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- [00:01]
Carter Roy
Hi Crime House community. It's Carter Roy and if you love digging into the most gripping true crime stories, then you need to listen to another Crime House original Crimes of with Sabrina Deanna Roga and Corinne Vien. Crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season from Crimes of Paranormal, unsolved murders, mysterious disappearances, and more. Sabrina and Corrine have been covering the true stories behind Hollywood's most iconic horror villains, and this month they'll be diving into the paranormal. Listen to Crimes of every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts. This is Crime House. From the outside, the Watts family looked like the picture of happiness. Their social media was filled with smiling photos, videos of kids playing and posts about family milestones. It was the kind of curated lifestyle that suggested stability and love. But appearances can be deceiving and behind the stage, smiles and carefully crafted captions, the truth was far more complicated. The marriage between Chris and Shanann was strained, finances were tight, and Chris was living a secret life no one else knew about. What looked like a happy family was starting to crack in ways that would soon become impossible to hide, and it was just a matter of time before the whole thing shattered. People's lives are like a story. There's a beginning, a middle and an end, but you don't always know which part you're on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon and we don't always get to know the real ending. I'm Carter Roy and this is True Crime Stories, a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios that comes out every Tuesday and Thursday at Crime House. We want to express our gratitude to you, our community, for making this possible. Please support us by rating, reviewing and following Murder True Crime Stories Wherever you get your podcasts and to enhance your Murder True Crime Stories listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get ad free listening, early access to every two part series and exciting bonus content. This is the first of two episodes on the Watts family murders in 2018, 34 year old Shanann Watts, who was pregnant at the time, and her daughters, 4 year old Bella and 3 year old CeCe, went missing in Colorado. The case sparked a huge search and made headlines across the country. Today I'll introduce you to the Watts family and take you inside Shanann and Chris's marriage. I'll walk you through the days leading up to Shanann, Bella and Cece's disappearance. The first signs that something was wrong and how investigators quickly began to doubt Chris's story. Next time, I'll bring you into the heart of the investigation. The confessions, the evidence that came to light, and the devastating truth about what happened inside the Watts home. All that and more coming up.
- [03:54]
Podcast Advertiser/Host
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- [04:59]
Carter Roy
In 2010, while living in Charlotte, North Carolina, 26 year old Shanann Rusak got a Facebook friend request that would change her life. 25 year old Chris Watts wanted to add her to his network. Shanann didn't know him, but they had some mutual friends so she figured why not? She clicked Accept. Shanann wasn't looking for a boyfriend, but she was looking for all the online support she could get. The last year of her life had been really tough. Not only had she gotten divorced, but she was also diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease. Her hair was falling out, she felt permanently weak and she lacked the energy to socialize much. So like many people, she turned to the Internet to feel connected. She posted photos, videos and live streams, racking up new followers and telling people about her life. When she first looked at Chris's profile, he seemed kind of nerdy. He wore glasses, was about £245, and didn't have the best fashion sense. But all of that made Shanann feel safe with him and most importantly, he was clearly interested in her. He struck up conversations, commented on her posts, and made her feel desired. After chatting for a while, he asked her to meet up in Charlotte, where they both lived. The attraction was instantaneous and soon they were dating. But Shanann was cautious. She worried her health issues were too much for such a nice, normal guy like Chris. So to protect herself from heartbreak, she tried to push him away. She posted about how she tortured him and rejected him during their early days, giving him every opportunity to walk out the door. But he never did. Instead, Chris promised to stick by her through her health issues and whatever else might come their way. And that was when Shanann decided he was the one. On November 3, 2012, about two years after their first meeting, 28 year old Shanann and 27 year old Chris got married. During the ceremony, the couple exchanged vows, promising to love each other till death do them part. Everyone was beaming. Shanann's health was on the mend and her family welcomed Chris with open arms. But a few people were missing. From the beginning, Chris's parents and his sister had decided they didn't like Shanann. In their eyes, she was stealing Chris away from them. They showed their disapproval by boycotting the wedding. Chris was understandably upset, but he wasn't going to let his family keep him from being happy. He might have thought they'd warm to Shanann once they actually tied the knot, but it quickly became clear that wasn't in the cards. Instead of confronting them about it, Chris bottled up his emotions and became distant and cold with his new wife. In short, it wasn't the best start to a marriage. But then the couple got some news. Shanann became pregnant with their first child in the spring of 2013. They were thrilled. And just like that, things started to look a lot brighter for the newlyweds. Before the baby was born, they visited Colorado and fell in love with the area. Specifically a small town just outside of Denver called Frederick, population 12,000. They found a five bedroom home for $400,000. It was out of their price range, but they thought it was the perfect place to start a family. So they bought it anyway. Then they packed up their lives in North Carolina and moved west. In December, they had their first child, Bella. Shanann was over the moon because of her lupus diagnosis. