Found Deceased CO - Shanann Watts (34), Celeste"Cece" (3) and Bella (4), Frederick, 13 Aug 2018 *Arrest* #42

[Mrspratcher]

Hello - I am a long time lurker on this thread - but my first post. This case has intrigued me in so many ways. This is MOO - What led him to killing his wife and little girls - I see Shanann as being the one in the relationship whom everyone likes - she is friendly, happy, has a little sass to her, she can light up a room. Chris is the one who is a follower, with a low self esteem. He liked the fact that a pretty girl with the friendly personality would date him then become his wife. He felt on top of the world. They have kids - he isn't the center of attention anymore but can deal with it. Then Shanann gets involved with Thrive - she is a top earner -( I sell for a MLM - I know what you got to do to make the big bucks, I don't make my biz my top income so I don't push the "fake it till you make it" way on social media) - now he feels like she isn't paying enough attention to him. He doesn't feel important - maybe he feels like all he is there for is to take care of the kids, he starts to resent them, Shanann and Thrive. He gets into shape and starts taking care of himself. He is getting attention from female coworkers - something that he never had before - and now he is liking it since Shanann isn't giving him the attention like he thinks he deserves. Shanann and the kids are gone to NC for 6 weeks - he is getting the attention from someone else (maybe even more than one person) - they come back from NC - he decides he doesn't want to live the family life anymore. I think it was premeditated... Why did he delete his FB profile a week before this all happened? He likes attention - I think that's what some people want that help with low self esteem. I know a few others have posted something similar to this. These are just my thoughts. My friend sells Thrive - she met Shanann at one of their getaways last year. She said she was one of the nicest people she has ever met. This whole case is sad. Hell divorce is an easier way out!

Welcome! Was CW on this getaway as well? What does she think of him?

 

[MassGuy]

Objection! Interviews have been edited your honor!

More like “Objection! How dare you use my client’s exact words to prove he said something that he actually said.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if they used raw video though, showing the entire thing.

 

[Nikynoo]

More like “Objection! How dare you use my client’s exact words to prove he said something that he actually said.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if they used raw video though, showing the entire thing.

Lol! Yes, raw video might do it, but I would still object, Media manipulation, your honor!

 

[molly1255]

I'm afraid to ask... but I'll take a chance.
Would you care to expound upon your theory molly1255?

Gardener1850 - I don't have a theory. But JMO, what we've already learned is the stuff that nightmares are made of, and I don't expect for things to improve as more information becomes available.

This is the most disturbing case I've ever followed, and that is saying a lot because a close relative of mine was a homicide detective, and I grew up hearing about killers.

 

[k-mac]

It really is. But for some reason these family annihilators find the idea of divorce unthinkable, and murder is the best option.

Why?

It's crazy. Even if they got away with it, the media, the scrutiny, the police all over the place, investigating, questioning, family and friends panicking and grieving and wondering forever. Or if the family is found dead, mourning and funerals, etc.

All of that is somehow easier for these murderers?

And yet to them it is.

Why? I think it depends on the person. But it seems to always come down to this narcissistic panic of being unmasked and/or disappointing dominating parents.

In scott Peterson's case apparently leaving a pregnant wife right before birth, at Christmas, for an affair, was something he could not do. He could not face or upset his annihilating mother by being less than perfect.

For Chris Coleman, he could not veer from the strict tenets of his extremely fundamentalist Christian parents- his pastor father, by divorcing his wife and breaking up his family, with two boys, for an affair. And that would be unacceptable and cause him to lose his job as body guard to his televangelist boss.

So murder was easier.

For Christian Longo, again, he came from a strict, Jehovah Witness background. Divorce is not an option in ther community.

I note in a recent FA case out of Canada, the dad who killed his daughters and wife was a youth pastor. Maybe divorce was not an option for him either. Not much else is known.

I think each case is different but they can't face being unmasked. They can't face being thought of as a bad guy.

I guess suspicion that they're a murderer is far less frightening than being definitively known as someone who has "left" his family for someone else or for freedom in general.

I also think some of these murderers simply don't want to be saddled with child support, child custody, spousal support or the loss of half their assets in divorce.

sorry im behind .
but this is an excellent post G1.

The common denominator with all these men is APPEARANCE.
they don't want to appear the bad guy or be criticised.
they are already cold, aloof, sneaky,lying usually a cheater and putting on a façade hiding the true self and its thoughts.
comfortable with a raging furnace under the surface just as long as they don't get caught and nobody knows what they have done day by day they can live with all their choices.
a growing developing egomaniac who sees family as a bore and a financial strain.

