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Chris Watts: From Chubby Introvert to Ripped Monster— Watts Family Мurders A to Z — Transcript

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0:00say hi CeCe say hi Bells hi Belle no you got to say hi hi when Chris and I got married we
0:08moved out here after visiting fell in love with the area it's gorgeous in Colorado I'm making
0:15some Italian cookies today but this guy right here he's going to do all the dishes that's
0:23me volcanic Communications this is sty hi sty my name is Nicole and I'm calling because I'm
0:33concerned about um a friend of mine um I dropped her off at her house at two in the morning last
0:38night because we were out of town together and we were on the way back from the airport and she's
0:42pregnant and I haven't been able to get a hold of her this morning she won't answer the door
0:47she won't answer phone calls she won't answer text messages what's her name shanan W all righty we
0:52do have a call in Nicole we'll have an officer come out that way as soon as we can well welome
1:00back to Crime a toz where we detail cases and criminals from their very beginning until well
1:05after other reporting ends since you're a human on this planet You' very likely already heard
1:10about the Chris Watts case it's arguably one of the most covered and Fallen rotter cases of our
1:15time so we decided it's about time to give the crime a toz treatment to the case that has made
1:20so many people question how well they really know someone after learning the full details of the
1:26case we have a brand new level of disrespect for Chris Watts so sit back because while this case
1:32may start off with information you already knew it almost certainly will not end that way and
1:38before we start if you like this video or any of our videos we always always genuinely appreciate
1:44you hitting like And subscribe and hopefully share a really quick editor's note given the
1:51Staggering volume of information related to this case it's important to mention that as usual this
1:56video is based on either official court or police documents referenced statements and other verified
2:02or reputable sources weeding out the speculations theories and unverified information let's
2:09go Shannon Katherine rusek was born on January 10th 1984 to parents Frank and Sandra rusek
2:29pronounced shin by friends and Shannon by her family she grew up with her younger brother
2:33Frank Jr or Frankie in Aberdine North Carolina the family was small and close according to Shannon's
2:40friends and family she was a go-getter from the start when she put her mind to something she
2:45did whatever she needed to do to accomplish it she was a boss in every good sense of the word
2:51when Shannon was around 18 she married for about 6 years before it ended in divorce Shannon herself
2:57would later recall how although the relationship was painful she grew from it and eventually
3:02became stronger for it and that's who Shannon was learning from her experiences growing and finding
3:08happiness it was during one of her particularly challenging life experiences in August of 2010
3:14having just been in a car accident and facing the painful recovery process as well as just being
3:19diagnosed with lupus that she met Chris Watts in 2010 Shannon had a Facebook account but was not
3:26a regular poster it was on that platform that she re received a friend request from a man she didn't
3:31know he was a cousin of a friend of hers she figured and I Got A Friend friend request from
3:37Chris on Facebook and I was like oh what the heck I'm never going to meet him except Christopher
3:43Lee Watts was born on May 16th 1985 in Spring Lake North Carolina to parents Ronnie and Cindy
3:49Watts the couple also had a daughter Chris's older sister Jamie as a child Chris loved playing sports
3:56including basketball baseball and football he also loved NASCAR racing which he'd attend with his Dad
4:03Chris was always described as quiet and easygoing someone who got along with everyone in his Pine
4:09Forest High School yearbook he's described as being into Automotive repairs and he appeared
4:14on the Patriotic page after graduating Pine Forest Chris attended NASCAR Tech a trade school
4:20specializing in Motorsport technology careers as is often the case when it comes to attraction
4:25Chris's personality was the opposite of Shannon's while Shannon was out going and gregarious Chris
4:31was the opposite shying away from attention he didn't date throughout high school with Shannon
4:36being his first serious relationship longer than 6 months after Shannon met Chris on Facebook she
4:42fell in love with the platform it became her means to connect with family and friends both old and
4:48new she became a prolific poster chronicling her battles her triumphs her everyday highs and lows
4:54so that her friends family and followers could intimately keep up with all that was Shannon shann
4:59in and Chris's relationship flourished after almost 2 years of dating the couple decided
5:04to move to Colorado so in 2012 Chris arrived ahead of Shannon living in the basement of a
5:10family that Shannon had briefly been the Manny for back in North Carolina Shannon joined him in
5:15a couple months and they continued staying there until their home in Colorado was finished being
5:19built the couple married on November 3rd 2012 back in North Carolina they moved into their
5:25five-bedroom home in Frederick Colorado and began planning and living out there seemingly
5:30Picture Perfect lives together Chris had already gotten a job at the local Ford dealership as a
5:35mechanic and Shannon got a job there as a salesperson as well and it didn't take long
5:40for them to start growing their family by February in the following year 2013 Shannon was pregnant
5:46with her first child Bella Marie Watts was born in December of 2013 and less than 2 years later
5:53in July 2015 they welcome his second daughter Celeste Catherine Watts with they lovingly
6:00called CCE 2015 was a busy year for the couple aside from CCE being born Chris landed a new job
6:07as a field coordinator at anad Darko a local oil and natural gas drilling company and Shannon was
6:14working at a call center at a children's hospital the couple was bringing in about $90,000 per year
6:20but it wasn't enough they had accumulated a significant amount of debt with over $70,000
6:26in credit card debt student loans and medical bills par regularly a $25,000 out-of-pocket
6:32expense for neck surgery that Shannon had to have and 2 years of regular doctor visits trying to
6:37get the girls properly diagnosed they decided they couldn't meet their monthly expenses they
6:42filed for bankruptcy that year but things would start to look up at the beginning of
6:482016 Shannon joined lville a multi-level marketing company selling vitamin infused
6:54patches she was a natural being the caring giving go-getter that all her friends knew her to be
7:00someone who people instantly wanted to be friends with she grew to becoming a top producer earning
7:05vacations allowances and according to Chris and a friend of hers a handsome income she
7:11once posted about how the company pays her a monthly automobile bonus both on Facebook and
7:17in real life shanon's friends and family could see that she was happy and by all accounts those same
7:23friends and family without exception knew Chris to be a kind quiet and loving husband and a dedicated
7:29doting father both parents adored their children and were raising them to be confident and caring
7:36well one thing led to another and 8 years later we have two kids we live in Colorado and he's the
7:44best thing that has ever happened to me shortly after posting that video in 2018 Shannon learned
7:50that she was pregnant again she posted how she shared the moment with Chris on Facebook
8:06we did it again I like that [Music] shirt really really that's awesome so pink means that's just
8:21a test I know it just the pink is going to be girls I don't know just a chest that's awesome
8:33Chris appeared happy a gender reveal party was planned but it would never
8:39happen Shannon had been away for the weekend on a work-related trip while Chris was home
8:48with the two girls for the weekend at about 1:48 a.m. after a flight delay an exhausted Shannon
8:54is finally dropped off at home by her friend Nicole ainson who was also on the trip with
8:59with her later that morning friends have grown worried that they've not heard from Shannon and
9:04that she wasn't returning their calls or texts then once they learned that she was a no-show
9:09for an Obi appointment something she would never miss they're beyond concerned Nicole ainson the
9:15friend who dropped Shannon off in the wee hours of that morning drives to Shannon's house with
9:20her 16-year-old and 2-year-old Sons she becomes even more concerned when there's no answer and
9:25she can see the shoes shanon wears every day just inside the front door and her car is still in a
9:31garage visible through the windows at the top she calls police requesting a well check they
9:37arrive within minutes hi here Nicole yes okay what's going on so my friend um we were out of
9:44town for a business trip this weekend right and I dropped her off at 2:00 this morning she's 15
9:50weeks pregnant she wasn't feeling well and she had a doctoring this morning at 9:00 and I told her to
9:54let me know she needed me to take her she's got two little girls and um she was very dist TR over
10:00the weekend wasn't eating normally or drinking and we kept trying to force it on her because she's
10:03pregnant M um her husband and her supposedly are separating but she didn't know this she thought
10:08they were just having issues he disclosed that to me today cuz I called him and I was like have you
10:12talked or heard from shenan since you left for work this morning cuz I can't get a hold of her
10:16I've called I've texted her car's in the garage her shoes she wears every single day by the front
10:21door she only has one vehicle no they only have the one vehicle on his work truck okay that's
10:26what I'm asking there girl and went on a play date but they're full 4 and two she went on a
10:30plate why wouldn't she taking a car they're both in car seats police search the outside
10:38of the home the officer gets Chris on the phone and asks him if he knows where his wife and kids
10:43are he says he doesn't but that he'll be home in about 5 minutes after a few minutes Chris arrives
10:50home SC how you doing so this is the only vehicle she would have only one she would
11:03drive okay he immediately goes into the garage and begins searching Shannon's car then he goes
11:11into the house through the inner garage door and closes it he's in the house alone for just
11:15over a minute before opening the front door for police and Nicole then Nicole discovers Shannon's
11:21cell phone is she work yeah she works from home oh from home she works this is her Lifeline the Stark
11:28difference between the level of concern shown by Nicole versus by Chris is clear you guys have any
11:34kind of issues marital issues or separation you are you guys filed yet or anything or just talking
11:42about no we we're going to sell the house and separation how's that going it's going civil for
11:52the most part she tell you anything about leaving moving out not moving out I mean the last time I
12:00talked to her was this morning she said she was going to take the kids to her friend's house and
12:05she that's where she was going to be and then I've texted her today I've never heard anything
12:11but cars car's here car here unless somebody came picked her up but the people that I know
12:19nobody's heard from nobody's seen right police notice that there is no bedding on the bed it
12:25has been stripped off and bundle on the floor they find pillowcase and the top sheet in the kitchen
12:30trash but the fitted sheet is missing other than that they don't see any signs of Foul Play Chris
12:37explains that Shannon usually likes to wash the sheets after she slept in them after traveling
12:41to get the airport off of them one thing that's clear to everyone searching is that the house is
12:47locked up tight from the inside so there would be no way for an intruder to escape the home leaving
12:52everything locked from the inside unless they left through the garage police learn that the next door
12:57neighbor has a surveillance camera and they head over to see what he may have captured about this
13:02time detective Dave bombover the sole detective of the Frederick Police Department is called in
13:06to join the search they hit the jackpot the camera is pointed directly in the direction of the Watts
13:12home the footage shows that the only person to come or go from the Watts home at least from the
13:17front is Chris himself while Chris begins to overe explain himself load my stuff up in my
13:25coolers my water jugs my book bag my computers some of the tools that I had from the tool box
13:33I knew I was going to have to do some pumping pumping in rubbers today what I was out so far
13:39the neighbor explains how the camera will pick up any movement in the vicinity while an increasingly
13:44anxious Chris continues rambling about questions he has not been asked my detective just showed
13:50up um so he'll probably want to talk to you you probably like I said you might have you call at
13:55the bank and see if there's any kind of activity um cuz if there was any sort of action out there
14:02his camera I would have got it like we had we had issues the other other week when people were we
14:07stealing stuff out of like garages and stuff like that and I have Park here I park right here yeah
14:13cuz someone I can see someone tried to Jimmy with a flathead screwdriver over there and it was just
14:20like but if any action would have happened any cars or anything left your house I would been
14:25like right in that area they should have oh it'll pick up anything coming down the street
14:29this way oh yeah Chris's level of stress at this point is visible and obvious El do being stressed
14:40about his family having disappeared is not an abnormal reaction but he didn't show that level
