What did Shanann Watts write in her last letter to Chris? Find out

In 2018 a triple murder case in Colorado, America ricocheted horror across the country. The victims of the murder were three members of the Watts Family. The 33-year pregnant woman Shanann Watts and two young daughters Bella (4) and Celeste (3) were murdered in cold blood Chris Watts who was Shanann’s husband and Bella & Celeste’s father. Netflix released American Murder: The Family Next Door, a documentary about the horrifying case on September 30. Read on to find out, “Did Shanann Watts leave a letter for her husband?”

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What had happened between Shanann Watts and Chris Watts?

Shanann was 15 weeks pregnant when Chris murdered her on August 13, 2020. The Netflix documentary used real-life footages and pictures from the couple’s life to showcase the details. Text messages and letters were also incorporated. The letters and text messages detailed almost a month before committing the murders, Chris Watts had become aloof and distanced from his wife and family.

The Netflix documentary revealed that Shanann had sensed a change in Chris’ behaviour early on. She began suspecting that her husband was having an affair. After being sexually rejected by Chris, she had texted a friend about her suspicions. In an interview with oxygen.com, the Netflix documentary’s director Jenny Popplewell said that Shanann was highly intuitive and had pinpointed the exact moment when her marriage fell apart.

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Jenny further stated that she had given Chris many opportunities to be truthful to her but he kept lying. Shanann often gave him the benefit of the doubt. As time passed Shanann grew more restless and was still theorising the reason behind Chris’ changed behaviour. 

The Netflix documentary revealed that Shanann was also attributed to the family drama. Before the murders took place Shanann had just visited Chris’ parents in North Carolina. During her visit, Shanann had a falling out with Chris’ mother Cindy. 

Cindy Watts bought pistachio ice cream which caused Celeste (3) to have an allergic reaction, as Celeste was allergic to nuts. The incident prompted Shanann to yell at Cindy about the ice cream choice. In turn, Cindy kicked Shanann out of the house. This incident had caused a rift in the family relations and Shanann had stopped talking to Chris' family.

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Did Shanann Watts leave a letter for her husband?

Following this incident and in the wake of her crumbling marriage, Shanann made one last but futile attempt to save her family by writing Chris a letter. Just days before the murders, Shanann gave Chris a handwritten letter. Popplewell had found photographs Shanann had taken of different drafts of that letter on her phone. Popplewell also incorporated parts of the completed letter into the documentary.

Read | What did Chris Watts do to his family? Know truth behind 'American Murder' on Netflix

The letter read, "I don't know where to begin... I am so lost for words, I can't even explain how hard this pain hurts. The last 5 weeks have been so hard. I miss everything about you. I will be civil and get along with your mom, we just all need to have mutual respect. Shanann ended the letter by saying, “I will always fight for our marriage and you.”