“I mean, the kids are my life,” he said. “I mean, those smiles light up my life. And just, like, I mean, last night, when they usually eat dinner, it was like, I miss them. I miss telling them, ‘Hey, you gotta eat that or you’re not gonna get your dessert.’ I miss that. I miss them, you know, cuddled up on their couches. They have like a Minnie Mouse couch and Sofia couch that they cuddle up on and watch ‘Bubble Guppies’ or something. And to just, like, you know, I was …”<doc-sep>On social media, Chris and Shanann Watts were a smiling, picture-perfect couple from suburban Denver. They went on oceanfront vacations, cheered for the Pittsburgh Steelers and doted on their two young daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, while preparing their home for a third child — a boy they planned to name Niko. In an Instagram post from November, Shanann Watts gushed over her husband on their fifth anniversary: "Chris these have been the best years of my life! Our love just grows strong everyday! We have two beautiful little girls that call us mommy and daddy!" In May, she boasted on Facebook that "I love this man! He's my ROCK" — eliciting a response from a friend that "he is amazing! So glad you two found each other." But that facade of a loving husband and dutiful dad was shattered Thursday when Chris Watts, 33, was arrested in connection with the deaths of his 34-year-old wife and their children, who had been reported missing three days earlier. It was an unexpected turn from earlier interviews outside of his Frederick, Colorado, home, where Chris Watts pleaded for their safe return — at one point telling reporters that "I just want them home so bad." Chris and Shanann Watts with their two children, Bella and Celeste. Courtesy family The Colorado Bureau of Investigation said the mother and two girls were killed Monday in the home, and Shanann Watts' body was later discovered on the property of an oil and natural gas company that Chris Watts had worked for. Two other bodies believed to be her children were found nearby on Thursday afternoon. The coroner's office on Friday positively identified the remains as those of Shanann Watts and her two daughters, the town of Frederick said on Twitter. The causes of death are pending further tests. A motion filed by Watts' public defender on Friday suggests that the remains of the two children were in an oil well filled with crude oil for four days. The motion seeks DNA testing. A law enforcement source told NBC affiliate KUSA that Chris Watts confessed to the murders, although state investigators would not confirm that. The deadline to file charges against Watts is Monday, and he is expected to appear in court on Tuesday. In the meantime, friends and family are asking why he would allegedly harm his daughters and wife, who was 15 weeks pregnant, and are trying to piece together clues that would indicate whether he was capable of something so sinister. A bankruptcy filing from June 2015 reveals a family that was under financial pressure. In 2014, the couple made $90,000 — about $61,500 from Chris Watts' job at Anadarko Petroleum and the rest from Shanann's $18-an-hour job at a call center at a children's hospital. But they had about $70,000 worth of debt, mainly from student loans and retail purchases, in addition to their nearly $3,000 monthly mortgage payments, $600 in monthly car payments and $1,300 in other expenses. In their bankruptcy filing, the couple said they had two savings accounts with less than $10, and a joint account with less than $870. The couple, originally from North Carolina, left for Colorado after they were married in Charlotte in 2012. The man who bought their original home in Belmont, west of Charlotte, told The Associated Press that Shanann Watts was eager to sell and left behind property. Shanann Watts had recently returned to North Carolina for a visit with her family, and spoke with her parents' next-door neighbor. "She didn't give me an indication that there was anything wrong. She seemed pretty happy," the neighbor, Joe Beach, told the AP. Danell Search, who works with Shanann Watts' mother at a hair salon, said she saw the family on this latest trip, according to NBC affiliate WRAL. "She was one of those people, when she walked in the room it was just like sunshine," Search told the station. "Chris was very standoffish. He didn't really say anything. I said 'Hi' to him, and he kept his head down." "It's just heartbreaking and devastating for this to happen to such a good person," she added. "Such cute, good girls. They had a whole life ahead of them taken away unfairly." It's unclear how the Watts' financial fortunes may have improved — allowing them a cushy lifestyle in Colorado — but Shanann Watts flooded her social media pages with her venture working for Le-Vel, a marketing company that sells weight loss and health patches. The company encourages sellers to use Facebook and Instagram to share apparent success stories from customers. Shanann Watts and her husband regularly took pictures together wearing the patches, and posted a photo of a Lexus she said she was awarded for her work and getaways she was afforded. She called herself a "momtrepreneur." "All inclusive, no work, all fun vacations," she wrote recently about trips to the Dominican Republic, Mexico and San Diego. Friends of the Watts', Nick and Amanda Thayer, told NBC News that the couple was open about their bankruptcy, but never suggested they were still experiencing problems. "It was so long ago ... it was like (Shanann) would bring it up that we had to file bankruptcy, and all of that other stuff, but it kind of ended there," Amanda Thayer said. Whatever was going on behind the scenes, Chris Watts kept his guard up when he appeared in public Monday after reporting that his wife and daughters were missing. He told investigators he had an "emotional conversation" with Shanann before he left for work at around 5 a.m. Jon Buehler, a retired detective who investigated the murder of Laci Peterson, a pregnant California woman, in 2002, told "Today" on Friday that Chris Watts was unbelievable and "very flat" in his statements. "He's saying the right thing, but there's nothing convincing about it," Buehler said. "It's like an act he's putting on, but he's not a very good actor."