WATTS FAMILY MURDERS, COLORADO

[HairOfTheDog]

Colorado
It seemed likely that this guy, Christopher Watts - 33, was lying his ass off about his 'missing' wife and two daughters when he was interviewed after reporting them missing on Monday.



The day after that media interview, Watts was arrested and charged with the murders of his wife Shannann Watts, 34, and daughters Bella, four, and Celeste, three.  Shannann was 15 weeks pregnant.  Rest in Peace.

(continued)

[HairOfTheDog]

Watts reportedly confessed to the murders and police recovered the bodies.  Police suspect Watts strangled his family members and stashed their bodies in the tanks at the petroleum company where Mr Watts worked, to conceal the smell.

Watts was denied bail and prosecutors are considering the death penalty, which is rare in Colorado.

Motive is under investigation.  Reports show that the couple was living beyond their means and in a lot of debt.  

There are also reports from Shannann's friends indicating that she suspected Watts was cheating on her, though Shannann's Facebook page was filled with grateful and praising posts about her patient and amazing husband.  

Ref:  https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/100...ly-murders

[BigMark]

She went to her parents house for six fucking weeks, who does that? He had to be cheating, some fucked up shit all the way around. Hopefully they have a working death penalty.

[HairOfTheDog]

She went to her parents house for six fucking weeks, who does that? He had to be cheating, some fucked up shit all the way around. Hopefully they have a working death penalty.

It's some fucked up shit, for sure.

I haven't seen anything about Shannann staying with her parents in the reports I've read Biggie.

I got the impression that Shannann was trying to put forward the image that her marriage was perfect (which, to me, is typically a sign that it's anything but), though she'd recently told close friends she feared he was being unfaithful.

She was fifteen weeks pregnant and the couple was set to hold a celebration to announce the gender of the baby next week.  According to Shannann's understandably very pissed-off brother, she was carrying a boy who was to be named Niko.

Christopher Watts allegedly killed his wife and daughters in the family home they shared after she returned from a week-long business trip to Arizona. In his interviews, he said the couple had "an emotional conversation" in the wee hours, and "I'll leave it at that".  If she'd left him in the past, I think they were living together again leading up to the murders.

[BigMark]

According to her Facebook page, Shanann Watts had been with her children visiting family for six weeks before her work trip. She then returned home on August 7 and left again for Arizona on August 10, leaving her daughters at home with her husband.

[BigMark]

According to her Facebook page, Shanann Watts had been with her children visiting family for six weeks before her work trip. She then returned home on August 7 and left again for Arizona on August 10, leaving her daughters at home with her husband.

[HairOfTheDog]

Thank you Biggie. That's very interesting and put things in a new light for me.

[HairOfTheDog]

Just speculating...

I'm wondering whether Shannann's new professional success and independence set off a controlling abusive husband?  

Did Shannann go to visit family for fun, or was she trying to escape her husband? That's when abused women are at most risk -- when they try to get out.

Or, maybe Shannann was totally oblivious and really believed that her husband was a dream and life was a bowl of cherries?

Snip:
Shanann Watts worked for Le-Vel, a company that sells Thrive health and wellness products, according to her Linkedin profile. She had worked for the company since January 2016 and had been a highly successful brand promoter, rising to the 80K level. She previously worked as a human resources specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora from 2013 to 2016.

According to her Facebook page, Shanann Watts had been with her children visiting family for six weeks before her work trip. She then returned home on August 7 and left again for Arizona on August 10, leaving her daughters at home with her husband.

On July 31, Watts wrote enthusiastically on Facebook about her August plans.  “I’m so excited about August! Girls and I Fly home August 7^th! I fly to Scottsdale Aug 10-12 for an amazing weekend with my Le-Vel family! Gender Reveal for Baby Watts #3! Our team is having lots of success, growth both personally and business, several new friends starting their Thrive Experience and lots of new Promoters who decided to change their life! Lots of excitement, Lots to be Thankful for!” she wrote. “You know what I love about waking up everyday…It’s a brand new day to have a fresh start, to be better than I was yesterday, To help someone feel better and happier, to make someone smile and laugh! I am just truly blessed and love waking up thankful and happy! If you are not happy, it’s up to you to change that!”

https://heavy.com/news/2018/08/shanann-w...ste-bella/

[HairOfTheDog]

I also wonder if Christopher Watts killed the little girls before Shannann returned from her business trip.

I read that the girls were in the petro barrels for 4 days before being recovered and Shannann may have been buried in a shallow grave before being moved to the petro barrels.

Turns out, Christopher Watts did not report his wife and children missing. It was Shannann's friend who contacted police after Shannann missed a doctor's appointment, was a no-show for a scheduled outing, and wasn't answering calls/texts.

[Duchess]

Man. You just never know about people. I watched him on the Today show the morning before he was arrested, a nice looking middle class guy with a lovely family. He killed them all. My God.

[HairOfTheDog]

Man. You just never know about people. I watched him on the Today show the morning before he was arrested, a nice looking middle class guy with a lovely family. He killed them all. My God.

Christopher Watts reminds me of Christian Longo.

Longo killed his wife and three children, stuffed them in suitcases, and dumped them over a bridge into the water before taking off to Mexico to live a bachelor life.

The family was always in debt and Longo always presented himself as a doting husband and father.  In reality, he was a narcissistic piece of shit.

Longo tried to blame his wife for killing the kids, which he said caused him to lose it and kill her.  Luckily, the jury saw through that bullshit.   I won't be surprised if Watts puts forth a similar type of defense.

