Found Deceased CO - Shanann Watts (34), Celeste"Cece" (3) and Bella (4), Frederick, 13 Aug 2018 *CW GUILTY* #46

[Tigerlily75]

I found this interesting from your link:

“Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, not long after Chris pleaded guilty to nine charges, including first-degree murder, Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke said that they were approached several weeks ago by Chris’ defense team about a possible plea — not the other way around.”

BBM

Oh I’m way behind and just posted almost the same thing. Exactly right!! It’s the defense who went begging after the release of the autopsies.

 

[tmar]

I am supremely anxious for Nov. 19 so that it can be accepted by the judge and set in stone. And also because I really do want to hear more from Rourke, and see the unsealed autopsy reports too. As far as hearing the truth from CW goes, I certainly will not count on that ever happening. Thus, the more evidence the DA gives us after the 19th, the better we can cultivate the most likely scenario of what really did happen.

How can this 'not be in stone' now?
So we need a Judge to sign off, on this 'plea'.
Is this a Court/Law requirement?

 

[MsBetsy]

I'm one of those that thought he might have pled because his father asked him to. But I knew if he did it, because his father asked him to, it was for selfish reasons. I knew he wouldn't plead guilty to protect Shannan and I knew he didn't care anything about her family. I disagree that he wouldn't have killed them had he cared about his family. He obviously cared about his father, either what he thought or how he felt, because he asked to tell him first before he told the police his story. Now how that conversation went and what his father's advice was, I have no clue. Regardless, it's pretty obvious that he is very selfish.

Yes, by sparing his family the pain of a trial, he is primarily saving himself from the shame they will feel towards him and the condemnation of others. Although he may not feel shame or guilt himself, the one thing a sociopath cannot stand is being exposed as the horrible, ruthless killer he is. It makes it harder for him to justify his behavior. We already have heard that he was disappointed in what others thought of him, and that they did not understand because they didn't know the whole story. It was said that he was facing reality now. I think he just realized that no-one is actually going to believe his story, rather than the reality of the horrific thing he has done.

 

[Layla123]

Crying for his deceased family, or crying for himself?

We’ll see what he has to say at sentencing.

That’s a good question. We shall see. He’s only 33 years old. He’ll spend the rest of his life in jail. That’s a long time. Does life really hold any value for him, anymore?

 

[Nessa131]

I really feel NUA was instrumental in this quick resolution. She robbed CW of time he desperately needed to stage their disappearance and get rid of evidence. Perhaps he still would have bungled his cover up and would have been caught. But maybe it would not have been so solid a case. Casey Anthony's biggest helper was time. This isn't the thread to discuss witness testimony, so let's not go down that rabbit hole. The time Caylee was missing but nobody knew it, evidence was going who-knows-where, and the body was decomposing. I think Emily Glass may have walked as well, due to the amount of time passed between Lucas's actual demise, the report of him missing, and the retrieval of his remains. All that time only benefited the killers. NUA stole that time from CW, and I'm glad.

Oh definitely! Thank God for NUA and her fast actions! If she had not went over and had the wellness check and the cops found it odd- we might still be trying to locate bodies! All of the leo and people involved did amazing jobs to make sure that they had all the evidence they needed to get a conviction! So kudos to everyone involved

 

[MsBetsy]

This was particularly pleasing to me as it was posted here many times that the hearing must be regarding a plea the prosecutor offered to reduced charges as a result of the autopsy results and sealed HIPPA filing. It was put forth many times they must contain damning evidence against Shanann.

Seems to have been exactly the opposite. And the defense had nothing at all to defend the FA. Guilty to all charges, as charged.

I wonder if the plea was a result of his lawyer convincing him it was the best option or if CW insisted on it himself.

 

[Tigerlily75]

So he finally plead guilty to these horrendous crimes. While I understand the desire to put him to death, I'm extremely satisfied knowing he'll sit in a cell, day after day after day. Wanting to go out and have a beer and burger, hang with friends, or whatever he liked doing--none of that will be in his future. (At least I hope not--I'm hoping he gets LWOPPED).

Can you imagine being cooped up, constantly having to watch your back every second? Wondering who will come at you with what? It defies imagination.

