Killer dad Chris Watts ‘tried to blame mistress’ for murdering his family

A former cellmate of Chris Watts has claimed the convicted killer tried to point the finger at his mistress for the murder of his pregnant wife and two daughters.

Chris Watts tried to blame the callous murder of his two young daughters on his mistress, a former inmate who says he spent time with him in prison has told The US Sun.

Watts, 36, is currently serving five life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murders of his then-pregnant wife Shanann and their young daughters four-year-old Bella and three-year-old Celeste.

At first, Watts cynically acted the concerned husband and father when Shanann and the girls were reported missing

After failing a polygraph test he admitted strangling 34-year-old Shanann at their home in Frederick, Colorado, but initially claimed it was her who had killed the kids on August 13, 2018.

Following his sentencing in November 2018 Watts confessed that he smothered the girls at an oil site leased by the company he worked for.

He dumped the girls’ bodies in oil storage tanks after burying his wife in a shallow grave nearby.

Stream the news you want, when you want with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends 31 October, 2022 >

Murderer Chris Watts kisses mistress Nichol Kessinger as they pose for a pic. Picture: Weld County District Attorney's office

Watts with wife Shanann and their daughters Bella and Celeste.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Watts had been having an affair with co-worker Nichol Kessinger and planned on starting a new life with her.

Now former inmate David Carter, who says he spent two spells with Watts in Dodge Correctional Facility, Wisconsin, has claimed the killer deflected blame for the heinous murder of his daughters by pointing the finger at Kessinger.

Carter, 35, says he was serving time for possession of methamphetamine and theft when he became close with Watts.

“We were on the same unit together, unit 11”, he told The Sun.

“It’s for people that can’t fit in with the general population and people with medical issues.

“He was there for his protection and I was there for psychiatric issues and for cutting myself.

“One day we were reading the Bible and talking about God, this was in October 2020.

“I told him that I couldn’t judge him for what had happened, but I’d like to know what was going through his head.”

Former inmate David Carter seen in a handout photo. Picture: David Carter.

According to Carter, that’s when Watts unbelievably said that “Nichol had smothered the girls with their blankets and they suffocated”.

Watts also claimed she helped him “get the girls in the oil tanks and dig the grave for Shanann”, Carter added.

Carter explained “He wanted to start a new life with Nichol and Shanann was in the way.

“Chris said it made him feel sad that the girls were killed but that one of them woke up and saw that Shanann was dead and would be a witness.”

Watts incredibly tried to blame Nichol for his murderous crimes, telling Carter he “wasn’t able to stomach killing his own kids and he said that’s why Nichol killed them.”

To prove that the two know each other and have remained in touch, Carter showed The Sun a letter that he claims Watts sent to him.

The handwriting appears to match that of other letters that Watts sent to writer Cherlyn Cadle, who penned the book Letters From Christopher about her communications with the killer.

Watts is seen taking a picture of Kessinger during their affair. Picture: Weld County District Attorney's office

NEW IDENTITY

Kessinger, 33, took on a new identity and moved away from her home in Arvada, Colorado after Watts was arrested.

She told police during their investigation that Watts had lied that he was separated from his wife and planned to divorce her and she believed him.

According to her web browsing history reportedly released in docs by Weld County District Attorney’s Office, shortly after they began their affair in July 2018 Kessinger searched the phrase “Man I’m having affair with says he will leave his wife”.

On August 4 she spent two hours searching Google for wedding dresses before looking up topics relating to “marrying your mistress” on August 8, according to the documents reportedly released by the DA.

Kessinger said Watts would pay for dates with gift cards but on their last date on August 11 2018 she noticed that he used a personal credit card.

She told cops: “It was like he had nothing to hide. Or nothing to lose.”

After she heard the news of his family’s disappearance, Kessinger said she texted Watts demanding to know if he was involved.

Writing to her just hours after brutally wiping out his family, she said Watts responded: “I didn’t hurt my family, Nicky.”

She said that those were the last texts they exchanged before Watts was arrested on August 15, 2018.

Watts poses for a mugshot in an orange prison jumpsuit. Picture: Frederick Police Department

Carter, who currently works at a fast-food restaurant, says that Watts told him that Kessinger had written to him while in prison using her new name.

There is no suggestion she was truly involved in Watts’ crimes in any way.

In his correspondence with author Cheryln Cadle, Watts in fact revealed that he knew the day before the murders that he was going to kill his daughters.

He wrote “August 12th when I finished putting the girls to bed, I walked away and said ‘That’s the last time I’m going to be tucking my babies in’.

“I knew what was going to happen the day before and I did nothing to stop it!”

Asked how he had reacted when Watts made the claims about Kessinger, Carter said: “I was shocked, I didn’t know what to think.”

This article originally appeared in The US Sun and was reproduced with permission.