Colorado husband arrested in deaths of his wife, 2 daughters

FREDERICK, Colo. — After his pregnant wife and two daughters disappeared earlier this week, Christopher Watts stood on his porch in Colorado and lamented to reporters how much he missed them.

He longed for the simple things, he said, like telling his girls to eat their dinner and gazing at them as they curled up to watch cartoons.

On Thursday, Watts was in jail after being arrested on suspicion of killing all three family members, probably before he spoke to reporters. Authorities did not offer a motive.

The body of 34-year-old Shanann Watts was found on property owned by Anadarko Petroleum, one of the state’s largest oil and gas drillers, where Christopher Watts used to work, police said. Investigators were looking for the bodies of the two girls, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3.

Watts, 33, has not been formally charged.

A family friend reported Shanann Watts and her daughters missing on Monday, police said.

In his previous interviews with Denver TV outlets, Christopher Watts said his wife of nearly six years returned home about 2 a.m. Monday after a flight for a work trip was delayed.

He said the two had an “emotional conversation” before he left for work a few hours later and that he became concerned after she did not return his calls or texts or those of her friends. He said he came home to an empty house after a friend knocked on the door at noon and got no answer.

Shanann Watts’ Facebook page paints a portrait of a happy married life, with a feed of photos and videos of friends, relatives and herself.