Man accused of murdering pregnant wife and young daughters says wife killed the children
An affidavit has now been released which gives more information to the three Frederick murders. Shanann Watts and her two children, Bella and Celeste were initially reported missing on August 13.
Her husband, Chris Watts was arrested two days later in connection with their case. However, now he’s claimed that his wife was the one who killed their children.
An affidavit released on Monday stated that Chris Watts, 33, said he and his wife, Shanann Watts, 34, had spoken about him wanting to separate because he was having an affair with a co-worker. The conversation took place on August 13 in the early hours of the morning after she got back from a business trip.
Chris shared that he “walked downstairs for a moment” and when he got back to their bedroom he saw, via a baby monitor, that daughter Bella, 4, was “sprawled” and “blue” on her bed. She was already dead according to the suspect.
#breaking Chris Watts confessed to murder of his wife but not of daughters Bella and Celeste. In fact he blames their murders on Shanann Watts, saying she's the one who strangled them after he said he wanted to separate.
— Rob Low (@RobLowTV) August 20, 2018
He admitted he'd been having an affair w/co-worker #kdvr pic.twitter.com/vU4lNlrHK6
For more on this story go to our Twitter account @amomama_usa. Shanann was alleged to be “actively strangling Celeste,” according to the affidavit.
Chris strangled his 15 weeks pregnant wife in a rage after he saw her strangling their daughter Celeste, 3. He then buried his wife near two oil tanks and dumped his daughters' bodies in the tanks at an oil site owned by the company he once working for.
Despite his testimony on Monday, Chris was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his wife and young daughters. Two additional first-degree murder charges accused him of causing the death of a child younger than 12.
Weld County District Attorney Michael J. Rourke shared that Chris also faced three counts of tampering with a body and one count of first-degree unlawful termination of a pregnancy. He is being held without bond and his next court appearance was scheduled for Tuesday morning.
A murder suspect told Colorado police he strangled his pregnant wife in a rage after he saw her on a baby monitor strangling one of the couple's daughters, according to court documents. Chris Watts has been charged with first-degree murder in three deaths https://t.co/DCykj6qBel pic.twitter.com/Zo93B62Xfm
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) August 21, 2018
Before the suspect made his confession, authorities used a drone that spotted a bed sheet in a field near the oil tanks.
"The sheet matched the pattern of several pillowcases and a top sheet recovered from a kitchen trash can from [Watts'] residence early that day," the affidavit said.
To be clear, the fact that prosecutors have charged Chris Watts in the deaths of his two girls indicates prosecutors do NOT believe Chris' story that his wife strangled the two children.
— Chris Vanderveen (@chrisvanderveen) August 20, 2018
Shanann's father, Frank Rzucek Sr., thanked authorities for finding the bodies of his family members. He said the family appreciated those who attended a candlelight vigil and expressed support.
"Keep the prayers coming for our family," he said.
Shanann and her daughter’s bodies were found a day after her husband was arrested. Her body was in a shallow grave near an oil tank.
While her children’s bodies were in an "oil well filled with crude oil for several days.” A judge denied several defence motions, including a request to require pathologists to swab the little girls' necks, throats and hands for DNA.
Stood in Chris Watts house, interviewed him, as he talked about his missing pregnant wife and two girls. Now, sources confirm to @KDVR that same man you see talking about his family below, confessed to killing them.
— Zora Stephenson (@ZoraStephenson) August 16, 2018
The absolute worst case scenario.
RIP Shanann, Bella, &Cici pic.twitter.com/tll9YwuZyr
Nicole Atkinson was Shanann’s friend who went on the trip with her and reported her missing when she couldn’t get a hold of her on August 13. Court papers showed that the Watts had faced financial problems in recent years and filed for bankruptcy in 2015.
Their homeowner's association, Wyndham Hill Master Association, recently sued the couple, saying they owed $1,533.80, according to a civil suit.