Watch Netflix Investigate Chris Watts in First Trailer for American Murder: The Family Next Door

Netflix’s newest true crime documentary will tackle the 2018 Watts family murders. Get your first look at the twist and turns of a case that captivated America.

By Mike Vulpo Sep 16, 2020 8:42 PMTags
Chris WattsRJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via Getty Images

The case that captivated America is about to receive the Netflix treatment.

On Wednesday, Sept. 16, the streaming service released a brand-new trailer for American Murder: The Family Next Door. The documentary takes a look inside the marriage of Shanann Watts and Chris Watts as well as the triple-murder case that made national headlines.

Told entirely through archival footage that includes social media posts, law enforcement recordings, text messages and never-before-seen home videos, American Murder will also remind followers that Chris is not the man he appeared to be before he confessed to murdering his wife.

"I just want you to know a little bit of my story," Shanann said in an old Facebook video shown in the trailer. "I went through one of the darkest times of my life and then I met Chris and he's the best thing that has ever happened to me."

Later on in the preview, an audio recording is played of a friend who called police after they questioned why Shanann couldn't be reached. 

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Soon after, Chris is being interrogated by detectives in Frederick, Colo. where Shanann and her two young daughters went missing.

"There's only one person in this room that knows what the truth is," a detective told Chris. "In about five minutes, there's gonna be two of us." 

Back in Nov. 2018, Chris received five life in prison sentences for murdering his pregnant wife and their two young daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. Before his sentence, he pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder, one count of unlawful termination of pregnancy and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body.

According to NBC News, his plea deal spared him the death penalty.

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In January, Lifetime examined the case in a movie titled Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer.

But for those hoping for another perspective, mark your calendars. American Murder: The Family Next Door begins streaming on Netflix Sept. 30.