My Daddy Is a Hero — audiobook
Lena Derhally
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
2018 · Colorado
Shanann Watts & her daughters
Partners & family
Chris Watts killed his pregnant wife Shanann and their daughters Bella and Celeste in Colorado in 2018. He initially appeared in public appeals for their return. His guilty pleas and the discovery of the victims revealed that the disappearance story had concealed a family murder.
EXPLORE THE CASE
The Story
When2018
WhereColorado
In this collection32 resources
Start here.
Choose a book, screen story or audio episode from this case’s collection.
American Murder: The Family Next Door
Netflix
Explore this screen title and its source details before choosing a service.
Real Life Real Crime — The Watts Family (August 13, 2026)
Apple Podcasts
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
Where are they now?
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Nicknames & media names
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
EXPLORE THE CASE
Family Tree
The family relationships behind the story, gathered in one place.
Selected relationships only—not a complete genealogy. A family connection does not imply involvement in a crime.
FAMILY SNAPSHOT
Shanann Watts
Children
- Bella Watts
- Celeste Watts
Spouse / Former Spouse
- Chris Watts
Selected family relationships central to the case.
Sources & Further Reading
About These Family Trees
These original diagrams summarize relationships reported by the linked sources. Community genealogy sites can contain errors and are not proof of identity or parentage. Full trees or record images may require an account. We omit speculative relationships, private contact details and unrelated living descendants.
Sources reviewed September 15, 2026. Suggest a sourced correction.
EXPLORE THE CASE
Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Sara Foster · Substack
My complicated relationship with true crime, and the cost of bearing witness
A novelist reflects on watching coverage of the Watts family murders and the emotional costs of consuming true crime.
Outside CommentaryAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
Search this case on Amazon · paid linkSearch results may include unrelated titles. Check the author, edition, and case connection before purchasing.
Explore Reading & Streaming Options · Our case guides are free.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
Books
1 itemsLena Derhally
My Daddy Is a Hero — audiobook
Book-length account or personal perspective. This link provides bibliographic details; compare the author’s account with reporting and records.
BookAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkExplore this book
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
EXPLORE THE CASE
Movies & TV
Movies
1 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.
Lifetime · Television Dramatization
Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer (2020)
A scripted dramatization of the Watts case. This film uses actors to recreate events and is separate from documentary interviews, police footage and the court record. Check the broadcaster for current viewing access.
Fiction / DramatizationTitle & Source Information
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
TV & documentaries
2 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
Netflix
American Murder: The Family Next Door
Nonfiction screen coverage of this case. The linked page identifies the program or episode; playback, subscriptions, and regional availability vary.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkView on Netflix
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
ABC · 2018 catalog, Episode 51 · Listed air date 2018-12-07
20/20 — The Devil in Disguise
Includes coverage of Shanann Watts & her daughters.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
EXPLORE THE CASE
Audiobooks
Listen to a book connected to this story. Each edition below is matched to its author and audiobook source.
Audiobook
My Daddy is a Hero : How Chris Watts Went from Family Man to Family Killer
Audio edition verified at the linked source. The Amazon button is a title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed.
Edition checked 2026-10-12
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
EXPLORE THE CASE
Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
Lifetime · Television Dramatization
Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer (2020)
A scripted dramatization of the Watts case. This film uses actors to recreate events and is separate from documentary interviews, police footage and the court record. Check the broadcaster for current viewing access.
Fiction / DramatizationTitle & Source Information
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
EXPLORE THE CASE
Podcasts
Podcasts
15 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Apple Podcasts
Real Life Real Crime — The Watts Family (August 13, 2026)
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
True Crime Reality
Legally Brunette Presents: ‘Til Death Do Us Part - Shanann & Chris Watts
Podcast coverage of the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Released March 1, 2026. About 44 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Love Marry Kill
Shanann and Chris Watts - Part 1
Podcast coverage of the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Released January 2, 2023. About 64 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Like Mother Like Murder
022: Shanann Watts
Podcast coverage of the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Released February 28, 2023. About 90 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Real Life Real Crime
True Crime Time for August 14, 2026 | Chris Watts Confesses: The Murders of Shanann, Bella & CeCe (Part 2)
Podcast coverage of the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Released August 14, 2026. About 40 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Love Marry Kill
Shanann and Chris Watts - Part 2
Podcast coverage of the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Released January 9, 2023. About 91 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Show 9 more podcasts
Two Crime Besties
Episode 56 - Shanann & Chris Watts
Podcast coverage of the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Released August 4, 2025. About 114 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
The Stranger You Know
Episode 3 - Shanann Watts
Podcast coverage of the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Released January 7, 2022. About 25 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Too High For This
EP 1: The Murder of Shanann Watts
Podcast coverage of the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Released October 9, 2020. About 58 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Deadly Devotion
2 - The Illusion of Perfect - Shanann Watts
Podcast coverage of the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Released May 6, 2026. About 16 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Jay is 4 Justice Podcast
Video: Shanann Watts Lupus Journey Through Her Eyes | The Chris Watts Case | Epi 3
Podcast coverage of the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Released April 29, 2021. About 77 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
True Crime Exposed
Shanann, Bella, Cece, & Nico: Murdered By Family Annihilator Chris Watts, Part 1
Podcast coverage of the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Released February 2, 2022. About 56 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
True Crime Rocket Science
Now Shan'ann Watts Has 7 Days To Win Him Back
Podcast coverage of the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Released August 31, 2025. About 16 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Autopsy.
