Why Did Chris Watts Kill His Pregnant Wife and 2 Daughters? Inside the Family Murders

On August 13, 2018, pregnant Colorado mother Shanann Watts and her two young daughters, Bella and Celeste, were reported missing. Two days later, authorities arrested the family's patriarch, Chris Watts, in connection with their disappearance.

Chris initially denied knowing their whereabouts but later confessed to murdering Shanann and their children.

More than eight years after the Watts family murders, the case continues to draw public attention. Here's what to know about Chris' possible motives and what he revealed about the killings.

In the early hours of August 13, 2018, Shanann returned home from a business trip to Arizona. Her friend and co-worker Nickole Utoft Atkinson dropped her off at the family's residence in Frederick, Colo., where Chris was home with their two daughters.

Later that day, Nickole grew concerned when she could not reach Shanann. She went to the Watts' home and noticed Shanann's car still parked in the garage, but no one answered the door. Finding the situation suspicious, she contacted authorities to report her friend missing.

In an August 15, 2018, interview with NBC affiliate KUSA in Denver, Chris claimed he had an "emotional conversation" with Shanann after she returned home. He said he left for work shortly afterward and last saw his wife at 5:15 a.m.

He also claimed to have seen Shanann and their two daughters asleep through a baby monitor.

"I texted her a few times, called her, but I didn't get a response," Chris said. "That was a little off."

Chris told the outlet that around noon on August 13, footage from his doorbell camera showed one of Shanann's friends arriving at their home but receiving no response. He subsequently returned home and found that his wife and their two daughters were missing, although Shanann's vehicle remained at the residence.

The father-of-two gave several media interviews in the days following his family's disappearance, appealing for their safe return and claiming he did not know where they were.

But two days later, on August 15, 2018, authorities arrested Chris and accused him of first-degree murder in the deaths of his wife and kids, along with first-degree unlawful termination of a pregnancy and other offenses.

On August 16, 2018, authorities confirmed Shanann's body had been found in a shallow grave on property owned by Anadarko Petroleum, Chris' former employer, which had fired him following his arrest. Meanwhile, Bella and Celeste's remains were discovered submerged in crude oil storage tanks nearby.

"We are heartbroken by this, and our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones and friends of the Watts family. We will continue to support law enforcement in its investigation," Anadarko said at the time.

The autopsy report, cited by WBAL TV, later determined that Shanann died from manual strangulation, while Bella and Celeste died from asphyxiation due to smothering. The manner of death was homicide.

During a February 2019 prison interview with investigators, Chris admitted to strangling Shanann in their bed after telling her their marriage was over. He added she had told him he would never see their children again.

He also acknowledged his pregnant wife "correctly" suspected he was having an affair, but he maintained he had not admitted the relationship to Shanann before killing her.

Investigators believed Chris wanted to start a new life with his mistress. Chris maintained the woman "never asked him to get rid of his family" but the relationship may have "contributed" to his actions.

"If I was thinking, this wouldn't have happened," Chris reportedly said of the crime.

Chris was having an affair with his mistress, Nichol Kessinger, who he claimed knew he was married and had children. However, Nichol denied knowing he was still married when their relationship began.

In an interview with The Denver Post, Nichol said she met Chris while working for the environmental department of Anadarko Petroleum.

"We had just met," she told the newspaper. "I barely knew him."

Police said Chris and Nichol went on two dates while Shanann was in North Carolina, including trips to the Great San Dunes National Park & Preserve and a museum in Boulder.

She ended the affair with Chris, which lasted less than two months, after his family disappeared in August 2018.

"He made me believe that he was doing all of the things that a rational man and good father would do," Nichol told The Denver Post.

Chris avoided the death penalty after pleading guilty to the murders in November 2018.

The district attorney agreed not to pursue to death penalty in exchange for Chris pleading guilty to all nine charges, including five counts of first-degree murder, one count of unlawful termination of a pregnancy and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body.

Following the statements, a judge sentenced Chris to five life terms without the possibility of parole for murdering Shanann and their daughters.

According to CBS News, three life sentences were ordered to run consecutively, while the remaining two were to be served concurrently.

Chris received an additional 48 years in prison for the unlawful termination of Shanann's pregnancy and 12 years each for three counts of tampering with a deceased body.

During the sentencing, the judge called the murders "the most inhumane and vicious crime he had ever seen."

Chris is currently serving multiple life sentences at Dodge Correctional Institution, a maximum-security state prison in Waupun, Wisc. He was transferred to the facility in December 2018 after his conviction.

As OK! reported, the murderer and his girlfriend, Lizzie Henderson, submitted a formal request to marry through the prison system. The 39-year-old real estate agent reportedly filed a confidential name-change petition and began using Watts as her surname, according to People.

No wedding has been publicly confirmed as of press time.