Where is Chris Watts Now? ‘American Murder’ Subject’s Life Behind Bars

Christopher Watts, the Colorado man convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and two daughters in August 2018, is still shifting blame for his horrific actions.

The New York Post reviewed several handwritten notes from 39-year-old Watts, who blames his pregnant wife Shanann and calls her a “control freak.” He claimed he turned to his mistress for refuge, describing her as “everything my wife wasn’t with me.”

However, the murderer is also blaming mistress, Nichol Kessinger. In one letter, he described her as a “harlot” and a “jezebel,” claiming she led him to destruction.

In another letter dated March 2020, he wrote, “The words of a harlot have brought me low. Her flattering speech was like drops of honey that pierced my heart and soul. Little did I know that all her guests were in the chamber of death.”

Newsweek reached out to Kessinger about the comments and accusations, however she has not yet responded.

The Context

Watts strangled his wife during an argument in their bed after confessing to having an affair.

After killing his wife, Watts said his daughter Bella, 4, entered their bedroom and asked what was wrong with her mother. Watts told Bella her mother wasn’t feeling well.

As Watts wrapped Shanann’s body in a bedsheet, Bella watched and cried as he carried it down the stairs. He then placed the body in the back seat of his truck. When he went back inside, he found Celeste, 3, awake and put both girls in the back seat as well.

Watts claimed he had no plan on murdering his daughters but drove to an oil worksite about 40 miles east of their home in Frederick. Upon arrival, his daughters started asking questions, and he proceeded to smother them in the vehicle.

Watts buried his wife in a shallow grave, and put the girls in oil tanks at Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, where he worked.

What Happened?

Police arrested Watts within days of the family’s disappearance, and they subjected him to a lengthy interrogation.

Watts finally confessed to the murder of Shanann in a conversation with his father. Originally, he claimed Shanann had killed her daughters, which forced him to kill her. But the truth came out.

Watts pleaded guilty to nine felony charges, including three counts of first-degree murder, on November 6, 2018. He will serve two additional life sentences for the first-degree murder of a person under the age of 12 while in a position of trust. These sentences will run concurrently with the three consecutive life sentences.

Watts faced the possibility of the death penalty or life in prison without parole. However, with the victims’ family’s agreement, DA Rourke removed the death penalty from consideration in exchange for Watts pleading guilty to all nine counts.

He remains in the Dodge Correctional Institution in Wisconsin.

Newsweek reached out to the Weld County Courts for additional information, however, they have not yet responded.

The story of the Watts has been both featured in the 2024 20/20: The Interrogation Tapes series and the 2020 Netflix true crime documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door.

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