Christopher Watts pleads guilty to murder of pregnant wife, 2 young daughters

Christopher Watts, the Colorado father who was accused of murdering his pregnant wife and their two young daughters, pleaded guilty to multiple charges in their deaths on Tuesday to avoid the death penalty.

Watts, 33, pleaded guilty to a total of nine counts for the murders of his wife, 34-year-old Shanann, and daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, less than three months after the crime took place, KDVR reports.

The charges include five counts of murder in the first degree, three counts of tampering with a deceased human body and one count of unlawful termination of pregnancy, as Shanann was 15 weeks pregnant at the time of her death with a baby boy she planned to name Nico.

Shanann, Bella and Celeste were reported missing from their Colorado home on Monday, Aug. 13, by a family friend. Christopher Watts was arrested on Wednesday, Aug. 15, in relation to their disappearances — the same day he made a chilling television appearance to plead for his family's safe return.

Shanann's body was discovered on Thursday, Aug. 15, on land owned by Anadarko Petroleum, where Christopher Watts had been employed before his arrest. Not long after, the bodies of Bella and Celeste were discovered submerged in oil drums on the same property.

Christopher Watts' next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 19, where he will be sentenced to life in prison without parole, according to KDVR.