But behind closed doors, a nightmare was unfolding that would shock the world.

In August 2018, Chris Watts, then 35, stood before news cameras pleading for help to find his missing pregnant wife Shanann and their daughters Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3.

But the desperate appeal soon turned into a horrific revelation: Watts had brutally murdered his entire family.

Warning: the following article contains graphic material.

For those who knew them, the family looked happy and complete.

Yet, Watts strangled Shanann at their home, then smothered Bella and Celeste—children who begged for their lives.

It later emerged Watts had been having an affair with co-worker Nichol Kessinger, who reportedly cut ties with him after learning of his crimes. Kessinger changed her name and left Colorado. But the world’s attention remained fixed on the grisly truth: Watts had killed the wife and children he was supposed to protect.

The details of the crime sent shockwaves across the globe. Authorities found Shanann buried in a shallow grave nearby, while Bella and Celeste’s bodies were hidden in an oil tank where Watts worked.

Confronted him

Shanann’s