14:45of stress prior to viewing the video viewing that for an innocent person should not add additional
14:50stress after they finished watching the video Chris hightails it out of there the officer stays
14:57behind all right appreciate your time yeah problem thanks hopefully something comes up
15:03here if I you just want to go talk to him I'm going to get his info real
15:15quick
15:18no back andth and if you look
15:30he never loads his stuff in and out of the garage ever right it
15:34doesn't he doesn't look worried he looks like he's trying to cover his
15:39traps you know what I'm saying right and if he's loading his stuff why isn't he walking back and
15:47forth but I can't see what he's doing in the back of the truck cuz he pulls into the garage
15:54he knows my camera's there no I'm just saying it's kind of odd that he pulls his truck back
15:59behind my camera well he never backs his truck into the driveway and he's right Chris was strict
16:07about never driving his truck onto the driveway out of fear of getting oil from the tires onto the
16:12driveway you can ask them he's normally quiet we subdue he's over here telling to telling you three
16:19times what he took out what he did what he did what he did he's very he never talks so the fact
16:27that he's over here blabbing is mouth makes me kind of suspicious 34-year-old Shannon 4-year-old
16:34Bella and 3-year-old CeCe are officially considered missing Watts's official storyline is
16:40that Shannon arrived home just before 2 a.m. from her business trip he claims they had an emotional
16:46conversation before he left for work at about 5:15 a.m. no one hears from Shannon for about 7 hours
16:53until her neighbor arrives at her home at about noon finding no one there once Chris arrives they
16:59find Shannon's phone her purse her wallet money and ID and even the children's critical medication
17:06which she never left home without her car was in the garage and still contained the girl's car
17:11seats the next day the FBI and the CBI joined the investigation while police are searching
17:22his home with police dogs Chris has agreed to be interviewed by two news stations when I got home
17:27yesterday it was like a ghost to like she wasn't here kids weren't here I have no idea like where
17:33they went if she wasn't here like where did she go like once I got here it was like all
17:38right who can I call if she's vanished like I want her back so bad I want those kids back
17:43so bad last night I wanted I I wanted that knock on the door I wanted to see I wanted to see this
17:48kid just running running just just Barrel rush me and just give me a hug and knock me on the
17:52ground I'm hoping that somebody sees something or somebody knows something and comes forward right
17:58now now it's got K9 units the sheriff's apartment everybody's like they're they're doing their best
18:04right now to figure out like if they can get a cent I called her three times texted her about
18:09three times just to say you know right now I don't even want to just like throw anything
18:13out there like I hope that she's somewhere safe right now and with the kids that's why
18:19last night was horrible I couldn't do it I just shanan Bella Celeste if you're out there just
18:29just come back like if somebody has her just please bring her back I need to see everybody
18:35I need to see everybody again this house is not complete with without anybody here please bring
18:40it back from the start Chris's lack of emotions was on display for everyone to see and speculate
18:46psychologists noted that he even appeared to be smiling or even laughing at times investigators
18:52called Chris Watts to the police department that evening for questioning FBI special agent Ram
18:59coder conducts the first interview with Watts that evening agent suspicions of Watts were already
19:04heightened by his near emotionless behavior during the television interviews he granted then as the
19:10questioning with investigators progressed there were red flags for starters he kept referring to
19:16his wife and daughters in the past tense like when he was shown a picture of his daughters
19:22it was 100° outside her what she loved those shoes she always loves those shoes and Bella
19:31she always wore some flipflops she always will she's just like she was the girlly girl but for
19:38the most part during the three plus hour interview watt sticks to this story that he and Shannon had
19:44planned to separate that she said she was going to stay with a friend and that he had no idea where
19:50his wife and kids were he does admit that things are beginning to look worrisome what do you think
19:55happen at first I really thought maybe she was just at somebody's house just decompressing just
20:02blown steam yeah but after today like with the onslaught of all the cars I mean all the police
20:09cars all the NES all the canine units it's making me lean the other direction about someone took
20:16her okay but there's just if someone took her it would have to have been someone she knew because
20:25there's there's no sign of anything like being disturbed broken mhm but like that's the way
20:30I'm leaning now at first I thought for real she was just too compressing somewhere just I mean
20:35I thought she was safe even though everything in the house was left there but now it's just
20:40after the day with the news crews and everything it's just it feels more the other direction and
20:44it's freaking me out at one point AJ coder shares with Watts his perspective of how everything is
20:51looking so when I work investigations like this I have to keep an open mind on everything okay
20:58okay and part of keeping an open mind is listening to you talk about your wife and your marriage and
21:10the day she goes missing is the day that you guys have marital Discord okay so you can understand
21:18what I'm thinking about you yeah what do you think about that I makes me sick to my stomach
21:23honestly like I know like I've talked to a few of my friends is like you know this does not
21:28good on you I'm like I know it's like people that if people knew that we were
21:33having marital issues they're going to look at me especially with the way everything looks and
21:39it honestly just makes me sick to my stomach because this is something that I would never
21:43do ever I I know like you have to look at every every vantage point this is something I would
21:54never do to my kids or my wife at all but at this point even though the agent doesn't call it out
22:03his wife and kids are supposedly merely missing and given his claim that she said she was going
22:07to a friend's house being sick to his stomach because he would never do this to his wife and
22:12kids when nothing has been revealed to have been done is telling the highly skilled agent uses
22:18well-proven tactics to coax watts into divulging what happened including positive reinforcement to
22:23befriend him but they're not letting him get away with anything either uh 1 p.m.
22:28I'm now on my way home to check on my family is that just cuz you're worried with based on the
22:33conversation from Nicole had the police contact you by then no okay two I ared sorry go ahead
22:38but Nicole said she was probably going to call the cops okay all right now so it sounds like Nicole's
22:45pretty worried more worried than you well I once once she couldn't get anything out of her and
22:50nothing was going on of the house I was like all right I got to go home but it sounds like Nicole
22:54was more worried yeah because like most of like if she doesn't texted me like I understand that like
23:00sometimes that happens okay but for her not to get back to her direct sales group that was very
23:07unorthodox okay agent coder asks Watts about any infidelity so I need to ask you about um
23:15your marriage and uh infidelity okay okay tell me about it I have never cheated on my life okay and
23:23I fully suspect she has never done that to me oh okay like she's always been a trustworthy person
23:30I've always been a trustworthy person I fully expect if we ever thought about straying another
23:36way mhm that we would tell each other before it happened I think that sounds ridiculous but
23:45he wasn't telling the truth what Watts doesn't know is that detectives are already aware that
23:50he's having an affair early that morning they've been alerted by the head of security at Watts's
23:55job that the company had discovered email evidence of a possible Affair between watts and a coworker
24:00shortly after that the cooworker herself Nicole kessinger also came forward to police claiming
24:06that she wanted to divulge their relationship to them and share what she knew about Watts so
24:11while Watts was being interviewed police were also interviewing Nicole who will refer to as
24:16kessinger to differentiate her from Shannon's friend Nicole ainson during this first of
24:22several police interviews which took place in a park kessinger downplayed her relationship
24:26with Chris stating that it wasn't that serious and that Watts was more into her than she was
24:32into him she claimed Watts told her that he was separated and at the end of divorce proceedings
24:38according to kessinger after The Disappearance she learned that Shannon was pregnant and that
24:42Watts had lied about it she said that if he could lie about that she wondered what else could he
24:47lie about and worried for the missing family's safety more on kessinger in a bit meanwhile back
24:54at Chris's interview he hasn't wavered since he insists he's tell telling the truth police
24:59ask him if he will undergo a polygraph test he agrees so at 11:00 p.m. after nearly 4 hours of
25:06questioning and no probable cause to hold him they plan to part ways for the night and have
25:10Chris return in the morning for the polygraph I want you to go home and I want you to know that
25:16I'm the guy you can talk to okay who's not going to judge you I have kids sometimes I sometimes
25:25I joke with my wife I just need two weeks alone you know like when you told me about your four to
25:31five weeks alone I was like wow that sounds like a slice of heaven right sometimes it's a bit much
25:38okay I want to talk to you again tomorrow okay okay I want you to get a good night's sleep and
25:43a good breakfast and a good workout whatever you got to do whatever your morning routine
25:46is Chris's father has flown into Colorado to support his son Chris picks him up from the
25:58airp report the next morning and the two of them head for the police station and Chris's polygraph
26:02before the test begins CBI agent Tammy Lee who will be administering the test explains what he
26:07can expect there's actually only two ways you can fail a polygraph okay the first way would
26:12be if you fail to follow my instructions I'm going to give you a lot of instructions today about how
26:15to sit still how to answer questions things like that so if you fail to follow those instructions
26:20you will not pass today's test okay the second way would be if you choose to lie to me today
26:25um obviously this is about 100% truth um even if there's you know something that you didn't
26:30tell the investigators you know since Monday I guess is when you ended the police were involved
26:37if there's something that you didn't tell them since Monday like that is totally fine like I get
26:41it you know people aren't going to remember every single detail every time they talk to someone as
26:45long as you tell me what the truth is today you will have no problem with passing okay I promise
26:49you that and obviously I mean I hope that you know if you did have something to do with their
26:55disappearance um it would be really stupid stupid for you to come in and take a poph today right
27:01like it it would be really dumb like you should not be here right now sitting in this chair if
27:05you had anything to do with shenan and the little girls disappearance okay okay during the Baseline
27:12testing aged Le asks Chris to deliberately tell a lie so they can see what a lie looks like for
27:17him on the detector they find that his lies are obvious so you obviously are a really bad liar has
27:24have people told you that before like the say you tell a lie like they can tell like on your face
27:28that because we're cheing you li to the number three like I don't know if you heard me clicking
27:32but I like turned down the sensitivity because you were starting to go off the page so that is what
27:37I need to see as a polygrapher because that tells me that you know it's wrong to tell a lie um and
27:43you're actually having a significant reaction when you lie so that is awesome so thank you for being
27:47a hor liar no that's a good thing that's a good thing we don't want to be good liar so thank you
27:53for being a horrible liar then the real questions come the test is about to begin please remain
28:00still do you know where shenan is now no Chris failed the polygraph test he didn't just fail
28:12investigators said he scored shockingly Low Police confront Chris about the results and
28:17tell him that he needs to come clean so um it was completely clear that you were not honest
28:22during the testing and I think you already know that um he did not pass the polygraph test okay
28:28okay so now we need to talk about what actually happened and I feel like you're
28:33probably ready to do that didn't I didn't lie to you on that holograph I promise Chris know
28:41it's time for a minute take a deep breath I I want you to take a deep breath right
28:48now we're not we're not here to play games we're not here to do any of that with you we just want
28:57to know what happened so can you start from the beginning and tell us what happened everything
29:04that I I told you I did not lie on this polygraph I am I don't know how much I
29:11could I could tell you right now like I did not it's not even it's not even an option right now
29:16because you did not pass the polygraph so I know you were being deceptive so that's not even is
29:20an issue right now the issue right now is what happened to shenan Bella and Celeste that's the
29:28right now this is where this is where the rubber meets the road Chris like don't let
29:34this continue any longer please I'm not trying to make anything continue like I want them back home
