RAW: DA addresses Chris Watts' guilty plea in the murder of his pregnant wife, two young daughters

A plea deal has been reached in the case of Chris Watts, the Frederick man accused of killing his pregnant wife and two young daughters earlier this year.

During a court appearance on Tuesday afternoon, Watts pleaded guilty to all nine counts relating to the August murder of his wife Shanann Watts and daughters Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3.

Watts had claimed that he killed his pregnant wife in “a rage” after he realized that she had strangled their two daughters – a shocking assertion outlined in court documents.

But Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke made it clear he didn’t believe Watts, charging the man with multiple felony counts alleging that he was the one who killed his wife of nearly six years.

Rourke said Tuesday's plea deal with Chris Watts was several weeks in the making, and came after he traveled to North Carolina to meet with Shanann Watts’ family to get their input.

Rourke also said he advised Shanann Watts’ family that it was questionable Chris Watts would ever be executed even if the death penalty was sought.

Watts originally faced the death penalty or life in prison without parole. Under the plea deal, the death penalty was eliminated from consideration. Watts now faces a minimum of four life sentences with no possibility of parole.

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