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to have kids, so Bella was truly a blessing. And then, lo and behold, less than a year later, Shanann got pregnant again. She couldn't believe her good luck. In July 2015, Shanann gave birth to a second daughter. They named her Celeste, but everyone called her Cece. Shanann and Chris felt lucky in the children department, but not everything in their life was going as smoothly. A month before Cece was born, Shanann and Chris had filed for bankruptcy. The couple's income for the prior year was about $100,000, which they said barely covered their monthly 3 mortgage and $600 car payments, not to mention their credit card debt, student loans and medical bills. And their homeowners association was suing them for unpaid fees. All that to say money was tight. Chris had gotten a better paying job as an operator at Anadarko Petroleum, an oil company, about six months earlier. But it wasn't enough to turn their finances around, which meant Shanann would have to find a way to help. In January 2016, 32 year old Shanann started working as a brand promoter and sales rep for a nutritional and supplement company called Le Vell. Her new job meant she was permanently glued to her phone. But on the upside, she was making between $65,000 to $70,000 a year, which meant relief for her family's finances. Plus, the gig came with some serious perks. Shanann and Chris started going on trips to San Diego, Las Vegas, and Puerto Vallarta, all on the company's dime. Shanann was a top earner, signing up more than 200 friends. She even sold Chris on supplements. He started using some of the weight loss offerings and saw immediate results. Soon he became obsessed with working out. Not only was he looking better than ever, but he seemed happier. And so did Shanann. Friends and neighbors said they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Things seemed to be going well for the Watts family, and it was about to get even better. In early June, Shanann learned she was pregnant with her third child. She decided to surprise Chris with the news. She ordered a shirt that read, oops, we did it again. She put it on right before he came home from work and filmed his reaction in the video. Chris seemed overjoyed. He said, I guess when you want to, it happens. Wow. A week later, on Father's Day, Shanann gushed about Chris on Facebook. She wrote that their family was so blessed to have him and that he was the reason she felt brave enough to have a third kid. Little did she know Chris wasn't the family man he made himself out to be. He had a wandering eye. And recently, a co worker had caught his attention. And it wouldn't be long until Chris decided she was worth sacrificing everything for. Some people think nature is like this, but actually, it's like this. Mother Nature is not all sunshine and rainbows. Nature can be hotter than a sauna and colder than an arctic skinny dip. That's why Columbia engineers everything we make for anything nature can throw at you. Columbia engineered for whatever hello friends. Guess who? That's right, it is I the replacer. Once again I've been called on so you can play the new Call of Duty Black Ops 7 with three expansive modes, 18 multiplayer maps, and the tastiest zombie gameplay you've ever freakin seen. Available November 14 Pre Order Call of Duty Black Ops 7 now rated M for Mature In June 2018, 34 year old Shanann Watts revealed to her husband, 33 year old Chris Watts, that she was pregnant with their third child. When Shanann posted the video of Chris's reaction to the news on Facebook, she presented it as a time of celebration. Their unborn child was a blessing and they were so excited. But the truth wasn't quite so sunny. The same month Chris met someone at work. Nicole Kessinger was 30, brunette and worked in the environmental department of a contractor who partnered with Chris employer, Anadarko Petroleum. Chris saw her for the first time in the break room. He didn't say anything to her then or any of the other times they crossed paths, but he couldn't stop thinking about her. Until one day in the middle of June, he walked into her office and introduced himself. They had a few casual conversations after that. Nicole thought Chris was soft spoken and a good listener. He told her that he had two daughters, but she noticed he didn't wear a wedding ring. When she asked about the situation, he told her he and his wife were separated and finishing up divorce proceedings. He said he was living in the basement until it was all finalized. Nicole had no reason to think Chris was lying, and by the end of June, just weeks after learning his wife was pregnant, Chris met up with Nicole outside of work for the first time. Back in the Watts household, Shanann started to suspect that something was off with her husband. He'd been acting distant and strange in a way that she couldn't pin down. She told a friend she thought Chris was having an affair. When she repeated this fear to her mom, she told Shanann to give Chris some space. Still, Shanann couldn't let go. She tried to draw Chris back by giving him self help and relationship books, but Chris didn't read them. He actually threw one of them out in the garbage. Shanann was at a loss. Her only saving grace was a trip back home to North Carolina that she'd already scheduled. She and the girls were going for five weeks and Chris would join them at the end. When