Shanann Watts
Podcast coverage of the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Released February 1, 2021. About 23 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
True Crime Rocket Science
Did Chris Watts Tell Nichol Kessinger He'd Leave Shan'ann For Her 3 Weeks Into Their Affair？
Podcast coverage of the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Released August 31, 2025. About 14 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Where would you start?
Choose your reading route, then share a question with your community.
Your choice stays on this page. No vote is submitted or counted.
Talk about sources and storytelling with care for the people affected. A documentary, a book and a court record serve different purposes.
EXPLORE THE CASE
News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
1 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
Google Books · Catalog / Availability
The Perfect Father
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
View Catalog & Access Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
1 itemsTIME
Reporting on Shanann Watts & her daughters
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
JournalismAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Newspaper clippings
2 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
Fort Collins Coloradoan · 2018-11-07 · Page A3
Watts case timeline updated after the guilty pleas
A newspaper chronology traces the investigation through Watts’s guilty pleas.
The chronology quotes his earlier false account; it should not be taken as what happened.
Newspaper ReportingAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Read the original at Newspapers.com. Access and subscription requirements are set by the archive.
Open full clipping at Newspapers.comMore from the newspaper archive
Continue with these dated reports on Newspapers.com.
Fort Collins Coloradoan · 2018-08-22 · Page A4
Timeline follows the Watts investigation
Local reporting lays out the missing-person report, arrest, and charges.
Pre-plea coverage includes Watts’s false account about Shanann.
Read this article on Newspapers.comKeep following the newspaper trail.
Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.
Explore more on Newspapers.comNewspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.
Internet Archive
1 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · TV News Archive
20/20 : KGO : May 18, 2019 10:00pm-11:00pm PDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Shanann Watts, Chris Watts. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
Archive ResourceAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Court & Files
Court records & documents
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Guilty pleaArchive copy
Watts — written waiver and guilty plea
Preserved copy of the written waiver and guilty plea filed in Christopher Watts’s prosecution. This nine-page filing is part of the criminal case, not a documentary transcript.
- Court / agency
- Weld County District Court, Colorado
- Document date
- November 6, 2018
- Case / citation
- 2018CR2003
- Hosted by
- Foul Play case-file archive
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Roads Traveled
Roads Traveled
Open case map →Colorado. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.
Where this story happened
Colorado
Highlighted states show regional context, not exact addresses. Ontario and regions outside the contiguous U.S. are listed by name.
Explore the interactive case atlas →Boundaries: Natural Earth · public domain
Location research & source notes
Map sources checked September 14, 2026. 2 individual Odd Stops location pages matched this case.
See this case’s source review
- Odd Stops
- Location pages found · 2 location pages. Read the location summaries in our place guides; photographs appear where reuse rights are verified.
- MurderData
- No verified match found.
- ArcGIS essay
- Not included in this essay.
- Reddit map
- Reviewed as a general resource. Its coordinates and victim counts were not adopted as case evidence.
“No verified match” describes the accessible material found in this review, not proof that a source has never covered the case. MAP’s anonymous records were not individually matched to people.
See the full case checklist →Former Watts family home
Private property2825 Saratoga Trail, Frederick, Colorado
Shanann Watts was killed here in August 2018. Her daughters were also killed, but their deaths should not be assigned to this address.
Historical reference only. No tour or public entry has been verified; respect residents and do not contact occupants.
Explore This Place →Shanann Watts's Scottsdale dining location
Business · historical connection7014 East Camelback Road, Scottsdale, Arizona
Shanann dined at the Yard House during a work trip in August 2018. This is a biographical location, not a crime scene.
Current opening hours and historical-site access are not verified here. A business connection does not mean tours or special access are available.
Explore This Place →EXPLORE THE CASE
Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
7 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Nancy Grace
KILLER DAD CHRIS WATTS: "GENDER REVEAL PARTY MADE ME A KILLER”
Video from Nancy Grace covering the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Length: 50:31.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Bailey Sarian
Chris Watts - 2000 Page Discovery Murder, Mystery & Makeup | Bailey Sarian
Video from Bailey Sarian covering the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Length: 27:37.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Stephanie Harlowe
Coffee & Crime: Chris Watts- The Man Who Erased His Family and Still Plays the Victim
Video from Stephanie Harlowe covering the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Length: 1:50:55.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Law&Crime Network
The Family Massacre: The Chris Watts Story
Video from Law&Crime Network covering the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Length: 23:31.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
LMN
Chris Watts' Prison Pal Reveals CHILLING Details (S1, E4) | Cellmate Secrets | Full Episode | LMN
Full episode or film as labeled by the publisher from LMN covering the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Length: 42:12.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Netflix
American Murder: The Family Next Door | Official Trailer | Netflix
Trailer or preview from Netflix covering the Shanann Watts & her daughters case. Length: 2:06.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Show 1 more social media
Reddit · r/TrueCrime
Discussion: Has anyone else posted about the Shanann Watts & children revelations in Chris Watts's newly published letter?
Public community discussion connected to Shanann Watts & her daughters. Posts and comments are reader perspectives, not independently verified reporting.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)