Found Deceased CO - Shanann Watts (34), Celeste"Cece" (3) and Bella (4), Frederick, 13 Aug 2018 *Arrest* #35

[DexterMorgan]

I wonder why he put each child in a separate container. It was a lot of extra work. Or for that matter, put them in the oil tanks at all. He dumped SW's body, why not just leave the kids there as well?

I don't think that he planned out the disposal very well. Seems disorganized to me. I think that he fantasized about killing his family, and something set him off, who knows what...and the reality of the actual follow through was extremely sloppy, and rather frantic.

He forgot which tank the first child went in. He really had good intentions though. Just kidding.

He should have buried them with SW imo.

 

[MerryB]

It most certainly did change. "I have no inclination where my family is.", "She had a play date with a vague person who I can't name." And "I last saw her in bed and the girls sleeping on the monitor when I left for work at 5:27 am" is far different from:

"My wife strangled my kids. So then I strangled her, loaded up the bodies and disposed of them."

His story indeed changed.

Is that what was being referenced? The poster said that he originally admitted to killing his wife & children then changed his story.

I still believe the original reports of his admitting he killed all of them was what he actually said, and the only mistake was that it was reported by LE and a family member before the actual confession was signed or the final affidavit was written. And before he changed his story after speaking to his father. Jmo

 

[dixiegirl1035]

I want to say, "Oh don't give te defense any ideas." But he's wedded to whatever he said in the interrogation which was undoubtedly recorded.

Yet Jodi Arias as Casey Anthony both did not...

 

[PommyMommy]

Yes, there is a big difference between confessing to acts and finally admitting to what LE presented to him that they knew, and evidence they had found. He had painted himself into a corner by then and there was no choice but to acknowledge what they charged him with. It was just time to chan

Actually he changed his story a few times, according to every news report I have read. Even the affidavit acknowledged that he changed his story.

ge stories again...

At least four different stories...

MONDAY
CW told Officer Coonrod that he woke up around 5:00 AM and talked to SW about separation. He also said SW told him she was going to a friend's house later that day with their two children but didn't know the friend's name.

CW told Det. Baumhover that approximately 4:00 AM he informed Shanann he wanted to go through with a separation. He said Shanann told him she was going to a friend's house that day.

TUESDAY
He said in one of the porch interviews, "I saw her when she got in but it was really quick, just because it was 2 a.m."

WEDNESDAY
CW stated after he told Shanann he wanted a separation he walked downstairs for a moment and then returned to his bedroom to speak with Shanann again. While in the bedroom, via baby monitor located on Shanann's night stand, he observed Bella "sprawled" out on her bed and blue and Shanann actively strangling Celeste. CW said he went into a rage and ultimately strangled Shanann to death. CW said he loaded all three bodies onto the back seat of his work truck and took them to an oil work site identified as CERVI 319 with GPS coordinates 40.21624374, -104.36667. CW said he buried Shanann near two oil tanks and dumped the girls inside the oils tanks.

MOO

 

[pocketaccent]

What if he tightly rolled each child up in a sheet or plastic bag? Would that work to get a body through the hole? I don't think we know if the children were bound or wrapped in anything, do we? We're just assuming they were free floating in the oil.

I'm thinking if he raised their arms all the way up, their shoulders can narrow in size to be able to fit into the 8 inch opening.

 

[gitana1]

I wonder why he put each child in a separate container. It was a lot of extra work. Or for that matter, put them in the oil tanks at all. He dumped SW's body, why not just leave the kids there as well?

I don't think that he planned out the disposal very well. Seems disorganized to me. I think that he fantasized about killing his family, and something set him off, who knows what...and the reality of the actual follow through was extremely sloppy, and rather frantic.

Could it be because putting two bodies in one tank would cause the levels to rise such that a sensor might go off? They're small but maybe?

 

[dixiegirl1035]

What if he tightly rolled each child up in a sheet or plastic bag? Would that work to get a body through the hole? I don't think we know if the children were bound or wrapped in anything, do we? We're just assuming they were free floating in the oil.

I recall during the OJ case, I cringed I cringed I cringed when they took out the gloves which had been out in the elements. Because everybody that plays golf, knows that leather gloves will shrink. And it would not have been a good thing to do in the case.

And I cringed even more knowing that leather on top of a latex glove would catch and it would not go on smoothly. It was just the worst thing ever to have happened in a case.moo.

I'm thinking the same thing with the body being in something surrounding them. I don't think so. But just my opinion.

 

[mtnlites]

You would have to pass the Bar Exam in the state in which you were to practice.

Not all states require that. At least 22 states, maybe more, have reciprocity and lawyers don't don't have to pass that states' bar exam to practice. You can take the Multi State Bar Exam.

