EIGHT YEARS AFTER MURDERING HIS FAMILY, CHRIS WATTS REPORTEDLY SEEKS TO MARRY BEHIND BARS
EIGHT YEARS AFTER MURDERING HIS FAMILY, CHRIS WATTS REPORTEDLY SEEKS TO MARRY BEHIND BARS
Eight years after the murders that shocked the nation, Chris Watts is reportedly seeking to marry a woman he met after being sent to prison.
Watts, 41, is serving multiple life sentences without parole for the 2018 murders of his pregnant wife, Shanann Watts, and their daughters, Bella and Celeste.
Now, reports say he and Lizzie Henderson, 39, have applied to marry through the Wisconsin prison system.
WHO IS LIZZIE HENDERSON?
Henderson is a former realtor from Ohio who reportedly moved to Wisconsin to be closer to the prison where Watts is incarcerated.
PEOPLE reports that she has visited Watts numerous times and has publicly acknowledged their relationship.
She has also reportedly pursued a confidential legal name change, with reports indicating she may use the surname Watts.
A WEDDING BEHIND PRISON WALLS?
The reported application does not mean the couple is already married.
Approval from the prison system is still required, meaning the relationship has reached a significant legal step but a wedding has not been confirmed.
That distinction is important as social media discussion around the case continues to grow.
THE HISTORY BEHIND THE HEADLINES
In August 2018, Watts killed Shanann, who was pregnant with their unborn son, and their two daughters.
He initially portrayed himself as a worried husband while his family was missing.
He later confessed to the killings and pleaded guilty, receiving multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole.
He remains incarcerated at Dodge Correctional Institution in Wisconsin.
WHY IS THIS GETTING SO MUCH ATTENTION?
Watts has continued to receive correspondence from women since his imprisonment.
His case became even more widely known after the release of the Netflix documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door, which generated renewed public fascination with the murders and Watts’ life behind bars.
Now, the reported marriage application has created another wave of questions.
How can someone serving life for murdering his own family build a new romantic relationship — and potentially marry?
WHAT IS ACTUALLY CONFIRMED?
Watts remains imprisoned on multiple life sentences.
He is not eligible for parole.
He and Henderson are reportedly seeking permission to marry.
Henderson has reportedly pursued a confidential name change.
There is no confirmation that the wedding has already taken place.
EIGHT YEARS LATER
For Shanann’s family and everyone who remembers Bella and Celeste, the idea of Watts beginning another chapter of his personal life is understandably difficult to comprehend.
But legally, his reported relationship does not change the sentences imposed for the 2018 murders.
It simply adds another extraordinary chapter to a case that continues to attract intense public attention.
A REPORTED PRISON MARRIAGE APPLICATION.
MULTIPLE LIFE SENTENCES WITHOUT PAROLE.
A FAMILY WHO CAN NEVER BE BROUGHT BACK.
AND A RELATIONSHIP THAT HAS LEFT MANY PEOPLE ASKING HOW THIS IS POSSIBLE.
Eight years after the Watts family murders, Chris Watts may be preparing for a new chapter — but the lives lost in 2018 remain at the center of the story.
Independent commentary based on publicly reported information. The reported marriage remains subject to prison-system approval.