29:42like but you know they're not coming back home Agent Lee calls him out for not having shed a
29:49single tear I just I just find it hard that hear you talk about is having this emotional you know
29:56conversation with shenan and you're balling and crying together and you have not shed one tear
30:03in 2 days that you've been here no not one and I help me understand that because I don't get
30:10it you're these are your baby girls and you have not shed one tear over them not being
30:18around Chris I I lose my four-year-old in the store for 10 seconds and I start to go panic
30:29panic I have not seen any of that from you at all help me understand that I love those girls
30:37I I would never do any just because I haven't shed a tear you get yeah no that's weird is
30:42that weird don't don't look into that like I don't love my kids tell explain to me you're
30:49you're crying with your wife that you're leaving her yeah but you don't cry that you're two little
30:54baby girls I'm hoping they're still around some I'm hoping they're still somewhere after
30:58a few more minutes ajj coder takes a different approach but you weren't here today lying about
31:04something else so we need to talk about that okay that's your daughter I know and this is very good
31:14I I'm not proud of it I I don't think anything like that could happen I think
31:23I ever do it but I did I know keep goinging and she HED me of it I denied it I as she on
31:36her and I was so horrible for it like she was pregnant and it was I don't
31:43want I didn't hurt her I cheated on her I her emotionally I cheated on
31:50her you're doing a good job this is the chisp that I knew would come out today this is the
31:57because he tells the truth cuz you're a truth teller when agent coder says I know he's suddenly
32:03sending a message to Watts that not only does he know about the affair but he may also know
32:08much more but Watts still holds out not backing down so Detective Lee decides to deploy a proven
32:15strategy of offering Watts escapegoat she does it by vilifying Shannon did shanan do something
32:22to them no I don't know I'm serous I have no clue no you would have known cuz they leave the house
32:29think did shenan do something to them and then did you feel like you had to do something to
32:33shenan they were at the house when I left they were there they weren't there they
32:42didn't leave they vanished I mean I want to believe that maybe shenan did it and you
32:48felt compelled to fix this so shenan didn't look bad that's what I that's what I want to believe
32:59but I don't know you're not telling me that so makes me think the worst like did you three of
33:06them not do anything kids not anything what did she need do though tell us Chris the strategies
33:15are starting to pay off he starts to get emotional but still will not admit
33:19anything how about this if we brought your dad in here would you please tell him what happened
33:28with Chris eager to talk to his dad agents weigh the consideration fully aware that the
33:33risk of him lawyering up may increase once he talks with his dad they take
33:38the risk hoping that the close Bond the two of them share May instead lead to an
33:42acknowledgement hey Chris we're going to let you
33:49have a however much time you need okay you going to leave us in there no yes
34:02[Music]
34:03this the polygraph it there any reason the one shouldn't they know I had a fair
34:15and they they know I can't complan about that anything else you want
34:21to tell me what's what's going on or what happen or anything you anything
34:29I don't want to protect her what I don't
34:31want to protect her you don't want to protect her she heard
34:36him and
34:59lost all the bodies off or
35:07something I didn't know what [Music] else else to do Chris has confessed to the very scenario
35:20agents offered up to him and with that confession he accurately foretells his fate to his father
35:28last time last time
35:32see the just return and while they are confident that Chris was only taking
35:39advantage of the scapegoat scenario they offered up the first order of
35:42business was to locate the bodies I don't know what to do I know I didn't know what
35:50to do like none of this none of this made sense why would she hear my girls
36:05[Music]
36:06to Chris are they in something are they under the ground like where would you find
36:12them please don't think anything L talk my [Music]
36:21that are they all three out there Chris yes okay
36:29are they down in something are they under something in something I don't know what
36:35else to do I know did I know I didn't know what else to do I was so scared I know like
36:44my wife just did this I just did that what do I do right there anything that I would do from
36:52there just going to be just something just insensitive and just a horrible
36:57thing you were in a tough spot what can you do right in an effort to help locate
37:05the bodies without Chris having to go to the site again agent coder asks whether
37:09a coworker could help would you prefer that when your one your C oh my God no no no I can
37:18that you you're about thinks of a good man they're gonna see this year like what the
37:30[ __ ] did you do Chris what like why just go cost begin with well they weren't in your shoes
37:36they don't know they weren't living your life I know but still it's like people are I never
37:41like we'll just go Little Steps at a time about that I can't have anybody show you
37:53out there anybody no coworkers please okay I mean this is they're SC to for their own
38:00opinions anyways once they figure everything out anyways we'll just take a little steps tonight
38:06then how about that it was the most extreme and passionate Chris had gotten showing far
38:12more concern and emotion and he had shown for anything up until that point including
38:16murdering his wife and the supposed murder of his children during one of the luls in the
38:21conversation Ronnie shares with the agents a strange photo that he says Shannon posted
38:26on her Facebook page two days [Music] ago on her Facebook page like two days ago they had
38:35this like 4 orot long baby dog landay on the couch with a sheet over she yeah happen I'm
38:49thinking he claims that Bella would not have taken such a photo ages ask Chris
38:58what he thought about it do you remember that Chris what do you
39:04think she make fun of it thought it was funny did Bella do it I don't know I don't remember
39:19with Chris breaking down at every mention of returning to the site the agents leave
39:23the father and son and return after about half an hour they escort Chris's father out to take
39:29a restroom break after which he's taken to his own interview room there he vouches for his son's
39:35character and that he'd never do anything to harm his children he also repeatedly refers to shanan
39:41as unstable bipolar as having mood swings and generally manipulative and antagonistic toward
39:47him and his wife can you kind of just give us a little bit of a background on their relationship
39:52and how long you had known her background information seven or eight years as far as
39:58dating and stuff I got married about 5 years ago I think it was five six years ago and as far that
40:06relationship was fine us we being my wife most of my wife had a hard time getting with her but
40:13she's personality what she thinks she is by also she has these new swings and stuff and
40:25she just said she don't I don't realize how in stable she was who said that that's that what
40:37that's place she is she just bipolar [Music] 06 back in Chris's interrogation room agents
40:47returned with a fresh photo of the site where Chris claimed he disposed of the
40:50bodies servy 319 earlier that day while Chris was busy failing his polygraph test physical
40:57and drone searches were being conducted on the site after investigators obtained Chris's work
41:02trucks GPS data it pinpointed his location on the morning of The Disappearance the searches
41:07revealed in photograph the missing fitted sheet from the couple's bed along with freshly moved
41:12dirt consistent of a shallow grave presented with the photos they asked Chris to Mark the locations
41:19where he disposed each of the bodies so tamy I was just telling him wanted to show that picture yeah
41:29um and then we're going to talk a little bit about how the rest of the night's going to go um
41:33that looks familiar to you but is that it's thec survey 319 okay whereabouts the shenan and the
41:43girls how old is this picture today that's today
42:08okay can you work it for
42:10me I think it's Bur
42:27that verion in okay and where are the girls at here in these M so which one is you
42:36one are they in the tanks can somebody who doesn't know what they're doing open
42:45those okay it's easy to open what's in the tanks it's mixture of oil and
42:51water Chris Marks the Drone photo designating the locations of each of his family members bodies s
43:01for Shannon B for Bella C for suest the reason he was so reluctant to divulge their locations was
43:10because he had disposed of his little girls bodies in two huge tanks of crude oil an environment
43:16where trained engineers in hazmat suits would only be able to survive for a few minutes due
43:21to the toxic fumes that they give off with the locations of the bodies now identified agents
43:26return the their attention to Chris in search of more answers his claim now is that after he
43:31told Shannon that he wanted to separate he went downstairs then after hearing noises upstairs
43:37he went back up and first noticed Bella on the baby monitor lifeless in her bed then the monitor
43:43cycled to Cece's room and Chris saw Shannon strangling her he says that he ran to where
43:48they were through Shannon off of Cece and in a fit of rage strangle Shannon the agents never believed
43:55a story that so conveniently match the one they lobed to him to get his confession rolling it
44:00didn't match the evidence at all they were all but certain he was the culprit behind all the killings
44:05supported by the fact that he had changed details of his account at least three times between his
44:10confession to his dad and the interrogations immediately following but he would only
44:15acknowledge murdering Shannon not the girls is it possible that when we get these girls you know
44:22Bella Cece and shanan is it possible when we get them um that we're going to see um anything other
44:31than the cause of death being her hands okay and what I mean by that and I should be very clear is
44:39that um it it's some some of it's hard to believe that your wife did it right you can imagine that
44:48okay so is it possible that maybe she um did one and then you got shanan so you did the shenan what
44:58she did to one of your daughters and then you had to just do it to the other okay so is there that's
45:05not not what happen Okay um is it possible that is there any other way where we might see your
45:13hands on the girl's neck no okay and you know what I mean cuz when we find their Their little bodies
45:19we're going to see the diameter of someone's hand yeah and someone's fingers right so is that that
45:25all possible we're see yours right all right and I know it's hard and I know you're probably
45:30getting angry at my my question but we have to ask agents press Watts further regarding his
45:35reaction can I ask you another tough question you just get it all on the table when you see
45:44shenan choking strangling Celeste and you get her off of Celeste do you think um about calling an
45:57ambulance come that's I see you in their blue and Li I've never seen something like that in my life
46:08I mean she just like way over like nothing was she wasn't moving at all no gasp but breath so
46:16she was totally just blue so Chris doing this job for a long time no I uh I know a lot of
46:24about psychology and as far as like what people are thinking and most parents will never even
46:32want to Fathom that their kid or kid is dead even if their kids stiff blue in bed I mean stiff like
46:39been dead all night they still call an ambulance to see if someone can revive their child and they
46:46when the ambulance get gets there and they're like guys their kids been dead all night like there's
46:52nothing we can do the parents like what are you why are you not doing something what are you
46:55talking about so that's what I that's what we're used to so I just that's why I want you to explain
47:00to me like what was going on in your head and I felt for what she was what she did it just took
47:08over I you see that that I see where you're coming from those
47:21parents would still try and call I see where you're coming from yeah
47:28they try to appeal to this sense of decency I just I would hate for shenan to get a bad
47:36rap if she didn't have anything to do with it you know it's not fair I know
47:41it's not fair like enough bad stuff has happened like we need to stop the bad
47:48stuff from happening so you want to tell us the truth that is the truth
48:07I want to make
48:07sure so you're good with the public knowing that shenan killed her daughters I did not
48:14hurt these girls are you okay with the public knowing that shenan yes I did not hurt these
48:19girls CH I'm not sure do
48:28that doesn't work I don't think you meant to I don't think you meant to
48:34I didn't hurt them you didn't sa them either you know I know
48:41that I know that that makees sense either none of this makes
48:49sense nothing like why she would be there any any of this makes sense
49:01are you sure shenan didn't catch you in oh my God
49:04no was would not concede so they hit harder Chris you can imagine
49:14that we're pretty cynical in our jobs right and tonight we've had to talk a lot about a
49:22lot of things and don't get mad but what it looks like is that you found a new life and
49:33the only way to get that new life was to get rid of your old life and I think that
49:38you killed these girls before their mom came home and then killed SH now and that's what
49:45we're kind of left that's what we have to believe because it just doesn't make
49:49sense I mean to her point if I walked in and my kid was decapitated I call an ambulance right
