Share

Prosecutors aim to keep how Colorado mom, girls died secret

Colorado prosecutors want a judge to block the release of autopsy reports for a woman and two young girls who were killed and dumped at an oil work site, arguing that the cause of their deaths will be critical evidence during trial for a man charged with killing his family.

Releasing information from the autopsies could influence witnesses and affect future jurors, District Attorney Michael Rourke said in a request filed on Monday.

Autopsy reports are generally public records in Colorado, but judges can decide to seal them under certain conditions. Rourke asked Judge Marcelo Kopcow to rule that releasing the reports would "do substantial injury to the public interest" and to order the coroner's office to reject public requests for the documents.

"Shanann Watts, Bella Watts and Celeste Watts were murdered and their bodies moved from the initial crime scene," Rourke wrote in the request.

"There is a great deal of interest surrounding this case and at this time, the cause of the deaths has not been made public. Consequently, the observations and findings contained in the coroner's autopsy report will be critical evidence at trial."

The judge had not yet ruled on the request.

Christopher Watts, 33, a former oil and gas worker, was charged in August with killing his pregnant 34-year-old wife, Shanann, and their daughters, ages 3 and 4.

He has told investigators that he killed Shanann because she had strangled their daughters after he told her he wanted to separate, according to court records.

Police have said Watts killed his family inside their suburban Denver home, then drove their bodies to an oil site owned by his former employer. The girls' bodies were found submerged in an oil tank, and Shanann's body was found in a shallow grave.

A friend had asked police to check on the family when she could not reach Shanann by phone. Over the next few days, Watts did interviews with local television stations and spoke about wanting his family to return home.

He has not formally entered a plea and is jailed without bond. Watts' public defenders said in a recent statement that they will not comment on a pending criminal case.

They have raised their own concerns about media interest in the case. The attorneys sought to limit media access to Watts' court appearances and asked the judge to order prosecutors to investigate potential leaks to media outlets.

The judge rejected that request, writing that he had no authority to order such an investigation.



We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 259 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 367 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.98
-0.4%
Rand - Pound
24.00
-0.4%
Rand - Euro
20.51
-0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.35
+0.0%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.4%
Platinum
903.65
+0.8%
Palladium
1,016.75
+1.5%
Gold
2,207.48
+0.6%
Silver
24.59
-0.2%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,260
+0.9%
All Share
74,450
+0.7%
Resource 10
57,117
+2.6%
Industrial 25
103,835
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,488
-0.2%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE