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CRIME AND JUSTICE WITH ASHLEIGH BANFIELD

Haunting New Secrets Behind Family Massacre. Aired 6-6:30p ET

Aired August 28, 2018 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

[18:00:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not knowing the science the way we know science, you know, these criminals just don`t think. That is an advantage

for us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIAN WATTS, HUSBAND OF SHANANN WATTS, SUSPECT: Shanann, Bella, Celeste, if you`re out there, just come back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The two little girls had been reportedly submerged in an oil well for days.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t know how anybody could do that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: By now you know the murder case.

WATTS: I don`t know where my kids are. I don`t know where Shanann is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you seen the clues, like the curious little note on the inside of the door?

SHANANN WATTS, VICTIM, WIFE OF CHRIS WATTS: I feel really blessed this summer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What does that sign say and what evidence could investigators uncover from the truck parked outside that house.

S. WATTS: I`m claiming it. It is my year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is there something to the festive nails that Shanann Watts kept so carefully manicured, or was there a forensic clue found

underneath them?

S. WATTS: My kids are crazy, but I love them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What secret could Shanann have kept from Chris?

S. WATTS: In her belly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How does her secret compare to his.

WATTS: First day is I want to get out and drive around. You won`t know what to look for.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We scan the signs inside their suburban home that just became a crime scene.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, HOST, HLN CRIME AND JUSTICE: Good evening everyone. I`m Ashleigh Banfield. And this is "Crime and Justice." You might not

have follow any other story this year, but you have likely heard of the Watts family. It is the Colorado murder case that is breaking the

country`s heart and enraging every parent, forcing us all to imagine how anyone could kill their own kids. The police say that is exactly what

Chris Watts did before dumping his daughters in oil tanks.

But Chris has apparently told the police it was his wife Shanann who killed them before he in a rage attacked her. So while loved ones prepare the

memorial service for this weekend, the question remains who was it who killed the children? And the answer may just be sprinkled throughout a

series of countless family pictures and videos where we have been hunting for the clues.

HLN producer Stacey Newman joins us from just outside Denver. She is been working this story all day. Stacey, tell us a little bit about the police

affidavits and the court filings that are leading us in a direction as to just who is trying to keep information quiet.

STACEY NEWMAN, HLN PRODUCER: Ashleigh, on a deep dive into those court documents, we now see that it looks like it was actually Chris Watts`

defense team that made that request to redact information in those files, in other words black them out from public view and not the prosecution or

police. That to me means there is someone that Chris wanted to protect. The judge in this case, according to court insiders I spoke to today, is

the one who makes that final decision on what will be redacted, but Chris wanted us not to know somebody specific in this case.

BANFIELD: You know, Stacey, it is so interesting you said that. Because as I looked at that warrantless arrest affidavit -- I`m holding it right

here. You can see clearly on the bottom here the big blacked out area, it specifically follows the line "a two day investigation revealed," Chris was

actually involved in an affair with a co-worker which he denied in previous interviews and then everything afterwards is redacted, presumably

information about that co-worker.

And what you`re saying tonight, Stacey, it wasn`t the prosecution or the authorities who wanted to protect whomever this person is from the

onslaught of the media scrutiny or whatever backlash in this case might be coming, it was, in fact, Chris` defense team that made the request that

there were redactions in this affidavit. That is correct?

NEWMAN: That is exactly what we`re saying. Not only that, the prosecution said they had no problem with that in those motions which the Judge

ultimately ruled on which means maybe even this person is someone down the road who could become a key star witness in their case against Christopher

Watts.

BANFIELD: So ultimately this person, be it a man or woman, because we do not know, it may still be a mystery even to the company. I mean, at this

point there is still so much to unearth on this. But you did go not only to the court, but to the jail today. So, how is he after the courthouse?

Does it feel -- you`ve been through this before. You`ve covered countless murder cases. You`ve been to countless courthouses to dig out documents

that are official public record. How did it feel in this case when you went to this courthouse?

[18:05:07] NEWMAN: Ashleigh, as you`ve said, I`ve done many of these cases and so have you. It`s amazing. Everybody here is pretty much circling the

wagons around staying quiet. When I went to pull these documents, they were very terse, had rehearsed answers. Did not want to give up certain

pieces of information. And person after person at the courthouse that you spoke to had the same tone. So there has been a directive from up top,

most likely the D.A.`s office, wanting them to stay tight-lipped.

