Chris Watts' Parents Reveal Letter He Wrote to Murdered Wife, Kids
The parents of Chris Watts, the Colorado man who murdered his pregnant wife and their two young daughters in 2018, have released a letter he wrote to his family from prison and asked them to read at their graves.
Ronnie and Cindy Watts shared the full letter with the Daily Mail's MailOnline, The Tab reported.
A Birthday Letter From Prison
The letter is dated January 10, 2020, less than two years after the killings. It is addressed to his wife, Shanann, and opens by wishing her a happy 36th birthday, even teasing her about their age difference.
Watts asked his parents to bring the letter to the graves of Shanann and their daughters and read it aloud there.
In the letter, Watts expresses regret for what he did. "There's so much I wish I could say to you and make up for what I did to our family," he wrote. He said no one should have had to go through what happened and that his daughters had long lives ahead of them that they deserved to live.
Blaming an "Evil Outside Source"
The letter also includes Watts' attempt to distance himself from his crimes. "I promise the man you married isn't the man who turned his back on his family," he wrote.
He described the killings as something caused by an "evil outside source," rather than the person his wife knew, AOL reported.
Watts wrote that he imagines Shanann and the girls watching over him and telling him they love him. He said he has dedicated the rest of his life to following God's path and to showing the love he believes God has shown him. He closed by telling them he loves them "to the moon and back" and signed it "Love, Chris."
It is not clear whether the letter was ever read at the graves, or why his parents chose to make it public now. Watts' claim that an outside force was responsible stands in contrast to his guilty plea and his later detailed confessions.
His Mother Doubts He Killed the Girls
Cindy Watts is also speaking out in defense of her son. In an interview with Melissa G. Moore cited by the Daily Mail, she said she believes Chris killed his wife but could not have harmed his daughters, Globe Magazine reported.
She called her son "a good person" and said his first version of events, in which he claimed Shanann killed the girls, "makes the most sense" to her. She added that she "would've liked to see a defense" at a trial.
That first account was false, according to investigators. Watts initially told police that Shanann had killed their daughters before he killed her, but he later admitted that he killed all three.
Chris' sister, Jamie, said the killings changed the family forever and that her parents "are not even the same parents anymore." She said their father, Ronnie, has been focused on the case and is trying to get the unredacted case files.
The Murders That Shocked the Nation
Shanann Watts, who was 15 weeks pregnant, and the couple's daughters, ages 4 and 3, were reported missing from their home in Frederick, Colorado, in August 2018. Their bodies were found days later.
Watts initially appeared on local TV pleading for his family's safe return. He was arrested soon after, and investigators learned he had been having an affair with a coworker, Nichol Kessinger.
He pleaded guilty in November 2018, avoiding a trial, and was sentenced to multiple consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. He later confessed to the details of the killings in letters and interviews from prison.
The case drew worldwide attention and became the subject of the 2020 Netflix documentary "American Murder: The Family Next Door," which introduced the case to a new audience around the world. It is often compared to other high-profile cases involving men who killed their pregnant wives, including that of Scott Peterson.
Life Behind Bars
Watts is serving his sentence in Wisconsin. He is now reportedly in a relationship with a woman named Lizzie Henderson, whom he met while in prison. She reportedly moved from Ohio to Wisconsin to be closer to him.
His parents have stood by him since his arrest. At his 2018 sentencing, they told their son they forgave him, even as Shanann's family described the devastating loss of their daughter and granddaughters. Cindy has said she spends much of her time worrying about his safety in prison.
It was not immediately clear whether Shanann's family had responded to the release of the letter.
Curious for more stories that keep you informed and entertained? From the latest headlines to everyday insights, YourLifeBuzz has more to explore. Dive into what’s next.