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>Earlier this week, a Colorado father pleaded for help to find his missing wife and two daughters, saying his children “light up my life.” “I just want them back,” Chris Watts told ABC Denver affiliate KMGH-TV. His wife, Shanann, and daughters Celeste, 3 and Bella, 4 were reported missing Monday by a concerned family friend. Just days later, the case took a chilling turn, with Chris Watts taken into custody and booked on murder charges. Authorities have not commented on a possible motive in the case that has shocked the small town of Frederick. Here's some of what we know -- and still don't know -- about the case. A mysterious missing persons case Chris Watts, 33, had initially told reporters that his wife, who was 15 weeks pregnant, disappeared without a trace, leaving her purse and keys at home. "When I came home and then walked in the house, nothing. Vanished. Nothing was here," Chris Watts told KMGH-TV Tuesday. "My kids are my life ... I mean, those smiles light up my life." 'He fooled us' After Shanann Watts, 34, and the girls were reported missing, family friends Nick and Amanda Thayer came to Chris Watts' side. The Thayers helped their friend think through ideas on how to find his missing wife and daughters. Chris Watts even spent Tuesday night at the Thayers' home. "We feel so stupid ... trusting him to stay the night in the same house as our daughter," Nick Thayer told ABC News on Thursday, overcome with emotion. "I'll never let that go." He said it didn't cross his and his wife's minds to ask Watts if he was involved. Watts was a "hands-on dad," Nick Thayer said. "And that's why we were there with him because all the times we were with him it was nothing but love" toward his family. "He fooled us. And I'm so sorry. We just thought we were doing the right thing by being a good friend," Nick Thayer said. "We were duped." "In the 48 to 72 hours we were with him ... he was his normal self," Amanda Thayer added. "He never once cried." "He and Shanann were always hugging, kissing and smiling. They were just a picture of 'in love,'" she said. Now, with the accusations that Watts killed his family, Amanda Thayer said: "I want to know why." "It doesn't make sense," her husband said. Bodies recovered Officials on Friday positively identified the bodies as Shanann Watts, Bella and Celeste. The bodies were recovered near each other, officials said, while declining to say the location. Shanann Watts' body was found in a shallow grave near an oil tank, according to court documents filed in Weld County and obtained by ABC News. The property she was found on is where Chris Watts worked, according to Denver ABC affiliate KMGH. The daughters' bodies were found inside mostly full oil and gas tanks, according to a court document filed Thursday by Weld County prosecutors. In another document, Chris Watts' defense team requests that their own DNA expert be present for the autopsy when DNA swabs are taken from the girls' necks. Their bodies had been submerged in oil for four days, the document states. Forensic scientist Richard Eikelenboom -- a DNA expert hired by Chris Watts' defense team -- advised that even though the bodies had been in the tanks for several days, DNA would still be present, according to the court documents. The motion requests that the hands and nails of the mother should also be sampled, the document shows. "It does not seem clear that the coroner, pathologist, or anyone working on behalf of the prosecution team in autopsy plan to take swabs of the necks of the two decedent children," the document states. The autopsies were expected to take place Friday, according to the motion. The causes of death were not immediately clear, but a recommendation from Eikelenboom stated, "I have a lot of experience taking samples from dead bodies getting good results after strangulation. The hands of the children should be sampled as well." Prosecutors said in court Thursday they believe the victims were killed in the family’s home, KMGH-TV reported. A husband in custody Chris Watts has been booked on three counts each of first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. He has not yet been formally charged and is set to return to court on Tuesday. "The suspect is presumed innocent until otherwise proven guilty in the court of law," Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke said at a news conference Thursday. Authorities have declined to comment on a potential motive. "Our role now is to do everything we can to determine exactly what occurred and assist in filing the thorough case," Colorado Bureau of Investigation director John Camper added on Thursday. Hundreds attend vigil for wife, children The small community in Colorado gathered on Friday night for a vigil to honor the lives of Shanann, Celeste and Bella. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the family's home in Frederick, where a growing memorial fills the lawn. Family members of Shanann, who was from North Carolina, even joined the vigil via Facetime, KMGH reported.