There’s zero analysis, zero interpretation, zero insight in FAMILY MAN, FAMILY MURDERER’s version of the Watts Family Murders. They simply repeat Watts’ dodgy second version – verbatim – and dramatize it as if his words are gospel. They use the Second Confession as-is as their script.
This is very useful for us because we get to see an illustrated version for why it’s full of crap.
This won’t be a thorough analysis, and I won’t even do a decent statement analysis here; this will be a very light skip-through of the obvious details. Once we’re done, we’ll do something similar with the version of the murders at CERVI 319.
Worth playing for?
So it starts off with Watts basically admitting that he’s not a confrontational guy. This is accurate. He’s an introvert and he likes to stay under the radar and “go with the flow”. Of course the way he murders Shan’ann in his version isn’t go-with-the-flow, is it? Go-with-the-flow would be her arriving home late, sleeping, and him going-with-the-flow of letting her sleep and dealing with issues in the morning or after work.
We know from Watts’ first interviews with the Feds that he doesn’t just tell the truth. He fudges, he minimizes, he misdirects. When interrogated, he also goes-with-the-flow. That’s one reason he did the polygraph, he was just going-with-the-flow. He doesn’t volunteer anything if he doesn’t have to…
What’s wrong with this scenario? Well, it’s silent. Watts’ feels something, and it seems to be dark, and nothing is actually said. They have wordless sex. Really? Do you think Shan’ann would return from her trip and not say anything, not even greet him, and just have sex? She’s been distraught and felt ill the whole weekend, but that’s all behind her. And afterwards, do they both just fall asleep?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
For Watts to wake up later in the morning it means he has sex at around 02:00 and then, despite the huge shadow hanging over the bedroom, they both sleep soundly for two hours. Neither of them struggles to sleep or confronts the other or talks to the other. Shan’ann doesn’t even consult the baby monitors. She comes back from her trip, has sex and falls asleep.
In this version, they’ve been together for some hours now, in the same bed, and haven’t apparently spoken about anything. In this version all Shan’ann is is a dark shadowy sensation that still hasn’t washed either after her arrival from the airport, or after sex. For Shan’ann all this is very unlikely.
What’s also missing, and it’s an oversight from the interrogators, is how Shan’ann ended up in her shirt [not the one she was wearing when she returned from the airport]. So when did that happen?
In the Second Confession there are 4 references to shirts. Here they are:
Also, in the dramatization, the bedside light on the right is on. Was a light on? Did neighbors see a light on? Does Watts mention anything about a light being on?
After having sex, Watts doesn’t go with the flow, he breaks the flow and fesses up. He doesn’t want to, but he does. He’s just that kind of honest, straight-up guy. Really?
Mm-hmm?
This version makes it sound like they spoke quietly about whether he was having an affair. They’d had flat-our screaming matches, but now they’re going to talk quietly about the end of their worlds?
There’s still no screaming, it’s all still very-measured. And Shan’ann doesn’t fight back. She sees him coming, sees him getting onto her, faces him, sees his intent and just LETS him strangle her.
There’s no premeditation, and no trigger.
There was something on my mind…but I had no control. And it takes about 5 minutes to strangle someone to death. That’s a long time to have no control. You can have no control for 5 seconds, or 10, but try not having control for an entire minute, then another minute, then another…
He “just snapped”?
While this is happening she makes it worse, and she’s still talking. No shouting. No fighting. No struggling. He’s facing her and she’s facing him and she just lies there. And he’s allowed to continue. And no blood is found in the sheets, no semen – is any DNA found?*
The trigger for Watts is Shan’nn saying these terrifying words:
You’re never gonna see your kids again.
Watts had been away from his own children for 5 weeks and this suited him just fine while he was embroiled in his affair, having hot sex several times a day. We don’t get a sense that he missed them, or that they missed him much. Even when he arrived at the airport Bella apparently ran away from him, screaming.
But now he’s gutted that he’ll never see his children again? [He’s so gutted about this that he later kills them too!]
But one of the biggest clues to why this scenario doesn’t work is also one of the most subtle.
After killing her, Shan’ann’s suddenly facing the other way in bed. Now she’s face down. How did she get face down? Why’s she face down? In an authentic scenario it makes sense that he’d strangle her with her facing the other way. It also makes sense why neither of them have defensive wounds.
*Shan’ann did inflict a wound – to Watts’ neck.
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