Chris Watts: age, girlfriend, confession, sentence, psychological evaluation, prison
Chris Watts assassinated his wife and daughters in 2018 but regretted his actions barely 48 hours after the killings. Shanann loved posting her family's fun moments on social media. So, where is Chris Watts now?
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!
Source: Facebook
The police found Shanann's body in a shallow grave on Anadarko Petroleum's worksite, about 40 miles from their home. Meanwhile, the children's bodies stayed in crude-oil storage drums for four days before the cops found them. So, what was Chris Watts' reason for killing his family?
Chris Watts' profile summary
- Full name: Christopher Lee Watts
- Date of birth: 16th May 1985
- Zodiac sign: Taurus
- Age: 36 years in 2021
- Place of birth: Spring Lake, North Carolina, USA
- Former residence: Frederick, Colorado, USA
- Famous as: A family killer
- Victims: Wife, two daughters and unborn son
- Criminal charges: Three counts of first-degree murder, unlawful termination of a pregnancy, two counts of murder of a child 12 years or younger, and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body
- Penalty: Five life sentences without the possibility of parole
- Detention centre: Dodge Correctional Institution in Wisconsin
- Date apprehended: 15th August 2018
- Date sentenced: 19th November 2018
- Nationality: American
- Ethnicity: White
- Parents: Cindy and Ronnie Watts
- Marital status: Widowed
- Spouse: Shanann Rzucek Watts
- Children: Bella and Celeste
PAY ATTENTION: Never miss breaking news – join Briefly News' Telegram channel!
Chris Watts' biography
Chris Watts' age is 36 years in 2021. The Fayetteville native was born on 16th May 1985 in Spring Lake, North Carolina, USA. His late wife was born in Passaic in New Jersey but grew up in Aberdeen in North Carolina.
Source: Getty Images
The duo got married in 2012 after meeting in North Carolina in 2010. However, Lee's parents, Cindy and Ronnie Watts, did not attend the wedding.
His mum and wife did not get along. Also, Lee's parents blocked her on Facebook when she accused Cindy of trying to harm her children.
Chris Watts' children
Before having children, the couple got a house in Weld County's Frederick town in Colorado, USA. Bella was born on 17th December 2013, followed by Cece on 17th July 2015. Unfortunately, the 34-year-old Shanann died before delivering the son they had agreed to name Nico.
Why did Chris Watts do it?
Source: Facebook
In 2014, Lee and Shanann's combined annual income was $90,000. However, they had a mortgage, student loans, credit card debts, medical bills and other debts.
The couple's joint account had $864, Lee's annual salary was $61,500, and his wife made $18 per hour at a children's hospital's call centre. In January 2016, Shanann got a job at Le-Vel. She suspected Lee was cheating on her in 2018.
Kessinger met colleague Lee in June 2018 and pretended she did not know he was married, yet Shanann posted a Father's Day message and celebrated their third pregnancy on Facebook in the same month.
The murderer and his mistress stayed together whenever his family was away. Also, Kessinger shopped for wedding dresses online on 4th August 2018 when Lee promised to get a divorce.
Source: Getty Images
Meanwhile, Shanann texted a friend on 7th August 2018, alleging Lee was growing distant from her because he did not want a third baby.
On 9th August 2018, Shanann left a letter for Lee before going with her friend Nickole Atkinson for a Le-Vel company's business trip in Arizona. On 11th August, Lee hired a babysitter and went out with Kessinger.
On 13th August, Nickole drove the 15 weeks pregnant Shanan home at around 2 am. She found Lee in bed. He woke her up in the morning to discuss their marriage before heading to work. Lee was one of Anadarko Petroleum's operators.
Source: Facebook
On 14th August, Nickole visited Shanann's home at 12:10 pm and called Lee when she did not respond to her texts. She also requested the police to do a wellness check on the family.
Lee rushed back home only to find the police looking for his missing family. Since Denver 7 News was present, he begged the public to help him find his loved ones.
Meanwhile, Nickole told the police that Shanann was stressed during the Arizona trip. Lee told the press that he assumed Shanann was busy when she did not reply to his texts that morning. She had a doctor's appointment.
Chris Watts' mistress set him up to the cops
The police arrested Lee on the night of 15th August (Wednesday) and found his family's bodies on Thursday, 16th August. Kessinger confessed that on the day the Watts' family's died, Lee acted normal and said he would be busy.
Source: Facebook
At 3:45 pm, he sent her a text alleging his family went on a playdate and never returned. Kessinger distanced herself from Lee when she discovered his lies.
She asked him to stay away from her until the police found his family but reported him to the cops later. The court denied Lee bail and charged him with nine crimes.
Lee claimed that Shanann killed their daughters. Fortunately, the police were able to get a true confession from him when he failed a polygraph test.
Lee did not use his extra-marital affair to justify his actions but admitted that it stimulated the process. On the morning of Shanann's death, she had confronted him about cheating.
Source: Facebook
Lee denied his wife's suspicions but admitted he did not love her. Hence, the couple mutually agreed to end their marriage, and Shanann threatened to keep the kids away from him. Bella walked in when Lee was strangling her in their marital bed.
What did Chris Watts do to his daughter?
Bella was crying when Lee wrapped Shanann's body in a sheet and put her on his truck's backseat floor. He tucked the girls in the back seat and drove to the oil site. How did Chris Watts fit his daughters in the oil tank?
Bella watched Lee smother her sister with a blanket in the backseat and asked if he would do the same to her. Sadly, the girl's screams did not stop him from suffocating her too.
Source: Getty Images
He wrapped the bodies in their blankets, threw them in the oil drums, and then buried Shanann in the nearby ground. Cheryln Cadle published The Letters From Christopher in October 2019 after a brief interaction with the prisoner.
Chris Watts' case and mental evaluation
Christa Richello (the fiancé of Lee's cellmate) evaluated Chris Watts' psychological evaluation after writing to him in jail. The psychologist found it weird that the case ended without investigation even after Lee pleaded guilty on 6th November.
Cindy wondered why her son did not want a trial. Also, his attorney dropped the case and cut ties with the Watts family. So, what was Chris Watts' sentence?
Source: Facebook
Judge Marcelo Kopcow issued him five life sentences without the possibility of parole on 19th November 2018. Lee told the People that he pleaded guilty because the evidence was present and his words convicted him.
Cindy missed her grandkids but could not believe Lee was a murderer. However, her husband witnessed their son's confession in jail.
Chris Watts' updates
Where is Chris Watts today? Lee was moved from Colorado to Wisconsin's Dodge Correctional Institution on 3rd December 2018 for security reasons. He took photos of his deceased family to jail.
Source: Facebook
The story warns people about two-faced characters like Chris Watts. Meanwhile, you can watch Chris Watts' documentary, American Murder: The Family Next Door, on Netflix.
READ ALSO: Lina Medina: What we know about Gerardo Medina's mother
Briefly.co.za also shared Lina Medina's story. People assumed many things regarding her pregnancy. Some believed her father or mentally ill cousin raped her.
Lina is the youngest mother in history. The 5-year-old delivered a healthy son and treated him as a younger brother till he was old enough to learn the truth.
Source: Briefly News
