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- [00:00]
Katie Ring
Foreign.
- [00:06]
Podcast Advertiser
This is Crime House.
- [00:10]
Katie Ring
From the outside, the Watts family looked like they had it all. A beautiful home in Colorado, two adorable daughters, a third baby on the way, and a social media presence that painted the picture of a family living their best life. But behind the filters, the hashtags, and the carefully staged family photos, the Watts marriage was quietly falling apart. And Chris Watts, the husband and father everyone thought was the nicest guy in the world, was hiding a secret that would destroy everything. What happened inside the Watts home in August of 2018 forced an entire country to confront an unsettling question. How well do you really know the people closest to you? Today, I'm going back to the beginning, to who Shanann Watts really was, how she and Chris built a life together, and the cracks in their marriage that were invisible to almost everyone until they became impossible to ignore. Every crime tells a story about the people involved, the system that tried to stop it, and the nation that couldn't look away. Some cases are so shocking, so deeply woven into who we are, that decades later, we're still asking, how did this happen? I'm Katie Ring and this is America's Most Infamous Crimes. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I'll take you deep into cases that have a lasting imprint on society and still haunt us today. I want to thank you for being part of the Crime House community. Please rate, review and follow America's Most Infamous Crimes wherever you get your podcasts and to get all episodes at once ad free. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. Before I get started, please be advised that this episode contains descriptions of domestic violence, murder and violence against children. So please listen with care. This is the first of our three episode series on the Watts family murders. Today I'll introduce you to Shanann and Chris Watts. How they met the family they built, and the mounting pressures that pushed their marriage toward the breaking point. I'll also tell you about the secret relationship Chris started behind his pregnant wife's back and how it set the stage for one of the most devastating crimes in modern American history.
- [02:25]
Podcast Advertiser
On this show, we're always digging for the truth. Yet modern healthcare remains one of the greatest mysteries of all. Everyone deserves real medical support. And that's why I want to talk about Mochi Health. Mochi is a nationwide platform that's bringing humanity and transparency back to healthcare by treating your unique biology. Not a fad the they've already helped 400,000 members lose over £5 million. And while they lead the way in weight loss, Mochi is now a full scale Marketplace for over 120 treatments ranging from hair and skin care to longevity, mental health and specialized men's and women's health. After you complete an eligibility form, you'll receive a telehealth evaluation with a partnered provider on Mochi's platform to build a plan personalized for your specific body and goals. You'll have 247 access to your provider and specialized medications from a network of licensed pharmacies delivered right to your door. No waiting rooms or hidden fees. You just pay for your membership and your medication. It's personalized care that actually treats you like a human being. Stop leaving your health up to an algorithm. Go to joinmochi.com Carter's has your family
- [03:40]
Katie Ring
covered for every summer first steps, first swim lesson, or first sleepover. Our clothes help kids and parents have their best summer ever. Thanks to comfy design and easy dressing details, generations of families have trusted our must haves for babies, toddlers and kids designed to shine season after season. Visit Carters.com to shop the latest styles or find a Carter's store near you. This is the story of the Watts family, their lives, their deaths, and the lies that spun out of control. But to really understand what happened In August of 2018, we need to go back to the beginning. Back to a Facebook friend request that changed everything. In 2010, 26 year old Shanann Rusek was living near Charlotte, North Carolina, and she was going through it. She'd recently gotten divorced. Her self confidence was at the lowest it had ever been, and on top of everything, she had been diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease that was wreaking havoc on her body. Her hair was falling out, she was exhausted all the time, and she didn't have the energy to go out and socialize the way she used to. So, like a lot of people in that situation, she turned to the Internet. She posted photos and videos, shared updates about her health, and slowly built an online community of people who actually seemed to care about what she was going through. And then one day, she got a Facebook friend request from a guy named Chris Watts. She didn't know him, but they had some mutual friends, so she figured, why not? She clicked Accept and connected with a man she believed was her