he could get time off work. Shanann hoped the time apart might make him miss her and fix all their problems. On June 26, Shanann and her daughters, 4 year old Bella and 3 year old CeCe, flew to North Carolina for the summer. That left Chris alone in Colorado, free to see Nicole Kessinger whenever he pleased. By early July, the two were having a full blown affair. Although Nicole thought it was just a normal relationship. When they saw each other four to five times a week. They went on a date to a car museum and even spent a night at Great Sand Dunes National Park. Still, she told Chris she wanted to take it slow. She didn't want his daughters to be upset. She suggested he focus on helping them adjust to the divorce. As far as Nicole knew, she and Chris were in no rush. They had their whole lives ahead of them. While Chris was enjoying his time with Nicole, Shanann was getting more and more fed up. She berated Chris for missing her calls and not initiating any FaceTimes with their daughter. Since they'd left. He was acting like he didn't miss his family at all. And then there were Chris's parents. The ones who didn't like Shanann to begin with. They also lived in North Carolina, near her own parents. Shanann had gone over to their house so they could spend time with her granddaughters. But the playdate hadn't gone well. Chris's mom bought ice cream that had ingredients Cece was severely allergic to. When Shanann called her out on it, Chris mom got defensive and it turned into a full blown fight. Shanann shouted at her, accusing her of trying to kill her baby. In response, Chris mom kicked Shanann out of the house. Shanann took the girls with her and said she'd never let them go over there again. After the fight, Shanann immediately texted Chris to talk to his parents about putting their daughter's life at risk. Chris agreed that it wasn't right and said he would fix things. But the truth was, Chris thought Shanann was blowing things out of proportion. He wanted his parents to be part of his daughter's lives. And he thought it was unfair for Shanann to cut them out without even asking him. All in all, it drove the wedge between husband and wife even deeper. Meanwhile, Chris was falling more in love with Nicole every day. A few weeks after the CC debacle, he wrote her a gushing love letter. He said that she took his breath away the first time he saw her and that he got lost in her stunning green eyes when they first spoke. He went on, detailing all their firsts together and how he wanted to keep having more of those with her. Then, while he was still daydreaming about a future with Nicole, Chris boarded a plane for North Carolina and finally rejoined his wife and kids for the rest of their trip. Things didn't improve once he arrived in North Carolina. Chris continued texting and calling Nicole. He even told her his divorce was finalized and asked Nicole to help him find an apartment that would work for him and his daughters. Nicole agreed. Right away, she felt like she'd met a good man who was doing all the things a decent father should do. Nicole had still never met any of Chris's friends or family, but that was okay. She told him she wanted to take things slow and the last thing she'd want was to rush into meeting his daughters. Still, Nicole felt like Chris could be the one. By early August, she was looking at wedding dresses online. By the time the Watts family returned home to Colorado, Shanann's frustration with Chris was reaching a peak. She was 13 weeks pregnant and feeling more estranged from her husband than ever. He was distant and unsupportive. She even texted a friend that she wasn't sure she could raise three kids in that type of environment and confessed she was having doubts about keeping the baby. If she didn't, Shanann thought maybe she could sell the house and move out of state with her daughters. She and Chris were in a terrible place. Maybe it was time to finally leave him. But then, on August 9, Shanann and Chris had a conversation right before she left for a business trip to Arizona. She texted the same friend and said it had been their best talk yet. Maybe there was still hope. They had just found out that their unborn child was a boy, something Chris had always wanted. Maybe that would be enough to get them out of whatever hole they dug themselves into. While the talk gave Shanann renewed hope, it clearly meant something different for Chris. Maybe he was just telling his wife what she wanted to hear because the second she was gone, he hired a babysitter for Bella and Cece and rushed to meet Nicole at a sports bar in the next town over. Two days later, in the early morning hours of August 13, Shanann returned home from her work trip. Her friend Nicole Atkinson gave her a ride home. They promised to catch up in the morning after Shanann's doctor appointment at 10am But Shanann would never make it to that appointment, and within a matter of hours, she and both of her daughters would be declared missing. It's okay not to be perfect with finances. Experian is your big financial friend and here to help. Did you know you can get matched with credit cards on the app? Some cards are labeled no Ding Decline, which means if you're not approved, they won't hurt your credit scores. Download the Experian app for free today. Applying for no Ding Decline cards won't hurt your credit scores. 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- [23:28]
Podcast Advertiser/Host
Do we have a podcast recommendation for you. It's called Sounds Like a Cult and it's a show about the modern day cults we all follow. It offers a more lighthearted twist on cults, exploring fascinating topics like Disney adults, church camp, momfluencers, and people who are obsessed with their Stanley Cups. On Sounds Like a Cult, hosts Amanda Montel, Chelsea Charles and Reese Oliver that's me cover a different fanatical fringe group from the cultural zeitgeist every week.