BANFIELD: I`m counting down that 63 days from indictment. Because that is the number that was given out from the press conference as far as the D.A.

is concerned as to when they can actually seek the death penalty and announce such. They have 63 days from the day of the indictment in order

to announce that they are going to seek the death penalty in this case, something Colorado is not light to decide.

So that is fascinating, Stacey, that you think that decision is coming from the top. One other question. What was it like when you went to the jail

where he has been held? Because all I can think of is that, if his story is true, what he told, according to the police in that affidavit, he

watched his two daughters being murdered at the hands of his wife, and he would be sitting in a cell right now mourning the loss of two children,

that if he is telling the truth he didn`t kill, his wife did. Did anybody say anything about his mood or how he is being held at that facility?

NEWMAN: Again, same vibe at the jail, but I did go in there today. And what I was told is, as far as visitations go for Chris, if he would like to

receive visitors at the jailhouse, he has to request the visitors. He has to fill out forms with certain pieces of information from the people he

wants to visit him, and then it goes to a channel, about a four-day business channel of, you know, kind of signing off on these people that can

come to visit him.

He is allowed, Ashleigh, up to six adult visitors on his list. I also found out he is allowed to have visitations three days a week and three

two-hour blocks, in the morning and the afternoon and later in the evening. And those visitors can only be one adult and two minor children at a time.

And the same as well for phone calls. That has to be set up, same process of getting it cleared. And then you need to set up a funded account for

him to call you from the jail.

BANFIELD: But so far, Stacey, they`re not being forthcoming at that jail with anybody who might be on an actual visitor list. I get the process,

but as far as who may have actually come to visit him or who is on the list to come and visit him, they`re not telling us?

NEWMAN: No, they`re not saying a word. When I spoke to the person at the jail -- when you walk in, it`s pretty much just the phones that you see on

the video, the people visiting their loved ones or friends at the jail where you`re picking up a phone and you`re talking to someone through

bulletproof glass. Everything is glassed in. There`s nowhere to go, there is nothing to see. And again, they were very terse about giving me any

information on Chris Watts.

BANFIELD: Well, that is great reporting though for you to have been able to go to both of those locations and make those observations. That is

certainly a different order of business than we`re typically used to seeing, when we try to get information on these cases.

Steve Helling, as a senior writer for "People" magazine, you and I had also covered a lot of these stories that make big national headlines. Casey

Anthony, you and I sat week after week after week in a courtroom together covering the Casey Anthony case. And low and behold, we have another

exquisite liar on our hands, someone who faced the press and begged us all to help find his missing wife and children only then, according to the

police to have admitted to having burying them all at his work site, dumping the kids in oil and burying his wife in a shallow grave.

Question for you, did you just return from this district, did you find out anything from the police in terms of where the investigation is going? For

instance, that forensic map in the house that would lead you to that desolate site where he dumped the bodies? Is his story panning out?

STEVE HELLING, SENIOR WRITER, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: Well, the answer -- the short answer to that is no. Police are really not officially giving us any

information, but I did speak to somebody who is close to the investigation who did say nothing that he is saying pans out. It doesn`t work with the

timeline. It doesn`t work with just common sense. They are trying to see, is there any truth to the idea that Chris didn`t kill the children, that

his wife did, but so far they say that there`s no evidence to show that that is what`s going on.

BANFIELD: So I think that is pretty fascinating, the fact they`re not coming up with the supportive material to back up his claims. And let`s

not forget what his claims were, very specific as listed in that affidavit. He said they had an emotional discussion about splitting up. He said he

was going to leave her.

[18:10:00] He went downstairs for a moment, and when he came back upstairs, happens to witness in the baby monitor that one of his children is turning

blue or is blue and is laid out, splayed out on the bed. And on the other monitor he is seeing his wife killing the second child at which point he

says in a rage he went after his wife and strangled her. That is his version of events. And so the forensics in that house have to tell quite a

story.

HELLING: Exactly. And of course there`s going to be a lot of questions there. You know, I did ask about the baby monitors, and they`re not

anything that has any sort of memory. So there`s not going to be anything, you know, recorded there. Though I have to say they would have to be

pretty amazing baby monitors for him to say one of his children was turning blue. I`ve never had a monitor that does that.