[HairOfTheDog]

Watts Family Murders -- Corrections and Updates



More of the details are being revealed and confirmed.

Christopher Watts is accused of killing his wife and two daughters, along with tampering with evidence.

His wife Shanann was found at his work site in a shallow grave (not in a crude oil container, as previously reported).  The shallow grave was near the crude oil containers where the bodies of the couple's two little girls were found.  https://www.denverpost.com/2018/08/20/ch...s-charges/

The friend who drove Shanann home from their business trip told the media this morning that she suspected Christopher Watts right away.  

Shanann's friend said that Watts didn't report his family missing and he was acting unconcerned.  She also said that Watts told her the couple had spoken about splitting up (but Shanann had never mentioned it to her).  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...rrest.html

Watts has not been formally charged as of this post; prosecutors have until 3:30pm today to file charges against him.  Watts is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow.  The charges against him will be read at that time and his two public defenders will request bail so he can be released awaiting trial.  https://www.denverpost.com/2018/08/20/ch...s-charges/

If the judge doesn't have grounds to deny the bail request, I hope he/she sets it too high for Watts to bond out.

[HairOfTheDog]

MAJOR UPDATES 




Charges were formally filed against Christopher Watts this afternoon.

What he claims:
It was revealed that Watts did indeed take a page out of Christian Longo's psycho playbook -- he told police that he killed Shanann out of revenge rage after SHE killed their daughters.

Watts claimed he saw Shannan kill her little girls via the baby monitor after he told her he wanted a separation and she couldn't accept it.  

Motive:
LE hasn't publicly released what they believe to be the motive.

Based on what's known publicly now, motive is likely similar to Longo's (and Scott Peterson's) too, in my opinion -- he's a narcissist who wanted to be single and free.

The charging document states that police confirmed Watts was actively engaged in an affair with a co-worker, which he initially denied.

(continued)

[HairOfTheDog]

The Criminal Charges:
Police didn't believe Christopher Watts's self-serving crock of shit confession. He will be arraigned tomorrow, Tuesday, 8/21.

He's charged with unlawful termination of a pregnancy, three counts of first degree murder, two counts of first degree murder of a child under 12 while in a position of trust, and three counts of tampering with bodies.

He's being held in a separate cell for his own safety; incarcerated men don't take kindly to other men who rape and/or kill little children (especially their own, I imagine).

Prosecutors haven't decided whether they'll seek the death penalty yet.

Story:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...urder.html

[HairOfTheDog]

Christopher Watts, wearing an orange jail suit and cuffed at the wrists and ankle, stoically answered, “Yes sir,” as District Judge Marcelo Kopcow formally advised him of the murder charges and that he could face life in prison or the death penalty if convicted of killing his wife, Shanann, 34, and their daughters Celeste, 3, and Bella, 4.


^ Shanann’s father, Frank Rzucek Sr., wept with his face in his hands. Shanann’s brother, Frank Rzucek Jr., rubbed his father’s shoulders and glared unflinchingly at Watts. A bailiff stood between them.  :(

Watts didn’t enter a plea to three first-degree murder charges, two counts of killing a child under 12, one count of unlawful termination of a pregnancy and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body.

Watts also waived his right to a preliminary hearing within 35 days of arraignment, but he still maintains the right to have one.

The district attorney's office could seek the death penalty, but Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke said in a news conference Monday that it's "way too early to have that conversation," as his office has 63 days after arraignment to make that decision.

The criminal complaint says Shanann Watts "died as a result of the unlawful termination of the pregnancy."  That's weird.  I'm interested in finding out more about the official causes of death.

Fortunately, Judge Marcelo Kopcow denied bail for Watts.

Ref:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nati...052276002/

[Duchess]

That is weird! What in the world could that mean?

[HairOfTheDog]

That is weird! What in the world could that mean?

The way it's written put some really horrific images in my head.  I hope it's a case of poor or misleading writing.  

Or, maybe LE has evidence that Shanann's pregnancy is what drove him to murder her and the kids.

[Love Child]

OMG that poor family. WTF.

[ScientistsCanvas]

It's my understanding from following this case pretty closely, since she was reported missing (we have a mutual friend who posted when she was missing), that is just awkward wording. In a press conference the DA responded to a reporter that it was worded that way based on the wording of that particular law, but that it didn't necessarily reflect the manner of death.

[HairOfTheDog]

It's my understanding from following this case pretty closely, since she was reported missing (we have a mutual friend who posted when she was missing), that is just awkward wording. In a press conference the DA responded to a reporter that it was worded that way based on the wording of that particular law, but that it didn't necessarily reflect the manner of death.

Thank you for that information ScientistsCanvas.  I didn't see the press conference.

I remember from the Dynel Lane case a few years back that Colorado is one of the states which doesn't have the option of charging a perpetrator with two murders if he/she kills a pregnant woman, in large part due to the state's unrestrictive abortion laws.  (Ref: http://mockforums.net/showthread.php?tid=11778)

While, I actually agree with that ( I know many others here disagree and why, I'm not looking for a debate),  I understand how it takes away from prosecutors' ability to write up charges and present a case that best reflects the perpetrator's depravity when a crime of this horrific nature is committed.  

While the state can't charge Watts with murder of a fetus, I was glad to see they've charged him with unlawful termination of a pregnancy.  I don't believe one bit of his story. He was so enraged that his pregnant wife killed their children, according to him, that he killed her even though in so doing he terminated his future child?  That contradicts the fiercely protective father-of-the-year narrative he's peddling, in my opinon.