49:57knowing there's no hope it just it just doesn't make sense it just doesn't add up so either you're
50:05this monster who says I just want this young hot girlfriend so I'm going to kill everyone and
50:10hope it works out or something so I think we're very very close to the truth but not quite there
50:18yet so if you're not that monster I'm not a monster I didn't know my babies
50:31okay so tell us what actually happened I told you what happened I know but you know we're
50:44getting later into the day we've done this a few times and we we talk then we show you
50:50a little bit of what we're working with some evidence some facts that we know and then we
50:53we kind of get our way to the truth so okay everything absolutely TR so what's going to
51:01happen when their cause of death comes back to you the girls it's not going to okay you sure
51:08I'm 100% positive it's not going to come back to me who's he going to come back to was SP top of CC
51:16okay are you hold me to say I just want the truth is the truth and then what about Bella
51:26Bella was laid out sprawled on her bed okay and I saw shenan on top of C ran in there
51:34okay agent asks him whether he felt sorry for what he did you feel sorry for what
51:39you did I wish I I wouldn't have lost of control and God man did that and then did
51:52that what to the
51:58yes unconvincing remembered his response for later when Watts talks about remorse
52:07there would be no additional confessions Chris Watts was arrested Chris don't stand up for me
52:16but I'm going to have you face that wall just face it he was fired by anad Darko that day
52:25agents were confident that wats killed his daughters and disappointed that they didn't
52:28extract a full confession but they wouldn't have to wait long within 2 weeks of being
52:34arrested Watts confessed to also killing his daughters it was part of a plea deal
52:38where prosecutors agreed to not seek the death penalty in exchange for his guilty
52:42plea based on the mountain evidence that would be collected after Watts's arrest a painfully
52:49detailed jailhouse confession he would make to agents a few months later and subsequent letters
52:53he'd write to an author a clearer picture of the events surrounding the murder came into
52:58Focus bend down and hit it come
53:09on nice nice nice again go get uncle Frankie go get uncle Frankie up until August of
53:2618 Shannon was confident that she was living a picture perfect life she had a beautiful
53:31family was a top producer at LEL and was married to the most loving caring soulmate
53:36anyone could ask for she was scheduled to go on a 5we trip to North Carolina so the girls
53:41could spend time with both her and Chris's families Chris would join them for their
53:45last week there but would stay home for the majority of the trip since he had to
53:49work while the girls did indeed deed get to spend time with family the trip was not going well there
54:00had already been extreme friction between shanon and Chris's parents dating back to the start of
54:05their relationship and this visit was no different the tension grew to an irreconcilable level when
54:10Chris's mother serves CC ice cream with peanuts in it and according to shanon his sister laid out an
54:16actual bowl of peanuts after shanon became angry about the peanuts and the ice cream with CA being
54:22dangerously allergic to peanuts to the point of meeting an EpiPen if exposed Shannon finally lost
54:27it she was Furious left their house as soon as she could and never went back she vented to Chris who
54:34promised to handle it when he arrived Chris's parents were also upset and skipped going to
54:39cce's birthday party about a week later and that wasn't the first important event they skipped and
54:44they got married in 2012 did they get married in North Carolina they did mhm how was that oh we
54:52didn't attend really mm we didn't attend because she and I just couldn't get along but the tension
54:59with her in-laws wasn't Shannon's only concern Chris was beginning to behave differently as well
55:04she tried to both text and to with him about it even growing angry but he insisted everything was
55:10fine once Chris finally joined them in North Carolina it didn't get any better he was distant
55:20and cold and everyone noticed Shannon had booked a trip to the beach for the four of them to get away
55:26and even Bella and CeCe who were normally all over Chris uncharacteristically shot away from
55:32him as a result of him seeming so annoyed with them which he was actually fine with they were
55:37an obstacle and he genuinely was annoyed also on his first night there Shannon said she had a bad
55:44headache so Chris gave her what he told her was an over-the-counter pain reliever but was actually a
55:49potentially lethal and highly addictive narcotic in an effort to end her pregnancy he thought that
55:55if he ended her pregnancy it would make it easier to leave her and be with kessinger she
56:00vomited most of the night and he didn't help her hoping for his desired outcome on that same night
56:06he texted kessinger and told her he couldn't talk and could only text for the night she replied why
56:12not are you with her kessinger was fine with Chris visiting his family in North Carolina
56:18but not Shannon so for the remainder of the trip Chris had as little interaction with Shannon as
56:23he possibly could he avoided any and all intimacy and would simply leave the room whenever it became
56:29clear she wanted to be intimate Shannon shared with her good friend Addy Maloney that he hadn't
56:34touched or kissed or really even talked to her all week she notes how they couldn't get enough
56:40of each other before the trip something was wrong and she knew it according to a friend Shannon had
56:47speculated about Chris having an affair but dismissed it telling the friend that Chris
56:52didn't have it in him which too many seen Chris for the first time on television strapping and
56:57fit may not have seemed to be the case but the Cris wats that many Saw for the first time on
57:02National Television barely resembled the man that Shannon met some 8 years prior 60 lb heavier as he
57:09ironically and chillingly delivered a presentation on infidelity for a speech course he was taking 2
57:14years into their relationship among other things he discusses what relationship Enders are you have
57:21two types of deterioration you have sudden and you have gradual sudden would be an example of
57:27infidelity when somebody is not faithful to their partner the partners realize that the
57:33relationship cannot be sustained gradual would be if you met somebody at work or a new friendship
57:41has occurred and you as it goes on you see that okay maybe this relationship has more potential
57:47than the relationship I have with my partner and that would gradually push the old relationship
57:53out and push the new relationship in according to bloomstein and Schwarz when relationship breaks up
58:00it's generally the more attractive one that leaves which I agree with somewhat and then I disagree
58:07with so the not so fit Chris of their early dating days was a far cry from the more chisel
58:13Chris whose Behavior was now baffling his wife she assumes that the Riff that she had with his
58:18parents may be causing his behavior she texts a friend to give her a visual of what she was facing
58:25he would would eventually confirm that he was no longer interested in continuing their marriage
58:31he even bizarrely deleted his Facebook account and remember that strange photo of the covered up doll
58:38that Chris's father told agents Shannon had posted to her Facebook page well it turns out she was not
58:44the person who took the photo Chris was he sent it to her 3 days before the murder and she replied
58:50don't know what to think about this she then posted it to her Facebook page joking about it
58:56Chris had planted the photo and his father pushed it the night before they were set to return to
59:02Colorado Chris told Shan and that he's happy with just Bella and Cece and doesn't want another baby
59:08crushed and completely confused particularly since they decided to have the baby together she tells
59:14him that she doesn't feel safe with him after what he said about the baby with Shannon devastated the
59:19trip finally comes to an end they returned to Colorado on August 7th 6 days before the
59:25disappearance they would be home for a few days before Shannon would have to leave for a business
59:30trip to Arizona she considered cancelling given the tension in her marriage but Chris insisted
59:35she go and promised they would talk when she got home in reality he saw it as another opportunity
59:41to spend more time with kessinger but Shannon saw it as a glitter of Hope especially since Chris
59:47agreed to go in on a romantic weekend together the following weekend and at some point since they now
59:52knew the gender of the baby shanon was now 15 weeks pregnant with they decided to name him
59:56Nico Shannon left for her trip that Friday hopeful but it would be shortlived just one day into her
1:00:09trip on Saturday night she noticed a $60 credit card charge Chris just made at a restaurant it was
1:00:16the first and only slip up Chris had made exposing his affair to Shannon prior to that point he was
1:00:21able to use gift cards to pay for all their meals but he'd run out of them on this final dinner date
1:00:26and needed to use their joint credit card Watts met Nicole kessinger also called Micki through
1:00:32work at anad Darko kessinger worked there as a contractor the two began communicating via work
1:00:38email and Watts immediately tried taking their relationship to a romantic level again via email
1:00:44but Mickey originally rebuff his flirtations claiming it was out of respect for herself and
1:00:48directly referring to his wife and kids but Watts doesn't seem to take the hint he doesn't back
1:00:55off at all and eventually the two began seriously dating they wrote I'm so hooked on you and penned
1:01:03extensive love notes and [Music] letters based on the evidence they were obsessed with each other
1:01:11I'm having a wonderful time you mean a lot to me and I'm glad that you're having a blast I am so
1:01:18out of breath so while shanon was sending Chris marital self-help and counseling books Chris was
1:01:24searching the internet for secluded vacation spots and went to say I love you for the first
1:01:30time in a new relationship and while Chris was terrible at hiding his changing feelings for
1:01:35Shannon he was a master at hiding his affair to cloak his Unfaithful activity Watts had his
1:01:41secret calculator application on his cell phone that to anyone who saw it appeared to be a normal
1:01:45calculator but when he would enter a secret code into it it opened access to a concealed
1:01:51storage device where he stored his messages with kessinger along with provocative photos and video
1:01:56of her some that he himself had taken Chris acknowledged that he was used to dating women
1:02:01who were more in control and dominating in their relationships but it wasn't like that with Mickey
1:02:06she would always ask him what he wanted it was different and he liked it he was living a double
1:02:12life the moment Shannon and the girls were off to North Carolina he felt an instant sense of
1:02:16Freedom he spent every possible moment he could with cassinger staying at her house most nights's
1:02:22family was away in North Carolina they even went out in public together on M multiple occasions
1:02:27including going on a short vacation to the sand Dooms for the 4th of July after that trip watt
1:02:33stayed the night at cenger house and slept in the next morning he awoke to find several Miss calls
1:02:38from shanon he stepped outside to call her she was Furious he decided to go home for the rest of the
1:02:45day which made kessinger Angry so after he went home kessinger showed up at his home claiming she
1:02:50wanted to help him create a protein diet plan it was the first time she'd been to their home
1:02:55and she didn't get get to go too far into it but she would 10 days later when the couple stopped
1:03:00there briefly after going to the museum on that visit the family dog deer led her upstairs where
1:03:05she got a thorough view of the life that Chris and his family enjoyed family pictures and all Chris
1:03:11had to console her afterward resulting in both tension then reconciliation they returned to her
1:03:17house where they became intimate but it wasn't the same in fact according to Watts from that point on
1:03:23their intimate encounters decreased from 3 to four times per day to one or two but that was enough to
1:03:28sustain the obsession Watts had with kessinger and vice versa but now it was August and with
1:03:35Shannon scheduled to return from her Arizona business trip the next day Chris arranged to
1:03:39steal away with kessinger to a restaurant called The Lazy Dog telling the sitter and others that
1:03:44he was at a rocky game with co-workers it was at the lazy dog that walks realized he was out of
1:03:49gift cards and he didn't have enough nerve to ask kessinger to pay so for the first time he used his
1:03:55Shannon's joint credit card to pay for their meal cassinger noticed him using a credit card
1:04:00and figure that he just didn't care anymore but watts would later claim that he just ran out
1:04:06of payment options back in Arizona Shannon was still bothered by the charge $6 seemed
1:04:12too high for one person's meal she took to the internet and searched Lazy Dog menu it confirmed
1:04:19the cost levels she assumed then an hour after the charge alert came through Chris was still not home
1:04:25even though the restaurant was only 15 minutes away so by this point in addition to her being
1:04:30clear that Chris had fallen out of love with her she was also now certain that he was cheating on
1:04:35her she shared her concern with friends before flying back home to Colorado that Sunday
1:04:40night the day before The Disappearance Chris was wrapping up the weekend's events with the girls
1:04:50by taking them to a birthday party he has them home and tucked in for bed by 7:45 p.m. a.m.