But then of course, they`ve impounded his truck. There`s hairs in his truck that they`ll have to figure out did they come from a live person or a

cadaver. I mean, there`s all these things that they`ll have to do to try and verify what he says and poke holes in that theory, you know, when it

comes to trial.

BANFIELD: So, you know what, you and I think the same way. I spent many a nights looking at a baby monitor, mine wasn`t color. Didn`t know they have

them. But maybe that is what happens in 13 years. Maybe they are color now, I do find out --

HELLING: I have one more recently than you. I`ve never seen one like that, that you can say the baby is turning blue. Maybe they have something

I didn`t have.

BANFIELD: Let`s show a picture of what, believe or not, Shanann Watts posted online. This is Shanann Watts holding her baby monitor. Now,

listen -- granted, maybe this image of the baby monitor was taken at night and so there`s sort of night vision that will let you see the child in the

bed, but you can see the size of her fingers OK, underneath the baby monitor. So now you`re getting some scale as to the size of this

photograph, right?

The size of this baby monitor. Her fingers -- the tip of her finger is about the same size as the image of the baby`s head. So now put that thing

across the room, glance over, by Chris` own admission according to police, it`s about -- somewhere between 4:00 and 5:00 in the morning which would

mean its dark, which would mean this might be what the image looks like. I certainly wouldn`t be able to tell from that image if the baby was turning

blue looking across the room. It is just, I don`t know. It seems far- fetched to me. Let me bring in a police officer on this.

Jon Buehler is a retired Modesto Police officer, a detective who actually worked on the Scott Peterson case. So, I mean, just seeing that on your

screen, John, and taking in the size of the baby monitor, the size of the baby`s face compared to Shanann`s fingers underneath, the actual baby

monitor device, how plausible is this story?

JON BUEHLER, RETIRED MODESTO POLICE DETECTIVE: I don`t think it`s plausible at all. Because it seems to me the first reaction the parent is

going to have is to double check on the child. You`re not going to go and check on your wife, but you`re going to go what`s going on with this kid

and go in there and rush to see what`s going on. And his claim that she was strangling the other child is seem so ludicrous that it just doesn`t

really make any sense whatsoever.

BANFIELD: I`ll play the devil`s advocate there. If his story is he saw one baby monitor showing that the child was splayed out on the bed and

blue, and he is seeing her strangling, according to his story, he is seeing her strangle the other child, your immediate attention would go to the

emergency at hand.

BUEHLER: Yes. If he focused on that. But then, it just seems kind of strange to me that, if he attacked Shanann to save the other child, why

didn`t he continue with the attack on her, why didn`t he go to rescue the child that she was strangling at the time.

BANFIELD: OK. Very good point.

BUEHLER: That is why, with both of those, I just don`t see it as plausibility, because it`s not a normal reaction that I believe most

parents who love their children would do. It just doesn`t seem it would fit.

BANFIELD: Also just want to highlight the picture you`re seeing on the right-hand side of your screen is Celeste in her crib. Again, these are

all from Shanann`s Facebook postings. This is a video. I want to turn the volume up on that one for a moment, because there is something, there`s a

clue in there that is really interesting. One of the things that Chris said on his big spew of lies that he was missing turning on the baby

monitor and that the rain machine. Let`s listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

S. WATTS: You don`t bang on the walls, Cici.

BANFIELD: So you could hear that rain machine, right there. There`s Celeste`s name on her wall. So Celeste has her own room. And the rain

machine is turned on.

S. WATTS: You don`t bang on the walls, Cici.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: So, we know there`s a rain machine in Cici`s room. And we know potentially there`s a baby monitor in Cici`s room. Bella has her own room,

and it is entirely different. A different color. Who knows if the children were sleeping in separate rooms that night? Who knows if there

are two baby monitors? Because Chris is saying he saw both of these images at the same time.

[18:15:03] One other quick question before I let you go, John, the bedding of the master bed was on the floor. However, the police found pillowcases

and a top sheet stuffed in the kitchen trash, and matching that set, another sheet found in the field where the children and Shanann were

disposed of, in the oil field where they were disposed of. Does that pattern tell you anything about his forensic story, that the actual sheets

in the trash matched a sheet that was out in the field and yet master bed sheets, a whole set was found on the floor beside the bed?

