from a business trip in Arizona. All we know for sure is this: On the night of Aug. 13, 2018, Shanann was dropped off at her home around 2 a.m, by a friend, Nickole Atkinson, and prosecutors believe it's possible that she and her daughters died "between and including Aug. 12, 2018, and Aug. 13, 2018" (via AJC). This timeline suggests Chris Watts possibly harmed his daughters before Shanann arrived home. It's worth noting that authorities charged him with two counts of "killing a child under the age of 12 while the defendant was in a position of trust."

We'll probably never know exactly what happened that night, but Chris clarified the timeline when he spoke with investigators from jail in February 2019. Chris claimed that, after arguing with Shanann about their marriage, he strangled her to death. Bella supposedly woke up during the commotion and asked, "What's wrong with mommy," according to the interview transcript by The Coloradan. Chris said he then placed the girls and Shanann's body into his truck, drove approximately 45 minutes his worksite, and killed the girls one by one after burying his wife in a shallow grave. He claimed to have smothered Cece first and then Bella, who supposedly pleaded for her life before she was killed.

Of course, there's always the possibility Chris fabricated these new details given his history with lying. But there's no denying the scenario wrecked Shanann's family, as Shanann's brother, Frank Rzueck Jr., told Dr. Phil McGraw in March 2019: "It's worse than we even thought."

Whenever a murder occurs, many people look for answers, and this case is no different, as the public has been at a loss as to why Chris Watts murdered Shanann Watts and their two daughters. 

One of Chris' possible motives involves financial struggles, a common source of tension between married couples. Chris and Shanann filed for bankruptcy in June 2015, after they bought their $400,000 house in Colorado, according to CNN. The two were reportedly $70,000 in debt, a total they racked up thanks to student loans and credit card purchases. Their savings appeared to be a total of $9.51 in one account and $864 in a joint checking account.

Although Shanann was doing well financially (she reportedly made $80,000 a year), it's possible Chris was concerned about the cost of another child. This alleged motive, however, has not been confirmed.

Another potential motive? Chris' alleged affair. Denise Mowder, a former prosecutor and an associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at MSU Denver, theorized that Chris allegedly murdered his family in order to live a care-free life with his rumored mistress. "I think he had a vision of another life with this other woman — carefree, no responsibilities," Mowder told Denver7. 

Chris denied these theories, however, claiming he felt rage after Shanann supposedly threatened to take their kids away. "I didn't want to do this, but I did it," he plainly told investigators in February 2019, in audio transcribed by The Coloradan.

Chris Watts was allegedly having an affair with a co-worker at the time he murdered his family. The disturbing detail came to light in Chris' arrest affidavit, in which police claimed they found evidence of his cheating following an investigation. The co-worker Chris supposedly had an affair with — who reportedly cooperated with the investigation (via People), was later identified as Nichol Kessinger.

In addition to Kessinger, an unnamed man took to HLN's Crime & Justice with Ashleigh Banfield in August 2018 to claim he carried on a relationship with Chris for ten months (via People). The alleged lover said he met Chris online, and that they parted ways sometime in March or April 2018, as reported by Us Weekly. But multiple news outlets couldn't confirm the man's account, and it's not clear if police have investigated his allegations. What is obvious? Many people weren't happy that the show's host, Ashleigh Banfield, went ahead with the interview given the lack of corroborating details.

Whether Shanann Watts knew about Chris' alleged affairs or not, the answer isn't clear. "There was speculation [about an affair], but she didn't want to believe that either," Shanann's friend Nickole Atkinson said in an interview (via ABC News). "He wasn't being the loving Chris that he normally was. He wasn't touching or hugging or doing stuff like that. And he wasn't being as attentive to the girls as he normally is."

In television and film, murder suspects are often portrayed in an unflattering light. Whether they're a loner or are emotionally disturbed or angry, there's typically something off about someone who is accused of a violent crime. But in the case of Chris Watts, this stereotype doesn't seem to fit.