Prince Charming. On paper, Chris Watts was as unremarkable as they come. He'd grown up in Spring Lake, North Carolina, in a family that looked ordinary from the outside but had its own tensions simmering beneath the surface. His mom, Cindy, was strong willed and opinionated. His father, Ronnie, was quieter. Chris grew up learning to keep the peace to avoid conflict at all costs, to say what people wanted to hear, and to bury whatever he was actually feeling deep enough that no one would ask about it. People who knew Chris in those days described him as shy, agreeable, and almost eerily passive. He wasn't the kind of guy who made waves or who stood out in a crowd. He was the kind of guy who blended in, who went along with whatever was happening around him and never pushed back. At the time, that seemed like a personality trait, but looking back, it feels a lot more like a warning sign. When Shanann first looked at his profile, Chris didn't exactly scream dream guy. He wore glasses, was a bit overweight, and wasn't winning any fashion awards. All of that actually made Shanann feel safe with him. He wasn't some flashy, overconfident guy trying to impress her. He was quiet, he was kind, and most importantly, he was clearly interested in her. He struck up conversations, commented on her posts, and made her feel like she mattered at a time when she really needed to feel that way. After chatting online for a while, Chris asked her to meet up in Charlotte, where they both lived. And the spark was there immediately. They started dating from there. But Shanann was cautious. She'd already been through one failed marriage and and now she had a chronic illness on top of that. She worried that she was too much for someone like Chris, too complicated, too high maintenance. So she did what a lot of people do when they're afraid of getting hurt. She tried to push him away. She later posted about how she tested him during those early days, giving him every reason to walk out the door. But he never did. Instead, Chris promised to stick by her through the health issues, through the hard days, through whatever came next. And that was when Shanann decided he was the one. On November 3, 2012, about two years after first connecting online, 28 year old Shanann and 27 year old Chris got married. During the ceremony, they exchanged vows and promised to love each other till death do them part. Everyone was smiling. Shanann's health was getting better and her family adored Chris. It felt like the beginning of something really good. But a few people were noticeably missing from the celebration. From the very beginning, Chris parents and his sister had decided they didn't like Shanann. In their eyes, she was stealing Chris away from them and they showed that disapproval by boycotting the wedding. Chris was understandably upset, but he wasn't going to let his family keep him from being happy. He probably hoped they'd eventually come around once they saw how good Shanann was for him. But that warmth never came. And rather than confronting them about it, Chris did what he'd always done. He bottled up his emotions, withdrew, and became cold and distant with his new wife. It wasn't the best way to start a marriage. But then the couple got some news that changed the atmosphere entirely. Shanann became pregnant in the spring of 2013. They were thrilled. And just like that, things started to look a little brighter for the new layers. Newlyweds. Before the baby was born, Shanann and Chris took a trip to Colorado and fell in love with the area. Specifically a small town about 30 miles north of Denver called Frederick. They found a five bedroom home listed at $400,000. It was more than they could really afford, but they convinced themselves it was the perfect place to start a family. So they bought it, packed up their lives in North Carolina and moved west. In December of 2013, they had their first child, a daughter they named Bella. Shanann was over the moon because of her lupus diagnosis. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to have kids. So Bella felt like a miracle, one she didn't take for granted for a single second. And then, less than a year later, Shanann got pregnant again. In July of 2015, she gave birth to a second daughter, who they named Celeste, but everyone called her Cece. From the outside, their lives looked pretty close to perfect. But as we know, looks can be deceiving. A month before Cece was born, Shanann and Chris had filed for bankruptcy. Their combined income for the previous year was around $90,000, but their mortgage was $3,000 a month and their car payments added up to about $600. They also had credit card debt, student loans, and Shanann's mounting medical bills. And on top of everything, their homeowners association was suing them for unpaid fees. The Watts family was in serious financial trouble. Now, Chris had recently landed a better paying job as an operator at an oil company called Anadarko Petroleum. But it wasn't enough to dig them out of the hole they were in. Which meant Shanann needed to find a way to contribute soon. And the path she chose would change her life forever.