Such is the life Chris Watts chose for himself. He'll get no sympathy nor pity from me.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Families and Friends who loved Shanann, CeCe, Bella and little Nico. I grieve for them, as I grieve for the horrendous loss of life associated with this case.

Shanann, CeCe, Bella and Nico will never have a chance to experience Life's wonderful moments and challenges.

RIP, Shanann, CeCe, Bella and Nico.

Yep. Think of even just the little things we do on a daily basis that we take for granted. Watching Netflix, ordering a pizza, deciding to make pancakes at 3am. Going for a walk. Deciding to go see a movie. Hanging out with friends. Watch a sunset. Visit the ocean.

He can do none of these things. None.

For the rest of his natural life. He sleeps on an uncomfortable mattress, eats only what is given to him at certain times of the day. He gets no real choices in anything.

That’s somewhat satisfying.

 

[MsBetsy]

That’s a good question. We shall see. He’s only 33 years old. He’ll spend the rest of his life in jail. That’s a long time. Does life really hold any value for him, anymore?

He may find comfort in all his supporters. Reading all their letters will likely help him pass the time. Maybe he'll even remarry.

 

[Seattle1]

The decision was made about four days ago to take an execution off the table, which was the maximum possible penalty Chris faced if convicted, Rourke said. In exchange, he agreed to plead guilty.

Colorado dad Chris Watts did not want to plead guilty to murdering his wife and two daughters, a source close to him tells PEOPLE. But his lawyers helped him realize that, given the extensive evidence against him and his own damning behavior during the investigation, he had little choice.
How Chris Watts Decided to Plead to Killing Family: 'Eventually He Acknowledged His Life Was Over'

 

[mtnlites]

That’s a good question. We shall see. He’s only 33 years old. He’ll spend the rest of his life in jail. That’s a long time. Does life really hold any value for him, anymore?

Some people are able to create versions of "life" in prison. Although they'll never be as free as you and me again, they are able to find jobs. Find hobbies. Earn degrees. Form friendships on the inside. Cultivate personal relationships, even romantic ones, with people on the outside. In essence, even though they're locked up, they still find ways to make their lives "meaningful." SW and her children will never, ever have those opportunities.

With that said, it's still the right thing because no matter how many Associate degrees CW earns, no matter how buff his arms get from jailhouse workouts, no matter how good he gets at making prison hooch or how well he teaches himself to speak Chinese and Spanish, he will never EVER be outside again. His life will never truly belong to himself again. He'll never be in charge of his own daily schedule. Will never be able to make simple choices, like when he eats dinner and when he goes to bed, on his own again. Will never be able to hop into his vehicle and drive through McDonalds at 2am for a McDouble. Never be able to walk outside and enjoy the moonlight on a summer night or stand in a home that belongs to him.

Personally, that would be a nightmare for me. I hope it is for him, too.

 

[gitana1]

Yup. You can’t change the facts.

That’s an interesting connection regarding the timing of the initial offer, and the receipt of the autopsies.

Hopefully we get some clarity at sentencing.

And remember the sealed motion. That came after the autopsy results too.

 

[gitana1]

Some people are able to create versions of "life" in prison. Although they'll never be as free as you and me again, they are able to find jobs. Find hobbies. Earn degrees. Form friendships on the inside. Cultivate personal relationships, even romantic ones, with people on the outside. In essence, even though they're locked up, they still find ways to make their lives "meaningful." SW and her children will never, ever have those opportunities.

With that said, it's still the right thing because no matter how many Associate degrees CW earns, no matter how buff his arms get from jailhouse workouts, no matter how good he gets at making prison hooch or how well he teaches himself to speak Chinese and Spanish, he will never EVER be outside again. His life will never truly belong to himself again. He'll never be in charge of his own daily schedule. Will never be able to make simple choices, like when he eats dinner and when he goes to bed, on his own again. Will never be able to hop into his vehicle and drive through McDonalds at 2am for a McDouble. Never be able to walk outside and enjoy the moonlight on a summer night or stand in a home that belongs to him.

Personally, that would be a nightmare for me. I hope it is for him, too.

I would rather die.

 

[Nessa131]

Yes, like they were a first hand witness to this struggle, where he was finally pressured into agreeing. Sounds like someone is trying to pave the way for him to come back at some future time to claim he signed under duress or had inadequate
representation.

