Chris Watts is serving a life sentence for murder, but that won't stop him trying to remarry...
This story sounds so unbelievable that you might mistake it for the plot of a thriller – but it’s completely real. Chris Watts, one of the most infamous and widely condemned violent criminals in the United States, is making headlines once again. In 2018, Watts murdered his pregnant wife, Shanann, and their two young daughters, Bella and Celeste. Now, reports reveal that Watts has a new fiancée, and the two are planning to marry behind bars.
Love Behind Bars
The woman by his side is Lizzie Henderson, 39, a former real estate agent from Cleveland. What makes the story particularly unusual is that the couple met after Watts was already incarcerated. Exactly how they first established contact remains unclear.
Watts is currently serving multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole at the Dodge Correctional Facility in Wisconsin. Nevertheless, he is actively seeking permission to marry Henderson. According to reports, the couple has begun the official application process, which requires administrative approval and strict background checks before any ceremony can take place.
Henderson’s connection to Watts appears to run deep. Court records reveal that a Lizzie Henderson filed for a confidential name change, linking her to the surname "Watts" in sealed legal documents.
23 Visits In 15 Months
Prison logs indicate that the relationship has been developing for quite some time. Henderson visited Watts 23 times over a 15-month period, participating in contact visits that lasted up to three hours each.
While facility rules allow visitors and inmates a brief hug and kiss at the beginning and end of a visit, further physical intimacy and conjugal visits are strictly prohibited. Despite these limitations, recent media photographs reportedly show Henderson wearing an engagement ring.
When questioned by reporters about how the relationship began, Henderson remained tight-lipped, stating only that how they met is something “only the two of them – and God – need to know.”
A Crime That Shocked America
The news of Watts entering a new romantic relationship has sparked widespread public outrage given the horrific nature of his crimes. In August 2018, 34-year-old Shanann Watts, who was 15 weeks pregnant, was reported missing along with her two daughters from their Frederick, Colorado home.
Watts initially pleaded for his family's safe return on local news broadcasts, attempting to make it appear as though they had simply walked away. However, he eventually confessed to smothering his daughters and strangling his wife before hiding their bodies at an oil production site operated by his former employer.
He subsequently pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty and received five consecutive life sentences plus 84 years.
Why Are Some Women Attracted to Killers?
While shocking, romantic attraction to high-profile violent offenders is a documented phenomenon often referred to by psychologists as hybristophilia. Since his conviction, Watts has received an overwhelming volume of fan mail from women across the country.
Prison commissary records show that Watts regularly purchases large quantities of paper and postage stamps to maintain his extensive correspondence network.
What drives someone to fall in love with a convicted murderer remains a subject of intense public fascination and debate. Should prison authorities grant final approval, the upcoming wedding will mark the latest chapter in one of America's most infamous criminal cases.