Chris Watts allegedly stuffed his daughters' bodies in oil and gas tanks 'so they wouldn't smell': Sources
The bodies of Chris Watts' two young daughters were found inside "oil and gas tanks that were were mostly full,” high ranking law enforcement officials told Denver 7. Chris allegedly hid the bodies of 3-year-old Celeste and 4-year-old Bella in the tanks in order to keep the smell from spreading around, authorities said Thursday evening.
The bodies of the two young girls were found close to where authorities recovered a body which they "strongly believe is that of Shanann Watts", according to a 6.30 pm Thursday update by the police. Her body, as well as the bodies of the two young girls, were found on the same property owned by Anadarko Petroleum where Chris is an employee. The tanks used to hide the girls also belonged to the same company. However, investigative officers are yet to confirm the location.
The remains were discovered by authorities as Watts, 33, was being held at the Weld County Jail on suspicion of murdering his family.
Furthermore, solidifying their suspicions, Anadarko confirmed that Watts was an employee at the oil and gas company up until Wednesday.
Chris was detained for questioning before being put behind bars at 11:30 pm Wednesday, and during interrogation, he confessed to killing his wife and daughters.
Currently, he is facing an investigation on two counts of first-degree murder — position of trust; one count of first-degree murder after deliberation, and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body, officials said.
Shannan was reported missing along with her two daughters after she did not arrive at a scheduled meeting on Monday. While the story gets grimmer as details unfold, it is heartbreaking to note that Shannan was 15 weeks pregnant at the time of her death. Frederick law enforcement summoned the FBI and CBI to help them as they delved deeper into the investigation.
Having said that, prosecutors in Weld County believe that the mother and her two daughters were killed inside the Watts family residence.
On Tuesday, a day after the three went missing, the cold-blooded murderer gave a heart-warming interview to Denver 7.
During the interview, Chris claimed to have “had an emotional conversation” with his wife before he last saw her, as he recounted his version of what happened. “I mean, she wasn’t here. The kids weren’t here. Nobody was here,” he claimed.
Chris also 'broke the fourth wall' and pleaded with his family to come back.
“Shanann, Bella, Celeste: If you’re out there, just come back. Like if somebody has her, just bring her back. I need to see everybody. … This house is not complete without anybody here. Please bring ‘em back,” he said.
According to Daily Mail, the couple had financial difficulties in the past, including a bankruptcy. However, recently Shanann was enjoying sudden success in her career. Shanann worked for Le-Vel, a health and wellness company.
She boasted of the lavish perks of her $80k job including a Lexus and paid trips to Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Her work often took her away from her family, leaving husband Christopher Watts at home with the kids, the publication said.
Family and friends have been left wondering whether financial stress, marital strife or some other factor played a role in the murders.