1:04:56that evening prior to their bedtime Chris texts a coworker telling him that he can go out to the
1:05:01work site survey 3:19 in the morning and that there's no need for his coworker to go ensuring
1:05:08you would be the only one there the cooworker replies saying that he had also planned to go
1:05:12to the site watt replied I can go out there though no sense in both of us going out there
1:05:17LOL he spends 111 minutes on a call that night with cassinger having phone according to watts
1:05:36despite Chris's original claim that the murders were due to a spur of the- moment fit of rage in
1:05:41reality to his own acknowledgement he had been planning to kill his family for weeks he knew
1:05:46it as he watched them Splash around the birthday party the day before he knew it when he put them
1:05:51to bed just hours before thinking that's the last time I'm going to be tucking my babies in based
1:05:59on letters Chris Watts wrote to an author from prison on that morning prior to killing Shannon
1:06:04he went to each of his daughter's rooms and used a pillow from their beds to smother them then he
1:06:10returned to he and Shannon's bedroom where they began arguing Chris told her that he was having
1:06:15an affair didn't love her and wanted to separate according to Chris shenan was first hurt then
1:06:21angry she said that if he left her he would never see the kid again he became angry and suddenly
1:06:28all the things he resented now hated about their relationship came bubbling up he strangled her as
1:06:34she looked back at him he thought about stopping but knew that if he did it would prevent him from
1:06:39being with kassinger he didn't sustain any defensive wounds because he said she couldn't
1:06:44fight back Chris would write at one point that he also gave Shannon a narcotic a second time just
1:06:50before he killed her but would later retract that statement he described how after shannan
1:06:56had passed how he was unsuccessful at killing his daughters as he was wrapping his wife in a sheep
1:07:02Bella and CeCe had woken up came into the room and asked what was wrong with Mommy he said they
1:07:08were crying but that he had no desire to comfort them he struggled to get Shannon's body down the
1:07:13stairs which distressed the girls even further it was why he intended to kill them first he said
1:07:20that he recalled being angry that they were still alive several times forcing him to have to deal
1:07:25with killing them a second time once he dragged shann into the truck and got her inside he told
1:07:31the girls to follow him out to the truck as well they did bringing their blankets and stuffed toys
1:07:37along with them Bella told him that they needed their car seats and he told them that it was all
1:07:42right this time still fuming and shaking with what Watts claims was years of built up anger finally
1:07:49released he drove for just over an hour to survey 319 once there he Smothers C she with her blanket
1:07:57then he makes the climb up the staircase to the tank of toxic crude oil to force her body into its
1:08:028in opening he recalls how before he dropped her into the tank he could not feel anything for her
1:08:10he was surprised at how easy it was to just let her go he heard the splash as she hit the oil he
1:08:17returns to the truck where a terrified Bella asked her father if he's going to do the same thing to
1:08:21her that he did to Cece she had seen him drop her little sister into the tank he doesn't recall his
1:08:27answer to her but that was indeed his intention as she cried out Daddy no he smothered her with
1:08:34the same blanket she was the only one who put up a fight autopsy results would show that she
1:08:40had a large tear between her lip and gums and bit her tongue multiple times then he forced her into
1:08:46the second crude oil tank being bigger than her sister Watts had to force her through the hatch
1:08:52she had scratch marks on her buttocks from being shoved through the unfathomably small hole he had
1:08:58deliberately put them into separate tanks both to make sure they didn't get up again and to
1:09:03make sure they were as far away from shanon as possible then he digs a shallow grave for shanon
1:09:09and haphazardly tosses her into it before covering her in dirt men he said he felt my entire life lay
1:09:16there on that oil sight all I could feel was now I was free to be with Nikki feelings of my
1:09:22love for her was overcoming me I felt no remorse I felt like I could kill anything and be justified
1:09:29for doing it I didn't feel any remorse for what I did I didn't feel bad for killing my entire family
1:09:35I really didn't feel anything my mind went to the dog did I remember to put him in the
1:09:40cage daddy is a hero he helps me girl up strong he helped me I'm not go to
1:09:56he reads me books he ties my shoes if you're a hero FL and my daddy daddy love
1:10:11you after the murders Chris made a series of calls including calling
1:10:18his daughter's school at around 8:30 a.m. to tell them that the girls would not be
1:10:22attending there anymore then he he comes to his senses and asks them if they are
1:10:27there Chris's co-workers arrive at 8:30 a.m. and according to them he appeared
1:10:33completely normal even as his family was just feed away buried and floating in oil
1:10:39tanks my name is Nicole and I'm calling because I'm concerned about um a friend of mine Shannon's
1:10:47friends and family are Beyond concerned as they become more and more alarmed Nicole ainson tries
1:10:53to get into the Watts home to check on shanon tripping the home's alarm system in the process
1:10:58Watts tells her to leave his home and stop messing with the doors they eventually tell Chris they're
1:11:04calling police he urges them not to and claims he's on his way home multiple times one friend
1:11:10Cassandra Rosenberg texts Chris in no uncertain terms that he needs to haul at home cheap on his
1:11:16family at some point they're done waiting on his Nosh shows and clear lack of urgency and call the
1:11:21police Shannon's family also contacted police and shared their concern concerns about Chris's
1:11:26involvement police arrived within 10 minutes of Nicole's call Nicole then already opened the front
1:11:32door using the security code she was entrusted with but could only open it a few inches due to
1:11:37a hotel style security latch that was locked from the inside Nicole and the officer spoke with Chris
1:11:43and asked for permission to enter his home but instead of allowing them to kick the partially
1:11:47open door down past the inner lock to potentially save his family he said he'd be home in 5 minutes
1:11:54once Chris arrives home his Shane and is at a friends Story begins to crumble alarm bells are
1:12:00going off everywhere for several of her friends who are working together to find their friend as
1:12:05police Chris Nicole and her son search the house for any indication of Shannon's whereabouts each
1:12:11life critical item they uncover sends Nicole as well as Cassandra and Shannon's mom who were on
1:12:16the phone with Nicole into a further panic and same for Chris but his was a different Panic he
1:12:23had not factored in Nicole calling the police or Shannon's loyal concerned network of persistent
1:12:28friends their efforts particularly Nicole's led to the home being searched far earlier than Chris
1:12:34ever planned preventing him from cleaning up and disposing of the incriminating items once he got
1:12:39home from work once they head over to Chris's neighbor's home to view his security footage
1:12:45instead of Chris scrutinizing every second of what his neighbor captured to try to spot the
1:12:49tiniest of clues about the whereabouts of his missing family Chris shows exactly zero interest
1:12:54in the video Chris recalls that he was shocked as they watched the video footage because he
1:12:59thought they could see the girls walking up to the truck and him putting them in the evening
1:13:04passes with no news about the whereabouts of his family Chris does get a follow-up call from an
1:13:09officer and he tells the officer that while he has not cheated it's possible that Shannon may
1:13:15have at approximately 4:30 a.m. Shannon's mother Sandra rusec contacted the Frederick Police
1:13:27Department to report that she and her husband believed that her daughter and granddaughter's
1:13:31disappearance involved Foul Play and that Chris was involved she said she felt that he was pouring
1:13:37oil on the bodies to dispose of them somewhere both her parents and Shannon's friend Cassandra
1:13:42felt that if police would track Chris's GPS from that morning they would find their family already
1:13:48highly suspicious of Watts police stationed an unmarked patrol car near his home 24/7 monitoring
1:13:54his every MO move as well as Ling any activity to or from the home on that morning following The
1:14:00Disappearance CBI agent Tammy Lee and FBI agent Graham coder are called in to Frederick it's also
1:14:07the day that police interview Shannon's friend Nicole ainson she recalls the details of the
1:14:12previous day repeatedly noting that each Discovery led her to have bad thoughts about what had
1:14:17happened to Shannon all pointing to Chris Chris backing up his work truck to their garage at 58
1:14:25in the morning and loading something up in it and that's when my mind went bad like really bad
1:14:32because what would he be loading up at 5:18 in the morning and shanan yells at him and he doesn't go
1:14:37out the garage because the garage is right below the do the girl's bedroom and it would wake them
1:14:42up toward the end of the interview she shared a speculation like if it was a crime of passion I
1:14:50honestly think to God he strangle her only because she already has the neck issue I mean yeah I don't
1:14:57know what was that from she had a I don't know if it was a I don't if it started out as a Slip disc
1:15:03or but it was a degenerative disc and they went in and fused some stuff in her neck she's got a
1:15:08scar on the front part of her neck okay Watts agrees to two television interviews that day
1:15:14the timing of which allows the freshly arrived agents to gather and watch what's now referred
1:15:18to as the sermon on the porch right as it was being aired Bella was going to start kindergarten
1:15:26after watching it Agent Lee turned to agent coder and said oh sh she commented that they needed to
1:15:31get watts in for questioning immediately to get his story down and recorded they call him
1:15:37in before Chris heads to the police station for the interview he sends out a group email
1:15:42confirming that he will participate in fantasy football early on in the interrogation as Watts
1:15:48was claiming his innocence auu coder stepped out of the room he shared that with a frequency
1:15:53with which Watts kept unconsciously touching and making movements toward his neck area he suspected
1:15:59that he may have strangled Shannon agents will not start getting to the truth until the next
1:16:04day many of the tactics agent Le deployed before and during Watts's polygraph test were to get into
1:16:14his head right now there's only one person in this room that knows what the truth is in about
1:16:20five minutes there's going to be two of us so that's the coolest part so you obviously are a
1:16:26really bad liar has have people told you that before like deci you tell a lie like they can
1:16:30tell like on your face but for polygraph tests someone is considered deceptive if they score
1:16:36a ne4 or below Chris Watts scored A8 with that abysmally low score agents knew that Watts had
1:16:44done something to his family they just needed to figure out how to get him to confess they directly
1:16:50confront Chris that he is lying and while throwing scenarios at him Agent Lee eventually offers up
1:16:55the Shannon did something to the kid scenario the moment she said that she said that they could see
1:17:01the change in Chris's eyes so they stuck with it Chris himself would later acknowledge that
1:17:07he had not thought of blaming Shannon before that but as a parent the feasibility of that
1:17:12scenario was highly flawed in reality when faced with such a scenario most people would call the
1:17:19police and try to revive their children not kill their spouse then hide all their bodies
1:17:25watts would later report that the hard part of the interrogation for him was that he did not feel any
1:17:30remorse but he had to pretend like he did wat's arrest process began about 10: p.m. and they would
1:17:38recover shanon's body an hour later the recovery crew noted that she was curled up as if just
1:17:44thrown in the painstaking process of retrieving the young girls would begin the following
