CHRIS WATTS SEEKS MARRIAGE BEHIND BARS — EIGHT YEARS AFTER MURDERING HIS PREGNANT WIFE AND DAUGHTERS
CHRIS WATTS SEEKS MARRIAGE BEHIND BARS — EIGHT YEARS AFTER MURDERING HIS PREGNANT WIFE AND DAUGHTERS
Eight years after the murders that shocked America, Chris Watts is reportedly seeking to marry a new woman while serving multiple life sentences behind bars.
Watts, 41, is incarcerated at Dodge Correctional Institution in Wisconsin, where he is serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for the 2018 murders of his pregnant wife, Shanann Watts, and their daughters, Bella and Celeste.
HE HAS APPLIED — BUT THE MARRIAGE IS NOT YET OFFICIAL
The woman is reportedly Lizzie Henderson, a 39-year-old former realtor from Ohio.
According to recent reports, the pair have submitted a request to marry through the Wisconsin prison system.
Henderson has also reportedly applied for a confidential legal name change, while relatives say she has begun using the surname “Watts.”
But there is an important distinction:
They have reportedly applied to marry. The marriage itself has not been officially approved.
Wisconsin prisoners must meet specific requirements before a marriage can be authorized by prison officials.
SHE MOVED CLOSER TO HIM
Reports say Henderson relocated from Ohio to Wisconsin to be closer to Watts.
She has reportedly visited him 23 times over a 15-month period, with the visits taking place at the institution where he is incarcerated.
The relationship has attracted intense public reaction because Watts remains imprisoned for murdering his own family.
THE HISTORY BEHIND THE HEADLINES
In August 2018, Shanann Watts was 15 weeks pregnant when Chris Watts killed her and their two daughters.
He initially portrayed himself publicly as a desperate father searching for his missing family.
He later confessed to the murders and pleaded guilty, receiving multiple life sentences without parole.
Now, years later, he is reportedly attempting to begin a new chapter of his personal life — from inside prison.
HE IS NOT GETTING OUT
Whatever happens with the marriage request, it will not change Watts’ sentence.
He remains incarcerated for life.
Reports about his prison life also indicate that he has spent years in a highly restricted environment, including protective custody because of the danger posed by other inmates.
That makes the reported relationship even more striking.
A woman has reportedly chosen to build a relationship with a man who will remain behind prison walls for the rest of his life.
WHY WOULD SOMEONE CHOOSE THIS?
That question has dominated much of the reaction to the story.
Henderson has acknowledged the seriousness of Watts’ crimes while maintaining that her relationship with him is personal.
For the families and friends of Shanann, Bella and Celeste, however, the idea of Watts beginning a new romantic life is likely to be viewed through the unbearable reality of what happened in 2018.
A MARRIAGE REQUEST HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.
WATTS REMAINS BEHIND BARS FOR LIFE.
HIS VICTIMS WERE HIS PREGNANT WIFE AND TWO YOUNG DAUGHTERS. AND HIS REPORTED NEW RELATIONSHIP IS NOW ATTRACTING WORLDWIDE ATTENTION.
The prison marriage is not yet official. But the application has opened a new and deeply controversial chapter in the Chris Watts story.
Independent commentary based on publicly reported information. The reported marriage application has not been presented as an officially approved marriage.