<doc-sep>Via KMGH FREDERICK, Colorado -- While authorities try to piece together the investigation into why 33-year-old Christopher Watts allegedly killed his pregnant wife and two young daughters , more information is surfacing about what happened days before the killings.Frederick police said Shanann was dropped off at her home around 2 a.m. on Monday after returning from a work trip in Arizona.During an interview with KMGH-TV , Christopher said he last saw his wife around 5:15 a.m. Monday when he left home. He then said Shanann's friend stopped by around noon asking where she and the girls were.Police said the woman went to Shanann's after she missed a doctor's appointment and then reported the woman and her two daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste, missing.Officers went to the home for a welfare check around 1:40 p.m. Monday and confirmed that the three were missing, along with Shanann's phone, keys, and purse.The bodies believed to be the missing trio were found on the property of one of Colorado's largest oil and gas drillers - a previous employer of Christopher.Christopher was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of tampering with evidence.The family has strong ties to North Carolina. Shanann was from Moore County and attended Pinecrest High School in Southern Pines. Her family still lives in North Carolina.Christopher went to Pine Forest High School in Fayetteville and graduated in 2003.Neighbors were saddened by the news, especially because they said Shannan was excited to welcome her new bundle of joy to the world - a baby boy. "I don't know why he would want to kill her, the wife and the two kids," said Joe Beach, a neighbor of the family in Aberdeen. "Like I said, the two kids were nice kids. I don't know. To me, it's a senseless murder, and she was looking forward to that third child because she was pregnant with a boy ... Knowing her, and knowing the type of person she is, or I should say she was ... I'm surprised that this happened. And I really hate it. "And neighbors weren't the only ones who were shocked by the news. "I'm still in complete shock about it," said Joe Duty, Christopher's former teacher. "Chris was one of the best students that I ever taught ... He was always punctual, did everything right. "But looking back, Duty said he always questioned his student's nature and if he was hiding something. "I always wondered why he was so quiet," Duty said. "But now looking at what has happened, I'm wondering if there was anything way back in his head back then that he may have kept from everybody. "Shanann's Facebook account painted a portrait of a happy family, with a constant feed of photos and videos of her family, friends and herself. Her comments were typically upbeat, saying how happy she was, whether she was running errands, playing with her kids or promoting a health program.She posted selfies of her and her husband smiling in restaurants, in front of the ocean on vacation and at their house. On one from May 5, she wrote: "I love this man! He's my ROCK! "She posted a photo on June 19 of some texts with her husband after sending him a sonogram. He replied that he loved the baby already.She posted: "I love Chris! He's the best dad us girls could ask for."<doc-sep>
Via KMGH EMBED >More News Videos Chris Watts speaks to camera crew 24 hours before being taken into custody FREDERICK, Colorado -- After his pregnant wife and two daughters disappeared, Christopher Watts stood on his porch in Colorado and lamented to reporters how much he missed them.He longed for the simple things, he said, like telling his girls to eat their dinner and gazing at them as they curled up to watch cartoons. "Last night, I had every light in the house on. I was hoping that I would just get ran over by the kids running in the door, just barrel-rushing me, but it didn't happen," he told Denver TV station KMGH.On Thursday, Watts was in jail after being arrested on suspicion of killing his family, probably before he spoke those words. Authorities did not offer a motive.The body of 34-year-old Shanann Watts was found on property owned by Anadarko Petroleum, one of the state's largest oil and gas drillers, where Christopher Watts worked, police said. Investigators found what they believe are the bodies of 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste nearby on Thursday afternoon.On Thursday evening, several high-ranking sources told Denver7's Jennifer Kovaleski that the bodies of the two young girls were found inside oil and gas tanks that "were mostly full." The high ranking sources told Kovaleski they believe Watts placed the bodies of Bella and Celeste in the oil and gas tanks in order to conceal the smell from passersby.Christopher Watts, 33, is charged with three counts of murder in connection to the deaths of his wife Shanann, who was 15 weeks pregnant, and their daughters, Celeste and Bella. He was taken into custody Wednesday in Frederick, Colorado, a town 28 miles north of Denver.His pay stubs show he was working for Anadarko in 2015.The family has strong ties to North Carolina. Shanann is from Moore County and her family still lives in North Carolina. Watts went to Pine Forest High School in Fayetteville. "I don't know why he would want to kill her, the wife and the two kids," said Joe Beach, a neighbor of the family in Aberdeen. "Like I said, the two kids were nice kids. I don't know. To me, it's a senseless murder, and she was looking forward to that third child. Because she was pregnant with a boy. "Shanann and the two young girls were reported missing Monday. "You know this is a senseless-type thing," Beach said. "I have chickens in the back, (the daughters) came over, played with the chickens and the mom and dad are very good people. Everybody in the neighborhood knows them. "Knowing her, and knowing the type of person she is, or I should say she was ... I'm surprised that this happened," Beach added. "And I really hate it. "Chris Watts spoke previously with Denver TV outlets about missing his family and his hopes for their safe return. He said his wife returned home about 2 a.m. Monday after a flight for a work trip was delayed.He said the two had an "emotional conversation" before he left for work a few hours later and that he became concerned after she did not return his calls or texts or that of her friends. He said he came home to an empty house after a friend knocked on the door at noon and got no answer.He told KMGH-TV about how traumatic it was to spend the night in the family's unusually quiet home and missing telling his daughters to eat their dinner and turning on their bedroom monitors. "Last night I had every light in the house on. I was hoping that I would just get ran over by the kids running in the door, just barrel-rushing me, but it didn't happen," he said.Shanann's Facebook account painted a portrait of a happy family, with a constant feed of photos and videos of her family, friends and herself. Her comments were typically upbeat, saying how happy she was, whether she was running errands, playing with her kids or promoting a health program.She posted selfies of her and her husband smiling in restaurants, in front of the ocean on vacation and at their house. On one from May 5, she wrote: "I love this man! He's my ROCK! "She posted a photo on June 19 of some texts with her husband after sending him a sonogram. He replied that he loved the baby already. She posted: "I love Chris! He's the best dad us girls could ask for.