Killer dad Chris Watts reveals sick details of how he murdered his wife and two daughters. Photo / Supplied
Killer dad Chris Watts reveals sick details of how he murdered his wife and two daughters. Photo / Supplied
OPINION WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT
Shanann Watts, 34, was prolific on social media. Hours of footage show her little girls Celeste Watts, 3, and Bella Watts, 4, blowing out candles for their birthday or running to hug their daddy after a trip away.
These videos paint a picture of the all-American family living a perfect life.
Now, instead of being archived to laugh over on Bella's 18th birthday or to play at Celeste's wedding, those videos have been used to make the chilling Netflix documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door.
Killer dad Chris Watts reveals sick details of how he murdered his wife and two daughters. Photo / Supplied
The documentary follows the story of Chris Watts, 35, Shanann's husband, who was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and their innocent little girls simply because he wanted to start a new life with his mistress.
The doco starts with body-cam police footage of Chris Watts after his wife and daughters have been reported missing by one of Shanann's worried friends.
It's just hours after Chris has murdered his entire family and watching him is a chilling experience. Even though he's been up all night dumping his wife's body in wasteland and stuffing his two girls in an oil tank, he doesn't break a sweat.
Instead, Chris dutifully helps police search his house for clues and feigns surprise when he finds Shanann's wedding ring on her bedside table and notices his kids blankies have gone.
Then the next day he takes part in a TV appeal for information about where his 'missing' wife and kids might be. There's a hint of a smile on his face, it's like he's enjoying the attention.
But by far the most alarming thing about Chris Watts in American Murder is how 'normal' he is. He could be your husband, your best friend's husband, your brother. He's nice looking, polite and seems like a good guy.
But sick letters written by Chris Watts have revealed just how depraved he really is.
Written to author Cheryln Cadle for her upcoming book Letters From Christopher and obtained by the Daily Mail, in them Chris offers grisly details of how he killed his wife and kids. Previously he'd been evasive about that night, at one point even saying Shanann had killed the kids which is why he killed her. But these letters reveal the shocking truth.
"Her eyes filled with blood; as she looked at me and she died. I knew she was gone when she relieved herself," wrote Chris.
The documentary is now screening on Netflix. Photo / Netflix
He also admitted to drugging Shanann with gave the opiate painkiller Oxycodone to kill their unborn child, telling Cadle: "I thought it would be easier to be with Nichol if Shanann wasn't pregnant."
Chris then described the murder itself, saying: "When she started to get drowsy, I somehow knew how to squeeze the jugular veins until it cut off the blood flow to her brain, and she passed out.
"I knew if I took my hands off of her, she would still keep me from Nikki (his mistress). "They asked me why she couldn't fight back, it's because she couldn't fight back.
"All the weeks of me thinking about killing her, and now I was faced with it."
Not only is it heartbreaking to imagine what Shanann went through but these letters revealed another layer to Chris' depravity. With the words "thinking about killing her" he showed the murders were premeditated. He hadn't got carried away in a moment of insanity, he'd thought about it over "weeks" and still deemed it his best option so he could be with his mistress. Why he didn't just leave and get a divorce like a normal bloke would is completely baffling.
After killing Shanann, he then drove his dead wife and, presumably terrified, girls to a remote oilfield, bringing his lunch, a shovel, rake, and gas can with him, the Mail reported. Smothering his girls, he discarded their bodies. Little Bella even begged him to stop saying "Daddy, no!" as killed her. Chris tried to lie his way out of it to police until they caught up with his lies and he was arrested.
Watching the documentary is disturbing, American Murder leaves you with the impression that if Chris Watts can do it, anyone can.
In the letters, he also admitted to killing their two kids, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, while Shanann was 15 weeks pregnant. Photo / Supplied
As a woman you're aware that you could be killed by your partner, but you tell yourself you'd know if you met someone who'd murder you, you'd see the signs – it would be obvious.
Of course, that isn't the case at all and Chris Watts highlights that you can never really know someone, even if they're your soulmate. There are certainly domestic violence red flags to watch out for but Chris Watts may not even have raised any of those.
On the day he murdered his wife and kids, he and Shanann share a typically mundane text exchange.
"What kind of vegetables do you want with dinner tonight?" Shanann texted Chris.
Chris Watts is s currently serving five life sentences in Wisconsin Prison for the murders. Photo / Netflix
"Broccoli works," he responded. "Green beans work, too."
Next to the word broccoli Chris used a little broccoli emoji. It's a tiny thing but that emoji shows how 'normal' everything was for Shanann. She was texting about groceries and he was adding little emojis in his reply – and he was also planning to kill her. She didn't have a chance.
Chris Watts doesn't fit the narrative we've created of a domestic abuser in our heads. As far as we know Chris Watts didn't ever hit Shanann or his girls. His text messages weren't abusive and there's no reports of friends thinking there was 'something off' about him.
He was having an affair but that's nothing new. He'd gotten fit at the gym and fancied himself as something special, also not a crime. It's like he went from zero to murder in a matter of weeks.
Chris Watts is now in prison for the rest of his life for the savage murders of Shanann, Bella and Celeste. Shanann's family and friends have to live forever with what Chris Watts did.
As little kids we're terrified of monsters that could be living under our bed but Shanann's was sharing her bed with one and she had no idea. And that's the scariest thing about Chris Watts.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - DO YOU NEED HELP? If you're in danger now:
• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours of friends to ring for you. • Run outside and head for where there are other people. • Scream for help so that your neighbours can hear you. • Take the children with you. • Don't stop to get anything else. • If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay
Where to go for help or more information:
• Shine, free national helpline 9am- 11pm every day - 0508 744 633 www.2shine.org.nz • Women's Refuge: Free national crisis line operates 24/7 - 0800 refuge or 0800 733 843 www.womensrefuge.org.nz • Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and middle eastern women and their children. Crisis line 24/7 0800 742 584 https://shaktiinternational.org • It's Not Ok: Information line 0800 456 450 www.areyouok.org.nz
