How well can you truly know someone? Chris Watts appeared to have it all: a happy marriage, a beautiful home, and a growing family. But that image of perfection was shattered when his pregnant wife and two daughters went missing from their family home in small town of Frederick, Colorado on August 13, 2018. The day after their disappearance, Chris Watts appeared on the local news pleading for the safe return of his family. As the investigation progressed, Chris’s story of his family’s disappearance began to unravel, and he soon confessed to the murders of his wife Shannan, and daughters Bella and Celeste. In a case that has captivated the public’s attention in recent months, Investigation Discovery (ID) explores what drove a seemingly normal family man to snap in the one-hour special event, FAMILY MAN, FAMILY MURDERER: AN ID MURDER MYSTERY premiering Sunday, June 2 at 10/9c.
“This case, so senseless and so tragic in its brutality, is a jarring example of how an idyllic family image can be shattered in an instant,” said Henry Schleiff, Group President of Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, American Heroes Channel and Destination America. “As the first and only network to produce a deep dive into this tragedy, we understand the responsibility we have to show the truth behind a story that follows the actions of a man unhinged.”
The latest installment from ID’s breakout MURDER MYSTERY franchise, the show delves into the psyche of a man who became a family annihilator. What would drive him to do the unthinkable? The one-hour special takes viewers through the initial missing persons case of Shannan, Bella and Celeste all the way to the eventual murder investigation, arrest and shocking confession of Chris Watts. The mini-series features body camera footage from the Frederick Police Department as well as new details of the crime following Chris’ transfixing jailhouse confession. Interviews with those familiar with the tragedy and experts who have covered this case extensively round out the intensive documentary research. In the first cable network documentary special exploring this topic, ID poses the question, was Chris Watts born to be a monster? Or was he just a family man who one day, snapped?
FAMILY MAN, FAMILY MURDERER: AN ID MURDER MYSTERY is produced for ID by American Media, Inc. and Jupiter Entertainment with Allison Wallach, Tim McConville, David Pecker, and Dylan Howard as Executive Producers. For Investigation Discovery, Pamela Deutsch is senior executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Kevin Bennett is general manager, and Henry Schleiff is Group President of Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, American Heroes Channel and Destination America.
About Investigation Discovery
Investigation Discovery (ID) is the leading crime and justice network on television, delivering the highest-quality programming to approximately 85 million U.S. households. From harrowing crimes to in-depth investigations and heart-breaking mysteries behind these “real people, real stories”, the always revealing network challenges our understanding of culture, society and the human condition. The #1 network for women in all of cable, ID’s programming is available in both high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD), as well as anytime and anywhere through the network’s TV Everywhere offering, IDGo. For exclusive web content and bonus material, fans can follow ID on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook or check out the network’s true crime blog, CrimeFeed.
Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), a global leader in real life entertainment, serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains. Available in 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Discovery delivers over 8,000 hours of original programming each year and has category leadership across deeply loved content genres around the world. For additional information about ID, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com