Omg seriously he can do that? I thought it was a done deal once the judge accepted it. Hasn’t the family been through enough? I really hope he doesn’t/can’t do this to them

 

[crhedBngr]

I would rather die.

Yeah, me too!

 

[crhedBngr]

Crying for his deceased family, or crying for himself?

We’ll see what he has to say at sentencing.

RBBM

Crocodile tears, no doubt.

 

[Deleted member 182072]

He may find comfort in all his supporters. Reading all their letters will likely help him pass the time. Maybe he'll even remarry.

I'm afraid you're right about his supporters.
And I think anyone who is still supporting him is most definitely a fan, to put it politely.

 

[Seattle1]

I've not long seen the news of CW's total admission of guilt in the murders of his family. Just wanted to add my thanks to Nickole Atkinson for her very important actions, to Colorado303 for being here and all the other posters who steadfastly stood up for sanity in this case again and again.

Very glad that CW has at last retracted his despicable lies against Shannan. I hope that the people who believed them will take a little bit of time to think about why they chose to believe him. I do however respect the views of some posters here who wanted to wait for the trial and all the evidence, although for me there was already more than enough. We know what happens in family annihilator cases largely and the sort of lies they tell and excuses they make.

Although I think the details of the murders and the events leading up to them will be very hard to stomach, I think there is a public interest in examining these cases and the psychology of the murderers. I was surprised by how little really scientific research exists on them. I watched the Luis Toledo and Adam Matos trials trying to understand what process they underwent to commit such horrendous violence. Of course many FAs commit suicide at the time of the annihilation and so cannot be studied and of course the surviving ones are likely to lie. But I think it's really important to try and get a better understanding of what is going on in the weeks/months before these tragic events and Shannan's comments about CW being more distant and withdrawn I think are very significant observations.
With those FAs who also kill themselves I think there may well be an undiagnosed depressive psychosis in some cases. We still need to encourage men who may be experiencing isolation/rejection/financial stress/family breakdown to seek help which often they don't. I don't think CW falls into this category, he simply wanted ""freedom".

I personally doubt therefore that CW will commit suicide, I think he falls into the group of murderers whose minds have an amazing degree of self-serving plasticity. I think, regretfully he will still, even after his admissions, have his supporters and that will keep him going. That's another reason why I hope the details of exactly when and what he did emerge. We have to confront what is happening here if we have any hope of preventing future tragedies.

Just also want to reiterate here Colorado303's point about the best way we can remember Shannan and her babies is to be a friend to those people we know who may be in bad situations. We gain knowledge by following cases and we may see the risks quicker and more clearly than others. And we can support the charities that provide the support for victims of violence within the home, they save lives.

Brilliant post! I hope now that the verdict is settled, we can use the forum to learn more about familicide, and family annihilators, and be more aware of their profile.

 

[MsBetsy]

As usual, we need more information. But they said CW cried today, each time he said, “Guilty.” That must have been awful. In front of his family and her family, and everyone else.

I read earlier that he got especially choked up when they read the charge for the murder of Cece. Wasn't she the one he said was like him?

 

[MassGuy]

I'm afraid you're right about his supporters.
And I think anyone who is still supporting him is most definitely a fan, to put it politely.

One of those deranged, obsessed ones probably.

 

[margarita25]

Hi just getting in and have a lot of catching up to do but wanted to post a couple initial thoughts about all this before I forget.

First of all I don’t think that any father who really did NOT kill his kids would accept a plea and go down for that. Sure he was facing the death penalty but me personally I’d rather die than admitting to killing my children if I was innocent.
Maybe some fathers here would agree.

Which brings me to my second point about his plea in order to avoid the death penalty—it never ceases to amaze me how these people that murder others suddenly don’t want to die themselves.

It reminds me of Travis Forbes who killed Kenia M: he agreed to lead LE to Kenia’s body under the condition that he would not be labeled a sex offender in prison—he has no problem sexually offending others but he doesn’t want to be labeled as one in prison.

All these men and cowards and hypocrites.

Throw away the key!!!!

Going back to read now! I’m really looking forward to reading everyone’s posts!