Chris Watts admits wife's murder, but blames her for daughters' deaths
FREDERICK, Colorado -- A two-day investigation reveals Christopher Watts was actively involved in an affair with a co-worker, which he previously denied.
New details about his alleged confession unraveled Monday after charges were announced against the Colorado father suspected in the killings of his pregnant wife and two daughters.
Chris allegedly told investigators that after he told his wife Shanann he wanted a separation, he walked downstairs for a moment and then returned to his bedroom to speak with his wife again.
While in the bedroom, the murder suspect said he saw his daughter, Bella, sprawled out on the bed. He described the girl as being "blue," and said Shanann was strangling his daughter, Celeste.
In a fit of rage, Chris alleges he strangled Shanann and then loaded all three bodies into the back seat of his work truck, taking them to an oil site.
Timeline: What happened before Shanann Watts, daughters went missing
Chris allegedly confessed to burying Shanann near two oil tanks before dumping the bodies of his two daughters inside some oil tanks.
Chris, who was arrested on three counts of first degree murder and three counts of tampering with a human body in the deaths of his wife, Shanann, and daughters Bella and Celeste, is also facing two enhancements because the girls were under the age of 12.
Watts is also facing a single count for the unlawful termination of his wife's pregnancy.
Earlier Monday, we learned Watts may have strangled his family, according to new court filings.
Court records show Shanann's body was found on the property of a petroleum company where Chris used to work.
The girls' bodies were left in a tank filled with crude oil for several days.
Chris' attorneys had requested pathologists swab the girls' necks and hands for DNA. They also wanted the coroner's office to look for DNA under their mother's fingernails and hands.
A judge denied the request saying he would not tell the medical examiner's office involved in the case how to do its job, according to KMGH-TV and the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder.
Meanwhile, a motive has not yet been released in the murders.
Friends of the Watts say the family struggled with debt. The family filed for bankruptcy in June 2015, according to court records.
They were about $70,000 in debt at the time of the bankruptcy filing.
"She mentioned them having problems, Shanann and Chris. It's just heartbreaking and devastating," Darnell Search, a co-worker of Shanann's mom, told WRAL.
Authorities are expected to release an affidavit on Monday explaining why investigators believe Watts killed his family.
RELATED: Friend who says she was the last to see Shanann alive knew something was 'seriously wrong'
