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In the days and weeks leading up to Shan'ann Watts' death sentence by her husband Chris Watts, the 34-year-old pregnant mother of two gave her books on personal help and counseling. relational in hopes of saving their dilapidated relationship.
But he ignored them, even throwing a "in the trash" because he had already mentally verified the marriage, said Weld County attorney Colorado, Michael Rourke, in court at the determination hearing of the sentence pronounced Monday.
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The 33-year-old wanted a new life with his new girlfriend – and his wife and daughters would not arrest him, Rourke told the judge.
"His motive was simple, your honor," Rourke told Weld County District Court, while Chris was sitting behind him, looking down and shaking his leg noticeably for most of the day. hearing.
"He wanted a new beginning: to start a relationship with a new love that dominated all decency and feeling towards his wife, his daughters and his unborn son," said Rourke.
The judge then sentenced Chris to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole, the maximum penalty in a plea agreement with prosecutors, who had seen him recognize his crimes in exchange for the avoidance of the death penalty. death sentence.
On November 6, Chris pleaded guilty to first degree murder when Shan'ann was murdered in August for 15 weeks with a son named Nico and his daughters Bella and Celeste. Chris also admitted several counts of falsification of a corpse and illegal termination of a pregnancy.
After his arrest in August, two days after the murders, the authorities revealed that Chris was having an affair with a woman from his job, who later identified him as Nichol Kessinger.
Kessinger said in an interview with the Denver Post that he lied to her saying that he was getting divorced.
RELATED: Chris Watts' daughter is "defended for his life" while he choked her – "Imagine the horror"
Chris Watts (center) at the hearing of his sentence on Monday in Colorado
RJ Sangosti / The Denver Post / Getty Images
Nichol Kessinger
RJ Sangosti / The Denver Post / Getty
Until Monday, Rourke had never explained exactly what Chris was doing in the summer before strangling Shan & Ann and smothering Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3 years.
While Rourke pointed out that no one will ever know why Chris "wiped out" his whole family, the prosecutor presented the court with a partial chronology of the events that led to the killings.
During the summer, Shan'ann took his daughters to North Carolina to spend time with his parents and brother for about six weeks. She returned home briefly in early August before traveling to Arizona for a work trip that ended early August 13, during which she and the girls were killed.
During this period, Shan'ann was striving to save her relationship with Chris, with whom she had been connected with her during a dark period after the diagnosis of lupus. ("He only knew me … at the worst of my life, and he accepted me," she shared on Facebook earlier this year.)
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At the same time Shan'ann was trying to see what could be saved between them, Chris continued his liaison, according to the authorities. Kessinger told the To post she and Chris met at the end of June and their relationship became physical in July. Shan'ann had become pregnant by the end of April.
"While Shan & Ann was sending messages to the accused several days and weeks before his death to try to save his marriage, the accused kept secret photos of his girlfriend in his phone. She searched and texted at all hours of the night, "Rourke told the court on Monday.
Shan'ann spent these six weeks in North Carolina with his family, taking care of his daughters and still working in his part-time sales job.
Chris, meanwhile, spent his time "searching the Internet for isolated vacation spots to enjoy his new love – and in search of jewelery," said Roarke.
Not only that, he told the court, Chris "has gone to automobile museums in the sand dunes with his new girlfriend", in the absence of his wife and his daughters.
From left to right: Chris and Shan & Ann Watts
Bella (left) and Celeste Watts
Frederick Police
"The stark contrast between Internet topics and textual content is absolutely staggering," said Rourke.
As well as the meticulous measures taken by Chris to cover his tracks after the murders, Rourke said in court.
The next morning, after killing his family and disposing of their bodies at an oil rig belonging to his employer at the time, Chris called the school that the girls were attending, telling them that they would not come anymore, said Rourke. This was apparently an effort to stop the police from investigating the deaths (which was quickly canceled once Shan'ann's friend reported her disappearance on August 13 in the morning when she had missed a doctor's appointment).
In addition to lying about his kids at their school, Chris "contacted a real estate agent to discuss selling his house," said Rourke. "He texted his girlfriend about their future."
RELATED: What Chris Watts had to say when he was sentenced for the murder of his family
Nichol said to the To post she realized that Chris was lying to her when her family went missing and she learned that Shan'ann was pregnant. On August 15, she called the authorities. Chris was arrested that night.
For all the information learned about Chris's infidelity, however, "None of this answers the questions about why," Rourke said Monday.
"If he was so happy and wanted a fresh start, ask for a divorce. You do not destroy your family and do not throw it away like garbage, "he said. "Why did Nico, Celeste, Bella and Shan'ann lose their life to get what he wanted?"
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