Warning, this is long...Based on what I’ve seen so far - my 2 cents on what I think could have happened - JMO
(disclaimer: I am not in ANY way trying to justify or excuse anything that was done, or place any blame on anyone other than C.W.)
When they first met... C.W. is a bit of an introvert, but overall a good guy. Not a lot of self confidence, usually in the background. SW is a “go-getter” - independent, vivacious, attractive, determined. Naturally, he is drawn to her. They meet up - she then has health issues and he stays by her side. She’s thankful to have him. She’s recently divorced, and he’s sweet and attentive and appears to have the stability she needs in a partner. She’s likely a dreamer, maybe he’s a bit more grounded. Initially, the relationship dynamic works and they are both content.
They have the girls - and I honestly think they both loved being parents. But things change when you have kids. They start to pour so much into their parenting - schedules and naps and appointmenst and life is just *different*. They no longer go on dates with each other, and the relationship starts to deteriorate. It’s all business. Financial issues cause additional stress. They grow apart. They start to become annoyed at the little things, and lose sight of the reason they married each other.
SW pours herself into her work, focused on building her thrive empire. She’s going to be successful and dig them out of their precarious financial situation. By all accounts, she’s a great salesperson - very determined and quite capable... she’s doing this for her family (and herself, of course) but it takes up so much of her time and energy. They both enjoy the trips, but the photos are for show - the relationship still isn’t what it used to be. The more successful she becomes, the more resentful C.W. gets. Maybe he feels stagnant in his career - or maybe he’s jealous that she has this natural ability and is seemingly so at ease with other people. He knows they could use the income, so he smiles and plays along for the camera... but inside, he’s not happy at all.
C.W. starts losing weight and getting in shape. His appearance changes dramatically, and he starts getting attention. It’s invigorating and exhilarating and makes him feel good. He feels *alive* again and it’s addictive, almost like a drug. At first, he was passive about it - but then he starts to seek it out. He joins dating apps and websites and meets up with others. He gets bolder and bolder about it. SW is so busy with work that it’s easy for him to get away... he just says he’s going to work early, or heading to the gym, or going out for a run.
She plans the trip to NC. While she’s away, his behavior escalates. He’s involved with someone at work - maybe this relationship is more personal to him, more emotionally fulfilling than his prior ones - who knows. But for half the summer, he lives like a bachelor. No commitments other than work, no parenting duties. He’s having such a great time and thinks that he’s been missing out. His resentment grows even more.
SW and the girls return from NC - she’s home for a hot second before she’s off again to Arizona. While he’s initially happy to have his girls back, his bachelor lifestyle has to end, and his parenting duties begin. Resentment grows even more. It’s unfair. She’s so successful and lives an exciting life - does she even need him? He’s along for the ride, but realizes he doesn’t want to be in the background. He likes his newfound confidence and the attention and the taste of freedom he’s had over the summer.
He goes through the motions that weekend - dutifully attending the neighborhood parties and parenting the girls, but growing more frustrated than ever. He expects SW back at a certain time, and can’t wait to hand the reins back over to her. Except her plane is late - so he can’t. That’s the last straw.
She finally walks in the door, 3 hours late. He’s beyond irritated. Clearly, something major happens - a disagreement, a fight, a confrontation - but IMO at this point, the girls are still in bed, asleep. I think SW knows about his dalliances - she’s been told, or found something suspicious. Online, she posts that she’s excited to get home - but she tells her friend she’s not feeling well, that she will need a friend more than ever, and in the photo of her at dinner with the group - she looks like she’s not her enthusiastic self. IMO, Something is clearly weighing on her mind.
During the argument, he kills her. I don’t think it was planned in advance - I think he totally lost control and took out all his frustrations, and all his resentment, on her. I think he even surprises himself. She was on, or next to, the bed. IMO, I think he killed the girls either because they witnessed something, or he didn’t want them to grow up knowing that he had killed their mother. He’s not thinking rationally at this point.
He panicks. He’s killed his family. Self-preservation kicks in. What can he do? He has to hide the bodies. But where? He throws the remaining covers off the bed and gathers up the top sheet, carrying SW down to the truck. He goes back for the girls, puts them in the truck and starts driving. His mind is racing and he’s still not sure what he’s going to do. SW is so well connected - her absence will be noted quickly, and he’s sure to be contacted soon. He needs to put the bodies somewhere where they won’t be found right away. He thinks of the tanks and drives to the site. He’s still not thinking clearly - no emotion, just adrenaline. The girls fit, but SW is too big. He buries her - hastily- and goes to work so he’s not late.
He has to answer questions and do interviews about his missing family. He’s still in self-preservation mode and not thinking rationally. Maybe it doesn’t even seem real to him. He hasn’t rehearsed this and doesn’t know how he’s supposed to act as a worried and grieving husband/father. He goes through the motions - trying to convey his concern but just comes across as nervous and “off”.
He knows it’s only a matter of time before the police are back at the house. When he returns home, he goes up to the bedroom and sees the bedding still on the floor. He realizes that SW will be found much faster than he’d initially thought, since she wasn’t in the tank - and that the sheet will be there with her. He has to get rid of the rest of the matching set. He throws them away in the kitchen garbage, hoping they won’t be found. There really isn’t much else to clean up, so now he just waits to see what happens next.
IMO - I do think he loved his daughters, and I don’t think he planned to kill them. I also do think he’s probably grieving - as difficult as that might be to believe. Maybe I just *need* to believe it. I also tend to believe the various APs that have surfaced - anyone could say they met him at a bar or at the gym... but to specifically say that they met up through a dating app - something that can be confirmed, on his phone or the AP’s...?
