Documents reveal troubled marriage between Shanann and Chris Watts before family murders

Friday, November 23, 2018

Newly released documents show troubled Watts marriage

Authorities in Colorado released thousands of pages of documentation in the Watts family murders.

FREDERICK, Colorado -- There's new evidence that shows Chris and Shanann Watts' marriage was in danger of collapsing days before she went missing.

The Weld County District Attorney's Office in Colorado released nearly 2,000 pages of documents related to the murders of Shanann Watts and her two daughters.

Chris Watts, who is from Cumberland County, is serving life in prison for murdering his wife and two children.

Full coverage of the Watts family murders

The documents contain detailed police reports from a variety of different departments as well as conversations that investigators had with family members, friends, and co-workers of both Chris and Shanann.

In addition, there are text messages from Shanann and Chris in the days before she went missing.

In one on Aug. 7, Shanann texts a close friend, "Chris told me last night he's scared to death about this third baby and he's happy with just Bella and Celeste and doesn't want another baby."

She also wrote, "He said we're not compatible anymore. He refused to hug me after he said he will try to 'work it out.'"

Text messages also reveal Shanann canceled a gender reveal party for their unborn son. When asked what happened, Shanann writes: "He said he had a lot of time to think."

Chris was alone in Colorado while Shanann spent time in North Carolina visiting both sets of families. An exclusive interview with Watts' family shows Shanann and Chris' family were often at odds.

There are also text messages from Chris after his family disappears.

While police are searching his house, he writes: "There's still a chance in my mind she's with someone I don't know of. I really hope that's the case. The police have seen all the footage from the cameras."

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