Christopher Lee Watts was a Colorado oilfield operator who, in August 2018, murdered his pregnant wife Shanann and their two young daughters, Bella and Celeste, at the family home in Frederick. Motivated by an affair with a coworker and a desire to start a new life, he initially feigned ignorance and made televised pleas for their safe return before confessing to investigators.
Known Victims
At least 4 total — known victims include:
Shanann Watts (34)
Bella Watts (4)
Celeste Watts (3)
Location
2825 Saratoga Trail, Frederick, Colorado, USA
Summary
Chris Watts strangled his pregnant wife and smothered his two young daughters, hiding their bodies at his worksite. His fake media pleas were watched millions of times.
Details
On August 13, 2018, Watts strangled Shanann, who was about 15 weeks pregnant, then drove the bodies to an oil work site. He smothered the girls and disposed of their bodies in crude oil tanks, burying Shanann in a shallow grave nearby. After Shanann was reported missing, he gave tearful interviews before failing a polygraph and confessing, first falsely blaming his wife. He pleaded guilty in November 2018 to avoid the death penalty and was sentenced to five consecutive life terms plus additional years.
Background
Christopher Lee Watts was born on May 16, 1985, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He married Shanann Rzucek in November 2012, and the couple settled in Frederick, Colorado, a town in Weld County north of Denver. They had two daughters, Bella and Celeste (often called CeCe), born in 2013 and 2015. At the time of the murders, Shanann was approximately 15 weeks pregnant with a third child, a boy the couple had reportedly planned to name Nico.
Chris Watts worked as an operator for Anadarko Petroleum, an oil and gas company. Shanann worked in multidirect sales, marketing a line of health and wellness products. Outwardly the family projected a comfortable suburban life, frequently documented on Shanann's active social media accounts. The household had experienced financial strain, including a past bankruptcy filing. In the period before the killings, the marriage had deteriorated, and Chris Watts had begun an affair with a coworker.
The Crimes
In the early morning hours of August 13, 2018, after Shanann returned home from a business trip, Chris Watts strangled her. He then drove her body, along with their two living daughters, to a remote Anadarko oil worksite. There he smothered four-year-old Bella and three-year-old Celeste. Watts disposed of the children's bodies inside crude oil storage tanks and buried Shanann's body in a shallow grave nearby.
The murders drew intense national attention in part because of their domestic setting and the youth of the victims. Investigators and prosecutors later described the killings as deliberate. Watts's account of the events shifted multiple times during the investigation; some details of exactly how each death occurred came only from his own later statements and remain known primarily through his confessions.
Investigation and Arrest
When Shanann did not respond to messages, a friend grew concerned and went to the Watts home, then contacted police on August 13, 2018. Shanann and the girls were reported missing. Chris Watts initially cooperated publicly, giving televised and doorstep interviews in which he pleaded for his family's safe return. These media appearances were viewed millions of times online and drew widespread sympathy before suspicion turned toward him.
Watts agreed to a polygraph examination, which investigators indicated he failed. Confronted with the results, he confessed to killing Shanann but initially claimed he had done so in a rage after allegedly witnessing her harm the children — an account authorities and prosecutors rejected. He led investigators to the bodies at the oil site. He was arrested on August 15, 2018, and charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder, unlawful termination of a pregnancy, and tampering with a deceased human body.
Trial and Outcome
Rather than face a jury trial, Chris Watts entered into a plea agreement. In November 2018 he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Shanann, Bella, and Celeste, as well as to unlawful termination of a pregnancy and charges related to tampering with the bodies. The plea allowed prosecutors to take the death penalty off the table, a decision made in part with the support of Shanann's family.
On November 19, 2018, Watts was sentenced in Weld County District Court. He received multiple consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus additional years on the lesser counts. At sentencing, members of Shanann's family delivered emotional statements. Watts is serving his sentence in a correctional facility; for security reasons he was transferred to a prison outside Colorado.
Aftermath and Legacy
After his sentencing, Watts gave additional interviews to investigators, including a detailed account known as the "prison confession" or second confession, in which he described the killings more fully and abandoned his earlier claim that Shanann had harmed the children. These statements, along with the original investigative files, were released publicly by authorities.
The case became the subject of extensive media coverage, documentaries, and books. A widely viewed Netflix documentary, "American Murder: The Family Next Door" (2020), reconstructed events largely through the family's own text messages, social media posts, body-camera footage, and police recordings. The case is frequently cited in discussions of domestic violence and "family annihilator" crimes, and Shanann's family and others have used its prominence to raise awareness of intimate-partner violence.
Video Coverage
Frequently asked questions
What was the Chris Watts Family Murder case?
Chris Watts strangled his pregnant wife and smothered his two young daughters, hiding their bodies at his worksite. His fake media pleas were watched millions of times.
Who was responsible for Chris Watts Family Murder?
Chris Watts. Christopher Lee Watts was a Colorado oilfield operator who, in August 2018, murdered his pregnant wife Shanann and their two young daughters, Bella and Celeste, at the family home in Frederick. Motivated by an affair with a coworker and a desire to start a new life, he initially feigned ignorance and made televised pleas for their safe return before confessing to investigators.
How many victims were there in the Chris Watts Family Murder case?
At least 4 victims are associated with this case, including named victims such as Shanann Watts, Bella Watts, Celeste Watts.
Where and when did the Chris Watts Family Murder case take place?
It took place in Frederick, Colorado, USA in 2018.
