The Blood-Boiling Boast Chris Watts Made In Prison

Chris Watts went from family man to murderer when he strangled his wife Shanann to death before smothering his two children, Bella and Celeste. The harrowing triple homicide came after Watts had an affair with co-worker Nichol Kessinger, with whom he was planning on starting a new life. He later reportedly blamed Kessinger for murdering his children.

Along with his apparent refusal to take responsibility for the horrific killings, Watts reportedly made a blood-boiling boast while behind bars in a letter to his mother, Cindy. "I'm still a Dad! I'm still a son! No matter what," she said he wrote in "Killer Dad: Chris Watts Speaks." "Now, I can add servant of God to that mix! He has shown me peace, peace, love and forgiveness, and that's how I live every day." The transformation came after his incarceration, and it's reportedly not uncommon for murderers in his position. Here's the story.

In a February 18, 2019 interview with investigators, Chris Watts discussed his newfound faith. "I never knew I could have a relationship with God like I do now," he said, per transcripts released by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. "It's like the amazing grace with all of this, but I just wish nobody had to pay any kind of price for this ... I know there is a purpose for everybody, I just hope I can find mine."

He also said God gave him plenty of opportunities to "get out" of his relationship with Nichol Kessinger, but he failed to do so. While imprisoned at Weld County Jail, he said other inmates encouraged him to kill himself in his cell, but he chose not to because he felt he had another purpose. According to Watts, he prayed to God to be moved from Colorado, and the bureau's report says he believes God moved him to another location — redacted in the transcript — "for a reason."

Watts claimed that at the time, people went to him for spiritual advice, and he'd read the Bible — some he never did before his incarceration — "multiple times." He even claimed that his aunt and uncle, who are missionaries, were impressed with "how mature he has become" with the Good Book.

According to criminal lawyer Norm Pattis, Chris Watts' religious transformation is not surprising. "Murder is the ultimate taboo," he told A&E. "When your community shuns you, the possibility of being open to grace is, I suspect, all that is left." Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was infamously baptized in prison, and many others have also found faith after committing atrocities. Dr. Darrel Turner, president of Turner Forensic Psychology, suggested a more cynical motive — high-profile murderers like Watts might also be looking out for themselves and trying to ensure their safety. "There is protection in numbers," Turner explained to the outlet. "In many prisons, religious groups have a leader who represents them to staff and other inmates."

Clinical psychologist Stanton E. Samenow, who wrote "Inside the Criminal Mind," echoed Turner's theory in a piece for Psychology Today. "Whatever form a criminal's religiosity takes, it provides a boost to his view that, overall, he is truly a good person," he wrote. "Just as the criminal misuses groups, individuals, and organizations, he does the same with religion," he later added. According to Samenow, some criminals appeal to others' faith to get what they want. "Religion can add a dimension to the life of a responsible person, but it does not by itself make a responsible human being out of a criminal," he concluded.

Given the horrific nature of the case, you might be surprised at how Chris Watts' parents feel about his crimes.