Murder: True Crime Stories - SOLVED: The Watts Family Murder 2

Episode Date: November 6, 2025

Within days of his family’s disappearance, Chris Watts’s façade begins to crumble. Failed polygraphs, missing sheets, and GPS data all lead detectives to one horrifying conclusion: the husband everyone trusted has been lying. As the truth unfolds — from the interrogation room to the oil fields — the nation learns what really happened inside the Watts home. Featuring the confessions, the aftermath, and the lasting impact on everyone who loved Shanann, Bella, CeCe, and baby Niko, this is the devastating end to a story that once looked like the American dream. Murder: True Crime Stories is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. For ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Don’t miss out on all things Murder: True Crime Stories! Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios X: @crimehousemedia YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi, crimehouse community. It's Carter Roy, and if you love digging into the most gripping true crime stories, then you need to listen to another crime house original. Crimes of with Sabrina DeAnna Roga and Corinne Vienne.N. Crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season, from crimes of paranormal, unsolved murders, mysterious disappearances, and more. Sabrina and Corinne have been covering the true story. stories behind Hollywood's most iconic horror villains, and this month, they'll be diving into the paranormal. Listen to Crimes of Every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. When secrets come to light, they rarely do so quietly.

Instead, the truth erupts like the crack of a rifle. It sends shockwaves through communities, leaving echoes that linger long after. In the case of the Watts family, that bang came swiftly. Within three days, the image of the perfect family was shattered. And in its wake, the dark truth about Chris Watts, husband and father was exposed. People's lives are like a story. There's the beginning, a middle, and an end.

But you don't always know which part you're on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon, and we don't always get to know the real ending. I'm Carter Roy. And this is Murder True Crime Stories, a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios that comes out every Tuesday and Thursday. At Crime House, we want to express our gratitude to you, our community, for making this possible. Please support us by rating, reviewing, and following Murder, True Crime Stories, wherever you get your podcasts. And to enhance your Murder True Crime Stories listening experience, subscribe to Crime House Plus on Apple Podcasts.

You'll get ad-free listening, early access to every two-part series, and exciting bonus content. This is the second of two episodes on the Watts family murders. In 2018, 34-year-old Chanan Watts, who was pregnant at the time, and her daughters, four-year-old Bella and three-year-old Cici went missing in Colorado. The case sparked a huge search and made headlines around the country. Last time, I introduced you to the Washington. family and told you about Chris and Shanan's marriage. I explained how Chris started an affair when Shanan became pregnant and took you through the days leading up to Shanan, Bella, and Cece's

disappearance. Today, I'll take you deeper into the investigation as authorities began to hone in on Chris. I'll explain the moments when the truth was revealed, the evidence that confirmed it, and the devastating outcome for the Watts family. All that and more coming up. On August 13, 2018, 34-year-old Shann Watts and her daughter's, four-year-old Bella, and three-year-old Cici disappeared from their home in Frederick, Colorado. Shenan was 15 weeks pregnant at the time. The first person to raise the alarm was Shanan's friend, Nicole Atkinson. And that morning, Shanan didn't respond to any of her texts. It was very unlike Shanan, who always had her phone in hand. It was especially strange because Shanan had a prenatal

appointment scheduled for 10 o'clock that morning. She was supposed to hear her unborn son's heartbeat for the very first time. It was the kind of milestone she'd immediately want to to share with her friend. So when the silence stretched on that morning, long past when the appointment should have wrapped up, Atkinson felt a flutter of unease. She knew something was wrong. Atkinson drove over to the Watts House searching for answers. She hoped Shanan was just caught up dealing with a tantrum or on a work call.

But when Atkinson pulled up to the quiet suburban street, she saw no signs of Shanan or the girls. Atkinson knocked on the door, but no one answered. She tried calling out to Shanan, but still nothing. Nicole had that creeping gut feeling that every true friend recognizes when you just know something isn't right. She called Shanan's husband, 33-year-old Chris Swatz, and told him he needed to come home immediately.

He said he was at work, but she insisted. And then she called the police. authorities arrived and waited for Chris. Once he finally returned, they searched the home with his permission. There were no broken windows, no overturned furniture, no obvious signs of a struggle. The only missing item they noticed was the top sheet from Chris and Shanan's bedroom. But more concerning, wasn't what was missing, but what was left behind. Shanan's purse was sitting on the counter, her phone was on the couch, and her car was

still in the garage. To Atkinson, this confirmed that someone had forced Shanan out of the house or abducted her and the girls. She would never go anywhere without her phone or medications. By the following morning, August 14th, Shanan, Bella, and Cece were declared missing. That same day, police searched the Watts home for a second time. This time, they stepped up the intensity and brought canine units. Cadaver dogs are trained to pick up on the smallest traces of human remains. When a person dies, their body immediately begins to release a unique smell, a sort of chemical fingerprint.