I LIKE THESE T-SHIRTS......ALOT (applies pleasurable grin ) was a deal sealer for me.

shutting down his facebook account a week before the murders shows us something was brewing in his thought process.
its a pretty big clue.

jmo

 

[gitana1]

Wait....what? I sometimes miss a day of the boards and it appears I've missed something important. Why would the DA want to seal the autopsy reports unless it shows something that we don't expect? I can see why CW would want them sealed, but the DA??????!!! Is this normal?

It's not that common but I wouldn't say it's abnormal in high profile cases.

Here's how I explain it. The release of the reports could cause some potential jurors to determine before trial that CW is guilty and a disgusting human to boot. During voir dire, these potential jurors would be eliminated. That would leave jurors who either don;t read important news and/or read about the case, the autopsy and the evidence that's been reported so far and still remain open as to his guilt.

The DA probably doesn't want to be limited to such people. Keeping the autopsy sealed at least until the prelim lessens the chances of people reading it and forming an opinion.

Regardless, the defense have read the report and subsequently filed a response. The response wasn't, "The report should not be sealed. We agree with the media." Which is what their response would be if it contained ANY exculpatory evidence as some are desperate to believe. Instead, they stated, essentially, 'The damage has already been done. We find the state disingenuous with their request to seal the report to protect the rights of the defendant and the case when they've already enabled leaking of things damaging to our client. The damage has been done. So it doesn't really matter if this report is sealed. It's going to come out in the preliminary hearing anyhow."

So what they are in essence admitting is that the autopsy report is "damaging" to their client.

That's what's important about this issue.

 

[Seattle1]

IMO decomposition was well underway after 4 days in the tank and gases would have accumulated, which would make them buoyant again....

Nope, chemical gases/vapors also exist in the sealed tank.

 

[molly1255]

It's not that common but I wouldn't say it's abnormal in high profile cases.

Here's how I explain it. The release of the reports could cause some potential jurors to determine before trial that CW is guilty and a disgusting human to boot. During voir dire, these potential jurors would be eliminated. That would leave jurors who either don;t read important news and/or read about the case, the autopsy and the evidence that's been reported so far and still remain open as to his guilt.

The DA probably doesn't want to be limited to such people. Keeping the autopsy sealed at least until the prelim lessens the chances of people reading it and forming an opinion.

Regardless, the defense have read the report and subsequently filed a response. The response wasn't, "The report should not be sealed. We agree with the media." Which is what their response would be if it contained ANY exculpatory evidence as some are desperate to believe. Instead, they stated, essentially, 'The damage has already been done. We find the state disingenuous with their request to seal the report to protect the rights of the defendant and the case when they've already enabled leaking of things damaging to our client. The damage has been done. So it doesn't really matter if this report is sealed. It's going to come out in the preliminary hearing anyhow."

So what they are in essence admitting is that the autopsy report is "damaging" to their client.

That's what's important about this issue.

Thank you for this. This is what I thought and that this was a "hands up" by CW's defense. All good from my perspective.

 

[gitana1]

Totally agree. They would have found them eventually. Family is missing. GPS on husbands work truck (and possibly a work order) takes them to that site. Well looky there, two big tanks perfect for hiding bodies. Even Barney Fife would have figured that out. It is a great place to hide bodies......if you don’t work there and have a missing family.

Yup. Just let loose some cadaver dogs in the area. Of course they would've been found. Dogs would've been sniffing and alerting all around those tanks, up the ladder, etc.

 

[Marli61]

My first thought would have been the tanks. JMO Maybe I have been on ws to long LOL

It was my first thought when they found SW's body in the shallow grave. I said to my husband "oh dear lord I hope he didn't put those babies in an oil tank.
Edited to add: I hadn't found WS yet.

 

[k-mac]

Respectfully, I didn't watch all of CW's interviews and I won't form an opinion of guilt or innocence of all the murders just based on videos.
JMO

am surprised anyone would not be interested in looking at all the information so far provided to base their opinion on.
particulary out of the mouth of said subject.

but if I was trying really hard to keep an open mind to believing CW Maybe then I wouldn't be interested in looking at his incriminating performance either....
jmo

Exactly. Those news interviews are of incredible value to the prosecution.

