After initially pleading publicly for the safe return of his family, the Colorado father accused of killing his pregnant wife and two young girls is being compared to one of the most notorious domestic murderers in recent memory.

As People reported, forensic profiler Dale Yeager saw parallels between Chris Watts’ appeal prior to his arrest this week and the actions of Scott Peterson nearly two decades ago.

“That’s what is in my head. If they’re safe right now, they’re going to come back,” Watts said. “But if they’re not safe right now, that’s the not-knowing part. Last night I had every light in the house on, I was hoping that I would just get ran over by the kids just running in and barrel-rushing me, but it didn’t happen. And it was just a traumatic night trying to be here.”

“He has an incredibly large ego,” the analyst said. “He was very convincing in front of the camera, which means he really comes off as sociopathic. That doesn’t mean he is mentally ill, just that he has a personality defect.”

That defect, he said, is similar to the one he identified in Peterson during a series of media interviews after the disappearance of his pregnant wife, Lacey, more than 15 years ago.

“He’s Scott Peterson, just less charismatic,” Yeager said.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Watts convinced close family friends that he had nothing to do with the disappearances and even stayed at their home in the immediate aftermath.

The bodies of Shanann Watts and the couple’s two daughters were subsequently located and Chris Watts remained behind bars awaiting formal charges as of the latest reports available.

[Featured image: Chris Watts, Weld County Sheriff’s Office]