Even if a body has been removed, the odor lingers, and the dogs can sense it. That's what authorities wanted to know. Had Shanan and the girl's been killed inside the house. or were they still alive when they left? While investigators combed through the interior, Chris stepped outside and gave an interview to the local ABC affiliate. Standing on his front porch, arms folded, he addressed the cameras. He admitted that he and Shanan had an emotional discussion right before her disappearance.

He didn't go into detail, but he said he was worried and that he wanted nothing more than for his wife and daughters to come home. It was a plea heard across the state, but not everyone watching it, believed it. Shanan's mom, Sandra Rusek, sat some 1,600 miles away in North Carolina. Her phone clutched tight as she watched the news coverage. She studied Chris's face and listened to his words. Something about the way he spoke. chilled her. There was a casualness to his voice. To Sandra, he didn't seem like he was

truly worried about his missing family. Her suspicion only grew when she got him on the phone later, and Chris said he couldn't talk because, quote, he had to get back to work. His wife, his daughters, and his unborn child were all missing. What kind of man would clock in for work under those circumstances. The only explanation that made sense to her was a terrifying one that Chris had been involved in their disappearances and he needed to go back to the oil site to cover something up.

Sandra called the police and shared her fears. She told them there had been marital problems between Chris and Shanan all summer and that she believed her son-in-law was responsible for the disappearances. Investigators listened carefully. They already had their doubts about Chris, but now Shanan's own mother was saying she thought there was foul play involved.

That put Chris even more firmly in their sights, so they decided to pull his phone records. The results were eye-opening. There was an endless stream of late-night phone calls, text messages, and semi-nude photos exchanged between Chris and his co-worker, 30-year-old Nicole Kessinger. It was clear that the two were having an affair. Just like that, Chris became their prime suspect. Investigators didn't have to hunt Nicole down to question her.

Before they had the chance to reach out, Nicole called them. She'd seen the news and confronted Chris over the phone. and she didn't like his answers any more than Sandra had. He had lied to her about the state of his marriage. Now, she was terrified he was lying about something far worse. She sat down with both state officials and FBI agents. They wanted to know about her relationship with Chris and whether it was possible that she and Chris had worked together

to somehow get rid of his family. But her story never wavered. she thought Chris was a man she could build a life with until she found out the truth once she realized his pregnant wife and two daughters were missing she wanted nothing to do with him and everything to do with helping the police after hours of interrogation Nicole was cleared of any involvement but her testimony gave investigators exactly what they needed. A motive. Chris Watts wasn't just a husband in a troubled marriage. He was a man who wanted to start over with someone new. And in his mind, the only way to do that was to

erase the family he already had. Shop the same in-store prices online and enjoy unlimited delivery with PC Express Pass. Get your first year for $2.50 a month. Learn more at p.c.express.ca. On August 13, 2018, 34-year-old Shannon Watson and her daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Cici disappeared. A day later, they were officially declared missing, and just one day after that, authorities became convinced that Shanan's husband, 33-year-old Chris Watts was responsible. Based on his phone records, detectives believed he wanted his family out of the picture

so he could start fresh with his girlfriend, 30-year-old Nicole Kessinger. But by August 15th, just two days after Shanan and the girls went missing, that fantasy was already crumbling. Nicole had come forward and told the police everything she knew. She clearly wanted to distance herself, from a man she now considered unstable and possibly dangerous.

Later that same day, investigators called Chris back down to the station. Under questioning, Chris swore up and down that he had nothing to do with his wife and daughter's disappearance. He insisted he wanted his wife and kids back as soon as possible. So detectives gave him an option. If he was innocent, if he truly had. had nothing to hide, then would he be willing to take a polygraph test? Chris agreed. What other choice did he have? The test took place in a small, nondescript interrogation room. Chris sat down

across from Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Tammy Lee. She would be the one administering the polygraph. She was calm and approachable, dressed casually in a striped black and white sweater. Her blonde here cut into a short bob she looked like a neighborhood mom and talked to chris like they were old friends she explained the process in simple terms smiling and reassuring him that this was just a way to officially clear his name chris nodded along trying to keep his composure but then agent lee gave an ominous warning she told him she expected the results would rule him out after all No one who was guilty would be stupid enough to agree to a polygraph test, so he must be innocent, right? That was when Chris's mask began to slip.

