Found Deceased CO - Shanann Watts (34), Celeste"Cece" (3) and Bella (4), Frederick, 13 Aug 2018 *Arrest* #39

[Tippy Lynn]

Do you believe anyone who isn't a practiced liar could have stood there and put on that performance?

IMO he didn’t put on a great performance in that interview.

 

[mtnlites]

I think I can finally articulate why everything CW confessed comes across false and insincere. When your child dies, all your hopes and dreams die along with them. Suddenly, your faced with the challenge of trying to find a reason to go on living. Life seems pointless. None of those painful emotions were recognizable in C.W. He got rid of his family as quickly as he could, lied to everyone he knew, including the police. All he cared about was himself. CW is not a man who loved his family.

Sometimes it DOES take a while for those hopeless feelings to sink in. In the beginning, many of us were more or less running on adrenaline. Your brain can sometimes go into overdrive and, in trying to protect you, turn off the things that we would normally associate with extreme grief. I actually didn't start feeling that punch-you-in-the-gut hopelessness and desperation until 6 months later. (I call it the "6th month meltdown.") With that being said, while you may more or less be going through the motions of living and going about your day, there is still something a little "off." As you said, none of those painful emotions were recognizable in CW. I've spent a LOT of time around people who have lost children. I run an online group and I moderate an offline group through Compassionate Friends. I have been called to hospitals to sit with parents within hours of them losing their children and, likewise, I've been with parents in the days and weeks that followed. Even in those who seem to be doing "okay" and aren't sobbing or glassy-eyed or lashing out in anger or sadness, you can still see something there. I saw nothing in CW-nothing to signify that he knew his entire nuclear family had just been wiped out.

 

[MsBetsy]

I don't know that CW will testify. I really didn't follow the Arias trial.

The question by the jury in the Jodi Arias case was asked in response to her lying about what happened and changing her story so many times. We don't know if CW will change his story again, but from what we already know he has not been truthful about his role in the murder. Jmo

 

[Gardener1850]

Do you believe this was premeditated?

I'm not MassGuy, but I wanted to answer this question as well. I don't see how it can be anything other than premeditated, due to the cause of death (assuming he is telling the truth about the strangling). Premeditation doesn't require CW to have thought about it for a long time before hand nor to have carefully planned out the crime. He had several minutes while in the process of strangling them to decide whether he should stop or continue strangling them until death occurred. When they passed out after a few seconds and he continued to strangle them to death for several minutes after, it became premeditated, IMO. And then, he didn't stop at the first one. He made a willful decision to go onto the next one. You don't accidentally strangle three people in the space of a few hours. Three times he intentionally placed his hands on his family members and three times he had an opportunity (4-6 minutes) to realize what he was doing and stop. But instead of pausing or changing his course of action, he intentionally continued until they were all dead. IMO, that is premeditation.

(I know you probably meant to ask "did he plan the whole thing in advance" and I'm still undecided on how much preplanning I think he did. But I wanted to point out that premeditation doesn't require CW to have thought about the crime for days or weeks. Above post is for the purpose of discussion and not directed at any one poster. MOO)

 

[Layla123]

I don’t put any weight into the guy on AB. Of course he lied about the affair - I’m not discounting his lies surrounding the affair and stated so in my post. The VI stated he deleted his FB account because SW kept posting on it like nothing was wrong when he had told her he wanted a separation and I believe what the VI said.
jmo

If he wanted a separation, why did he continue to have sex with her? Why did he impregnate her? Why did he make the trip to North Carolina to be with her?

 

[Jennifer17]

In the Christopher Vaughn trial, his wife's mental health records and medications were evidence at trial because he blamed her. I don't believe any parent will kill their child without underlying mental health issues and CW absolutely will have a psych exam.

And that did not work out too well for him either.

 

[JusticeFever]

To stand there and ask for your family to return when you know that is never going to happen, to question their whereabouts, when you know exactly where there are because that is where you dumped them makes me wonder. even now, how he sleeps at night. Unless he is in complete denial, or believes his own lies, is it wrong to hope to see a completely different CW when he makes his next court appearance? Maybe one who shows emotion or remorse and will decide to save Shanann's family the trauma of going through a trial.

 

[cailleach]

I don’t put any weight into the guy on AB. Of course he lied about the affair - I’m not discounting his lies surrounding the affair and stated so in my post. The VI stated he deleted his FB account because SW kept posting on it like nothing was wrong when he had told her he wanted a separation and I believe what the VI said.
jmo

Have you considered the fact that gaslighting plays a role in many cases of infidelity? You are regularly reassured that everything is okay, even though you know it's not. Any time you bring up suspicions, you are told that you're imagining things, etc... Yet, the cheater is telling the other party, and sometimes others, a completely different story.

 

[margarita25]

Do you believe anyone who isn't a practiced liar could have stood there and put on that performance?

What other big lies are out there I wonder.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

If he wanted a separation, why did he continue to have sex with her? Why did he impregnate her? Why did he make the trip to North Carolina to be with her?

IDK, but if there’s a trial I’m sure we’ll find out. Do we know he went to NC to be with her?

 

[tmar]

And if he used a pillowcase from SW's pillow, would that leave her touch DNA on the girl's tiny necks?

All these items, would have been bagged, and thoroughly tested.
MOO.

