The Dark Side of Innocence

0:00 Speaker 1: The dark secret of the House on Elm Street. The

0:03 Speaker 1: case of the Watts family murders. On the morning of

0:06 Speaker 1: August thirteenth, twenty eighteen, a quiet neighborhood in Frederick, Colorado

0:11 Speaker 1: was shaken by a disappearance that would soon become one

0:14 Speaker 1: of the most disturbing true crime cases in America. At first,

0:18 Speaker 1: it looked like a desperate search for a missing mother

0:21 Speaker 1: and her two young daughters, but investigators would soon uncover

0:25 Speaker 1: a horrifying truth hidden behind a picture perfect family. The

0:29 Speaker 1: perfect family image. Chris and Sean and What's appeared to

0:32 Speaker 1: have the life many people dreamed of. They had a

0:35 Speaker 1: beautiful home, two daughters, and shared their family moments online.

0:40 Speaker 1: Shawnan was outgoing and loved sharing her life on social media.

0:44 Speaker 1: She posted videos of her daughters, Bella and Celeste, showing

0:48 Speaker 1: their happy family moments. Bella, four was sweet and protective

0:53 Speaker 1: of her little sister, Celeste, three, was energetic and full

0:57 Speaker 1: of personality. To the outside world, the Watts family seemed happy,

1:02 Speaker 1: but behind closed doors, things were falling apart. Chris and

1:06 Speaker 1: Shannan's marriage had become strained, Chris had become distant, and

1:10 Speaker 1: the couple was facing financial problems. While Shawn Enn was

1:14 Speaker 1: away visiting family, Chris began a relationship with another woman.

1:19 Speaker 1: He was preparing for a new life, a life without

1:22 Speaker 1: his wife and children. The morning everything changed. On August thirteenth,

1:27 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen, Shannan returned home from a business trip around

1:31 Speaker 1: one forty eight am. A few hours later, Chris's neighbor

1:35 Speaker 1: noticed something strange. Chris was acting nervous. When Shanan's friend

1:40 Speaker 1: became concerned after she stopped responding to messages, police were contacted.

1:45 Speaker 1: Officers arrived at the Watt's home. Chris calmly told them

1:49 Speaker 1: he had no idea where his wife and daughters were.

1:52 Speaker 1: He claimed Sean and had left with the girls, but

1:55 Speaker 1: something felt wrong. The house showed no signs of a

1:58 Speaker 1: family leaving. Their belongings were still there, The children's car

2:02 Speaker 1: seats were still inside. NaN's phone was found in the house.

2:07 Speaker 1: Her wedding ring was discovered on the nightstand. Investigators began

2:11 Speaker 1: looking closer. The investigation begins. Chris gave interviews, appearing emotional

2:17 Speaker 1: and desperate for his family's return. He even appeared on

2:21 Speaker 1: television asking for help, but investigators noticed inconsistencies in his story.

2:27 Speaker 1: They searched through surveillance footage and discovered something disturbing. A

2:31 Speaker 1: neighbour's camera showed Chris moving his truck in a suspicious

2:35 Speaker 1: way early that morning. The investigation intensified. Police brought Chris

2:40 Speaker 1: in for questioning. After failing a polygraph test, Chris finally

2:44 Speaker 1: admitted he had lied, but the truth he revealed was

2:47 Speaker 1: even more shocking the confession, Chris first claimed that sean

2:52 Speaker 1: And had killed the children during an argument and he

2:54 Speaker 1: had reacted in anger, but investigators did not believe him. Eventually,

3:00 Speaker 1: Chris confessed that he had murdered his wife and daughters.

3:03 Speaker 1: He admitted that after killing shan And, he drove their

3:06 Speaker 1: bodies to an oil field where he worked. He buried

3:09 Speaker 1: shan And then placed Bella and Celeste inside oil tanks.

3:13 Speaker 1: The entire country was horrified the man who appeared to

3:17 Speaker 1: be a grieving father was actually responsible for destroying his

3:20 Speaker 1: own family. The aftermath, Chris once was arrested and charged

3:25 Speaker 1: with multiple counts of murder. In November twenty eighteen, he

3:29 Speaker 1: pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty. He was sentenced

3:32 Speaker 1: to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The

3:36 Speaker 1: case left many people asking the same question, how could

3:40 Speaker 1: someone who appeared to be a loving father commit such

3:43 Speaker 1: an unimaginable crime. Experts suggested that Chris's desire for a

3:47 Speaker 1: new life, his selfish choices, and his inability to face

3:51 Speaker 1: consequences played a major role. But for Schnan's family, the

3:55 Speaker 1: pain remains. Three lives were taken away, a mother and

3:59 Speaker 1: two little girls who trusted the person who should have

4:01 Speaker 1: protected them the most. The Watts family murders remain one

4:05 Speaker 1: of the most heartbreaking reminders that sometimes the darkest secrets

4:09 Speaker 1: are hidden behind the happiest appearances.