Chris Watts case: Investigators reveal why they 'risked' allowing him to talk to his dad before his interrogation
In an interesting development in the Chris Watts case, the murderer, before admitting to investigators that his family was dead and not missing, had asked to talk to his father. According to Oxygen, he had asked CBI agent Tammy Lee and FBI Special Agent Grahm Coder if he could talk to his dad. "Can I talk to my dad or something?" he had asked. "I need to talk to my dad." His father, Ronnie Watts had flown in from Colorado to support the son after he had reported his pregnant wife, Shanann, and their two young daughters, Bella 4, and Celeste, 3, were reported missing.
In a 90-minute special episode of Oxygen's "Criminal Confessions", Michael Rourke, Weld County District Attorney revealed the agents had to take a call on the spot and Lee confirmed the statement. "There were so many things in play at that moment that it was such a risky move and we had to really make a split-second decision on whether or not we could allow Ronnie Watts into the interrogation room or not,” Lee said. Coder offered to bring his dad to the interrogation room if he would tell him what happened.
Rourke elaborated that doing so brought in an element of risk. He said in theory “a father, Ronnie Watts, walks into the room and turns into the protective father for his son and tells him, ‘You need a lawyer.’ He lawyers up; this interview is over.” But Lee and Coder decided to take that risk. Why?
Lee explained the murderer was not in custody. “Chris had every right to walk out of that room at any moment so we were trying to appease Chris if you will. We wanted him to know, ‘You know your father wants to know what the truth is, he flew across the country to support you and he’s not going to stop supporting you just because you tell him what happened.'" The duo went to the observation room to see the father and son unite and Lee called it a "make or break" moment. Ronnie had told his son to come out with the truth.
"She hurt them," Watts whispered to his dad. “And I freaked out and I hurt her." It was eventually confirmed as a false confession as he admitted to killing his family members. For Lee, this was a major moment and was "pretty much gut-wrenching." The truth gave the agents a chance to find the bodies. They went back to the interrogation room with Watts and Lee began rubbing his shoulder. "I wanted him to be uncomfortable and I wanted him to look at me and to focus back on our questions," she added.
MEAWW had previously reported that Watts pleaded guilty to multiple counts of first-degree murder last year and was sentenced to five life sentences without the possibility of parole, three to be served consecutively and two to be served concurrently. He also received an additional 48 years for the unlawful termination of his wife's pregnancy and 36 years for three charges of tampering with a deceased body. Watts is currently serving his sentence at the Dodge Correctional Institution, a maximum-security prison, in Waupun, Wisconsin.