<doc-sep>Shanann Watts, 34, and her two children Bella, 3, and Celeste ìCeceî, 4, have been missing since Monday from Frederick, CO, according to Frederick Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Ian Albert. Police checked on the residence of Watts after a friend called and requested a welfare check for the 15-week pregnant mom. At this time police are not releasing additional information about the incident, but believe the public is not at risk, Sgt. Albert said. Police are asking the public to call if they have any tips that could lead to the whereabouts of Watts. Christopher Watts is escorted into the courtroom before his bond hearing at the Weld County Courthouse on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018, in Greeley, Colo. Watts, of Colorado, whose wife and daughters disappeared this week was arrested on suspicion of killing them. (Joshua Polson/The Greeley Tribune via AP, Pool) Correction: A previous version of this story misstated Chris Watts' legal standing. Watts has been arrested but not yet charged with murder. Previous versions also had the ages of the two young daughters reversed. Bella was 4 years old and Celeste was 3. (CNN) — Authorities on Thursday discovered three bodies they believe to be a missing Colorado woman and her two young daughters, officials said. Police are working to confirm their identities. Shanann Watts, who was 15 weeks pregnant, was reported missing Monday along with her two daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. Her husband, Chris Watts, was taken into custody Wednesday night and is being held in the Weld County Jail, north of Denver, the Frederick Police Department said in a statement. KDVR/Weld County Sheriff Chris Watts “At this point we have been able to recover a body that we’re quite certain is Shanann Watts’ body,” Colorado Bureau of Investigation Director John Camper told reporters Thursday. The same day, Frederick Police said they believed they found the bodies of Bella and Celeste. Watts was arrested on three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body, a Weld County District Court judge said during Watts’ court appearance on Thursday. Prosecutors have until Monday to formally charge Watts. The adult woman’s body was found on the property of a petroleum and natural gas exploration company, Camper said. The company said Watts used to work there, but declined to say when his employment ended. Watch Shanann tell Chris about pregnancy Police declined to say where the children’s bodies were discovered but said they were found “in close proximity to the other body whom officers strongly believe is Shanann’s.” Authorities have not revealed a possible motive or other details in the case. A judge sealed the arrest affidavit, which might have provided that information. What Chris Watts told reporter CNN affiliate KMGH aired video showing Chris Watts’ pickup truck being towed from the family’s home overnight, as well as investigators removing items from the house in garbage bags. In an interview with KMGH before his arrest, Chris Watts said his wife got home from a business trip about 2 a.m. Monday. The couple lived in Frederick, a town of about 8,600 people around 30 miles north of Denver. When asked by the reporter whether they argued, Watts said, “We had an emotional conversation, I’ll leave it at that. I just want them back. I just want them to come back.” from facebook Shanann Watts is pictured with her two daughters, Bella and Celeste. Watts said he left for work about 5:15 a.m. that day and wasn’t concerned when Shanann didn’t respond to his texts and phone calls because she was probably busy with her job, having just returned from being out of town. But he said he became worried when one of her friends contacted him around noon and said Shanann wasn’t responding to messages. “I walked in the house and – nothing,” Chris Watts told KMGH. “She wasn’t here. The kids weren’t here.” “She said she was going to a friend’s house with the kids and that’s the last thing I heard, and that was it. It was very vague,” he told reporters. FBI involved in case An unidentified friend told CNN affiliate KDVR that she dropped off Shanann Watts at home about 2 a.m. Monday after they returned from a work trip, and watched her go into the house. The two planned to meet later, but Watts, 34, didn’t answer her phone or show up for a doctor’s appointment, the friend said. Police have not provided details on the disappearance, but said they conducted a welfare check after Watts’ friend called and requested one. The FBI and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation were involved in the arrest, Frederick police said. When asked if other people were involved, Camper said, “In terms of any danger to the community, we’re not concerned about that at all.” Brother posts on Facebook Frankie Rzucek, who is identified on Shanann Watts’ Facebook page as her brother, posted overnight on his page saying he just wanted “to know why.” “I just want 30 seconds alone with that heartless psychopath. May Satan have mercy on his soul,” Rzucek wrote. “Doesn’t take a genius to know who was suspect.” Le-Vel, a “health and wellness” company Shanann Watts worked for, according to her public Facebook page, has posted a message regarding Watts and her two daughters. “Our hearts are broken for the loss of our dear friend Shanann Watts and her children. Shanann was an amazing woman, mother, friend, and overall person. She lit up every room and was a joy to be around. … Shanann and her children will be dearly missed. We honor them on this sorrowful day.” Anadarko Petroleum Corporation spokeswoman Jennifer Brice said Watts is a former employee, but declined to say when he left the company. “We are heartbroken by this, and our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones and friends of the Watts family. We will continue to support law enforcement in its investigation. He is no longer an employee and given that the investigation is ongoing, please direct all questions to law enforcement.” CNN’s Marlena Baldacci, Joe Sutton, Sheena Jones and Dave Alsup contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
