A variety of mental health professionals have weighed in on the psychology of Chris Watts. While their opinions tend to vary somewhat, please note that not one of them mentions Austism, Asperger's, or BPD.
MARCH 9, 2019: How could a man like Chris Watts so callously slaughter his entire family?
Chris' looks are deceiving. His psychopathic (Anti-Social ) mind interacted with the world in a much more convoluted and rageful way than his outer mask would ever reveal.
Like most sociopaths/psychopaths, Chris' romantic relationships and the feelings of being “in love” was not experienced the way a healthy, well-adapted person falls in love.
His reasoning was that the only solution to end his misery was to end his family. Divorce wouldn’t work because his family would still be there and a burden to him. They would still be around wanting something from him, nagging him and stopping him from living his new life. For Chris, the only solution was his family’s death.
Chris is a pathological narcissist and psychopath. All that matters to him are his own needs, his own sense of happiness and his own well-being. He has no sense of connection or feelings toward others, even his own blood. Anyone in the way of his goal was an obstacle that should not continue to exist.
Robi Ludwig Psy.D. is a nationally known psychotherapist, award-winning reporter, and author. She is a regular commentator on CNN, HLN, Fox Business.
JANUARY 9, 2019: Chris Watts Update: Ex-Lover Plans To Meet 'Monster' Once 'For Closure'
According to
Candice DeLong, a former FBI criminal profiler and criminologist, Watts “is a malignant
narcissist and psychopath.” In her opinion, “The hallmark is that they don’t feel remorse or empathy.” DeLong appeared on the “Dr. Phil” show last month where she spoke out about the killer.
Dr. Phil added to the conversation saying, “A narcissist actually thinks he can get away with it…And they get caught so easily because they don’t look at the other points of view.”
AUGUST 23, 2018: Criminologist weighs in on Chris Watts case
The associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at MSU Denver and former prosecutor has worked with thousands of victims of family violence.
"I think he had a vision of another life with this other woman — carefree, no responsibilities," she said. "Two children and another on the way, that's a big responsibility."
The fact that Chris Watts went in front of a Denver7 camera to plead for his family's lives after he knew they were dead indicates, to Mowder, that he planned to blame an intruder, play victim and eventually start a new life.
He eventually told police a new story, and Mowder said it is no surprise based on her experience with perpetrators of domestic violence that he is blaming his wife.
AUGUST 21, 2018: Professor: Christopher Watts could be a psychopath
Kim Gorgens, a clinical professor in the graduate school of professional psychology at the University of Denver, has conducted extensive research on criminal behavior, and she believes Christopher Watts could be a psychopath.
"It's not a personality characteristic that you can pick out of a lineup. It's not like someone wears a sign that says you can't trust. In fact, it's the opposite of that," said Gorgens.
"You can't tell for sure, but I will be less than surprised to see the picture of a true psychopath emerge. Someone who is really winsome, charming and psychopathic. It's not unusual for them to evade detection," said Gorgens.
AUGUST 20, 2018: Forensic Psychiatrist Keith Ablow, MD Identifies New Syndrome in Killers: Male Pre-Partum Homicidal Syndrome (MPHS)
Ablow theorizes that Male Pre-partum Homicidal Syndrome occurs in men who come to believe—consciously or unconsciously—that their own life stories cannot continue in any acceptable way, if a child (or another child) is born to them. "Such a man [displaying MPHS] comes to equate the impending birth of a son or daughter with his own impending psychological death. The pathological arithmetic comes down to, 'It's that child or it's me. One of us has to go.'"
Very often, Ablow believes, men displaying MPHS have experienced feelings of loss or trauma in the setting of growing families before—in their families of origin. "These men may have felt pushed aside by a new child in the family or unloved by their own mothers. The idea of living in another growing family is untenable to them, at a deep, emotional, usually unconscious level.
More information about Dr. Ablow, author of Inside the Mind of Scott Peterson and board certified in adult, adolescent and forensic psychiatry: Treatment For Depression
AUGUST 17, 2018: Man Accused of Slaying Pregnant Wife & Kids Is 'Scott Peterson, Just Less Charismatic': Profiler
“He has an incredibly large ego,” says
Dale Yeager, a criminal analyst and forensic profiler who is unconnected with the case, adding, “He really comes off as sociopathic. That doesn’t mean he is mentally ill, just that he has a personality defect.”
AUGUST 16, 2018: Inside the Troubling Pattern of Pregnant Women Being Killed by Loved Ones
Psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere spoke to Inside Edition what leads men to commit these heinous crimes.
"What we typically see is in killing their child or children, killing the wife, killing the family, these are individuals who feel that this is an act of desperation – this is something they must do in order to go on with their lives," he said.
AUGUST 16, 2018: Before Chris Watts was facing murder charges, he spoke to 9NEWS about his wife and daughters – Shanann, Bella and Celeste – who were considered missing at the time. We sat down with
forensic psychologist Dr. Max Wachtel, who testifies often in criminal cases, to get his opinion of the interview.
