Christopher Watts was married to his wife, Shannan, and they had two daughters Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. Shannan was expecting another child. The Watts were going through a financial crisis, having filed for bankruptcy in 2015. Christopher Watts was working at a petroleum company, Anadarko Petroleum.
On August 13, 2018, Christopher Watts informed his wife that he was having an affair and wanted a divorce. Shannan is said to have threatened that he would not see his children, and the couple’s argument became very heated. Christopher Watts, in his rage, strangled Shannan, who was fifteen weeks pregnant. As the murder of Shannan was taking place, his daughter Bella in her confusion, witnessed the death of her mother and, eventually, the suffocation of her sister Celeste. Watts, following his depraved plan, put his live daughters in his truck without their car seats, and Shannan’s now wrapped the body was placed in the truck. At the petroleum company, Watt’s suffocated his daughters despite Bella’s’ attempt to save herself, questioning her father’s behavior. The girls were stuffed in oil drums while Shannon was buried in a shallow grave.
On August 12th Shannan was with one of her friends at a social event and was brought to her home in the early morning of August 13th. Shannan did not show up for work, and her friend tried to contact Shannon on August 13th and went to Shannan’s house. Chris could not explain his missing family’s whereabouts, and Shannan’s friend contacted the police. Christopher Watts made public comments seeking the return of his family. While being interviewed by police, Watts told the police that he witnessed his wife suffocate his children, and in his rage, he strangled her. He told the police where the bodies were buried and eventually confessed to the murders of his family including the death of his unborn child, being spared the death sentence.
The Shannon’s parents Frank and Sandy Rzucek wanted the killing to end and did not want Watts put to death. The Rzueck’s have lost their reason to live with the destruction of the lives of their daughter and grandchildren. Their lives have also destroyed. They sued Watts, and he agreed to a six million dollar settlement, an amount they will never see, but it would stop Watts from enriching himself by selling the story,
Can an ordinary person commit an evil act?
