Dad held for killing family
FREDERICK: After his pregnant wife and two daughters disappeared, 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 arrested on suspicion of killing his family. Authorities did not offer a motive.
The body of 34-year-old Shanann Watts was found on the property owned by Anadarko Petroleum, where Christopher Watts worked, police said. Investigators found what they believe are the bodies of 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste nearby on Thursday afternoon.
“As horrible as this outcome is, our role now is to do everything we can to determine exactly what occurred,” John Camper, director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, said in Frederick, a small town north of Denver.
Watts, 33, has not been formally charged. A judge ordered him held without bail and told prosecutors to file charges by Monday afternoon.
As he was escorted into the courtroom, Watts did not speak. He looked down for much of the hearing but made eye contact as the judge reviewed his rights.
A family friend reported Shanann and her daughters missing on Monday, police said.
In previous TV interviews, Watts said his wife of nearly six years came home at about 2am on Monday after a flight for a work trip was delayed.
He said the two had an “emotional conversation” before he left for work and he became concerned after she did not return his calls or texts or those of her friends.
Shanann Watts’ Facebook account paints a portrait of a happy married life. Her comments were typically upbeat, whether running errands, playing with her kids or promoting a health programme.
She posted selfies of her and her husband smiling in restaurants, at the sea on holiday and at their house. On May 5, she wrote: “I love this man! He’s my ROCK!”
However, the couple’s 2015 bankruptcy filing captures a picture of a family caught between a promising future and financial strain. – AP/African News Agency (ANA)