- [10:34]
Podcast Advertiser
On this show, we're always digging for the truth. Yet modern healthcare remains one of the greatest mysteries of all. Everyone deserves real medical support. And that's why I want to talk about Mochi Health. Mochi is a nationwide platform that's bringing humanity and transparency back to healthcare by treating your unique biology. Not a fad. They've already helped 400,000 members lose over £5 million. And while they lead the way in weight loss, Mochi is now a full scale Marketplace for over 120 treatments ranging from hair and skin care to longevity, mental health and specialized men's and women's health. After you complete an eligibility form, you'll receive a telehealth evaluation with a partnered provider on Mochi's platform to build a plan personalized for your specific body and goals. You'll have 247 access to your provider and specialized medications from a network of licensed pharmacies delivered right to your door. No waiting rooms or hidden fees, you just pay for your membership and your medication. It's personalized care that actually treats you like a human being. Stop leaving your health up to an algorithm. Go to joinmochi.com Crime House exists because
- [11:49]
Podcast Host
of listeners like you, and if you love serial killers and murderous minds, there's a way to support the show with an even better listener experience. Join Crime House plus and get both parts of every story released on Monday completely ad free. No more waiting for part two. You get the full profile, the full crimes, the full story all at once. Crime House plus members also get ad free and early access to every show across the Crime House lineup, plus at least two bonus episodes every month from Crime House, exclusive to subscribers, extra cases, deep dives and content you won't hear anywhere else. It's the best way to experience the show and the easiest way to support the team behind it. To join, go to crimehouseplus.com or if you listen on Apple Podcasts, tap try free at the top of the Serial Killers and Murderous Minds show page. Crime House plus more cases. No waiting 0 ads
- [12:48]
Podcast Advertiser
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- [13:22]
Katie Ring
In January of 2016, 32 year old Shanann Watts started working as a brand promoter and sales representative for a nutrition and supplement company called Le Vel. If that sounds like an mlm, it was. But say what you want about the business model, Shannan was really good at it. Her social media skills, her energy, her ability to connect with people online, it all translated perfectly into the kind of hustle Le? Vel demanded. The job meant she was permanently glued to her phone. She was posting constantly videos about the products and live streams about her routines, with photos of her family sprinkled in between. But on the upside, she was pulling in between $65,000 and $70,000 a year, which meant some real financial relief. Plus, the gig came with some perks. Shanann and Chris started going on company sponsored trips to San Diego, Las Vegas, and Puerto Vallarta, all on Lavelle's dime. Shanann was a top earner. She signed up more than 200 friends and family followers as sellers or customers. She even got Chris hooked on some of the weight loss supplements. He paired them with an intense workout routine and saw immediate results within a few months. The guy who'd been a soft 245lb when they first met was suddenly in the best shape of his life. But lavelle didn't just change Chris's body. It changed the entire dynamic of their household. Shanann was now the primary breadwinner, the public face of the family, and the person whose career dictated their schedule. She was hosting live streams at all hours, traveling to company events, and her phone was always buzzing with messages from her downline. Meanwhile, Chris faded further into the background. The supportive husband who showed up in Shanann's videos smiled when she pointed the camera at him and played his role without complaint. At least not visibly. Not only was Chris looking better than ever, he seemed happier, too. Friends and neighbors said the two of them couldn't keep their hands off of each other. Things finally seemed like they were going well for the Watts family, and around late May of 2018, Shanann learned she was pregnant again. She decided to surprise Chris with the news and ordered a T shirt that read, oops, we did it again. She put it on right before he walked in the door from work and filmed his reaction in the video. Kris laughed, smiled, and said, that's awesome. 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 blessed to have him and that he was the reason she felt brave enough to bring a third child into the world. To anyone watching, it was just another sweet post from a woman who loved her husband. But what no one knew, including Shanann, was that Chris had already started pulling away. Because that same month, Chris met someone at work. Nicole Cassandra was 30 years old, brunette, and worked as a geologist for a contractor that partnered with Chris's company. Chris first noticed her in the break room, but he didn't say anything to her then or any other times. They crossed paths in the hallways and parking lots, but he couldn't stop thinking about her. But finally, one day in the middle of June, he walked into her office and introduced himself. They had a few casual conversations after that, and Nicole thought Chris was soft spoken, attentive, and a good listener. The kind of guy who actually paid attention