Found Deceased CO - Shanann Watts (34), Celeste"Cece" (3) and Bella (4), Frederick, 13 Aug 2018 *Arrest* #34

[Allabouttrial]

The prosecution filed the motion to withhold the public documents early "in an abundance of caution," Rourke said.
Autopsy reports in Watts case not available, prosecution says

I don't know who you mean by "some" but I'm certainly not one of them. Do you think the prosecutor is lying or playing games or something? I take him at his word.
MOO

As is your prerogative.

 

[Mrspratcher]

You think the prosecution filed this motion to protect Chris Watts?

Yes. They filed the motion to protect the jury pool. They need a fair and impartial jury.

 

[Best of What's Around]

Even if someone believes CW didn’t kill his two children, the manner in which he discarded them, was his “decisive” attempt “to do away with entirely so that nothing remains”; hence he annihilated them. It was his wife, his two children and his unborn child; hence family annihilator. Psychologists may just have to add too/tweak the definition a bit after this case. IMO

Annihilator - “one who annihilates”

Annihilate – “to cause to cease to exist: to do away with entirely so that nothing remains: defeat decisively”

Yes, and I personally found it telling how much he repeated the word "vanished" in his media interviews. IMO, that is exactly what he wanted.

 

[bonjoviblonde]

And why the need to kill her if she was already trying to do that herself? I think I missed something.

Is it possible that some may not even believe his confession at all? Maybe they don't believe CW did anything, other than hide the bodies. Is that a theory?

 

[FlossyMay]

Can you please provide the link for this cute picture, as required by TOS? thank you

I'm sorry, liltexans. I didn't realize that if I used a link to embed the photo that I also had to post the link separately. Here ya go... https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=0d1e65ae2333143153b94c2ce27cc1fc&oe=5C16F9E2

 

[MassGuy]

Is it possible that some may not even believe his confession at all? Maybe they don't believe CW did anything, other than hide the bodies. Is that a theory?

I think everyone believes that at a bare minimum, he killed his wife and unborn child.

It appears that some may believe that (two murders), and the body dumping, are all that he is responsible for.

 

[Jennifer17]

As is your prerogative.

You don't take him at his word? Do you think that he is lying?

 

[MerryB]

Yes. They filed the motion to protect the jury pool. They need a fair and impartial jury.

In your professional opinion, how would it taint a potential jury? It is my understanding that the autopsy is just cause/manner of death/toxicology. Forensic information is separate.
MOO

 

[MsBetsy]

In your legal expertise is it advised for family to even follow media at this point . I can’t imagine wanting to see or hear anything.

I think it is completely up to the family. No matter how they are advised.

 

[MsBetsy]

In your professional opinion, how would it taint a potential jury? It is my understanding that the autopsy is just cause/manner of death/toxicology. Forensic information is separate.
MOO

How can you expect to find a juror who is not biased or who hasn't already heard all the details of the case? Especially if the cause or time of death indicates that CW is lying? What would one expect them to think?

 

[Jennifer17]

In your professional opinion, how would it taint a potential jury? It is my understanding that the autopsy is just cause/manner of death/toxicology. Forensic information is separate.
MOO

But you are not talking about just cause and manner of death, you are talking about the coroner's report.

 

[MerryB]

We haven't had the defense POV yet, you're assuming this is the tact they will take, attacking SW's character. I'm not disagreeing it could be the case but it's still an assumption on your part.

What we know, CW has accused SW of killing his daughters as his excuse for killing SW.

OK. So from the defense's POV, why would SW kill her own daughters?
Her character & mindset as well as potential psychological issues are factors in answering this question.
JMO

 

[MerryB]

But you are not talking about just cause and manner of death, you are talking about the coroner's report.

?

 

[molly1255]

<modsnip removed quoted post>

JMO, "if" toxicology reports show drugs in SW's system when she died, it won't prove that she took them voluntarily in an attempt to OD herself, but his defense will likely try to make that argument, and I think that argument will fail.

The prosecution will very likely come back and argue that CW slipped SW barbiturates to knock her out, before he killed her. I would buy that, especially with the lack of apparent scratch marks on CW when he gave his media interviews. JMO.

