CHRIS WATTS REPORTEDLY SEEKS TO MARRY AGAIN FROM WISCONSIN PRISON — EIGHT YEARS AFTER MURDERING HIS FAMILY

WAUPUN, WISCONSIN — Eight years after Chris Watts murdered his pregnant wife and their two young daughters in a case that horrified the nation, the convicted killer is reportedly planning to marry again while serving multiple life sentences behind bars.

Watts, 41, is incarcerated at Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin, where he remains imprisoned without the possibility of parole.

According to reports cited by FOX 11 and other outlets, Watts has applied to marry Lizzie Henderson, a 39-year-old woman who reportedly began communicating with him as a prison pen pal. Henderson has since moved from Ohio to Wisconsin to be closer to him.

The reported relationship has triggered renewed public outrage because of the horrific circumstances surrounding Watts’ conviction.

THE 2018 MURDERS THAT SHOCKED AMERICA

In August 2018, Watts’ pregnant wife, Shanann Watts, and their daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, disappeared from their home in Frederick, Colorado.

Watts initially appeared publicly as a concerned husband and father, appealing for his family’s safe return.

Investigators soon discovered that the disappearance was far more sinister.

Watts ultimately confessed to killing Shanann and their daughters.

Shanann was 15 weeks pregnant at the time with their unborn son, whom the family planned to name Nico.

Watts later pleaded guilty to multiple counts of first-degree murder, unlawful termination of a pregnancy and tampering with deceased human bodies.

He was sentenced to five life sentences without the possibility of parole, along with an additional 84 years.

NOW, A REPORTED NEW RELATIONSHIP

Years into his imprisonment, Watts has continued receiving correspondence from women outside prison.

His reported relationship with Henderson has now gone considerably further.

According to reports, the pair have applied to marry within the Wisconsin prison system.

Henderson has reportedly visited Watts numerous times and has also applied for a confidential name change, reportedly seeking to use the surname Watts.

Henderson has confirmed that the two are in a relationship but has largely declined to publicly explain the reasons behind it.

HER FAMILY REPORTEDLY OBJECTS

The relationship has not been universally welcomed.

Reports indicate that members of Henderson’s family have expressed serious concerns about her decision to become involved with Watts.

The controversy has intensified because of the nature of Watts’ crimes and the fact that he will spend the remainder of his life behind bars.

For many observers, the relationship raises an unsettling question:

What draws someone to a convicted family killer serving multiple life sentences?

There is no single answer, and Henderson’s personal motivations are ultimately her own.

WATTS’ LIFE BEHIND BARS

Since being transferred out of Colorado because of security concerns, Watts has been held in Wisconsin.

He has reportedly maintained correspondence with women who contact him from outside prison, a phenomenon that has followed him since his crimes became internationally known.

His case received renewed attention following the Netflix documentary “American Murder: The Family Next Door,” which revisited the disappearance and murders of the Watts family.

The continued fascination surrounding Watts has also generated criticism from victim advocates and people who believe attention should remain focused on Shanann, Bella and Celeste rather than the man who killed them.

A MARRIAGE WOULD NOT CHANGE HIS SENTENCE

Even if the reported marriage takes place, it would not alter Watts’ criminal sentence.

He remains sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

There is no indication that marriage would provide him with any path toward release.

Instead, the reported union would take place entirely within the context of his life behind bars.

THE FAMILY HE DESTROYED

Shanann was 34 when she was killed.

Bella was 4.

Celeste was 3.

And their unborn son never had the chance to be born.

Eight years later, the story continues to generate intense public reaction—not because Watts has any prospect of freedom, but because his ability to form a new relationship while imprisoned has reopened memories of the family he destroyed.

For those who followed the case, the reported engagement is another extraordinary chapter in one of America’s most notorious family-murder cases.

Chris Watts will remain behind bars for the rest of his life.

But the controversy surrounding him—and the lives of Shanann, Bella, Celeste and Nico—continues to capture public attention.

This article is based on current media reports. The reported marriage application and relationship have not been presented here as proof that a marriage has already been legally completed. Watts remains incarcerated under his existing life sentences