A timeline read in court during a hearing for suspected family-killer Chris Watts indicates that authorities believe Chris and Shanann’s young daughters may have died before Shanann Watts arrived home from a business trip early last Monday morning.
In court on Tuesday, a Colorado judge read Chris Watts the nine felony charges against him, including multiple first-degree murder charges, felony tampering with evidence, and unawful termination of a pregnancy. As CrimeOnline previously reported, an arrest affidavit shows that Watts ultimately confessed to murdering Shannan Watts, after he claimed to witness his pregnant wife strangling their 3- and 4-year-old daughters, Celeste and Bella.
The charging documents obtained by WSB-TV show that authorities have placed Bella and Celeste’s time of death as occurring “between and including Aug. 12, 2018, and Aug. 13, 2018.” The charges specifically pertaining to Shanann’s murder place that crime as taking place on August 13.
Complaint and Information Chris Watts by EKilloran on Scribd
Shanann Watts arrived home around 1 a.m in August 13, after her return flight from a business trip was delayed.
CrimeOnline‘s own Nancy Grace, a former felony prosecutor, believes the investigation will likely find that Chris Watts’s story about how his daughters were killed is not credible.
“I think it’s not just possible, but likely Shanann was murdered at a time separate from her little girls,” Nancy said.
“I can only surmise Christopher Watts’s ’emotional conversation’ with his wife — his words —had less to do with him leaving her and more to do with the whereabouts of baby Bella and little Celeste.”
In his reported confession, Chris Watts told investigators that when he woke up later that morning, he told Shanann he wanted to initiate a separation. Sometime after that, he claimed to see her actively strangling one of their daughters via the baby monitor in their bedroom, while another daughter lay sprawled on her bed appearing blue. He said he then strangled his pregnant wife “in a rage,” and disposed of all three bodies on the property of a petroleum company where he worked.
An investigation found that Chris Watts had been having an affair with an unidentified co-worker.
Watts is currently being held without bail and is due back in court in November.
Below is the complete arrest affidavit, originally obtained by the Denver Channel.
Arrest Affidavit Chris Watts_95256653_ver1.0 by EKilloran on Scribd