He shifted in his chair, looking nervous. His breathing shifted like he was trying to hold his breath, but he couldn't walk away. Backing out would raise even more suspicion, so he remained seated and took the test. The questions were simple. Did you cause Shanan's disappearance? Did you lie about the last time you saw her? Do you know where she is now? Agent Lee reminded him to keep calm.

Chris tried, but he stumbled over his answers and his breathing was uneven. He complained that it was hard to relax under the circumstances. Lee nodded, acting sympathetic. But inside, she knew. what the machine was already telling her. Chris was lying and not just fudging the truth here and there, but failing spectacularly. His results were among the worst Lee had ever seen. It wasn't looking good for Chris, and soon he'd be backed into a corner with no way out.

While Chris sat in the interrogation room, authorities had been retracing his steps from the morning of August 13th, the day his family had vanished. His work truck had a GPS installed to track its movements. Detectives followed the directions to the oil site where Chris worked. Investigators sent drones up into the sky, scanning for anything out of place. But the land stretched flat and barren in every direction. There wasn't much to see besides oil tanks and dirt rose. But then, at around 4.15 p.m., one of the drone operators spotted something unusual. It looked like fabric blowing in the wind. When investigators approached from the ground, they realized it was a bed sheet. Later, they confirmed it was the missing bed sheet from the Watts master

bedroom. That information made its way back to detectives at the station, and it wasn't the only damning new piece of evidence, other authorities had uncovered some chilling details about Chris's behavior on the morning Shanan and the girls disappeared. Apparently, he'd called his daughter's school to say they would not be enrolled for the upcoming year. Not only that, but he'd also reached out to a realtor about selling the family home. For investigators, the pieces were falling in the place. And back in the interrogation room, Chris was crumbling. Hours earlier, detectives had spoken gently, giving him space to tell his version of events.

Now they were direct and accusatory. They told him straight out that he had failed the polygraph and that they knew he was lying through his teeth. And they pointed out that he had yet to shed a single tear for his. missing daughters. Not exactly how an innocent man would act. Chris admitted to the affair. He didn't hedge or try to downplay it. He talked about Nicole like he was in a trance. He told investigators that she took his breath away. He said he'd never felt like this about anyone before. However, when it came to his wife and daughters, Chris stammered, deflected, and said he didn't know anything more than what he'd told them. But the detectives kept pressing. At one point, Agent Lee even

offered him an out. She asked if Shanan had done something to the girls, and maybe he had reacted by doing something to Shanan. It was a lifeline, a way for Chris to admit guilt without care of all the blame. That was when he finally started to crack. And he asked to see his dad. Chris's father, Ronnie Watts, had been waiting at the station for a chance to talk to his son. So when investigators asked, he readily agreed to go into the interrogation room. Authorities left the two men on their own sitting across from each other, but their conversation, both the visual and audio was recorded on camera. Chris's shoulders were slumped, his voice low.

He told his dad he had failed the polygraph, and detectives weren't going to let him walk out of there. Ronnie asked gently if there was any reason why they shouldn't. Chris said he'd come clean about his affair, but Ronnie leaned forward and asked if there was anything else. Chris hesitated, then almost in a whisper, he said he was done protecting Shanan. He slowly told his dad a new, horrifying story that Shanan had smothered Bella and Cece after he told her he wanted a divorce. After that, he'd lost it and in a fit of rage strangled Shanan for killing their

babies. Ronnie was shocked. Nothing could have prepared him to hear a confession like that from his son. All he could think to do was reach across the table and take Chris's hand. When detectives returned, Chris stuck by the story. He admitted to strangling Shanan, but insisted that he'd only snapped after discovering she'd killed their daughters. He claimed he'd seen her smothering C.C. on the baby monitor, while Bella lay in her bed already lifeless. He painted himself as a man reacting to trauma. Investigators listened, but they weren't convinced. They'd already seen enough. The polygraph, the GPS, the bed sheet, his strange behavior, it all pointed to utter guilt. Despite his attempt to shift the blame, they believed Chris was responsible for

for all three murders. But even with half a confession now on the table, one question remained. Where were the bodies? Chris had to know, in one way or another, detectives were going to force it out of him. In Texas, the countdown has begun.

Robertson is scheduled to die. When the clock hits zero, it's over. But a growing chorus insists Robert is innocent. We didn't hear Robert. We chose to disbelieve him. And if the system gets it wrong, there's no going back. I'm Lester Holt, and this is The Last Appeal. My new podcast from Dateline, listen now.