They can prove without a shadow of a doubt, that this guy is a liar, and a cold blooded one at that.

If I were them, I’d show them in their entirety. Body language, word choice, and overall demeanor, will not endear him to the jury.

 

[Mrspratcher]

It’s alarming how similar Chris Coleman and Chris Watts crimes are.

• Strangled wife and kids;
• Affair; and
• Little to no emotion post-crime.

I highly recommend watching the 48 Hours episode on the Chris Coleman case.

 

[ZsaZsa]

Nope, chemical gases/vapors also exist in the sealed tank.

How does that affect the gases that build up in the body during decomposition?

 

[riolove77]

Welcome to Websleuths, PajamaSleuth!
So glad you came out of lurking. I am often in my PJ's while sleuthing too! ​

I am ALWAYS in my PJs while sleuthing!

Welcome, PajamaSleuth!

 

[Charlot123]

Good post, Poet.

I’m curious if you have a particular reason for the order of disposal as you’ve described – girls first, then Shanann. I’ve gone back and forth on that one and have yet to form a solid opinion. I would love to hear why you and others think that may be the case.

On one hand, it’s very possible that CW thought about the oil tanks being a good place to hide a body prior to the murders. Whether or not it was ever spoken aloud by him or someone else may never come to light, but I consider it extremely likely that he had thought of the oil tanks for this purpose before. It also seems logical to assume that Shanann’s body was the first one loaded into the backseat of the truck and that he put the girls on top (sorry for this visual guys ). So, it makes sense from that perspective that the girls would be the first ones to be removed from the truck and disposed of into the oil tanks.

On the other hand, he may have intended to bury them all together, as in “dig one hole and done.” I know what it’s like to dig flowerbeds and gardens which are not even that deep and it's time-consuming, but a post by BillCarson back in thread #24 stands out to me as a good example of how CW may have intended to bury them all in the dirt, but just didn’t have time. I have snipped the post for brevity, but I will also include a link in the event you or anyone else wants to read it in its’ entirety:

It took my wife and I an hour-and-a-half to dig a hole that was about 3 feet long by 2.5 feet wide by 2 feet deep with a pick axe and a shovel. We would have preferred for it to be deeper, but it would have taken an hour to get another 6 inches deep, the ground was so hard. Then when we got the dog in there, it took longer than you'd think to fill the hole back up with dirt.

This leads me to believe that if CW intended to bury all three bodies, he soon found that it would be an impossible task and would have taken all day, despite the fact that he is fairly young and in better shape than me.
Found Deceased - CO - Shanann Watts (34), Celeste"Cece" (3) and Bella (4), Frederick, 13 Aug 2018 *Arrest* #24

MOO

Probably not because "he killed only SW". I think that the plan was to hide the bodies in the best possible way, though.

 

[riolove77]

It’s alarming how similar Chris Coleman and Chris Watts crimes are.

• Strangled wife and kids;
• Affair; and
• Little to no emotion post-crime.

I highly recommend watching the 48 Hours episode on the Chris Coleman case.

Man, it was almost impressive (if it hadn't been so horrifying) the lengths Coleman went to to set this up, with those letters he had been sending to his own house, and the emails, for MONTHS. The man was pure evil.

 

[JudgeJudi]

If I buy something, and my husband says it’s ugly, I never feel the same about it.

When I was in my late teens I bought a pants suit and thought I looked oh so trendy. When I tried it on for my now hubby and asked him how he liked it, he said ... and yes, I can still remember this ... "It looks like a clown's outfit". I never wore it again. That's when my life of abuse started, and 50 years later he's still abusing me one way or another.

 

[PajamaSleuth]

Did an alleged AP say that CW was into asphyxiation? Was that ever verified? If that is true, isn’t it too much of a coincidence that his family was strangled?

Makes me wonder if the act of strangling them was pleasurable for him.

(Ugh, I hate even typing that!)

 

[PommyMommy]

Probably not because "he killed only SW". I think that the plan was to hide the bodies in the best possible way, though.

I'm sorry, Charlot but I'm not understanding what you mean. ? Probably not what?
MOO

 

[JudgeJudi]

While reading the colourful text in Thread 41 I felt like I was watching the Wizard of Oz and someone was singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Unfortunately SW’s hopes and dreams for her precious little girls will never come true. They were stolen from them forever in minutes of absolute fear and horror because of the pure, unadulterated evil acts of one person, their father.