198: Chris Watts Deep Dive: Blaming the Mistress, Uncovering Dark Secrets & His Double Life

The dynamics within the Watts family, including the relationship between Chris and Shanann Watts, were influenced by their individual pasts and the financial struggles they faced together.

Shanann Watts's previous marriage and divorce in 2007 left her financially and emotionally vulnerable when she met Chris Watts. She was determined to get married soon after high school, despite concerns from her friends that she was too young. After divorcing her first husband, Leonard King, in 2007, Shanann had to restart her life financially. However, she persevered, and by age 25, she had bought her first home.

Chris Watts and Shanann Watts bonded over shared background

Shanann and Chris formed a connection after Chris sent her a friend request on Facebook. They bonded over their shared North Carolina roots and their similar ages, as both were born in the mid-80s. Shanann was the dominant and ambitious partner in the relationship, considered a go-getter who could achieve almost anything she aimed for. In contrast, Chris was more reserved, but Shanann saw him as a very trustworthy guy and someone to rely on.

Financial challenges and social media presence

The Watts family faced sig ...

The involvement of Chris Watts in the tragic murders of his wife Shanann and their children was deeply intertwined with an extramarital affair he had with coworker Nicole Kessinger.

Chris Watts began an affair with his coworker Nicole Kessinger in the summer of 2018, while Shanann was pregnant with their third child.

Nicole initially pursued Chris, enhancing his self-confidence and making him feel more desirable. The relationship began talking in early summer and quickly escalated, with Chris and Nicole meeting outside of the office and their relationship becoming physical by July. During Shanann's trips, they saw each other frequently, and Chris falsely told Nicole that his marriage was "officially over."

The detectives confirmed the affair, and subsequent details of their relationship surfaced, revealing the depth of their involvement. They went on several dates, including trips to car museums and national parks, and stayed in contact even when Chris visited his family in North Carolina. This was not a fleeting romance; Nicole even searched for wedding dresses online, and Chris gave her a love letter inside a card. The secret relationship flourished, with Chris spending significant amounts at restaurants and Nicole’s actions—like telling Chris to pawn Shanann's wedding ring—raised questions about her awareness of events and her engagement with Chris during the time of the murders.

Shanann became suspicious of Chris's behavior and distance, but he refused to be honest with her about the affair.

Shanann confronted Chris about his infidelity and their marital issues, but he continued to deny and avoid the truth. Even after detectives became involved, Chris referred to Nicole in derogatory terms, suggesting a complex and possibly manipulative relationship. Shanann had become increasingly alarmed by the erratic financial spending and Chris's growing emotional aloofness. Despite being pregnant with their third child, whom they intended to name Nico—a name uncomfortably similar to Nicole—Shanann's sentiments of mistrust and betrayal progressively intensified during her final summer.

Nicole acted like she didn't know Chris was married, although it was proven otherwise, continuing to exchange flirty messages with Chris while Shanann tried to grapple with Chris's sudden lack of communication and physical intimacy. The issues came to a head after Shanann left for a work trip. When she returned, Chris expressed his d ...

The tragic and horrifying details of the Watts family murders are pieced together through a sequence of events that culminated in August of 2018.

On the morning of August 13, 2018, Chris Watts first attempted to smother his daughters Bella and Cece, but they initially survived.

On the morning of August 13th, after Shanann Watts returned home from a business trip at around 2 a.m., Chris and Shanann discussed separating and considering divorce. It was during this emotionally charged time that Chris first attempted to smother his daughters, Bella and Cece, although they initially survived this attack.

Chris then strangled his pregnant wife Shanann to death in a fit of rage after she threatened to keep the girls from him.

Chris claimed that following the discussion, he witnessed Shanann smothering their daughters, Bella and Cece. In a fit of rage, he retaliated by strangling Shanann to death. However, this version of events later unraveled, revealing a far more sinister reality.

Chris loaded the still-living Bella and Cece into his truck, driving them to the oil site where he worked and smothering them one by one.

In the early morning, at around 5 a.m., Chris loaded Shanann's body, wrapped in a bed sheet with a plastic bag around her head and feet, into his work truck. His daughters, Bella and Cece, were alive and accompanied their father, bringing along their blankies and a stuffed animal. Upon reaching the oil site where Chris worked, he gruesomely ended their lives. Cece was smothered first with her blanket, and Bella, having witnessed her sister’s fate, asked if she would encounter the same fate. Despite Bella’s resistance and cries, Chris proceeded to smother her as well.

Chris disposed of his family's bodies in a calculated, horrific manner, showing no remorse for his actions.

