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Christopher Watts in court for his hearing in Weld County Court in August in Greeley, Colorado.
RJ Sangosti / Pool / Getty Images
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RJ Sangosti / Pool / Getty Images
Christopher Watts in court for his hearing in Weld County Court in August in Greeley, Colorado.
RJ Sangosti / Pool / Getty Images
A 33-year-old Colorado man pleaded guilty to killing his wife and two young daughters on Tuesday in a deal with authorities allowing him to escape the death penalty.
In this high-profile case, Christopher Watts pleaded in Weld County District Court on Tuesday, his voice shaking as he uttered the words "guilty" nine times in response to the various indictments.
Watts has admitted to strangling his wife, Shanann, 34, and their daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, and throwing their bodies into an oilfield owned by Anadarko Petroleum, where he worked until his death. his arrest, according to Denver 7 News.
In August, after the disappearance of Shanann and the two girls, Watts appeared on local television to demand their return in good conditions.
"I hope she's safe somewhere for the moment and with the kids," he told Denver 7.
During the day, the police announced his arrest.
At first, Watts told the police that he had killed his wife angrily. that she had strangled the girls after he had recognized an affair and his intention to separate.
At a press conference Tuesday, Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke described Watts' account as "a lie" and said he deserved a life sentence for his life. each of the nine counts for which he pleaded guilty.
The Colorado law requires that a conviction for first degree murder entail a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.
During the hearing, Watts was handcuffed and wearing a bulletproof vest. According to the Associated Press, Shanann Watts' parents and brother were present at the hearing.
The Rzuceks, Shanann's family, have agreed not to enforce the death penalty in part because of "extraordinary delays," Rourke said.
"For me, it was the most important consideration in deciding what to do next," said Rourke.
Rourke accused Colorado's governor, John Hickenlooper, of refusing to allow the executions while he was in office.
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