Found Deceased CO - Shanann Watts (34), Celeste"Cece" (3) and Bella (4), Frederick, 13 Aug 2018 *Arrest* #30

[Backstroke10]

I could be wrong but wasn't it a case of no serious girlfriends rather than none?

Yes, your probably right. I couldn’t remember the exact wording when that was discussed. I stand corrected. Thanks.

 

[Johnny1181]

I thought the question was if he initiated the pregnancy...I might have missed something.

I don't see any reason to doubt Shanann's video that has been posted here many times that (paraphrasing) CW convinced her to have a 3rd baby and she was happy about that. She has not been shown to be a liar. jmo

 

[Marli61]

Fair enough, I just think we need to be careful about hearsay (Shanann told me that Chris told her . . .). We never actually heard CW say that. I don’t disagree that Niko was wanted. But, the whole “oops, we did it again” t-shirt implies it was an accident, doesn’t it?

BBM Not necessarily IMO. I saw SW in several different pictures wearing those type shirts with cutsie sayings on them. I think she had this shirt made to say this to be cute & funny for the video where she was going to reveal on FB that they were expecting.

 

[MKZoo]

If we are to believe CW's version of strangulation being the method for two of the killings, then we still have one COD to yet be determined.

Yes, true. Bella was simply "blue" on the monitor in his story. I tend to think that a unique COD for her would totally blow his story out of the water. If she wasn't strangled, why? If one believes his "Shanann did it" story line, it would be strange to think she snapped and within the few minutes where he wandered off, she chose two completely different methods to kill the girls. I guess I just think that he gave us a nugget of truth in his lie and all of them were strangled, by him. My opinion, obviously.

 

[borndem]

The biggest issue for them was no sign of how the family left the locked up house. LE knew from the get go that he was lying and that he and his truck was the only way they had to be removed from the house.

Yep -- with the front door having the chain-lock on it, too.
Not the brightest idea, but it is comparatively quite minor to his other ideas that day. But I'll bet it will be mentioned by the prosecution, and by SW's friend who tried to check on her...

 

[gitana1]

I could be wrong but wasn't it a case of no serious girlfriends rather than none?

That's what I recall.

 

[Allabouttrial]

Yes, true. Bella was simply "blue" on the monitor in his story. I tend to think that a unique COD for her would totally blow his story out of the water. If she wasn't strangled, why? If one believes his "Shanann did it" story line, it would be strange to think she snapped and within the few minutes where he wandered off, she chose two completely different methods to kill the girls. I guess I just think that he gave us a nugget of truth in his lie and all of them were strangled, by him. My opinion, obviously.

Yes! Very good point with the different methods of killing.

 

[MsBetsy]

I could be wrong but wasn't it a case of no serious girlfriends rather than none?

Right, he didn't have many serious relationships. That's what I read, and something about no girlfriends in high school. I remember because I asked the VI the question. Speaking of which, have we heard from them lately?

 

[BelleIsle]

I don't see any reason to doubt Shanann's video that has been posted here many times that (paraphrasing) CW convinced her to have a 3rd baby and she was happy about that. She has not been shown to be a liar. jmo

I agree. The original question was if it had been verified that CW was the one who initiated the pregnancy. I'm not sure how we can verify that as it would have been a private discussion between SW and CW. We have common sense, which tells us that it is most likely true based upon her posts, her words, and her character.

 

[MsBetsy]

Yes, your probably right. I couldn’t remember the exact wording when that was discussed. I stand corrected. Thanks.

I guess it depends on how you define "girl friend"

 

[Allabouttrial]

Right, he didn't have many serious relationships. That's what I read, and something about no girlfriends in high school. I remember because I asked the VI the question. Speaking of which, have we heard from them lately?

Ah right, thank you. Haven't seen any VI's on recently, as in friends etc.

 

[JudgeJudi]

I could answer (kind of) all of those.