when you were talking instead of waiting for his turn to talk. She noticed he had a gentle way about him. He told her he had two daughters, but she also noticed he didn't wear a wedding ring. When she asked about the situation, Chris told her he and his wife were separated and finishing up their divorce, and that he was living in the basement of their house until everything was finalized. But none of that was true. Chris and Shanann were still very much married. They still shared a bed, and Shanann was carrying his third child. But Nicole had no reason to think Chris was lying. He seemed like a decent, honest guy going through a hard time. And by the end of June 2018, 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 could sense something was off. She couldn't pin down exactly what it was, but Chris energy had shifted. He was distant, distracted, and he'd come home from work and barely engage with her or the girls. It was like he was physically present, but mentally somewhere else entirely. Shanann told her friend she thought Chris was having an affair. She brought the same fear to her mom, who told her to give Chris some space and that maybe he was just stressed from work and the pressures of a growing family. But Shanann couldn't let it go. She tried everything she could think of to pull him back. She bought self help books about marriage and relationships and left them where he'd see them. And she tried to initiate meaningful conversations about where they stood. But Chris didn't engage, engage or read the books. He actually threw one of them in the garbage. At that point, Shanann was at a loss. The one thing giving her hope was the trip she'd already planned. She and the girls were headed back to North Carolina for six weeks to visit family. Chris would join them towards the end of the trip when he could get time off of work. Shanann hoped the time apart would make Chris miss her, that maybe a little distance would remind him of what he had and fix everything that felt like it was breaking. On June 27, 2018, Shanann and her daughters flew to North Carolina for the summer. And just like that, Chris was alone in Colorado, free to see Nicole whenever he wanted. By early July, the two were having a full blown affair. They went on numerous dates, including things like spending the night under the stars at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Tennicole this morning wasn't some secret fling. This was the early stages of a real relationship with a man she genuinely believed was available. She told Chris she wanted to take things slow. She was considerate about his daughters and didn't want them to be upset by their dad moving on too quickly and suggested he focus on helping the girls adjust to the divorce before introducing anyone into their lives. As far as Nicole was concerned, there was no rush. She and Chris had their whole lives ahead of them, but she had no idea that the man she was falling for was building their entire relationship on a lie.
- [19:55]
Podcast Advertiser
On this show, we're always digging for the truth, yet modern healthcare remains one of the greatest mysteries of all. Everyone deserves real medical support. And that's why I want to talk about Mochi Health. Mochi is a nationwide platform that's bringing humanity and transparency back to healthcare by treating your unique biology. Not a fad. They've already helped 400,000 members lose over £5 million. And while they lead the way in weight loss, Mochi is now a full scale Marketplace for over 120 treatments ranging from hair and skin care to longevity, mental health and specialized men's and women's health. After you complete an eligibility form, you'll receive a telehealth evaluation with a partnered provider on Mochi's platform to build a plan personalized for your specific body and goals. You'll have 24. 7 access to your provider and specialized medications from a network of licensed pharmacies delivered right to your door. No waiting rooms or hidden fees. You just pay for your membership and your medication. It's personalized care that actually treats you like a human being. Stop leaving your health up to an algorithm. Go to joinmochi.com if you're the proud
- [21:10]
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- [21:37]
Katie Ring
such an ordinary thing to walk home from high school. Her name was Mickey Costanzo. Just 16. She didn't have far to go. Seemed perfectly safe. Until it wasn't. What happened to Mickey? I'm Keith Morrison and this is five Miles From Home, an all new podcast from Dateline. Search five Miles from Home to start listening now. While Chris Watts was falling deeper into his affair with Nicole Kessinger, back in Colorado, 34 year old Shanann was in North Carolina with 4 year old Bella and 3 year old CeCe. And she was getting more frustrated by the day. Chris was barely present. Even from a distance. He wasn't calling or starting FaceTime sessions with the girls. When Shanann reached out, he was short, distracted or flat out unavailable. For a man who was supposedly missing his family, he wasn't acting like it. And then things got worse. Chris parents also lived in North Carolina, not far from Shanann's family. Shanann had brought the girls over to their house so they could spend spend some quality time with our grandparents. But the visit didn't go the way anyone had hoped. Chris's mom had bought ice cream that contained ingredients Cece was severely allergic to. And it didn't feel like an innocent mistake. Because everyone knew about Cece's