Chris buried Shanann's body in a shallow grave and dumped the girls' bodies into separate oil tanks.

After taking the lives of his daughters, Chris disposed of his family's bodies in a calculated manner. Shanann was buried in a shallow grave near an oil drilling site, roughly 40 miles from their home, and the girls were placed in separate oil tanks some 200 yards from where Shanann lay. Shanann's body was discovered on August 15th at around 11 p.m., while the girls were found the following day. Tragically, the bodies exhibited the horror of their fin ...

As investigators pieced together the case surrounding the disappearance and murder of Shanann Watts and her daughters, several details emerged that pointed to Chris Watts' guilt, leading to his confession, guilty plea, and life imprisonment.

Law enforcement became suspicious of Chris Watts early on, due to his inconsistent statements and odd behavior.

Chris initially claimed his family disappeared, but the evidence quickly contradicted his story.

During the investigations, law enforcement quickly became suspicious of Chris due to his inconsistent statements and odd behavior. Initially, Chris Watts claimed that his family had disappeared. However, Nicole Kessinger noted that he had been repeatedly stating he was minutes away throughout the day, an inconsistency that raised questions. Upon his arrival at home after the disappearance, Chris's behavior was unusual; instead of searching for his family, he busied himself with looking through Shanann’s car and pointing out that her personal items were left behind. He was calm when his family was missing but became visibly nervous while watching security footage at the neighbor's house – he fidgeted, talked nonstop, and scrolled through his phone— an unusual reaction that aroused suspicion. Investigators noted that security camera footage showed Chris loading something into the back seat of his truck early in the morning and then leaving, without Shanann or the girls appearing on camera.

Chris eventually confessed to the murders after failing a polygraph test and being confronted by police.

After failing a polygraph test and having been confronted by police with evidence, Chris confessed to the murders. He initially claimed Shanann killed their daughters and he, in turn, killed her. However, he later admitted to killing Shanann and their daughters. He revealed the location of their bodies at the oil site, to which investigators were directed by the killer himself. Upon the discovery of Shanann's body and the children at the designated oil site, Chris's involvement became evident. Investigators found additional evidence incriminating Chris, including text messages indicating marital issues and his suspicious behavior, like calling the daycare to unenroll his daughters while they were only "missing."

Chris Watts pled guilty to all charges, including first-degree murder, to avoid the death penalty.

Shanann's family delivered powerful victim impact statements at Chris's sentencing, expressing their devastation and lack of understanding.

On November 6th, 2018, Chris Watts pled guilty to all charges to avoid the ...

The Watts family murders captured widespread public attention and fascinated many due to the facade of a happy relationship that was shattered by the tragic events. The erratic behavior of Chris Watts and the mysterious role of his mistress, Nicole Kessinger, are two central points that continue to fuel public scrutiny and discussion.

The Watts family murders captured widespread public attention and fascination, due to the seemingly happy facade of their relationship.

Shanann and Chris Watts appeared to be the perfect couple on social media, and to their friends and family, which is why the public was so shocked to learn the truth about the murders. This tragic revelation has become a cautionary tale concerning domestic violence, infidelity, and the importance of mental health awareness.

Chris Watts's calm and suspicious demeanor during media interviews further fueled public skepticism and outrage.

Interviewer Annie Elise noted Chris's suspicious behavior tying his statements about marital separation to the disappearance of his family. His calm demeanor and suspicious actions, like covering his own tracks, were met with skepticism, as Shanann was known to be a protective mother. Notably, during the interview, Chris exhibited odd body language, swaying back and forth, staring at the camera, and crossing his arms, leading many to find his mannerisms suspicious.

Many believe that Chris's mistress, Nicole Kessinger, may have been more involved in the crimes than she claimed.

Public skepticism about Nicole Kessinger has risen due to various factors. She made suspicious searches on her phone, including looking up information on Amber Frye's book deal, knowing about Shanann's Facebook posts and pregnancy, and searching for terms related to Watts's family disappearance earlier than she claimed. Kessinger also deleted information from her phone before handing it to the police, which has fueled skepticism. Additional questions arise from speculations about her prior knowledge of the Watts's family, a speculated premeditated interest, and a potential attempt to get close to Shanann through an event at her workplace. The lack of further investigation from the police after Chris's confession and Nicole's post-murder actions, such as changing her name and going into hiding, contribute to the suspicion.

The case has become a cautionary tale about the dangers of domestic violence, infidelity, and the importance of mental health awareness.

The grotesque nature of the crimes and Chris Watts's apparent efforts to leverage his notoriety through a religious conversion and book-writing have been met with disgust. The victims' family and friends cont ...