1:17:49morning Crews began arriving at about 5:00 a.m. the CBI agent in charge noted that investigators
1:18:00arrived with a sense of dread knowing what their mission was going to be the entire recovery
1:18:05process would take nearly 14 hours of methodical planning and careful execution in an extremely
1:18:11dangerous environment the operation involved up to multiple representatives from each of 10 agencies
1:18:16and companies an anod Darko employee briefed everyone about the process he informed them
1:18:22that the East tank contained about 9 ft of crude oil and the West tank just under 1 and A2 they'd
1:18:29start with the East tank investigators opened the hatchet of one of the tanks they reveal openings
1:18:35so small just 8 in or 20 cm in diameter that they doubted whether the girls could even fit through
1:18:41them but then they found blonde hair attached to one of the openings confirming that it was
1:18:46indeed the route that the girls had traveled so the recovery process began the two 400 barrel
1:18:53tanks had to First be manually drain into holding tanks with the extracted oil run through metal
1:18:58screens to filter any possible evidence once each tank was emptied the welding crew began removing
1:19:04the bolts from the door that was located at the base of each tank they were then allowed to step
1:19:08to the side while a trooper and CBI agent wearing fully protective hazardous material gear finished
1:19:14removing the door then entered the pitch black tank they could only remain in the tank for a few
1:19:19minutes at a time because of the toxic fumes and had to undergo an extensive decontamination ation
1:19:25process afterward in the East tank they located the body of CeCe still in her night gown in a
1:19:31diaper and covered in crude oil having been in the tank for 3 days at that point her body was badly
1:19:37decomposed making it problematic to handle and transport her out of the tank once CC was removed
1:19:43they performed the same process to retrieve Bella still in her pink pajama top she was larger than
1:19:49CeCe resulting in a 5 in or 13 cm scratch on her bottom from from being forced through the tiny
1:19:56opening on the same day the bodies were being retrieved investigators were conducting their
1:20:03second of five interviews with Watts's mistress Nicole kessinger accompanied by her dad kessinger
1:20:08showed up to the interview tired aloof and generally uncooperative she revealed how super
1:20:14cute she thought it was that Chris had kids and then one day he told me that he had two kids I
1:20:19was like that's pretty cool and I started telling me about his kids that sounded like a sarcastic
1:20:25no I thought it was kind of cute I was like oh he's a dad it was like right around Father's
1:20:30Day Too everything was generally hunky dory until they ask her to hand over her phone I
1:20:36really want to help you guys I do I feel like um I'm this whole thing is just going to be crazy
1:20:41regardless of whether I give you my phone or not prior to showing up for the interview kessinger
1:20:47had actually deleted everyone of her and Watts's text messages calls photos and videos and even his
1:20:53contact and she told watts to do the same much of that data was never able to be recovered by
1:20:59law enforcement and there were numerous other questionable actions regarding the mistress but
1:21:05we'll start with that destruction of evidence we just mentioned she claimed that she deleted it all
1:21:10because she was grossed out what did that cause you to do with your phone though oh what when
1:21:17I deleted those I was just kind of grossed out by him to be honest with you I was just like I
1:21:22don't know what's going on right now but you just lied to me and I don't want to see this come over
1:21:27my phone anymore so I removed it so you just you already said but you removed text messages
1:21:35I deleted all of his stuff because he lied to me I mean that's what it was it was it was the hurt
1:21:40that made me delete it and then it was the lie that made me start questioning everything else
1:21:46he' been telling me for the last few days and that's when you decided to come forward yes
1:21:50okay the information was not destroyed because there was anything in there that would be harmful
1:21:57to you or potentially to Chris at this point but harmful to you in particular that's not way you
1:22:02did it no you did it out of oh excuse my language this guy's an [ __ ] so I'm getting it rid of him
1:22:10and I'm getting this stuff off my phone that was like me kicking him out of my life okay and then
1:22:15like I said and then realizing that he lied that was when I was like okay maybe his family is in
1:22:21danger and they're not coming back and they're not staying with a friend kessinger also lied
1:22:26to investigators a lot and not just immaterial or subjective lies but relevant provable lies
1:22:34like her claim that she didn't know that Watts was married at first even though they email messages
1:22:39that predate their Affair clearly prove otherwise he didn't have a wedding ring on his finger and
1:22:44every time I talked to him he didn't tell me that he was in a relationship and that she only visited
1:22:50the Watts home once when she had actually been there twice she also told law enforcement that
1:22:55she wasn't really that into Watts yet just 9 days prior to the murders she spent 2 hours searching
1:23:02the internet for terms like wedding dresses and marrying your mistress she also lied about knowing
1:23:08Shannon's name did he mention the children's name or his significant other's name um I didn't know
1:23:16his significant other's name for a while that claim didn't add up given that she had ran hours
1:23:22of internet searches for shanon Watts dating as far back as at least January of 2018 and possibly
1:23:29as early as September of 2017 if the official records are accurate either way she searched
1:23:35Shannon's name months before she met Chris Watts at work and began exchanging emails and even
1:23:41months before she began even working at anad Darko her verified internet searches of both Chris and
1:23:47Shannon's names would easily have revealed both of their Facebook accounts showing that they were
1:23:52married with kids and what Chris's and interests were interests that kessinger would later happen
1:23:57to share in common with Chris like car museums drag racing and more then there was her internet
1:24:05search history in addition to her earlier repeated searches for Shannon's name on the day following
1:24:11The Disappearance kessinger also searched can cops Trace text messages how long do phone companies
1:24:17keep text messages and more she deleted her search history afterward then while not indicative of any
1:24:25guilt 6 days after the murder she ran several searches for Amber fry the woman who was having
1:24:30an affair with Scott Peterson when he murdered his wife Lacy and her unborn child in 2002 she
1:24:36searched Amber Fry's book deal Amber Fry net worth and de people hate Amber fry also at 6:00 a.m. on
1:24:45the morning of the murders when watts would have been on his way to the site to bury his wife and
1:24:49kids cassinger phone suspiciously pinged in Frederick the same town as the Watts home
1:24:54which is more than 20 minutes away from kessinger's home there was also kessinger's
1:24:59conveniently poor recollection while kassinger could recall her conversation with Chris when
1:25:04he informed her that his wife was pregnant but that it was not his he said uh she told me that
1:25:11she's pregnant and she told me that the kid is not mine like I legitimately thought this woman
1:25:19left the premises with her kids and just wanted nothing to do with him for like 24 hours however
1:25:24police asked her about what she and Watts talked about during their 111 minute phone call the night
1:25:29Shannon returned home from her trip just hours before his family was murdered she hasn't a clue
1:25:35I still don't remember what we talked about I like honestly like we talk about so much random stuff
1:25:40like it's so hard to pinpoint some of these things W would later reveal that the call was phone and
1:25:47that poor recollection of the 111 minute call may be a perfect example of how some of kessinger's
1:25:53forgetfulness and lies could potentially just be her trying to save face from the embarrassment of
1:25:57the affair completely unrelated to the murders but what baffles and concerns followers of the
1:26:04case is that she doesn't appear to have been investigated or even challenged so as of the
1:26:09making of this video there continues to be public speculation about her involvement during a press
1:26:14conference following Watts's sentencing hearing Weld County district attorney Mike work stated
1:26:19law enforcement's position on kessinger she originally came forward and and and spoke to
1:26:25investigators on her own volition prior to the time unfortunately that she came in and
1:26:31spoke with investigators she had deleted all of the information off of her phone that had any
1:26:35connection between her and Chris Watts that hampered the investigation um that hampered
1:26:40our ability to get that electronic digital um connection between the two she was interviewed
1:26:47on multiple occasions I believe that for the most part she was forthcoming in the course of those
1:26:52investigations we don't have any reason to believe that she had any prior knowledge or involvement in
1:26:58the death of shanan Bella Celesta nio um I think that's the best way I can answer that speaking of
1:27:04people not being of concern to law enforcement there were also other claims of Chris being
1:27:08unfaithful with the intense media coverage the case received people came out of the Woodworks
1:27:14including both a woman who claimed to have had an affair with Watts as well as a man who claimed to
1:27:20be Watts's former lover but police don't buy it so some of the stuff you're talking about
1:27:25is pretty hard to believe and we're getting to the point where we're wondering if you're wasting our
1:27:29time I mean is there a question or I mean I don't know how you want me to respond to that
1:27:43I don't know what else you want me to these are the challenges that we have right you told us
1:27:51that you watch the video over and over okay so we know that you're aware of everything that's out
1:27:56there and all you've talked about are things that anyone else knows you haven't brought forth any
1:28:01information you're having sex with a guy in his car and you don't know anything about him other
1:28:05than what the public knows about him okay you took $60 from him you you're self- admitted booty call
1:28:14and so now we're wondering if you're a hooker who maybe guy who was a murderer and maybe feels
1:28:20guilty about it or maybe feels like you're going to get in trouble about it I don't know what's
1:28:24going on with you but I don't know why you're here tonight no I'm not a hooker neither the woman
1:28:32nor the man's claims were proven and both were considered not credible by authorities likely on
1:28:37Quests for their 15 minutes of fame the funeral for the family took place in North Carolina but
1:28:45with Bella and Cece's bodies having been immersed in crude oil so long they were highly flammable
1:28:50that meant they couldn't be cremated and they also had to be sealed in a special rap during transport
1:28:56so that gases wouldn't leak out their resulting larger than normal sealed coffins prevented their
1:29:01beloved family from being able to see them and say their final goodbyes the tension that Brew between
1:29:06Chris's parents and Shannon since the beginning of their relationship was not eased by her murder the
1:29:11statements Ronnie Watts made about Shannon being unstable during his interview with law enforcement
1:29:16were echoed again when he and his wife took to the airwaves they began by defending their son and I
1:29:23just want him to fight I want this plea I want him to not take this plea deal I want him to to plead
1:29:31not guilty to the children if he sent you didn't kill the kids why why do this plea deal I have
1:29:38no idea that only reason I could think of he's trying to for our family and her family not to
1:29:43have to go through a trial long drone out trial it has been so overwhelming and I feel like I have to
1:29:50do something to to help my son to to I just I need to do something if he's not going to fight I want
1:29:58to fight for him he's not a sociopath he's not a psychopath but they took the opportunity to also
1:30:04disparage Shannon I don't think he just had the right person at his side I don't that relationship