How many 'reasonable' loving fathers see something like he described (made up).
After they are killed... he couldn't save them and searched his mind for a way to hide the bodies so the public would not learn of what his wife did (made up)
Had to call/txt her phone to look like she had just left with the kids, not killed them forcing him to kill her (made up).

I know not feasible, likely or reasonable... but they are semi-answers.

CW was an operator which includes "pumpers". Oil tanks are checked annually at a minimum but it can be up to, I believe, 5 years. If CW was responsible for the 2 oil tanks in question, the bodies could have remained hidden indefinitely.

I think this is why he chose this location and would have disposed of SW there too had he been able to squeeze her into the tank opening. The shallow grave thus makes sense. We'll never know 'cause he's not going to tell, but what absolute premeditation this is.

 

[Johnny1181]

I agree. The original question was if it had been verified that CW was the one who initiated the pregnancy. I'm not sure how we can verify that as it would have been a private discussion between SW and CW. We have common sense, which tells us that it is most likely true based upon her posts, her words, and her character.

I understand. I believe Shanann and that verifies it for me. I've not been given a reason not to.

 

[human]

It would certainly trigger anger if he'd had a plan that was foiled due to a late flight. Guess he didn't plan as well as he thought he could! Murphy's Law.

What so you think his plan would have been if there was not the delay?

 

[NuttMegg]

CW was an operator which includes "pumpers". Oil tanks are checked annually at a minimum but it can be up to, I believe, 5 years. If CW was responsible for the 2 oil tanks in question, the bodies could have remained hidden indefinitely.

I think this is why he chose this location and would have disposed of SW there too had he been able to squeeze her into the tank opening. The shallow grave thus makes sense. We'll never know 'cause he's not going to tell, but what absolute premeditation this is.

Chilling. Means he would essentially be visiting them from time to time. Basically snickering at his whole family year after year. How can a person be so stone cold.

 

[Johnny1181]

Ah right, thank you. Haven't seen any VI's on recently, as in friends etc.

I've been in conversation with one pretty frequently. What I can say is they seem very, kind, loving, positive, and sincere in their love for Shanann and devastation over the loss of her. And imo... sometimes reading some things in here, while allowed and justified by TOS can be frustrating and painful for a person in that position. That's all I will say about that.

 

[MsBetsy]

What so you think his plan would have been if there was not the delay?

I think he definitely would have staged the scene to make it look like she packed up and left. Oops, edited to say I thought you meant if LE had not been called that day. If there was no delay I think he just would have done everything earlier, under the cover of darkness, with time to stage the scene before going to work.

 

[pocketaccent]

Agreed. That situation reminds me of the charges/verdicts given in the J. MacDonald case. The evidence showed that he killed his wife and older daughter in a fit a passion, but he killed his younger daughter in cold blood so as to make the scene look like outsiders came in and killed his family, leaving him as the sole survivor. He was convicted of two counts of 2nd degree murder and one of 1st degree murder.
It could be that this one may have a similar mix of charges against CW.

According to CW's confession, he is guilty of 1 count of second degree, instead of 5 counts of first degree.

Big difference. His confession was very carefully and cleverly crafted. I highly doubt that he came out with that new version by himself.

 

[Marli61]

When someone is dead, we are going to have a lot of hearsay because they can no longer speak for themselves, IMO. In context of the video, it is clear to me that the tshirt meant surprise! we were successful!....because he himself says I guess when you want something you get it (going off memory here).

Great points.

 

[PommyMommy]

Some cases have been won just on circumstantial evidence. Wasn't Scott Peterson convicted on that alone?

You might have missed this, MsBetsy. This is an article about the DA who is trying CW's case.
Michael Rourke talks about experience in Weld County as he aspires to be the next DA
Although Rourke told his father his goal was to prosecute a homicide case before he retired, he's tried a total of 16 in his 17-year career. The most memorable was the 2010 conviction of John Sandoval.

Although the Sandoval case is unique for a number of reasons — the 30-day trial was the longest in Weld County history, and the DA's office won a conviction despite not having one piece of physical evidence.