- [23:56]
Carter Roy
With the help of expert guests and listener call, Inside Sounds Like a Cult determines if this seemingly innocent group of.
- [24:04]
Podcast Advertiser/Host
The week is a Live youe Life.
- [24:06]
Carter Roy
A Watch your Back, or a Get the out level cult.
- [24:11]
Podcast Advertiser/Host
The show is available on all major podcast platforms and new episodes come out every Tuesday. For more, find the show on Instagram. Sounds Like a cult pod.
- [24:24]
Carter Roy
On August 13, 2018, 34 year old Shanann Watts landed back in Colorado after a business trip to Arizona. Her flight had been delayed and it was late, but her friend and co worker Nicole Atkinson picked her up and drove her home. When Atkinson pulled up outside of Shanann's house around 2am, she made her friend promise to text her in the morning after her doctor's appointment. Shanann was 15 weeks pregnant with her third child, a son, and tomorrow she was supposed to hear his heartbeat for the first time. Shanann said she'd let her know how it went right away. Then Shanann got out of the car and headed inside where her husband, 33 year old Chris Watts, and their daughters, 4 year old Bella and 3 year old CeCe were sleeping. But the next Morning, Atkinson didn't get a text. She called Shanann and sent her a few messages, but they went unanswered. That worried Atkinson. Shanann always had her phone with her because of work, and she was always very responsive. Atkinson decided to go over to the house and check on Shanann. She had health issues. What if she'd fallen or blacked out in the house without anyone realizing? When Atkinson arrived, she knocked on the door, but no one answered. She peered inside the windows but saw no signs of movement inside. She called Chris and told him she hadn't heard back from Shanann and was worried. He said he'd leave work and come home to check the house. While she waited, Atkinson also called the Frederick Police Department, just to be safe. At 1:40 that afternoon, Officer Scott Coonrod arrived at the Watts home. Atkinson explained that Shanann was 15 weeks pregnant and had lupus, and if she wasn't answering her phone, it meant something had to be wrong. Officer Coonrod checked the house from the perimeter and called through the front door. But he couldn't enter without more cause or permission from one of the owners. Atkinson told him she'd called Chris and that he was supposedly on his way. But every time she called him for an updated eta, he kept pushing back his arrival time. Finally, Chris's car pulled into the driveway. When he got out, he gave the officer permission to search the home. The three of them entered the house, but it was clear no one was home. Shanann's car was in the garage and the car seats were still in it. Chris found Shanann's wedding ring on the nightstand and her phone on the upstairs couch. Officer Coonrod asked Chris if they could look through Shanann's phone. He said yes, and he gave them the password. It was the due date of Shanann and Chris unborn son. After unlocking the phone, the officer looked through it. No calls had been made that morning. At that point, Officer Coonrod called in a detective and asked him to come to the Watts house. When the detective arrived, he and Coonrod thoroughly searched the place. There were no signs of forced entry or any sort of altercation. They found Shanann's wallet, phone, credit cards and purse, which had her lupus medication in it. Atkinson confirmed that it was odd that she would leave any of that behind, but especially her phone. In Chris and Shanann's room, the investigators noted the comforter, fitted sheet and pillows were all on the floor. They didn't see the top sheet anywhere, but besides that, nothing seemed out of place. The only Thing left to do was see if the Watts neighbors had noticed anything suspicious. The man who lived next door showed Coonrod his home video surveillance. At 1:48am his cameras picked up Atkinson's vehicle leaving the house after dropping off shanann. Then at 5:27am the cameras recorded Chris's truck backing into the driveway so that the rear was in the garage and obscured from view. Shortly after the truck drove off. No other vehicles were spotted at the house after that. The way Chris had backed up the truck set off alarm bells. Both the next door neighbor and Atkinson told Coonrod that they'd never seen Chris do that before. But Chris had an explanation ready. He said his tools had been stolen recently, so now he unloaded them into the garage every Friday, then reloaded them on Monday mornings. He also finally provided them with more information about what happened that morning. He said Shanann had been in bed when he'd left for work. She told him she was going to take the kids to a