As for speculation she tried to OD herself, when did she have time to do this, according to CW's story?

In addition, a woman who was despondent enough to try to OD herself would be a much different woman than the story some have tried to paint of SW, as a woman filled with such vengeful rage by her husband's rejection that she immediately went into the rooms of her little daughters and strangled them.

All JMO.

 

[Jennifer17]

?

It is the coroners report that they want withheld, that you are implying is nefarious, not just the manner and cause of death.

 

[MerryB]

How can you expect to find a juror who is not biased or who hasn't already heard all the details of the case? Especially if the cause or time of death indicates that CW is lying? What would one expect them to think?

Somehow they always seem to be able to find jurors who live under a rock, so to speak. Look at all the headline-grabbing cases that they’ve managed to seat juries for.

 

[MerryB]

It is the coroners report that they want withheld, that you are implying is nefarious, not just the manner and cause of death.

Respectfully, I think you may have misunderstood my post.

 

[gitana1]

Great post @gitana1, Wow!! So many good points.

Do you think there is any chance that CW backs off his original confession that SW killed the daughters? Did he make that confession without an attorney? Is it possible that CW's defense team looks at the total absurdity of his behavior and coverup and decides that SW killed the kids isn't a viable scenario or defense? Or will they double down and go all in on this defense? Is it possible that when the defense looks at all the evidence and case against CW that they might drop that claim?

I feel like he would even be better off with something like, "Thrive made me lose my mind." Or that he "snapped" - even though everything he did following that says otherwise. But if he falsely blames the wife he murdered of killing her daughters, that would make him an even worse person, if that is even possible. Or - I suppose he could be a good person and confess to any truths, but not expecting that from him.

There is a chance he will enter into a plea deal.

I see zero evidence he had counsel when he "confessed".

I don't think the defense will counsel him on the absurdity of his claim. They will double down. I mean the defense will explain to him the issues with people not believing him, how jurors will react to his behavior, etc., but they're not going to tell him he has no chance or that it's absurd, IMO.

This is the kind of murder case criminal defense attorneys find to be an exciting challenge, IMO.

And we see right here, and on the internet that there are plenty of people willing to accept or entertain his story and who do not find it absurd.

But as to that chance of a plea? My feeling is this: The same things that cause a seemingly normal family man to annihilate his family rather than simply filing for divorce are same things that make it almost impossible to admit to what he did, in the cases where the person doesn't also kill themselves.

From what I've seen, these are people with fragile senses of identity who greatly fear the mask slipping and people seeing them for who they really are - an identity that they remain unsure and maybe gen frightened of.

He killed his whole family in part because he didn't want to seem like a jerk who left a pregnant woman and two small children. (Even if he asked for part custody. He would be breaking up a young family and threatening the stability of small children.)

So I think it's very likely he will never confess to it all. If he's afraid of being seen as the bad guy or divorcing his pregnant wife and going off into the sunset with his affair, well strangling his babies to death is clearly much worse.

And sadly, his defense appears (to me) to be doing a great job of casting "doubt" by smearing the reputation and attacking the character of the victim.

I predict much more to come at trial.

 

[MsBetsy]

I am not an attorney, but based on our trial lawyer @Amandaaa ’s posts, it is my understanding that the prosecution has filed a motion to keep the autopsy reports sealed.

In order to seal them, there has to be a hearing on it. The prosecution has the burden to prove an “extraordinary situation and that the information would do substantial injury to the public.”
( Some found it odd they’d assume this having not seen the autopsy reports yet).

In CO “all public records shall be open for inspection by any person at reasonable times.” However, the prosecution filed the motion based on public interest. IMO it seems contradictory. The burden to prove this is on the prosecution. They are the ones that filed this motion.
MOO

Yes, they don't want the public to be influenced by the results, is the way I see it. But why would it be contradictory? I'm not sure I understand.

 

[Jennifer17]

Respectfully, I think you may have misunderstood my post.

No misunderstanding on my part. I understood you completely.