allergies. Shanann had talked about them openly and frequently on social media, in conversations and with anyone who spent time with the girls. It was the kind of thing you know if you're a girl grandparent who's paying attention. When Shanann called her mother in law out on it, the response wasn't an apology, it was defensiveness. And from there it escalated into a full blown fight. Shanann accused Chris mom of putting Cece's life at risk. And in response, Chris's mom kicked her out of the house. Shanann took the girls and left. She texted Chris immediately, furious, and told him he needed to deal with with his parents. He agreed it wasn't right and said he'd handle it. But privately, Chris thought Shanann was blowing things out of proportion. He wanted his parents to be part of his daughter's lives and he resented Shanann for making a unilateral decision to cut them out without even consulting him. It drove the wedge between them even deeper. Meanwhile, Chris feelings for Nicole were only intensifying. A few weeks after the ice cream incident, he sat down and wrote her a love letter. He told her she'd taken his breath away the first time he saw her. That he got lost in her stunning green eyes. When they first spoke, he described all of their first together and how he wanted to keep experiencing new ones with her. It was the kind of letter you'd write to someone you were building a future with, not someone you were sneaking around with behind your pregnant wife's back. And then, while still daydreaming about Nicole, Chris boarded a plane and flew to North Carolina to rejoin his wife and daughters for the rest of their trip. But things didn't get any better once he arrived. Chris kept texting and calling Nicole from his wife's family's house. He told Nicole his divorce was finalized and even asked her to help find him an apartment in Colorado that would work for him and his daughters. Nicole agreed without hesitation. She thought she'd found a good man who was doing all of the right things for his kids. She still hadn't met any of Chris friends or family, but she had told him that she wanted to take things slow, so that didn't feel unusual. Although by early August of 2018, Nicole was already looking at wedding dresses online, she had absolutely no idea that the man she was imagining a future with was already married, that his wife was pregnant with their third child, and that nothing he told her was true. When the Watts family returned home to Colorado, Shanann's emotional state was at its breaking point. She was 14 weeks pregnant and feeling more disconnected from her husband than ever. He was cold, distant, and unsupportive in every way that mattered. Shanann texted a friend and confided that she wasn't sure she could raise three children in that kind of environment. She even admitted she was having doubts about keeping the baby. If she didn't, maybe she could sell the house, take the girls and start over somewhere else. Maybe it was finally time to leave Chris. It's painful to read those messages now, knowing what was coming. Shanann was doing what so many women do in failing marriages. Weighing the impossible options, trying to figure out the least painful path. Forward, forward. And hoping that something would change. And then something did. Or at least it seemed to. On August 9, right before Shanann left for a work trip to Arizona, she and Chris had a long conversation. Afterwards, Shanann texted the same friend and said it had been their best talk yet. They had just learned their unborn child was a boy, something Chris had always said he wanted. Maybe that was going to be the thing that pulled them back from the edge. Maybe there was still a chance. But whatever that conversation meant to Shanann, it clearly meant something very different to Chris. Because the moment she was out the door, he called a babysitter for Bella and cece and rushed to meet Nicole at a sports bar in the next town over. On August 12, 2018, Shanann attended a company event in Arizona. She was surrounded by surrounded by her lavelle colleagues, women she considered some of her closest friends. She was tired, pregnant, and still carrying the weight of a marriage she wasn't sure was going to survive. But she put on a brave face the way she always did. And that's one of the things about this case that I keep coming back to. Shannan's social media was extensive. Hundreds of posts, videos and live streams documenting her life in grand granular detail. After her death, all of that content became a kind of public archive. People could scroll through it and see her smiling, see the girls laughing, and see Chris standing beside her. And the contrast between what those posts showed and what was actually happening behind closed doors is one of the most unsettling things about this story. It reminds you that social media isn't a window into someone's life, it's a highlight reel. And sometimes the people posting the most aggressively happy content are the ones who are struggling the hardest to hold things together. The night of August 12, Shanann's flight back to Colorado was delayed, so she landed much later than expected. Her friend and coworker, Nicole Atkinson drove her home, and when they pulled up outside the Watts house, It was almost 2am on Aug. 13 before Shanann got out of the car. The two women made plans to catch up the next morning. Shanann had a prenatal appointment at 10am and she was supposed to hear her baby boy's heartbeat for the first time. She told Nicole she would text her as soon as