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U.S. NEWS Friday 17 august 2018

$ 10

Man who lamented family's

disappearance arrested in deaths

By KATHLEEN FOODY and ordered him held without their house. On May 5, she
JONATHAN DREW bail and told prosecutors to wrote: "I love this man! He's
FREDERICK, Colo. (AP) — file charges by Monday af- my ROCK!"
After his pregnant wife ternoon. He set a Tuesday On June 19, she posted a
and two daughters disap- hearing to review the case. photo of some texts with
peared, Christopher Watts As he was escorted into the her husband after sending
stood on his porch in Col- courtroom, Watts did not him a picture of a sono-
orado and lamented to speak. He looked down for gram. He replied that he
reporters how much he much of the hearing but loved the baby already.
missed them. made eye contact as the She posted: "I love Chris! Christopher Watts is escorted into the courtroom before his bond
He longed for the simple judge reviewed his rights. He's the best dad us girls hearing at the Weld County Courthouse on Thursday, Aug. 16,
things, he said, like telling Watts's attorney, James could ask for."q 2018, in Greeley, Colo.
his girls to eat their dinner Merson of the Colorado Associated Press
and gazing at them as they State Public Defender's Of-
curled up to watch car- fice, left without comment-
toons. ing to reporters. He did not
"Last night, I had every light immediately respond to a
in the house on. I was hop- voicemail left at his office
ing that I would just get ran Thursday by The Associated
over by the kids running in Press.
the door, just barrel-rushing A family friend reported
me, but it didn't happen," Shanann Watts and her
he told Denver TV station daughters missing on Mon-
KMGH. day, police said.
On Thursday, Watts was in In his previous interviews
jail after being arrested on with Denver TV outlets,
suspicion of killing his family, Christopher Watts said his
probably before he spoke wife of nearly six years re-
those words. Authorities did turned home about 2 a.m.
not offer a motive. Monday after a flight for a
The body of 34-year-old work trip was delayed.
Shanann Watts was found He said the two had an
on property owned by "emotional conversation"
Anadarko Petroleum, one before he left for work a
of the state's largest oil and few hours later and that
gas drillers, where Christo- he became concerned
pher Watts used to work, after she did not return his
police said. Investigators calls or texts or those of her
believed they knew where friends. He said he came
to find 4-year-old Bella and home to an empty house
3-year-old Celeste and after a friend knocked on
were working to recover the door at noon and got
their bodies. no answer.
"As horrible as this outcome Shanann Watts' Facebook
is, our role now is to do account paints a portrait of
everything we can to de- a happy married life, with
termine exactly what oc- a constant feed of pho-
curred," John Camper, di- tos and videos of friends,
rector of the Colorado Bu- relatives and herself. Her
reau of Investigation, said comments were typically
at a news conference in upbeat, whether she was
Frederick, a small town on running errands, playing
the grassy plains north of with her kids or promoting a
Denver, where fast-grow- health program.
ing subdivisions intermingle She posted selfies of her
with drilling rigs and oil wells. and her husband smil-
Watts, 33, has not been ing in restaurants, at the
formally charged. A judge ocean on vacation and at