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.