she was done to let her know how it went. Then Shanann walked up to the front door, let herself in, and disappeared into the quiet house where her husband and daughters were sleeping. But she would never walk out of of that house again. And the next morning, when Nicole Atkinson's phone stayed silent, the world would find out why. At the end of each episode, I like to take a moment to answer any questions you may have about the case and share my thoughts. So make sure to comment below. Chris's family boycotted his wedding. That's a huge red flag, right? Should that have told Shanann something about what she was getting into? I definitely think it's a huge red flag. Having in laws who aren't your biggest fan is one thing. It'll make your life harder and put a strain on your relationship, especially if your significant other wants to stay close to their family. But going so far as to boycott the wedding gives you a lot of insight into his family dynamics and how conflict is handled within the family. I'm obviously not a psychologist, but between the way Cindy handled the situation, how she controlled her family, and the way she constantly criticized Shanann and her saying that Shanann was stealing her son away, it seems like she has some narcissistic tendencies and that there could be some enmeshment between Chris and his mom. I talked about the dangers of these mother and son dynamics in the Gabby Petito case and the way it can create men who become dangerous to their partners. From a self defense perspective, the key is to watch the son, not just the mother. The mother's behavior is a symptom, but the real danger lives in how he responds to her. Does he make excuses for her treatment of you? Go silent when you raise concerns. Prioritize not upsetting her over protecting you. Enmeshed mother dynamics can produce a particular type of dangerous man. Someone who is not overly aggressive early on, but who manages relationships through passivity, builds resentment silently and acts in sudden catastrophic ways when internal pressure becomes unbearable. Because he's simply never learned another way. If his family disrespects you and he doesn't address it, that is his position, regardless of what he says privately. Recognizing the pattern before commitment, not after, is one of the most critical things a woman can do for their own safety. Shanann documented almost everything on social media. Do you think that level of sharing played a role in how this case unfolded? I definitely think Shanann's social media presence played a role in how the public responded to the case. Because in cases like this, people will try find everything they can and break it down for any clues. Shanann had hundreds of posts, live streams, videos of the kids and videos of Chris. She put a lot of their life out there for the world to see. And after her death, all of that content became this massive public archive that people felt entitled to dissect. So on one hand, that content is part of why this case resonated so deeply. People feel like they knew Shanann. They watched her interact with her kids. They'd seen Chris in those videos, smiling and playing along. So when the truth came out, it felt personal in a way that a lot of cases don't really. The betrayal wasn't just abstract. You could go back and watch it happening in real time, knowing what was coming. But on the flip side, some people use that same content to blame Shanann. They Picked apart her personality, called her controlling or overbearing, and used her own videos against her. And this is something I find really disturbing, the idea that a murder victim social media can be weaponized to somehow justify what happened to her. Nobody's social media is a complete picture of who they are. And using someone's Instagram post to explain why their husband killed them is not analysis. It's full victim blaming. Chris told Nicole he was separated and getting divorced. He told her he was living in the basement. None of it was true. What does that level of deception tell us about who Chris really was? I think it tells us everything. And this is a key to understanding Chris Watts as a person. Not just the version of him that people saw, but who he actually was underneath. Chris wasn't impulsive. He wasn't chaotic. He was calculated. The lies he told Nicole weren't panicked, spur of the moment lies. He meticulously constructed an entire alternate reality for her. He told her he was separated. He told her the divorce was being finalized. He asked her to help him find an apartment. He wrote love letters. He built a whole relationship on a foundation of lies. And he did it smoothly, consistently, and without even breaking a sweat. That really takes a specific kind of person, someone who can compartmentalize to an extreme degree. Someone who can look one woman in the eye and tell her he loves her while texting another woman the same thing. And I think that ability to live in two completely separate realities without any visible guilt or conflict is what ultimately made him capable of what he did next. Because if you can lie that easily about your entire life, what can't you lie about? Thanks so much for joining me for this episode. Make sure to rate, review and follow America's most infamous crime so we can keep building this community together and to get all episodes at once. Ad free. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. Come back tomorrow for our next episode on the Watts family murders. 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