BUEHLER: Yes. Of course it raises the big question that how did he pre plan this murder. It doesn`t seem like it was a premeditated murder at

all. So, once you have three bodies in the house you`re going to have to get rid of them. So, what are you going to do? Maybe you`ll put each of

the children into a separate special pillowcase to disguise them when you take them out to your truck which is backed up to the house, which is part

of the affidavit. And of course, you are going to wrap the wife in the other sheet so you can get her out of there without the neighbors seeing

you.

They might think you`re loading garbage or something like that. Because you will never know who is going to be looking. So, it didn`t seem like

his crime scene cleanup is very good. I don`t think he is very experienced at murder, because he would have known better than that. But all these

things fit into that he did it. And if you consider his demeanor during the seven-minute interview with the local television station, how can he

not be mourning his children when he is asking for them back? Because at that time they hadn`t been dead for just a couple of days, but he is not

even cracking in his voice, he does not show any emotional or whatsoever.

BANFIELD: Oh God. I mean 24 hours. We`re not talking a couple days. He went on the porch and begged us all to help find his family within 24 hours

-- if his story is accurate -- seeing his babies murdered in front of him, snapping and killing his wife. So the demeanor of the guy on the porch if

he is telling the truth does not match the story he tells. Everybody hold your thoughts for a moment if you will.

Secrets and lies. At the heart of Chris and Shanann`s marriage, how Shanann had a hard time keeping secrets from her husband, yet Chris

certainly didn`t have any problem keeping secrets from her.

[18:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WATTS: I don`t know where my kids are. I don`t know where Shanann is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It came to her mind that he could be cheating.

WATTS: If somebody has her, please bring her back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s one key detail the police say that Watts left out, he had been having an extra marital affair with a co-worker.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I always wondered why he was so quiet.

WATTS: This house is not complete without anybody here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: It can be hard to keep secrets. In fact, it might be one of the hardest things we do, but we all have them, which means some of us, though,

are keeping secrets much bigger than others. The cops say Chris Watts had a secret. That he was allegedly having an affair with someone at work.

And by most standard, well, that is a secret about as big as it gets, right. And yet Chris Watts may have had another secret that was even

bigger, that his pregnant wife and daughters were actually dead and rotting at his work site while he was busy telling everyone they had just gone

missing which really makes you wonder what other secrets might Chris Watts have had.

And what kind of secrets might Shanann have had? Shanann wasn`t afraid of telling us what secrets she had. She captioned some of her Facebook posts

with some secrets. I want to read for you now, what one of her Facebook posts actually says about her secret. So I kept a secret for over three

months from Chris. That is huge for me, but as you can see from the photograph, it looks like it might have had something to do with his

birthday and a special gift she planned for him. Here is what she posted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

S. WATTS: Let`s look at daddy opening his birthday present.

WATTS: Oh, you`ve got to be kidding me.

Oh, I definitely wanted this.

Are you serious? Oh, yes. Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. I`ve got to take that day off and the day after off. Hell, yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: So Shanann`s big secret was Metallica tickets for his birthday, a surprise for him. If you`ve looked at his Facebook pictures, her

Facebook pictures, you know he is a massive fan of Metallica. He wears the t-shirts all the time. So it looks like Shanann went to the trouble to

surprise him with Metallica tickets for his birthday. And that was her big secret. Steve Helling, this are all the kind of things that works its way

into cases when you`re trying to prove the character of one versus the character of another in a he-said, she might have said story.

[18:25:05] HELLING: Right. You know, we had seen that before. We mentioned Scott Peterson before. Who comes along, but Amber Frey? And

there may be an Amber Frey type that comes out at some point in this case as well. We do know there was some sort of affair allegedly going on based

on the police documents. I have a name of somebody who could have been that person, knocked on that person`s door. They had a big no trespassing

sign. They are not talking at the moment. So, I mean, somebody may come forward or they may be dragged out into the open, in open court at some

time.

BANFIELD: Well, I`ll tell you what. One of the things that is going to happen this week is that Shanann and the girls are going to be buried.

Their obituary discussed, the people she leaves behind. And he is not mentioned in that obituary. The funeral is planned for this Saturday,

right around the same time that John McCain is going to be buried as well. From all accounts it looks like it`s going to be an open and public

funeral.

