New details have emerged regarding the disturbing final days of Shanann Watts and her two young daughters, Bella and Celeste, before their tragic murders in August 2018. Newly examined investigative documents shed light on Chris Watts’s clandestine activities, including unsettling sexual encounters and a series of deeply troubling internet searches conducted in the weeks leading up to and immediately following the family’s demise.

A Marriage in Crisis, Unopened Hopes

In the desperate final days of their marriage, Shanann Watts, 34, purchased a copy of the book ‘Hold Me Tight,’ a guide for couples seeking to deepen their connection. This act of hope was a stark contrast to the reality of their fractured relationship. For weeks, Shanann had been sending anguished messages to her husband, Chris Watts, 33, pleading for affection and a return to their former closeness. The unopened book, still sealed in its Amazon packaging, was discovered by police in the garage days after Shanann, Bella, and Celeste were found dead. Their unborn son, Nico, never had the chance to be born.

Chris Watts murdered his pregnant wife and their daughters in the early hours of August 13, 2018, before concealing their bodies at a remote oil field in Colorado. He later publicly feigned distress, claiming Shanann had vanished with their children after an argument. Despite his public persona, he was aware of their fate all along. Watts was arrested two days later and subsequently confessed to the murders. He is currently serving a life sentence.

Unseen Encounters and Disturbing Fantasies

While Chris Watts’s affair with co-worker Nichol Kessinger became a widely known aspect of the case, investigative files reveal the account of another woman who claims to have had a disturbing sexual encounter with Watts. This woman, identified as Amanda McMahon, stated she met Watts on Tinder in early 2018. They arranged to meet, and after a brief conversation where Watts claimed to be separated from his children’s mother, they went to McMahon’s home.

McMahon described the encounter as unsettling, detailing that Watts pulled her hair and wrapped his arms around her neck. She characterized the experience as a ‘rape fantasy’ and stated she had to push him away. Although she felt humiliated by the encounter, she did not initially fear for her safety, describing it as ‘fast and furious.’ McMahon, a barber, was certain the man was Watts, accurately describing his tattoos and workplace, but could not provide sufficient confidence for a court testimony. Watts later denied any involvement with McMahon, maintaining Kessinger was his sole extramarital partner.

Whispers of Another Woman and Digital Footprints

Six days after the murders, an anonymous tipster sent a series of emails to authorities, alleging another potential affair. The sender named Heidi Ferris and claimed Ferris had spoken of an on-and-off relationship with a married man named Chris who had two children. The tipster suggested communication occurred through a hidden calculator-style application on his phone. While the sender’s identity and the confirmation of an affair remain unestablished, the tip did accurately point to Watts possessing such an application on his phone, which indeed contained intimate material.

The Affair with Nichol Kessinger and Troubling Searches

During the period Shanann and the girls were visiting family in North Carolina, Chris Watts was actively engaged in a secret relationship with Nichol Kessinger. Shanann, sensing a growing distance, expressed her concerns in text messages. Watts’s responses were dismissive, offering vague promises to ‘fix this.’

Investigative files suggest Kessinger may not have been Watts’s only infidelity. Screenshots provided to police showed Shanann confiding in a friend about Chris’s changed demeanor. The discovery of explicit photos and videos between Watts and Kessinger on his phone, accessed via the hidden calculator app, provided further evidence of their relationship.

Kessinger’s internet search history offers a disturbing glimpse into her mindset. On July 24, she searched for ‘Man I’m having affair with says he will leave his wife.’ Shortly after midnight on August 4, she spent hours browsing for wedding dresses. Four days later, while Shanann expressed her marital frustrations, Kessinger researched ‘marrying your mistress.’ Her searches also included detailed inquiries into preparing for anal sex and viewing pornography.

A particularly chilling discovery was Kessinger’s internet search for ‘Shanann Watts’ on September 1, 2017, nearly a year before the murders and months before she claimed her relationship with Watts began. She searched Shanann’s name again on the morning after the family’s disappearance. Later that afternoon, Kessinger searched for ‘Can cops trace text messages’ and ‘How long do phone companies keep text messages,’ with investigators noting these entries had been deleted.

Watts’s Actions Post-Murders

Following the murders, Watts’s digital activity revealed a disturbing detachment. He searched for the lyrics to Metallica’s ‘Battery,’ which includes the line ‘Cannot kill the family.’ He also searched for hotels in Aspen and browsed Groupon, the destination Shanann had chosen for a hopeful romantic getaway. Neighbor David Colon recalled finding Watts meticulously cleaning his house on the evening of August 13. The following day, with his family officially missing, Watts confirmed his participation in a fantasy football league.

Watts confessed to strangling Shanann and smothering his daughters. In November 2018, he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of first-degree murder and other charges, receiving five consecutive life sentences. Kessinger, who was never implicated in the crimes, later researched Amber Frey, the mistress of convicted wife-killer Scott Peterson, seemingly to understand the public reaction and potential outcomes for those involved in similar high-profile cases. She has since withdrawn from public view.