As authorities are investigating the shocking disappearance and presumed murder of a pregnant mom and her two young daughters, public records have revealed that the Watts family experienced financial struggles in recent years.
Fox 31 Denver obtained documents showing the Chris and Shanann Watts filed for bankruptcy in 2015, claiming $70,000 in debt they were unable to pay back. According to the report, most of the debt was in student loans and retail purchases, and financial statements showed at the time that the couple had less than $1,000 in the bank and less than $10 in savings.
Still, Shanann Watts’s frequent Facebook posts in more recent months indicated that she was enjoying success at her job selling a weight loss solution through a multilevel marketing company. The 34-year-old Frederick resident was reportedly making $80,000 a year and appeared to enjoy perks such as frequent, work-sponsored travel and a general monthly car allowance.
Both Shanann and Chris Watts are from North Carolina, and moved to Colorado sometime after their marriage in 2012. The man who bought their home in Belmont told the Associated Press that the couple was in a hurry to sell the home and left furniture behind.
Authorities have not revealed any details about the circumstances of the presumed deaths, but Shanann and the girls are believed to have been killed in their home.