 

[MsBetsy]

In the Christopher Vaughn trial, his wife's mental health records and medications were evidence at trial because he blamed her. I don't believe any parent will kill their child without underlying mental health issues and CW absolutely will have a psych exam.

Yes, I can't see them not doing one. I don't know how that works. Do one of the lawyers have to request it?

 

[JusticeFever]

I'm not MassGuy, but I wanted to answer this question as well. I don't see how it can be anything other than premeditated, due to the cause of death (assuming he is telling the truth about the strangling). Premeditation doesn't require CW to have thought about it for a long time before hand nor to have carefully planned out the crime. He had several minutes while in the process of strangling them to decide whether he should stop or continue strangling them until death occurred. When they passed out after a few seconds and he continued to strangle them to death for several minutes after, it became premeditated, IMO. And then, he didn't stop at the first one. He made a willful decision to go onto the next one. You don't accidentally strangle three people in the space of a few hours. Three times he intentionally placed his hands on his family members and three times he had an opportunity (4-6 minutes) to realize what he was doing and stop. But instead of pausing or changing his course of action, he intentionally continued until they were all dead. IMO, that is premeditation.

(I know you probably meant to ask "did he plan the whole thing in advance" and I'm still undecided on how much preplanning I think he did. But I wanted to point out that premeditation doesn't require CW to have thought about the crime for days or weeks. Above post is for the purpose of discussion and not directed at any one poster. MOO)

I know that premeditation can be formed in seconds, as well as a thought out plan, but, you are right, I did not word that well!!

 

[Jennifer17]

To stand there and ask for your family to return when you know that is never going to happen, to question their whereabouts, when you know exactly where there are because that is where you dumped them makes me wonder. even now, how he sleeps at night. Unless he is in complete denial, or believes his own lies, is it wrong to hope to see a completely different CW when he makes his next court appearance? Maybe one who shows emotion or remorse and will decide to save Shanann's family the trauma of going through a trial.

The worst of it to me is how he continued to lie, until every last sordid fact was presented to him to discount each lie after another.

 

[Layla123]

Sometimes it DOES take a while for those hopeless feelings to sink in. In the beginning, many of us were more or less running on adrenaline. Your brain can sometimes go into overdrive and, in trying to protect you, turn off the things that we would normally associate with extreme grief. I actually didn't start feeling that punch-you-in-the-gut hopelessness and desperation until 6 months later. (I call it the "6th month meltdown.") With that being said, while you may more or less be going through the motions of living and going about your day, there is still something a little "off." As you said, none of those painful emotions were recognizable in CW. I've spent a LOT of time around people who have lost children. I run an online group and I moderate an offline group through Compassionate Friends. I have been called to hospitals to sit with parents within hours of them losing their children and, likewise, I've been with parents in the days and weeks that followed. Even in those who seem to be doing "okay" and aren't sobbing or glassy-eyed or lashing out in anger or sadness, you can still see something there. I saw nothing in CW-nothing to signify that he knew his entire nuclear family had just been wiped out.

They exhibit a certain numbness. Concentration is impossible. Their thoughts and feelings are chaotic. There’s a feeling that their life has been stolen from them. Many parents commit suicide within hours of the death of their child. The pain is so great they can’t bear it.

 

[MsBetsy]

IDK, but if there’s a trial I’m sure we’ll find out. Do we know he went to NC to be with her?

Yes, he went to spend the last week with his family. This was around the time he deleted his FB account, or a short time after.

 

[Layla123]

IDK, but if there’s a trial I’m sure we’ll find out. Do we know he went to NC to be with her?

At the very least C.W. was sending out double messages. SW can’t be blamed for trying to save her family. Isn’t that what we vow to do when we marry? Till death do us part?

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Have you considered the fact that gaslighting plays a role in many cases of infidelity? You are regularly reassured that everything is okay, even though you know it's not. Any time you bring up suspicions, you are told that you're imagining things, etc... Yet, the cheater is telling the other party, and sometimes others, a completely different story.

Yes, I’ve been considering many different aspects and how they might have played a role in all of this. With what we know I don’t see how we can determine that’s what was happening.
jmo

 

[tmar]

What other big lies are out there I wonder.

As we have found out so many unpleasant facts already, I would think we will be horrified, as to what else will be presented.
This guy has shown, no warmth, care or even grief towards the murders of his family. MOO.

 

[Serena Angelique]

1. Sm
   

   It seems like Chris had to think of a reason that would justify his killing Shanann, so he made up a story so horrible that he may have thought would bring either doubt or even a lesser charge of justifiable homicide. It is like him saying, well, she killed the kids, and then I killed her, so we are even. The only problem is that this theory is so outrageous and also pretty close to one of the dumbest things I ever heard, I wonder how much time he spent on it. I hope not, a lot, because it fails to make much sense. To blame a person, who is no longer able to defend themselves because you killed them, is almost like killing them again. JMO

   
   The fact that he concocted this absolutely unbelievable story that painted her in a negative light is a reflectionn of his unfiltered contempt for her. Like all family annihilators, he blames her for her own murder. What a hopeless piece of excrement this guy is to put her family through this and waste everyone’s time! I really hope he gets his karmic come uppance because he hasn’t a shred of honor or integrity IMO.