Just three months before her murder, Shanann Watts called her husband “my rock” in a Facebook post. But what looked like a perfect family soon unraveled into one of the most chilling crimes in recent history – and Netflix’s American Murder left out key details that reveal even more.
On May 5, 2018, Shanann Watts posted a Facebook photo showing her and Chris Watts smiling warmly as they leaned into each other, captioned with the now-haunting words: “I love this man! He’s my ROCK!”
Friends flooded the comments with praise: “He is amazing! So glad you two found each other,” and “Power couple.”
But months later, one comment stood out: “How can he be her rock in May 2018 and kill her and her lovely three children in August 2018?”
Kills family
On Aug.13, 2018, Shanann, 34 and 15 weeks pregnant, was reported missing from her home in Frederick, Colorado, along with her daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste “CeCe,” 3. Days later, investigators discovered Shanann’s body in a shallow grave and the girls’ remains in oil tanks on property owned by Chris’s employer, Anadarko Petroleum.
Netflix’s 2020 documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door details the case but left out several disturbing facts.
‘Evil’ mother-in-law
Shanann’s tensions with Chris’s parents were not explored in the documentary, despite playing a significant role in the family dynamic. According to 9News, Chris’ mother, Cindy Watts, said of the couple’s 2012 wedding: “We didn’t attend because Shanann and I just couldn’t get along. I didn’t like the way she treated him.”
The situation reportedly escalated in summer 2018.
While Shanann and the children were visiting family in North Carolina, she accused Cindy of putting Celeste in danger by serving ice cream with peanut chips – despite her daughter’s severe nut allergy.
“These kids are my world and I have to protect them from the evil of the world. I shouldn’t have to protect them from evil family. She’s evil and willing to risk your daughter’s life just to get under my skin,” Shanann wrote in a furious Aug. 4 message to Chris, according to the Daily Mail.
The fallout led to Chris’s parents being blocked on social media and skipping Celeste’s birthday party.
More than an affair
While the Netflix documentary mentioned Chris was having an affair, it downplayed the depth of his relationship with co-worker Nichol Kessinger.
According to Business Insider, cellphone records showed that in early July, Kessinger Googled “man I’m having affair with says he will leave his wife.”
Later that month, Chris searched phrases like “when to say I love you,” “when to say I love you for the first time in a new relationship,” and “marrying your mistress.”
Nine days before the murders, Kessinger reportedly spent over two hours browsing wedding dresses online.
Allegations of other affairs
Additional relationships also came to light after Chris’s arrest. Amanda McMahon claimed she met Chris on Tinder in early 2018 and alleged he became aggressive, tried to choke her, and shared violent sexual fantasies. She gave a full interview to police, though her claims were not addressed in the Netflix documentary.
CBS News also reported that a man named Trent Bolte claimed he had a 10-month relationship with Chris. Chris denied this to investigators, saying, “I’ve never met the guy.”
Mysterious prison visitor
After Chris’s conviction, prison visitation logs showed a woman named Anna Nowak visited him more than 30 times throughout 2019. She often came weekly and even exceeded the daily visitation limit on one occasion. The nature of their relationship remains unclear, and this detail was not mentioned in the film.
Shanann’s efforts
Though the documentary touched on marital tension, it failed to show that Shanann was still actively trying to salvage the relationship.
According to the Daily Mail, Shanann was scanning Groupon for inexpensive romantic getaways, trying to rekindle her relationship with Chris.
The night before her death, she reportedly arranged childcare for Bella and Celeste for the following weekend.
And while Shanann was making these plans, Chris – who told his wife he was at a baseball game – was with Kessinger, discussing his plans to move out and find a new apartment.
‘Not compatible’
After Chris was arrested, Cindy revealed her son was not thrilled about having a third child with his wife, and that the two were considering divorce. Cindy also claimed Chris told her that he and Shanann were “not compatible” and that he was unhappy in the relationship.
When Shanann and the kids were reported missing, she told 9News she initially believed that Shanann had taken the kids and left Chris.
‘Not a psychopath’
Police found Shanann’s body Aug. 15 and the following day, they discovered CeCe and Bella, their remains dumped in an oil tank.
Chris is serving five life sentences without the possibility of parole in Wisconsin.
“He’s not the sociopath next door,” insisted his mother while speaking with 9News. “He’s not a psychopath.”
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