1:30:15was toxic from the very beginning what happened to that kid from P Forest High School he met shenan
1:30:22that's what happened to him because that boy he knew what he wanted to do he went to NASCAR
1:30:26Technical Institute it has been a nightmare a complete nightmare are you guys worried about
1:30:35some of the backlash about maybe coming out and speaking on behalf of Chris and what it might
1:30:41what it might do to your guys's relationship and you know speaking out like this to about a woman
1:30:48who can't defend herself right now well shanan I me she was you have to get know her to be around
1:30:55her but that why Shannon's family the ones who actually had a right to be angry and to lash
1:31:01out responded to her Killer's parents in the most admirable dignified manner imaginable they issued
1:31:07a statement that called the wats this remarks about shanan vicious grotesque and utterly false
1:31:13noting that shanon was a faithful wife and the most gentle and loving mother in the world to her
1:31:18children they added that their false statements however hurtful and inaccurate will never alter
1:31:24the truth about shanan her memory and reputation deserves to be protected and her family is fully
1:31:29prepared to do so on August 21st Chris Watts was charged with five counts of first-degree
1:31:36murder two which were special counts for children being under 12 years old unlawful termination of
1:31:41a pregnancy and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body with Watts pleading guilty
1:31:48there would be no trial prior to be sentencing caring the RAC family felt strongly that as
1:31:53horrifically as Watson taken Shannon and the girl's lives his life was not theirs to take
1:32:00honoring Shannon's family's wishes the District Attorney's Office accepted an offer from Watts's
1:32:04defense where Chris would plead guilty to all charges in exchange for the da not seeking
1:32:10the death penalty the Watts family was given the opportunity to make a statement prior to Watts's
1:32:15sentencing their attorney first spoke on their behalf to retract what they had projected in the
1:32:21past the prosecution in this case has in fact respected the victim Bill of Rights they took
1:32:26the time to explain that the information that my clients had at the time that they were interviewed
1:32:33was not correct they were misinformed they were searching for answers they were not intending to
1:32:40cause any pain to anyone and they appreciate that the prosecution answered their questions
1:32:46and gave them the time and the respect and the consideration so that they could tell this court
1:32:52and everyone in this community that the interview content was not their message that they accept
1:32:59that their son has done this that they accept that he chose to plead guilty that he sought and
1:33:06requested their consent and agreement for a life sentence my clients indicate that they understand
1:33:13that a full opportunity for a confession with all of the responsibility and accountability
1:33:20has not occurred when they support the family and the request that that happen if not today
1:33:27at an appropriate time in an appropriate manner so that everyone can have peace to understand to
1:33:33the best of their ability the details that they need and to have their questions answered and by
1:33:39giving this opportunity of a life sentence we hope that he Embraces that moment that had the death
1:33:46penalty been pursued there would not have been an opportunity to be accountable and to give a full
1:33:52confession and then parents spoke directly we will always mourn the loss of our family and in that we
1:33:59are united in our grief I am still struggling to understand how and why this tragedy occurred I may
1:34:08never be able to understand and accept it but I pray for peace and healing for all of us now
1:34:16to my son Christopher I have known you since the day you were born into this world I have watched
1:34:24you grow from a quiet and sweet curious child who Bella reminded me so much of to a young man
1:34:34who worked hard in sports and later mechanics to achieve your goals you are a good friend
1:34:42brother father and son you have we have loved you from the beginning and we still love you now
1:34:55this might be hard for some to understand how I can sit here under these circumstances and tell
1:35:02you although we are heartbroken although we can't imagine what could have led us to this day but we
1:35:10love you maybe you can't believe it either as the Lord said in Jeremiah 331 I have loved you with
1:35:20an everlasting love therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you and you as your mother
1:35:29Chris I have always loved you and I still do I hate what has happened your father and sister
1:35:35and I are struggling to understand why but we will remain faithful as your family just as God remains
1:35:43faithful because of his unconditional love for all for us all we love you we forgive you son
1:35:57and of course the rusec family shared their statements as well who dare you take the lives
1:36:03of my daughter Shannon Bella Celeste and Nico I trusted you to take care of them not kill them and
1:36:10they also trusted you you monster thought you would get away with this I don't know how the
1:36:18cameras do not lie you carry them out like trash of the house yes I seen the videotape you buried
1:36:31my my daughter Shannon and and Nico in a shallow grave and then you put Bella and Celeste in huge
1:36:37containers of crude oil you heartless monster you have you have to live with this Vision every day
1:36:45of your life and I hope you see that every time you close your eyes at night oh I forgot you have
1:36:52no heart or Fe feelings or love let me tell you something I will think of them every day of my
1:36:58life and I love them every day of my life prison is too good for you this this is hard to say but
1:37:07may God have mercy on your soul I hope you enjoy your new life it's nothing like the one you had
1:37:13out here love you Shannon Bella and Nico love you Pop Up and de and one other thing and Shannon says
1:37:24she is super excited for justice today thank you your honor Shannon's young brother's statement
1:37:32was read by district attorney War he has asked me to read his statement for him but he would
1:37:38like to stand with me if that's okay of course you went from being my brother my sister's protector
1:37:44one of the most loved people in my family to someone I will spend the rest of my life trying
1:37:48to understand what gave you the right to put your hands on a woman let alone my best friend
1:37:53my beloved sister your daughters and your son why weren't they enough for you in the blink
1:37:59of an eye you took away my whole world the people that mattered to me the most everything in my life
1:38:05I loved your children they trusted you they loved you they looked up to you because you promised to
1:38:11keep them safe instead you turned on your family my blood is boiling as I write these last words
1:38:17because they are the last you will ever hear from me I can't even think of the right words
1:38:22to describe the Betrayal and the hate I feel and to be honest you aren't even worth the time and
1:38:26effort it takes to put my pen to this paper there isn't a day that goes by that I don't cry for my
1:38:32family they were my whole world all I do is ask myself why why would you do this you don't deserve
1:38:39to be called a man what kind of person Slaughters the people that love them the most did you really
1:38:44think you would get away with this did you really think that this was your best option to throw away
1:38:48your family like they were garbage they deserve better and you know it I hope you spend the rest
1:38:53rest of your life staring at the ceiling every night being haunted by what you've done shenan
1:38:58Bella and CeCe loved you more than anyone you were their hero how could you destroy the people who
1:39:03loved them the most I pray that you never have A Moment's Peace or a good night's rest in the cage
1:39:08you'll spend every day of your life in a cage you are privileged to live in because my family
1:39:12isn't evil like you my life will never be the same because of you but at least my conscience is clear
1:39:18I get to live free but I can't say the same for you I haven't slept in 2 days because I've been
1:39:23anxiously waiting for this moment the moment I get to tell you how I feel how this has affected
1:39:29my family and I my family and I can finally grieve after today if anything we will come out of this
1:39:35stronger today than we were before and we will continue to pray for your family sincerely Frankie
1:39:39Rusk my name is SRA rusak Shannon's [Music] mother I wanted to say thank you for this moment I want
1:39:51to take a moment to thank everyone who has prayed for our beloved family who had sent gifts cards
1:39:57to us from all over the world I know God will put the evil people where they need to be I also want
1:40:03to take the time to thank the town of Frederick um gy uh FBI the DA's office the CBI for exceptional
1:40:14work we thank Nicole um Atkinson um Shannon's neighbor Nathan and his family um to me they're
1:40:24are heroes they really they really are God bless um God makes no mistakes on who he puts in your
1:40:32life marriage is about love trust and friendship and unity our daughter Shannon loved you with all
1:40:39of her heart your children loved you to the moon in back Shannon's family was her world Shannon put
1:40:46a crown on your head but unfortunately the day that you took their life God removed that crown
1:40:54we loved you like a son we trusted you your faithful wife trusted you
1:41:00your children adored you and they also trusted you your daughter Bella Marie
1:41:07sang a song proudly I don't know if you got to see it but it was Daddy you're my
1:41:12hero I have no idea who gave you the right to take their lives
1:41:25but I know God and his mighty Angels were there at that moment to bring them home to Paradise
1:41:34God gives us free will so not only did you take the family of four your family of four you took
1:41:43your own life I want the world to know that our daughter and her children were so loved
1:41:49by us there will always be protected by God and His might Mighty angels I didn't want death for
1:41:56you because that's not my right your life is between you and God now and I pray that he has
1:42:04Mercy for you from Shannon's mother Bella Marie celest Katherine and nikol Le Nana thank you your
1:42:13honor and after both families heart-wrenching Soul revealing statements brought on by Watts's
1:42:26actions Chris Watts himself had a statement to be presented as well good morning your honor
1:42:32Mr Watts has asked us to share this morning that he is devastated by all of this and although he
1:42:39understands that words are Hollow at this point he is sincerely sorry for all of this thank
1:42:46you prior to handing down the sentence the judge had a statement as well the evidence in this case
1:42:56are a senseless crime and the viciousness of the crime and equally aggravating in this Court's
1:43:09determination is the Despicable Act of disposing of the bodies in the manner in which they were
1:43:18done in this case I've been a Judicial officer now for are starting my 17th year and I um could
1:43:30objectively say that this is perhaps the most uh inhumane and vicious crime that I have handled
1:43:41out of the thousands of cases that I have seen and nothing less than a maximum sentence um would be
1:43:53appropriate and anything less than the maximum sentence would appreciate the seriousness of this
1:43:59offense so the court is going to sentence Mr Watts as follows watts would be sentenced to five
1:44:08consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole two concurent life sentences plus 84
1:44:14years in 2020 the penalty was abolished in Colorado so if Watts had been sentenced to
1:44:27death his sentence would have been commuted to life like it was for the three inmates who were on
1:44:31Colorado's death row at the time Nicole kessinger was fired from anad Darko following the murders
1:44:38not much as known about her whereabouts or life after the murders other than the fact that she
1:44:42moved out of her home in Colorado and that she applied for a name change in 2020 whether or not
1:44:49she moved out of the state is not known on the day Chris Watts pleaded guilty the rusec family filed
1:44:55a wrongful death suit against him to ensure that he didn't profit from the death of their family
1:45:00members in case he ever decideed to write a book or sell the rights to his story while the suit
1:45:05was largely symbolic and they don't expect to see much if any payment they won the case and Watts
