Accused family-killer Chris Watts will appear in court two weeks before his scheduled status hearing date, for reasons that remain unclear.
CBS 4 Denver reports that Watts, who is accused of murdering his wife Shannan Watts and their two young daughters, Bella and Celeste, in August, will appear for a hearing on on Tuesday, November 6, nearly two weeks before the previously scheduled date of November 19.
The Weld County District Attorney ‘s office reportedly announced the schedule change late last week through a spokesperson, but did not offer an explanation why the status hearing was moved up.
According to the Greeley Tribune, Watts will appear in the Weld District Court at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. His previously scheduled hearing date, November 19, is reportedly still on the court docket.
Watts is facing numerous felony charges, including three counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree unlawful termination of a pregnancy after the bodies of his pregnant wife and their 3- and 4-year-old daughters were found on the property of a petroleum company where Watts was employed until August. As CrimeOnline previously reported, an arrest affidavit showed that Watts confessed to strangling Shannan Watts, but claimed he attacked her in a “rage” after seeing her strangle one of their daughters via the baby monitor, while the other daughter lay limp nearby.
Watts has been in custody in the Weld County Jail since two days after his wife and daughters were reported missing. The same week, Watts is believed to have directed authorities to the location of their bodies.