Shanann Watts, 34, and her two children Bella, 3, and Celeste ìCeceî, 4, have been missing since Monday from Frederick, CO, according to Frederick Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Ian Albert. Police checked on the residence of Watts after a friend called and requested a welfare check for the 15-week pregnant mom. At this time police are not releasing additional information about the incident, but believe the public is not at risk, Sgt. Albert said. Police are asking the public to call if they have any tips that could lead to the whereabouts of Watts. Court docs say victims may have been strangled Christopher Watts is escorted into the courtroom before his bond hearing at the Weld County Courthouse on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018, in Greeley, Colo. Watts, of Colorado, whose wife and daughters disappeared this week was arrested on suspicion of killing them. (Joshua Polson/The Greeley Tribune via AP, Pool) Correction: An earlier version of this article featured on the CNN app used the wrong photo of Shanann Watts. That photo has been removed and replaced with the correct image of Watts. (CNN) — New court documents filed in the case of a Colorado man suspected of killing his pregnant wife and their two daughters suggest that some of the victims may have been strangled. “Happy Husband Appreciation Day! I couldn’t imagine a better man for us,” Shanann Watts wrote next to their photo in April. “You spoil us with love an(d) attention! You put up with 3 impatient, demanding women in the house,” she continued. “You work so hard everyday to provide for us. I love you so much.” Four months after Shanann Watts posted that photo, her husband sits in a jail in Colorado, suspected of killing her, along with their daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. The pregnant mother and her two daughters vanished Monday from their suburban Denver home. Their bodies were found Thursday at the site of the petroleum company where Chris Watts once worked, authorities said. Chris Watts, 33, was arrested in connection with their deaths but has not been formally charged. He’s next due in court Tuesday. Authorities have not suggested a motive in the killing. from facebook Shanann Watts is pictured with her two daughters, Bella and Celeste. Couple files for bankruptcy in 2015 As stunned friends seek answers on how the love story of a couple that seemed so picture perfect could end so tragically, bankruptcy filings reveal a family that had struggled financially. Chris and Shanann Watts filed for bankruptcy in June 2015, according to documents in the court record. That was after they bought their house, an asset valued at $400,000, records show. The year prior to the bankruptcy filing, the couple had a combined income of $91,000 – most of it earned by Chris Watts, who made about $63,000 from his job at Anadarko Petroleum, records show. The rest was earned by Shanann Watts, who worked in 2014 at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Still, they were about $70,000 in debt, most of it from student loans and credit card purchases, according to the filings. The couple reported two savings accounts with a total of $9.51 and a joint checking account with $864. By all accounts, they appeared to have moved past that, with Shanann Watts posting numerous times this year about her new job at a lifestyle company. She was also 15 weeks pregnant with a son the couple planned to name Niko, her brother, Frankie Rzucek, posted on Facebook. “Little peanut!! Lover her/him already! !” her husband texted back in June when she sent him a photo of her ultrasound picture, according to a screengrab she posted on Facebook. Some victims may have been strangled Documents filed Friday in Chris Watts’ arrest reveal some of the victims may have been strangled, along with other grim details. Shanann Watts and her daughters appear to have been killed at their house in Frederick, Colorado, a town of about 8,600 people some 30 miles north of Denver, prosecutors have said. KDVR/Weld County Sheriff Chris Watts Chris Watts’ attorneys asked a court Friday to require pathologists conducting autopsies to swab the little girls’ necks and hands for DNA, court filings show. In a second motion, obtained by CNN affiliate KDVR, defense attorneys asked the court to compel the coroner’s office to look for DNA under the mother’s fingernails and on her hands. They also asked the court to allow defense expert Richard Eikelenboom to take swabs from the bodies.