Chris Watts, 33, allegedly admitted Wednesday to killing his wife and children.
The pregnant Colorado mother who was allegedly killed by her husband had confided to friends that her marriage was in tatters.
Chris Watts, 33, allegedly admitted Wednesday to killing his wife, 34-year-old Shanann, and daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. Watts’ wife was 15 weeks pregnant at the time.
Friends of Shanann said she had feared her husband was being unfaithful.
"It came to her mind that possibly he could be cheating," Amanda Thayer told CBS News.
Ashley Bell said she couldn't believe it when Watts was arrested for the family's murders.
"I kept telling myself, 'No, no, no. He wouldn't do anything to her,'" she said.
Online, Shanann gushed about her relationship with Watts, calling him "the best dad" she could ask for.
But privately, she was worried, her friends said. The couple also faced financial struggles — public records show they had filed for bankruptcy in 2015.
Shanann and her daughters had been missing since Monday from their Frederick home. On Tuesday, Watts gave an emotional interview, pleading for his family's safe return.
“I hope she is somewhere safe right now with the kids,” Watts told KMGH-TV. “If someone has them and they are not safe, I want them back right now….”
Asked if he had argued with his wife before her disappearance, he cryptically replied, "We had an emotional conversation," and declined to elaborate further.
Now, Watts is being held in Weld County Jail, where he was booked on three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of tampering with physical evidence.
When he appeared in court on Thursday, he showed no emotion. He has not yet entered a plea.
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