 

[gitana1]

He did not confess to killing the children and then change is story to state he only killed his wife.

I agree with you there.

 

[liltexans]

It’s certainly possible, and we do not know where the bag or bags were found, other than they were at the dump site.

My guess is that had he rolled the kids in trash bags, they would have torn from the friction of sliding them through the hole.

My thinking is that because this whole thing seemed sloppy and rushed, he hadn’t thought that far ahead.

But as you say, we don’t know if the kids were “free floating” or bound/covered, so anything is possible I suppose.

That's a good point about a bag tearing. I didn't think of that. I was just trying to think of ways he could essentially get them into sort of a tube like shape to get them through the hole, but it's all speculation. No matter how he got the girls in the tanks, it's a gruesome image.

 

[gitana1]

I don't think we know that, he could have said that to someone else than LE, and changed it later when he found out that it would suit him better, legally, to only have killed her because she was killing the kids.

That's true too.

 

[gitana1]

Absolutely. And either way, it still wouldn't matter if he said SW locked the door on him, considering his behavior afterward of not asking for help/calling 911, and of concealing the bodies. No matter what he said, he's still toast, IMO. Jmo

Right. And no mention of a splintered door, holes in the door from him frantically trying to get in and save his baby, etc

 

[Mellowmelly]

I know this is morbid and I hope it doesn’t offend anyone, given the circumstances but I have been reading about the processes the body goes through after death and the part about rigor mortis is quite interesting and may explain how CW managed to, and I hate to say it, push his two little girls bodies through those tiny holes in the tanks.

Rigor Mortis and Other Postmortem Changes - burial, body, life, cause, time, person, human, Putrefaction

Many infant and child corpses will not exhibit perceptible rigor mortis. This decreased perceptible stiffness may be due to their smaller muscle mass.

Read more: Rigor Mortis and Other Postmortem Changes - burial, body, life, cause, time, person, human, Putrefaction

 

[gitana1]

What if he tightly rolled each child up in a sheet or plastic bag? Would that work to get a body through the hole? I don't think we know if the children were bound or wrapped in anything, do we? We're just assuming they were free floating in the oil.

There's been a lot of speculation about whether they were bagged. I would imagine he wouldn't want to see them at all after they were dead so yeah, he likely rolled them up on something. Probably their blankets though and then maybe it was plastic.

 

[nwmouse]

I'm thinking if he raised their arms all the way up, their shoulders can narrow in size to be able to fit into the 8 inch opening.

Unless rigor set in, then he'd likely have to break bones to cram them into that little opening.

 

[rainynights]

I wonder why he put each child in a separate container. It was a lot of extra work. Or for that matter, put them in the oil tanks at all. He dumped SW's body, why not just leave the kids there as well?

I don't think that he planned out the disposal very well. Seems disorganized to me. I think that he fantasized about killing his family, and something set him off, who knows what...and the reality of the actual follow through was extremely sloppy, and rather frantic.

I have these same questions. This MSM article seems to offer some sort of answer:

Several high-ranking sources close to the investigation told KMGH they believe Christopher Watts, 33, placed the bodies of his daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste, in the containers owned by his former employer, Anadarko Petroleum, to mask the smell of decomposition from passers-by.

As far as reasoning for putting them in separate tanks, I know it's been mentioned here before by some posters about the tanks potentially having sensors that may have been able to tell if the levels were raised above a certain limit. I do agree that it seemed to have required a lot of extra work, and all just speculation at this point. Jmo

 

[gitana1]

So I understand, could CW have refused to make any statements until after he had counsel and had his attorney present?

I'm totally ignorant about how this kind of thing works, fortunately!

Yes. He absolutely could have. But it appears he didn't. Thankfully.

 

[MsBetsy]

He did not confess to killing the children and then change is story to state he only killed his wife.

But we have no way of knowing that for sure. Since he lied about so many things, and changed his story about the timeframe, how can we be sure of anything that he said?

 

[Best of What's Around]

There's been a lot of speculation about whether they were bagged. I would imagine he wouldn't want to see them at all after they were dead so yeah, he likely rolled them up on something. Probably their blankets though and then maybe it was plastic.

That, and not want to be seen loading them in the truck, or if stopped for a traffic violation when in the back seat, etc. They were likely covered or wrapped in something for some period of time, IMO.

 

[katydid23]

I don't think we know that, he could have said that to someone else than LE, and changed it later when he found out that it would suit him better, legally, to only have killed her because she was killing the kids.

Yes. I have wondered if he said tearfully to a family member, ' I don't know, I can't even believe it, but I must have lost my mind, and killed them...' and maybe the family member said 'are you sure it was YOU that killed them?' ...