Shanann, Bella & Celeste Watts
Chris Watts murdered his pregnant wife Shanann and their daughters Bella (4) and Celeste (3) in Frederick, Colorado. He disposed of their bodies at his work site. He was sentenced to life.
On August 13, 2018, Chris Watts strangled his pregnant wife Shanann (34) in their bed in their home in Frederick, Colorado. He then drove to a remote oil field work site with Shanann's body and their two daughters Bella (4) and Celeste (3), who were still alive.
At the work site, Watts smothered Bella and Celeste and disposed of their bodies in oil tanks. He buried Shanann in a shallow grave nearby. He then reported his family missing and made emotional public pleas for their return.
Within days, investigators identified inconsistencies in Watts's story. Surveillance footage, GPS data, and a failed polygraph led to his arrest. He initially blamed Shanann for killing the children, then confessed to all three murders.
Watts pleaded guilty to nine charges including first-degree murder and was sentenced to five life terms without parole. The case was the subject of the 2020 Netflix documentary 'American Murder: The Family Next Door.'
Curated starting points for verifying and researching this case. Direct references are checked; search links are provided as further-reading aids. ColdCaseIndex is an index of public information — see a case correction? Email info@coldcaseindex.com.
Have Information About This Case?
Cold cases are solved when someone comes forward. Even a detail that seems minor can matter. If you have any information about this case, contact law enforcement through one of these channels:
- FBI Tips (tips.fbi.gov) — submit a tip online to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
- FBI Tip Line: 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324)
- The local police department or sheriff's office in Colorado, or the state bureau of investigation
Tips can usually be submitted anonymously. To report an error on this page, email info@coldcaseindex.com.