friend's house later. He didn't ask which friend. Chris also admitted that after she got back from her trip, they'd spoken about separating. He said they were emotional, but it was still a talk and not a fight. Besides, it wasn't anything new. He said they'd been discussing the possibility for weeks. Still, they hadn't come to a conclusion. Before he had to leave for work, he told Officer Coonrod that he went out to his job site at an oil well in Hudson, Colorado, about 17 miles away. He was out there alone for a few hours, doing his job as an operator. Atkinson was there while Chris said all of this, and she didn't buy the story he was telling. She felt like his demeanor was off, like he was defending himself, even though he hadn't been accused of anything. Around 3:45pm after talking to the officers, and presumably once they'd left his home, Chris texted Nicole Kessinger. He told her that his family was missing, that Shanann had taken the girls to a playdate but hadn't returned and he didn't know where they were. Despite that dramatic statement, Chris seemed calm. Over text. Nicole worried that something terrible had happened, but she didn't want to overreact, especially if it might upset Chris. But then Nicole turned on the tv. She watched as local news reporters started showing up outside the Watts house. Nicole couldn't understand why they'd be there if it was all just some misunderstanding. Later that night, as the news reports disclosed more details, Nicole was shocked to learn the full extent of what had happened. And who Chris really was. She listened to news anchors give the details of Chris's family, his two young daughters and his wife, who he was very much still married to and who was 15 weeks pregnant. Nicole was at a loss for words. Chris had lied about everything. He wasn't separated at all. And suddenly she had a very bad feeling. If Chris could lie to her about being married, what else could he be lying about? And then an even darker thought crossed her mind. Could Chris have possibly done something to his family just to be with her? All through that night and into the morning on the 14th, Nicole berated Chris over the phone about his marriage and asked pointed questions about his missing family. Chris admitted to lying to Nicole about the state of his marriage, but he said he would never hurt his family. He guessed that Shanann was just upset and and had taken the kids somewhere to teach him a lesson. But Nicole was done listening. She could no longer trust a word that came out of Chris's mouth. So she cut off contact, saying she didn't want to speak to him until his family was found. Meanwhile, investigators were growing increasingly worried. They knew the likelihood of anyone finding Shanann and her missing daughters alive was dwindling by the hour. As of that morning, August 14, the three of them were officially declared missing. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation released endangered missing person alerts. Investigators still didn't know what had happened to them, but they were almost positive that Chris Watts had something to do with it. And they were determined to get to the bottom of things. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Carter Roy and this is True Crime Stories. Come back next time for part two on the Watts family murders and all the people it affected. True Crime Stories is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media, rimehouse on TikTok and Instagram. Don't forget to rate, review and follow True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference. And to enhance your Murder True Crime Stories listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode ad free and instead of having to wait for each episode of a two part series, you'll get access to both at once plus exciting bonus content. True Crime Stories is hosted by me, Carter Roy and is a Crime House original. Powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Murder True Crime Stories team. Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Natalie Pertzovsky Rachel Engelman, Lori Marinelli, Sarah Camp, Alex Burns, Hania Said, Russell Nash and Spencer Howard, thank you for joining us. Looking for your next crime House? Listen, don't miss Crimes of with Sabrina deannaroga and Corinne Vienne. Crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season from Crimes of the Paranormal, unsolved murders, mysterious disappearances and more. Their first season is Crimes of Infamy, the true stories behind Hollywood's most iconic horror villains. And coming up next is Crimes of Paranormal, real life cases where the line between the living and dead gets seriously blurry. Listen to Crimes of every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts.