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Affidavit: Investigators Learn Of Affair; Chris Claims Shanann Strangled 1 Child

FREDERICK, Colo. (CBS4) - An affidavit released Monday afternoon details how investigators started the investigation into Shanann, Bella and Celeste Watts' deaths. That document states Shanann came home at around 1:50 a.m. on Monday morning from a work trip in Arizona. She was dropped off at her home in Frederick by her friend, Nicole Utoft.

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(credit: CBS)

It wasn't until later that afternoon, Utoft called 911 after Shanann had not returned any calls or texts and missed a doctor's appointment. She then called Chris, Shanann's husband, who came to the home and allowed an officer in to investigate.

They found that Shanann nor the couple's daughters were home.

Chris Watts Shanann Watts
(credit: CBS)

Chris told that officer he woke up and had an emotional conversation with Shanann about separating. He says he backed up his truck into the garage and loaded it with his tools at around 5:27 a.m. and headed to work in Hudson.

That sequence of events was caught on surveillance video from a neighbor's home, documents state.

After two days of investigating, detectives learned Chris was having an active affair with a co-worker which he denied in earlier interviews.

Later, Chris asked to speak with his father and would tell the truth after he did so. Chris told investigators, according to the documents, before leaving for work, he walked back upstairs and saw Bella "sprawled" in her bed, and Shanann strangling Celeste all via a baby monitor.

Chris Watts Shanann Watts
Chris Watts (credit: Weld County/CBS)

Chris then told investigators he went into a fit of rage and strangled Shanann. Documents state he confessed to taking their bodies to an oil work site.

The body of Shanann was found buried in a shallow grave near an oil tank where the bodies of her daughters were found on Anadarko Petroleum property.

Chris was formally charged Monday afternoon with nine felony counts; three counts of murder, two counts of murder of a victim under the age of 12 by a person in a position of trust, one count of unlawful termination of a pregnancy, and three counts of tampering with a corpse.

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