1:45:12was ordered to pay the family $6 million Chris Watts was originally sent to a prison in Colorado
1:45:18to serve out his sentence there he was kept in protective isolation for his own security because
1:45:22his fellow inmates knew who he was what he had done and had special plans for him according to
1:45:28Watts his presence in the prison was so triggering that they had to lock down the jail just for him
1:45:33to walk down the hallways he was threatened yelled at by the other inmates and told the dangerous
1:45:38things he could do to himself merely constantly he was certain that had they gotten to him it would
1:45:43most certainly have killed him he's an outcast even among criminals so out of security concerns
1:45:50Watts was moved to dodge Correctional Institution which is a Maximum Security Prison in wunt
1:45:55Wisconsin there he's able to be in the general population and doesn't endure as much harassment
1:46:01he is said to be a model prisoner who doesn't ask for anything and doesn't complain in prison watt
1:46:06says he has immersed himself in the scripture has found God and is hoping people will forgive him he
1:46:12spends most of his day in his cell but is allowed recreational time as well as 40 minutes of outdoor
1:46:17activities like basketball when the weather is good he says he keeps photos of his wife and
1:46:22children and his his cell and that he reads one of the girls favorite books to their pictures each
1:46:26night a petition was circulated to have the photos removed since they are pictures of his victims
1:46:31but prison officials responded that the photos did not violate prison policy a portion of the
1:46:37earnings that Watts makes working as a custodian at Dodge goes toward paying off the restitution
1:46:42that he was ordered to pay watt says that he has not spoken with Micki since being incarcerated
1:46:48but that his attorneys tried to unsuccessfully reach out to her several times on his behalf
1:46:53he said that he hoped she was able to find peace and move on with her life and that he is
1:46:57sorry she lost her job and had to move in prison Watts Garner a fan base very early on he began
1:47:04receiving a massive volume of letters from women who found him handsome regarding the heinous crime
1:47:09he committed they felt he was misunderstood and offered their compassion along with sexy photos he
1:47:16wrote many of them back and established some pen pals and some of them even turned into visitors
1:47:23on February 18th 2019 about 3 months after Watts was sentenced agents Lee coder and Lead detective
1:47:29bombover met with Chris Watts in prison he spoke with him for 5 hours providing new details about
1:47:36the background timeline and details of the murders hey Chris Chris do you remember us uh
1:47:44yes there how are you doing I'm okay how about you guys good I I did not expect to see this
1:47:56that's for sure surprise yeah well let me put some fear asight um we're not here for what you might
1:48:02think we might be here for so you remember um I talked to you Tammy talked to you Dave talked to
1:48:07you we're all Colorado um and so the last time we talked to you was a different situation right um
1:48:13our investigation was open and your case was open um that's completely different now so your Cas is
1:48:19completely closed nothing about what we're going to talk about today is has anything to do with an
1:48:24open investigation so we're not here to get more charges on you or get any statements from you that
1:48:31are going to jam you up anymore um why we are here and as the months have passed on since everything
1:48:38happened we just keep in touch with each other we keep talking to each other and we've all
1:48:43separately kind of said did Chris situation seem different to you we think that your life leading
1:48:48up to all the things that happened uh were very interesting to us I never ever worked a case like
1:48:54this where someone would had ever and talking with Tammy and talking with Dave um I said you
1:49:00know what did you feel like when it all went down when we were there we were talking to you guys and
1:49:04we all kind of in our own different way and in our own different wording said it all happened a
1:49:08bit too quick for us right um so we saw you last we were talking and talking and talking and then
1:49:15the next thing you know me and Tammy and for Dave all of a sudden some Patrol officers came in and
1:49:20arrested um and that was far quicker than we had hoped it would happen um and you understand why
1:49:26that happened and we understand why that happened but it left us with a thousand questions that we
1:49:30didn't get ass um and then even more importantly I think it probably left you with a thousand
1:49:35things that you didn't get to talk about us I don't know if you feel that way or not but um
1:49:40and so that's why we're here today um we wanted to kind of talk to you a little bit more about
1:49:46everything he voluntarily shared how he went about murdering his family to the agents the details of
1:49:52which we've reflected in this video in true Chris watt's fashion some of the details he shared with
1:49:58agents don't add up reminding us that each of his versions of what happened that morning is
1:50:03worthy of the scrutiny and mistrust of it coming from a lying cheating murderous narcissist she
1:50:10like kind of rolled over and then I was just like just like right there on top of her okay and then
1:50:15you're talking while you're on top of her okay that seems confusing to me Asians asked Watts
1:50:21directly whether kessinger was involved in any way there are quite a few people who would tell us and
1:50:27who do tell us you need to look into Nicki more Nikki iseng all the way from the extreme end of
1:50:33things being Nikki's the one who ordered to hit she was there I'm in the basement yeah you know
1:50:40so the the extreme is she's the one who told Chris to do it she's the real problem all the way that's
1:50:46the extreme side and then all the way to well there were Read's text where she was infatuated
1:50:50she was in love she was saying out good Chris was in the sack and maybe we should look at her more
1:50:56and so are those people absolutely wrong about Nikki she wasn't asking you to get rid of your
1:51:02family are you sure okay and no part of any of this was because she put it in your head or asked
1:51:10you to or I mean but even the mountain of details he disclosed during that lengthy addendum to his
1:51:17confession would not be his final disclosure if the details exposed during the prison
1:51:22visit were eye-opening what Watts later revealed for a book written by one of his early pen pals
1:51:27was staggering Watts began corresponding via letter phone calls and then inperson visits with
1:51:34an author named cherylyn cadal kadle would turn that correspondence into a book she published in
1:51:392019 titled letters from Christopher the tragic confessions of the Watts family murders although
1:51:46watts is an unreliable source of an Ever evolving story like his confession to the agents at Dodge
1:51:51these subsequent ad missions only serve to shed an even worse light on himself the letters are
1:51:56how the public learned that he tried to kill his daughters before killing Shannon leading to him
1:52:01having to kill him twice it's where he finally divulged that he had been planning to kill his
1:52:06family for weeks and it's where he painted a picture of what true evil looks like the
1:52:13Watts home on saratova trail in Frederick where Chris Watts committed the murders was placed on
1:52:18auction in May of 2019 after Watts defaulted on his mortgage leading the bank Bank to foreclose
1:52:24but with multiple leans against the home which any buyer would be liable for including one for
1:52:28the $6 million Chris owed the ruse X as well as overdue HOA fees there were no interested
1:52:34buyers it remained vacant until May 2022 when the home was secretly put on the market under
1:52:39a fictitious address to prevent looky lose potential buyers were required to submit Bank
1:52:44commitment letters before viewing the home the home sold for $600,000 buyers of the home May
1:52:51face challenges as a neighbor reports that the home continues to attract a lot of attention
1:52:55with multiple cars driving by every hour on the weekends some stopping to take photos and some
1:53:01even breaking in requiring the police to be called this case was brutally heart-wrenching taking a
1:53:07toll on everyone even remotely affiliated with it shortly after hearing Watts's full confession at
1:53:13Dodge lead detective Dave bombover who originally joined the Frederick Police
1:53:17Department in search of a more low-key position in a smaller Community was diagnosed with PT
1:53:22SD the sight of a small girl at a restaurant would trigger him to have to leave the restaurant he
1:53:28tried to go back to work but his flashbacks got worse he stopped sleeping began to have memory
1:53:33gaps and had trouble controlling his emotions his wife Lori says that it's hard to leave the house
1:53:39stating where do you go where you don't see little girls she said that it's dangerous to
1:53:45watch television or to go online if they go out she directs her husband where he shouldn't look
1:53:50so he can avoid seeing kids that might trigger him don't look down that aisle there's a family
1:53:55she'll say don't look right look up she said I feel like if I don't catch a little girl like if
1:54:01I miss one that I failed him detective bombover said it's easier to just not go anywhere after
1:54:08a career of difficult cases culminating with the Watts case he underwent counseling and time off
1:54:14but ultimately he decided it was time to resign 2 days after witnessing the recovery of the bodies
1:54:20agent Tammy Lee broke down sobbing in a air Salon while her mother and sister helplessly looked on
1:54:26she sought counseling but admits that the memory of seeing Bella removed from the tanks still Haun
1:54:30her she said that she can't get that image out of my head it was that vision of the girls being
1:54:36recovered from the oil tanks that became etched in several of the recovery workers Memories Forever
1:54:42many wisely underwent therapy afterward and of course the families both the rusec and Watts
1:54:49families suffered tremendous losses brought on by Watts's senseless killings aside from the sheer
1:54:55grief of losing their beloved family members the rusec family in particular have had to face
1:54:59slander harassment threats on their lives social media accounts created impersonating the family
1:55:06and Shannon's and the rusec family's character drive through the mud the harassment became so
1:55:11extreme the family was forced to hire an attorney and they have fought to have cyber bullying laws
1:55:16changed we hope this video did Justice to Shannon Bella Celeste and niik we hope it also paid proper
1:55:25respect to the morning rusek family who had every right to be front and center to complain to blame
1:55:31and they it not they only surface to speak truth and protect their daughter and granddaughter's
1:55:36honor in a sincere and dignified manner just as Shannon appeared to carry herself they are the
1:55:41definition of dignity we also hope this video paid proper respect to Shannon's group of true
1:55:47friends who wouldn't rest until their friend and her babies were found one of the controver
1:55:52swirling around this case is that it's not fair to paint shanon as being Flawless with
1:55:57people claiming things like she posted too much or embellished or was controlling or worse and that
1:56:04all the blame was unfairly placed on Watts well she was not Flawless none of us are but none of us
1:56:11deserve to be murdered the notoriety of this case has brought Chris Watts himself is unsettling from
1:56:18the unending attention he receives from scores of women worldwide to the simply stabing following
1:56:23this case has amassed they disturbingly afford him practically Celebrity Status is this narcissist
1:56:29who previously lived in relative obscurity and never had a serious relationship prior to shanon
1:56:34living his best life while his loving trusting family had all their days taken away from them
1:56:41what do you think we can't wait to hear your thoughts about this emotionally charged case
1:56:46please share them in the comments below we'll be hopping into those comments along with you
1:56:50as long as we can and as usual if you like how we presented this case we'd really appreciate
1:56:55you hitting like and share and of course subscribe so you never miss a single video
1:57:19[Music]

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