Chris Watts' Disturbing Prison Confession Details Family Annihilation
Notorious family killer Chris Watts has provided a harrowing, first-hand account of the murders of his pregnant wife and two young daughters in a series of letters written from prison. The correspondence, sent to author Cheryln Cadle from the Dodge Correctional Institution in Wisconsin, reveals the calculated and brutal nature of the crimes that shocked the world.
Premeditated Planning and Failed First Attempt
In his writings, Watts admits to having "been thinking about killing" his wife, Shannan Watts, for weeks prior to the August 2018 murders. The 34-year-old was pregnant at the time of her death. Watts describes beginning his killing spree in the early hours of August 13th by first attempting to smother his daughters, four-year-old Bella and three-year-old Cece, with pillows from their beds.
Horrifically, this initial attempt failed. "After I left Cece's room, then I climbed back in bed with Shanann and our argument ensued," Watts writes. He then turned his attention to his wife, recalling how "her eyes filled with blood" and her face became "all black with streaks of mascara."
The Daughters' Tragic Awakening and Final Moments
In a particularly disturbing revelation, Watts describes how both girls regained consciousness after he had killed their mother. "After Shannan had passed, Bella and Cece woke back up. I'm not sure how they woke back up, but they did," he writes. "Bella's eyes were bruised and both girls looked like they had been through trauma."
The imprisoned murderer details how the children followed him through the house as he dealt with their mother's body. They were ultimately murdered at the location where Watts had briefly placed them, with Bella being the only victim who actively resisted. "Bella is the only one that put up a fight," Watts admits, "she knew I was killing her."
Body Disposal and Post-Mortem Revelations
Watts, who was having an affair with Nicole Kessinger at the time and wanted to start a new life, describes disposing of the bodies with chilling detachment. He buried Shannan at a work site approximately 40 miles from their Colorado home, while placing his daughters' bodies in crude oil barrels.
During the burial process, Watts made a gruesome discovery. "I think she had given birth," he writes of Shannan, noting she appeared to have delivered the baby post-mortem. "She landed face down, I remember being so angry with her that I was not going to change how she landed."
From Devoted Father to Calculated Killer
The letters reveal Watts had been planning the murders for at least a day beforehand. "August 12 when I finished putting the girls to bed, I walked away and said 'That's the last time I'm going to be tucking my babies in,'" he discloses. "I knew what was going to happen the day before and I did nothing to stop it."
This confession contradicts Watts' initial claim that the murders were impulsive. The case gained international notoriety, particularly after the release of the Netflix documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door, which highlighted the stark contrast between Watts' public image as a devoted family man and the reality of his brutal crimes.
Despite his attempts to conceal the murders, Watts could only maintain his innocence for a few days before police investigation led to his confession and subsequent life sentence without parole.