On August 15th, 2018, three days after his family went missing, 33-year-old Chris Watts confessed to killing his wife, 34-year-old Shanan. But he didn't admit to murdering the other two members of his family. Instead, he told detectives he'd killed Shanan in a fit of rage after she had allegedly smothered their two daughters, four-year-old Bella, and three-year-old C.C. It was a chilling story, one that painted Shanan as the villain and Chris as a man reacting to extreme trauma, but detectives didn't buy it. Shanan's friends and family had told them how caring she was. She put her girls before everything else and would have gone to the ends of the earth for them. Nothing about what Chris said matched the reality. Still, no matter how many times investigators pressed him,

Chris stuck to his story, even when they asked him repeatedly if he was okay with the public knowing that Shanan had killed her daughters. He said he was, since it was the truth. But then Chris dropped another bomb. Although Shanan was the one who'd killed the girls, he disposed of the bodies. When detectives asked where they were, Chris avoided the question. He seemed too emotional. to give them an answer. Frustrated, investigators finally left him alone with his father again, and it was in that moment away from the detectives that Ronnie Watts coaxed it out of him. Chris admitted that he'd buried Shanan and that he'd stuffed the bodies of his daughters,

Bella and Cici, into an oil tank at his work. Ronnie was heartbroken. Chris was his son. But those girls were his granddaughters. Outside the interrogation room, watching the camera feed, detectives were stunned. And they had suspected Chris almost since the beginning. But to hear him admit to disposing of the bodies still sent a chill down their spines. Now, they needed to get the details.

Investigators walked back into the interrogation room and slid an aerial photo. of Chris's work site across the table. They asked him to point out where he had dumped the bodies. Chris hesitated, then finally, pointed to two areas. One where he'd left Shanan, the other where he'd hidden his daughters. Despite Chris's claims that his wife had killed the girls, detectives had zero reason to believe him. Chris had the motive.

He wanted to start a life with his mistress, without his family involved, and he'd failed the polygraph test, which showed he was concealing guilt. All of this led investigators to the conclusion that he had killed all of them. Around 11 p.m. that night, August 15th, detectives arrested 33-year-old Chris for murdering his pregnant wife, their unborn son, and their two daughters. Overnight and into the next morning, Colorado authorities carried out the grim task of recovering Chris's family. Shanan's body was found in a shallow grave near the oil site. Bella and Cece were discovered inside the oil tanks, Chris had indicated.

He'd forced their small bodies through an opening just eight inches wide. at the mouth of the tank, investigators found a tuft of blonde hair that had gotten caught. That day, news of Chris's arrest spread across local news stations and papers. The horror of the discovery reverberated through the community. Neighbors, friends, and strangers all across the state grieved for Shanan and her daughters. The following week, prosecutors announced the charges. Chris faced nine criminal counts.

five counts of first-degree murder two for each daughter because they were under the age of 12 he was also charged with unlawful termination of a pregnancy and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body in the aftermath of the murders as Shanan's family tried to process their grief something cruel and shocking began to unfold online A vocal corner of the internet turned on shenan.

Because of her active social media presence, there were hundreds of Facebook posts, videos, and live streams documenting her life. And people felt entitled to dissect it and point fingers. They judged her personality. They nitpicked her parenting. And some even went further, throwing out vicious insults, and labeling her as controlling, manipulative, and narcissistic. Strangers who'd never met Shanan felt free to blame her for her own death.

The harassment spread to the rest of Shanan's family. Her grieving parents and brothers were forced to endure endless speculation, name-calling, and conspiracy theories at the same time that they were mourning the loss of their daughter and granddaughters. The cruelty lasted months. Until finally, Chris agreed to a plea deal. On November 6th, Chris pleaded guilty to all nine counts against him, including the murders of Shanan, Bella, and Cece. At that point, he still hadn't confessed to killing his daughters,

but pleading guilty to every count was part of the agreement with prosecutors who agreed not to pursue the death penalty if he consented to all charges. That decision came down in large part to Shanan's family. They made it clear they didn't want another death resulting from this tragedy. Shanan's mother said that while Chris had taken so much from them, she did not believe the state should take his life in return. In court, Chris sat silent as the judge, read the charges aloud. Prosecutors didn't require him to speak, and they didn't want him

spinning the same false story about Shanan harming her children. They wanted the record clear. Shanan had been a victim, not a perpetrator. Two weeks later, a judge handed Chris three consecutive life sentences, plus another two to be served concurrently, all without the possibility of parole. And then, even though Chris would never see the outside of a prison again, the judge added an additional 48 years for the unlawful termination of Shanan's pregnancy and 36 years for tampering with the bodies. By the standards of most high-profile murder cases, it was an incredibly quick resolution. Within just three months of the crime, the case had been moved from disappearance to arrest to conviction.

