Watts is under close watch protocol at Weld County Jail, during which he must be checked on every 10 to 15 minutes to ensure his well-being.
Chris Watts, the Colorado man accused of killing his pregnant wife and two young daughters, has been placed under suicide watch as he awaits trial, according to reports.
Watts, 33, is under close watch protocol at Weld County Jail, during which he must be checked on every 10 to 15 minutes to ensure his well-being, HLN’s Crime & Justice with Ashleigh Banfield reported.
He spends 23 hours a day in his cell, alone, and is not allowed access to weights, reading material, television or commissary privileges, HLN reported.
Guards reportedly must physically search Watts several times per day to ensure he is not hiding anything that he could use to harm himself. For the one hour he is allowed to leave his cell, Watts is escorted to a small, unoccupied room where he can shower and make phone calls to his family or legal counsel.
Watts was arrested Aug. 15 in the killings of his wife Shanann, 34, and their daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste.
The children’s bodies were found inside oil tanks shortly after Shanann’s body was discovered in a shallow grave, all on the property of Watts’ former employer Anadarko Petroleum. Shanann was 15 weeks pregnant at the time of her death.
Police have alleged that Watts was having an affair with a co-worker, which he had denied.
Watts allegedly “said he would tell the truth after speaking with his dad,” an arrest affidavit said.
After conferring with his father, Watts told police he strangled his wife after watching her kill their youngest child, Celeste, in response to his saying he wanted to separate, the affidavit said.
He said their oldest daughter, Bella, had already been killed and that he “went into a rage” when he realized what his wife has done.
Watts faces three counts of first-degree murder; two counts of first-degree murder for causing the death of a person under the age of 12 while being in a position of trust; one count of unlawful termination of a pregnancy and three counts of tampering with a deceased body.
He has not yet entered a plea.
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