Aug. 21 (UPI) -- A Colorado man accused of killing his pregnant wife and two daughters told investigators he attacked his wife because she had strangled the young girls.
The details of what Chris Watts told police were outlined in an arrest affidavit unsealed Monday.
The affidavit was made public after prosecutors charged Watts with nine felony counts in the deaths of Shanann Watts, 34, and daughters Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. They include three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of murder of a victim under 12 by person in position of trust, one count of unlawful termination of pregnancy in the first degree and three counts of tampering with a body.
Watts was arrested last week after telling police and news media for two days he didn't know what happened to his wife and girls.
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Police said a two-day investigation found Watts was having an affair with a co-worker at Andarko Petroleum, which he previously denied to police. Watts was fired last week on the day he was arrested.
Authorities said before he confessed last week, Watts had asked to speak with his father. That was the point they say he told police about the fight with his wife.
Watts told investigators he'd asked his wife for a separation Monday. A short time later, he said he saw Bella "sprawled" out on her bed and Shanann choking Celeste. He told police he then flew into a rage and strangled his wife, loaded the bodies into his work truck and and disposed of them at his work site.
His version of events followed a request from defense attorney James Merson for DNA samples from all three to determine the causes of death. The court allowed for a pathologist to take some DNA swabs from the children.
Watts was due in court to face the charges Tuesday.