But the story wasn't finished yet. Although they got the verdict they wanted, they were still in the dark about what actually happened that fateful August morning. In February of 2019, investigators visited Chris in prison for a follow-up interview. They wanted to get his full confession, the one he'd refused to give three months earlier. The interview lasted five hours, but slowly, piece by piece, the truth came out. Chris said Shanan had returned from her business trip around 2 a.m., and he suspected she knew about the affair.

Well, he hadn't exactly been careful. He'd used their joint credit card to take Nicole out to dinner while Shan was away. But when Shanan came home, she didn't say anything about it. she was still trying to make things work between the two of them so she climbed into bed with him hoping to repair what was broken hours later when chris woke up around 5 a.m., he told her he wanted a divorce. Blindsided, Shanan finally asked if there was someone else. It turned out Shanin still wasn't certain that he was cheating. That surprised Chris. He thought the mutual knowledge of his infidelity would make their separation a no-brainer.

But now it was going to be much more difficult, long and drawn out, the complete opposite of what he'd hoped for. He refused to answer her question directly, only saying that he didn't love her anymore. The argument escalated, and Shanan told him that if he left her, he would never see his daughter's again. That was when Chris put his hands around her neck. He strangled her until she lay lifeless on the bed. And then came the part that investigators and later the world found almost unbearable to hear, Bella walked into the room clutching her pink blanket. She saw her mother lying still on the bed and asked, what's wrong with mommy? Chris told her everything would be okay, but it wouldn't be. Chris carried Chanan's body to the garage and loaded her into the backseat of his truck.

He told Bella and Cece to climb in too. Their mother's body lay at their feet as he drove them more than 45 minutes to the oil field where he worked. Along the way, the girl, girls asked again and again if their mom was okay. He told them she would be fine. But once they arrived, Chris killed his daughters too. He smothered CC first, then Bella. According to Chris, in Bella's final moments, she begged him to stop saying, Daddy, no. Those were her last afterwards. Afterward, he buried Shanan in the shallow grave, then forced Bella and Cece's small bodies into the oil tanks. Chris's confession was made public the following month in March 2019. It finally confirmed what investigators had believed all along. Shanan had never harmed her

daughters. She had been a devoted mother, a loving wife, and a woman trying to hold her family together until her husband chose to destroy it. Shanan, Bella, Cici, and the unborn baby boy they planned on naming Nico had their lives cut short far too soon. But their story shouldn't be defined by the brutality of how it ended. Shanan lived with energy and determination, always chasing dreams for her family. Bella was gentle and kind, Cici was bold and spirited, and Nico was already deeply loved even before he was born. Though their lives ended in tragedy, they should be remembered for who they were, for the love, laughter, and light they brought into the world. That is the legacy that lasts.

Thanks so much for listening. I'm Carter Roy, and this is Murder, True Crime Stories. Come back next week for the story of a new murder and all the people it affected. Murder True Crime Stories is a Crime House original, powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media at Crime House on TikTok. and Instagram, don't forget to rate, review, and follow Murder True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts.

Your feedback truly makes a difference. And to enhance your murder, true crime stories listening experience, subscribe to Crime House Plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode ad-free, and instead of having to wait for each episode of a two-part series, you'll get access to both at once, plus exciting bonus content. We'll be back. on Tuesday. Murder True Crime Stories is hosted by me, Carter Roy, and is a Crime House original,

powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Murder True Crime Stories team, Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benadon, Natalie Pertsovsky, Rachel Engleman, Lori Marinelli, Sarah Camp, Alex Burns, Honeya Saeed, Russell Nash, and Spencer Howard. Thank you for joining us. Looking for your next crime house, listen, don't miss Crimes of with Sabrina Deanna Roga and Corinne Vienne.N. Crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season, from Crimes of the Paranormal, Unsolved Murders, Mysterious Disappearances, and more. Their first season is Crimes of Infamy, the true stories behind Hollywoods, most iconic horror villains, and coming up next is Crimes of Paranormal, real-life cases

where the line between the living and dead gets seriously blurry. Listen to Crimes of every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts.