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Five disturbing details missing from Netflix's Chris Watts murder documentaryNetflix documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door tells the real-life story of how one man brutally

murdered his wife and children, before dumping their bodies in the most callous way. However, some key details were omittedTVSanjeeta Bains Features Writer 14:58, 01 Jun 2025Updated 15:41,

01 Jun 2025Triple murderer Chris Watts with wife Shanann and daughters Bella, four, and Celeste, three(Image: Supplied) Netflix is known for its regularly updated stream of gripping and

shocking true crime content, but one documentary remains one of the most horrifying.

Viewers were left so deeply disturbed by Netflix documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door, they were ‘sick to their stomach’ when it was first added to the streaming platform. The

show told the story of a father who brutally murdered his pregnant wife and children.

‌ On August 13, 2018, Chris Watts, 35, strangled his pregnant wife, Shanann Watts, 34, to death and then killed his two daughters, Bella, four, and Celeste, three, in Colorado, where the

family lived. Shanann's body was found on property owned by Anadarko Petroleum, one of the US's largest oil and gas drillers in Colorado, where Watts worked as an operator. Investigators

found the bodies of Bella and Celeste nearby in an oil tank.

‌ Watts pleaded guilty to nine charges, including murder and the unlawful termination of a pregnancy. He is currently serving a life sentence without parole in Wisconsin.

READ MORE: Two Brits killed in Costa del Sol shooting named as infamous Scottish gangstersChris Watts is serving a life sentence after he murdered his wife and their two young daughters

(Image: RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via AP, Pool, File) The Netflix documentary, which was aired in 2020, followed the tragic turn of events. From showing how Chris and Shannan met and began

their romance to the aftermath of her and their daughters’ murder, the documentary also used real-life footage to bring Watts’ crimes to life.

Article continues below As seen on the doc, he eventually confessed to the triple murder, but some details from the story were omitted. Here, the Mirror looks at the five chilling details

that were missing from the documentary, as reported by US news site VT.co.

1. 'Evil' mother-in-law Shannan isn't thought to have had a good relationship with Chris Watts' parents and branded her mother-in-law, Cindy Watts, "evil". She believed Cindy endangered

their youngest daughter, Celeste, by serving her ice cream with peanut chips, despite her severe nut allergy, Daily Mail reported.

“You should call your dad and tell him you did not appreciate your mom putting your daughter at risk today,” she told her husband in a furious message. “She’s evil and willing to risk your

daughter’s life just to get under my skin.”

‌ Tensions escalated to the point where Watts' parents reportedly blocked Shanann on Facebook and skipped Celeste’s birthday party entirely. They hadn’t even attended their son's wedding.

As the doc showed, devastated Cindy vowed in court to continue to support her son despite his despicable crimes, which included the deaths of his young daughters.

Chris Watts' mistress was searching for wedding dresses a week before murders(Image: Frederick Police Department)‌2. Marriage obsession American Murder: The Family Next Door depicted Watts

as having an affair with coworker Nichol Kessinger, but it didn’t reveal that the illicit romance was a full-blown relationship and Kessinger had hopes of marrying Watts, reports Daily Mail.

Just nine days before the murders, on August 4, 2018, Kessinger searched Google for over two hours, looking at wedding dresses. She also browsed topics related to “marrying your mistress,”

according to Business Insider.

After discovering Watts had lied to her, Kessinger is said to have later filed to change her name in Jefferson County, Colorado.

‌3. Alleged affairs Amanda McMahon claimed she had a one-night stand with Watts in March 2018 after meeting him on Tinder. “It got really fast and aggressive,” she said of the encounter.

She told the police that she had to physically fight Watts off her after he turned violent, putting his hands around her throat and trying to initiate anal sex despite her reluctance. He

also reportedly revealed details of his "rape fantasy" to her in extreme detail.

And a few months after the murders, The Mirror spoke to the gay escort Trent Bolte, who claimed he had a 10-month affair with Watts in 2018. However, Watts denied any involvement. “I’ve

never been with a guy,” he told police.

‌Chris with murdered daughters Bella and Celeste(Image: Instagram)4. Female prison visitor According to an “Inmate Visitation History” document dated January 6, 2020, a woman named Anna

Nowak was approved to see Watts and made 31 visits between March and December 2019.

The document shows that she was once turned away after exceeding the maximum visits for a single day.

Article continues below5. Plans for romantic getaway The documentary hinted at marriage troubles - using Shanann's own text messages, but she also made serious efforts to save the

relationship - because she loved her husband and she didn't want a broken home for her two daughters who doted on their father,

The Daily Mail reported that the unsuspecting spouse was looking for travel deals on Groupon and had also arranged childcare for Bella and Celeste so she and her future killer could holiday

together.

To the outside world, the Watts looked like any family next door - a loving couple and two adorable children living a happy, normal life together. But behind closed doors, it was a very

different and horrifying story.