Is Nichol Kessinger Back In Touch With 'American Murder' Killer Chris Watts?
Even the most toxic ex can be hard to let go of.
Netflix The mistress of murderer Chris Watts is back in the public eye.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, an inmate alleges that Watts is back in contact with Nichol Kessinger, the woman he was having an affair with when he killed his family.
Before the horrible murders took place, the Watts family appeared typical and happy.
This story is well known because of the Netflix documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door.
Shannan Watts and her family received wonderful news in the summer of 2018: She and her husband Chris were expecting a baby boy, who would have brought them to a family of five. Their other two daughters were Bella, age 4, and Celeste, age 3.
In June of that same year, Chris began seeing Nichol Kessinger, a co-worker at Anadarko Petroleum. As the affair went on, Watts and Kessinger talked, shared racy photos, and went on secret vacations and dates.
On August 14, 2018, Chris woke up his wife to tell her that he wanted to end the marriage. They argued. Chris then strangled his wife to death.
As he was wrapping her up in a blanket, his 4-year-old walked in asking what was wrong.
He drove his wife’s body and his two kids to his work site, then smothered his daughters and put their bodies in oil tanks, and buried Shannan in a shallow grave nearby.
On August 21, 2018, Chris was charged with three counts of first-degree murder as well as charges relating to unlawful termination of a pregnancy and tampering with a dead body.
For a long time, Kessinger kept a low profile, but she was not hidden from public scrutiny.
Kessinger denied knowing anything about the murders. When the affair was made public, she lost her job. Some speculated she helped Watts plan or commit the murders.
She hasn't been heard from her since her last media interview in 2018, with some sources claiming she was in witness protection. It has been reported that Kessinger changed her name and keeps to herself.
That is until it was made public that Kessinger might be in contact with Watts.
David Carter, a fellow inmate in Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin, revealed in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail that the two might be in contact, with Kessinger writing letters to Watts using her new name.
Carter states, “He told me she said that she needed to speak to him to clear some things up.”
It is not confirmed that these letters are from Kessinger but Watts strongly believes that they are. Watts never told Carter what the letters said.
The case changed her life drastically.
Kessinger went from a mistress who believed her lover was divorced, to a witness who went to the police when she saw that that lover's pregnant wife and family were missing.
Many believe that Watts killed his family to be with her. But David Carter claims that Watts said he killed his family because he did not want to pay child support or lose his Colorado home.
The affair became one the centerpieces of the case, portraying Kessinger as a key component of the motive for Watts murdering his wife, unborn son, and two young daughters. Kessinger claims she had no idea he was going to murder his family.
In an interview with the Denver Post, Kessinger states, “He’s a liar. He lied about everything.”
It wasn’t until his family went missing that she learned that he never started divorce proceedings with his wife, that his wife was 15 weeks pregnant, and the entirety of their two-month relationship was built around lies.
While there is no known connection between Kessinger and the crime other than her affair with Watts, this new allegation raises suspicion.
Regardless, Kessinger may do all she can to detach herself from this terrible event, but for the rest of her life, she be connected to a desperate man and his toxic web of lies.
Leeann Reed is a textile artist, poet, and writer who covers news, entertainment, and lifestyle.