News reports shocked listeners around the world at the absurd story of a man accused of killing his wife, two young daughters, and their unborn child. Unfortunately, the story was true, and Chris Watts was sent to prison for life after admitting to all of the murders.
“The evidence against him was overwhelming,” a source told PEOPLE.
Life in Prison: An Update on Chris Watts
Chris and Shanann Watts seemed to have it all in Colorado—two daughters and a child on the way. But their picture-perfect life was shattered.
In 2018, Chris Watts’ wife, Shanann, and two daughters, Bella and Celeste, were reported missing from their home in Colorado. In a matter of days, Watts went from denying knowledge of where his family was—to admitting to murdering his wife and children.
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Watts was convicted of nine charges: five counts of first-degree murder, one count of unlawful termination of a pregnancy, and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The story gained attention from around the world. In 2020, Netflix released a documentary, American Murder: The Family Next Door.
“Using raw, firsthand footage, this documentary examines the disappearance of Shanann Watts and her children, and the terrible events that followed.”
What has happened to Chris Watts in the six years since his conviction?
While the crimes were committed in Colorado, Watts was transferred to Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin. He will likely remain there for the remainder of his life.
While serving a life sentence, Watts is allowed to work out each day. He calls himself a man of God and has a Bible in his cell.
In 2019, Watts was known to have photographs of Shanann, Bella, and Celeste in his cell,” according to PEOPLE. An online petition, including 20,000 signatures, demanded that prison officials remove the photos from Watt’s cell.
The Department of Corrections, however, said it “has no legal basis for removing the photographs from Christopher Watts.”
Watts has had two conduct reports while in prison: one for unauthorized communication and another for disobeying orders and possession of contraband.” He lost privileges for each incident.
PEOPLE learned from the Department of Corrections that Watts works as a custodian in prison.
In 2022, PEOPLE reported that Watts had been corresponding with multiple women while in prison. “There are a lot of women who think he’s handsome and misunderstood. They send a lot of letters.”
Watts purchases stamps and paper at the prison commissary. “He’s got nothing else to do,” said PEOPLE. “So he feeds his ego in that way. Because he’s not popular at all in prison. He’s in protective custody. The only outlet he has is with these letters.”