One high school friend, for instance, couldn't believe the Watts she knew had been charged with murder. "Most of our conversations that I recall were about music and things like that," former classmate Brandi Smith told the Daily Beast. "I was a bit of an outcast and he kinda just seemed to understand me."

"Everyone liked him," Smith added. "It's actually amazing how many people that knew him have completely turned on him and think he's this monster when he hasn't even been convicted."

Then there's Lance Alfonso, who played football with Watts. "I've never seen him ever get angry at anybody, even on the football field," Alfonso revealed to the Daily Beast.

Of course, a lot can change between high school and adulthood, and you can never know what's truly going on inside another person's head.

Shanann Watts' younger brother, Frank Rzucek Jr. (above right), took to Facebook shortly after Chris Watts' arrest to express his rage and sadness about the situation. "I just want to know why. My precious family my one and only sibling, my sister Shanann, 2 adorable nieces Bella and Celeste and her soon to be found out unborn son Niko," he wrote, according to a screenshot obtained by The Sun. "I just want 30 seconds alone with that heartless psychopath. May Satan have mercy on his soul."

But Chris wasn't Frank's only target. He also went after investigators for supposedly taking too long to arrest Shanann's husband, writing, "The cops drug their feet. He was the only one with them and backed his truck into the garage. Doesn't take a genius to know who was suspect. My blood is boiling and the pain and anger and sadness I have in my heart."

Frank ended his post with a message for Chris, saying, "Nothing absolutely nothing would get in my way of taking away his life like he did mine and my ENTIRE FAMILY."

Regarding the timeline of the investigation, cops arrested Chris two days after Shanann was reported missing. It's likely Shanann's brother was frustrated that authorities didn't take Chris into custody the same day his sister went missing.

After Shanann Watts and her daughters were reported missing, Chris Watts' secrets quickly began to unravel. And one of those secrets might have been what blew the case wide open, at least according to Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke. "Nichol Kessinger turned out to have information that I can best describe as being a bombshell," Rourke said in an Investigation Discovery special about Chris' mistress coming forward with details about their affair. Although this might seem obvious, it wasn't only telling because it showed Chris was seemingly intent on starting a new life — it was big because it painted the picture of him as a habitual liar. And if Chris lied about Kessinger (he denied the infidelity to investigators at first), then what else might he be hiding?

As it turns out, Chris was supposedly lying to Kessinger, too. "He informed me that he did have two kids, that he was currently in the process of a separation from his wife," Kessinger said in police recordings shown in the special. "As far as I knew, that was becoming pretty finalized."

It was revealed that Chris had been untruthful with Kessinger, as he was lying to both her and Shanann to keep his plates of deceit spinning. It's unsettling to think about, but who knows how quickly those lies would have been uncovered if Kessinger might not have come forward or had been cooperative with police. We suspect justice would have been delayed, though it's impossible to say.

Although Chris Watts is serving three consecutive life sentences for pleading guilty to murdering his family, it doesn't mean the case is over. One development that might have flown under your radar is Watts being ordered to pay $6 million to the Rzucek family for the deaths of his wife and two young daughters. The ruling occurred in November 2019, one year after Shanann Watts' parents, Frank and Sandy Rzucek filed a wrongful death suit against Chris, as The Denver Post reported. The amount "includes $1 million for each of the deaths and $3 million for emotional pain," and "will grow at an 8 percent annual interest rate," according to court docs obtained by The Denver Post. Watts reportedly didn't fight the suit and agreed to the terms on Nov. 5, 2019.

To explain why a family might file a wrongful death suit, it effectively ensures the perpetrator can't ever profit off their victims' deaths. This was the motivation for the Rzuceks, as their attorney, Steven Lambert, told The Denver Post, "Just in case 20 years down the line from now he decides to write a book we could come for that money."

Even with this insurance, it doesn't bring peace of mind to Shanann Watts' family. Frank Rzucek Sr., Shanann's father, hasn't been back to work due to post-traumatic stress disorder, while Sandy Rzucek, Shanann's mother, has described her life as "being adrift in a lifeboat, surrounded by water and without a port in sight," according to court docs. It's all very heartbreaking.