The Chris Watts Case: Inside One of America’s MostChilling Family Murders — And the Disturbing Fan Mail That Followed Colorado,
August 13, 2018 — It began as a missing persons case. It ended as one of the
most shocking family annihilation stories in recent American history — followed by an even
stranger footnote: strangers falling in love with the man who committed it.
A Family Vanishes
In the early hours of August 13, 2018, 34-year-old Shanann Watts and her two young
daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, disappeared from their home in Frederick, Colorado.
Shanann was 15 weeks pregnant with the couple’s third child at the time.
Her husband, Chris Watts, reported her missing later that day, appearing on local news
pleading for her safe return. To neighbors and coworkers, the Watts family looked like a
picture of suburban normalcy — a young couple, two little girls, a house with a fenced yard.
Within days, that image would collapse entirely.
The Investigation Unravels
As police pressed Chris Watts with questions, inconsistencies in his account began piling
up. Investigators soon confronted him with evidence that contradicted his story, and his
composure broke down on camera during a police interview that would later become
infamous.
At first, Watts tried to redirect blame onto his pregnant wife, claiming he had killed her only
after allegedly witnessing her harm their daughters. But the story didn’t hold up under
scrutiny, and Watts eventually confessed to killing all three of them himself.
He then led investigators to a remote oil work site operated by his employer, Anadarko
Petroleum, where he had disposed of their bodies. Shanann had been buried in a shallow
grave on the property. Bella and Celeste’s bodies were found concealed inside crude oil
storage tanks — a detail that shocked even seasoned investigators.
The MotiveProsecutors and investigators later revealed that Watts had been having an affair with a
coworker and had become consumed with the idea of starting a new life free of his family’s
financial and emotional obligations. Rather than pursue a divorce, he chose murder.
In November 2018, Chris Watts pleaded guilty to killing his wife and two daughters, as well
as to the death of their unborn son, and is currently serving multiple consecutive life
sentences without the possibility of parole.
The Unsettling Aftermath: Fans Behind Bars
What happened after Watts’ conviction added a bizarre and disturbing layer to an already
devastating case. Despite confessing to murdering his pregnant wife and two young
daughters, Watts began receiving letters, photographs, and messages of affection from
women across the country — a phenomenon sometimes referred to as “prison groupie”
culture.
Letters later obtained through public records revealed the extent of this fascination. One
woman, identified only as Candace, wrote that in her heart she believed Watts was “a great
guy,” signing off with the hashtag #TEAMCHRIS.
Other letters followed a similar, unsettling pattern:
Women sending personal photos and messages of support
Admirers expressing sympathy for Watts’ situation
Some writers appearing to accept or rationalize his shifting explanations for the murders
One woman writing that Watts had “one of the kindest faces” she had ever seen, adding
that she didn’t want him to feel alone
The correspondence sparked widespread public outrage and disbelief when it surfaced,
reigniting conversations about hybristophilia — a phenomenon in which individuals become
romantically or sexually attracted to people who have committed violent crimes.
Why This Case Still Haunts People
Years later, the Chris Watts case remains a fixture in true crime discussions, documentaries,
and online communities — and for good reason. It’s a story that strips away the illusion of
the “perfect family,” showing how deception, resentment, and a desire to escape can spiral
into unimaginable violence.
But it’s the second half of the story — the letters, the hashtags, the declarations of affection
for a man who murdered his own children — that continues to disturb people just as muchas the crime itself. It raises uncomfortable questions about attraction, empathy, and why
certain individuals feel drawn to those responsible for horrific acts.
The Watts case endures not just as a cautionary tale about hidden family dysfunction, but
as a case study in one of true crime’s strangest and most uncomfortable phenomena: the
cult following that can form around convicted killers.
What do you think drives people to fall for convicted murderers? Share your thoughts in the
comments below.