Before pleading guilty to five counts of first-degree murder, one count of unlawful termination of pregnancy, and three counts of tampering with a dead body, Chris Watts told authorities that he didn’t kill his children.
As Dearly previously reported, Watts told police that he killed his pregnant wife, Shan’ann Watts, in a fit of rage after allegedly watching Shan’ann kill their two daughters via a baby monitor.
Posted by Shanann Watts on Sunday, March 25, 2018
Watts claimed that Shan’ann killed their children because he had recently asked her for a divorce.
Now after breaking their silence for the first time, Watts’ parents say they don’t believe their son is guilty and are begging him to take back his plea.
In an interview with ABC 7 Denver, Watts’ parents, Cindy and Ronnie Watts, don’t believe the world has heard the full story.
His mom said her son apologized to them for taking Shan’ann’s life:
“He saidI’m sorry. I lost — I went into a rage, and I killed her.’ And he saidI am so sorry. I ruined your life. I ruined my life.’
After the fact with the bodies, he saidDad, I could not put the girls with her after what she did — I could not put her with her.’”
Cindy said she doesn’t believe her son is a psychopath.
She told ABC 7:
“He’s not a sociopath. He’s not a psychopath.”
I asked ChrisIf you did not do this, do not confess to something you didn’t do.’ (Chris Watts’ defense attorney) shut me down. She completely shut me down.”
However, when asked if she believes her son’s guilty plea was coerced, Cindy admitted that she wasn’t sure.
This is the man accused of killing his pregnant wife and two young girls. Chris Watts will be in court this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/teySUXn1Mx
— Deborah Takahara (@debtakahara) August 16, 2018
The mom believes all his attorneys were trying to do was save his life:
“To me, all they wanted to do was save his life, just save his life. Save his life and life in prison — to me, there’s no difference. He’s going to die in prison. I just want him to fight. I don’t want him to take this plea deal. I want him to plead not guilty to the children.”
Chris’ father, Ronnie, told ABC 7 that he doesn’t “understand” his son’s alleged actions, including why he decided to put his daughters’ bodies in the oil tanks where he used to work.
He said:
“I just want to make sure he’s doing the right thing. If he didn’t kill the children, I want him to say so and let them prove it.”
Ronnie also understands the emotional toll all of this is taking on Shan’ann’s family. He told ABC 7:
“There’s a whole lot of unanswered questions about the case. Everything happened too quick there, from a case status to a plea.”
However, when asked if he’s worried about the backlash that could come from them speaking about a woman who can no longer defend herself, Ronnie said this of his late daughter-in-law:
“Shan’ann, I mean, she was, you’d have to get to know her to be around her. We’ll put it that way.”
According to ABC 7, it was very clear throughout the interview that Chris’ parents did not have a good relationship with Shan’ann.
After Ronnie and Cindy’s interview was made public, Shan’ann’s family released this statement in response:
Shanann Watts was a faithful wife, and the most gentle and loving mother in the world to her children Bella, Celeste, and Nico. She was also the best daughter any parent could ever hope for. Shanann was a wonderful soul.
Everyone who knew Shanann knows this to be true. Even Chris Watts knows this to be true. Yet Chris Watts still chose to murder Shanann, Bella, Celeste, and Nico. Chris Watts still chose to dump the bodies of his own family in oil tanks. And Chris Watts still chose to lie about it until he could lie no more. He pled (sic) guilty to murdering his family because he is guilty.
Monday evening, the parents of Chris Watts gave an interview in which they attempted to defend their son. In doing so, they felt the need to make vicious, grotesque and utterly false statements about Shanann. Their false statements, however hurtful and inaccurate, will never alter the truth about Shanann, and will never alter the truth about the crimes committed by their son, Chris Watts.
Shanann’s memory and reputation deserves to be protected. And her family is fully prepared to do so.