John Buehler, I have a question for you about logistics and the investigation when it comes to the funeral in a case that still has some

mysterious questions left open. And that is what might investigators be doing during that funeral or at that funeral that will play into the case?

BUEHLER: A couple of things that will be interesting, number one, if Chris was still out of custody if he wasn`t locked up would be to document his

demeanor during the funeral, kind a like the documentation of Scott when he was at Lacey`s vigil early on in the investigation in that case years ago.

But since he is locked up, now the things that they would be looking for most likely would be any unexplained attendance by somebody who would be

having a connection with the family that normally wouldn`t be invited to that? So, it could possibly be the female that Chris was involved in, if

she wasn`t known, but it seems likely that she probably already is and they`re keeping her under hat, just because of that. But the big thing to

me, if I was working that case or any of the guys I used to work with, we`d be looking for an unexplained appearance by somebody who just didn`t fit.

BANFIELD: Yes, because now we still have this mystery of who the affair at the office was with, and the significance of that person, whether that

person has come forward and is speaking with the police or whether that person is part of the investigation, meaning is there some kind of plan

that was carried out, is there possibly a conspiracy? These are all the questions that in the early offerings of an investigation would be asked.

But I want to go to some -- I guess, I think you can call this breaking news on this case. I opened this block, this story about secrets, and I

think now we are starting to perhaps find out some of the even bigger secrets, because now is the time in any murder case you start looking for

past answers, and sometimes the past actually comes to you.

Tonight we have someone who claims to be from Chris Watts` past. Chris Watts` recent past. We are not going to show you this person because he

wants to continue his life without consequences for speaking out in this case, but we are going to let him tell his part of how he connects to this

story. This is a story that we have to be honest with you, that we can`t independently verify, but it is a story that could be extremely telling as

we try to figure out what happened in the Watts family. This is a man who claims to be Chris Watts` former lover. And he joins me now live. Sir,

can you hear me OK?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can.

BANFIELD: I won`t use a name for you, and I understand your panic about having backlash in this very public story. This is a very public case.

Can you tell me how it was you first met Chris Watts?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was on an app.

BANFIELD: And what kind of an app was it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was kind of a social media app. The app is called meet me.

BANFIELD: And when you met him on this app, how did he present himself and what was the nature of him connecting with you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He messaged me, it seemed all very innocent at first, on the profile. It didn`t have a last name or anything. It just had his

last initial. He was listed as straight and not bi or homosexual. So I was kind of off-put by it. And then we talked for a while, and he just

told me he wasn`t really out or comfortable being out.

BANFIELD: But eventually you met him in person and take me from there. What happened?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): Correct. I met him in person. He came over -- the first time we met, he came over to the place i was staying in

Loveland, Colorado which is pretty much a neighboring town to Frederick.

BANFIELD: And when you met, was it clear why he was there? Was it clear that he wanted a romantic relationship with you, or did that develop in

time?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): It was clear that he was interested to me and attracted to me.

BANFIELD: And how soon was it that your relationship turned romantic?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): That night.

BANFIELD: How long did you continue a sexual relationship with Chris Watts?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): Off and on until March or April.

BANFIELD: So how does that time out? Is that about nine or 10 months?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): Yeah.

BANFIELD: And during that time --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): About 10 months.

BANFIELD: Sorry. Go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): About 10 months. We original many met in June last year.

BANFIELD: OK. And during that time, did he ever tell you that he was married or had children?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): No. I found out when we were both out and about -- well, I knew he had children. He told me he had children, but he

portrayed it -- he portrayed that he was single.

And when there was some point in January -- late January or February that I met up with him and I got in his Ford pickup, and he had his daughters with

him and the oldest pretty much spilled the beans that he was still married.

She asked him -- I`m sorry. I`m so nervous. She asked him if she could sleep with him and mommy tonight, and that`s when I found out.

BANFIELD: And what transpired between you and Chris Watts when you discovered with his children in the back of his truck that there was a

mommy on the scene? What was the conversation between the two of you after that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): Well, I waited until the appropriate time, not in front of his children. And as soon as we left and I got in my car, I

texted him and asked him what was going on and all that. And he kind of broke down and told me that he was married.

And I don`t know if any of this is the truth, but I just want to go on record that I don`t know if any of it is the truth. But he told me that he

was the victim of emotional and verbal abuse and he was trapped in a loveless marriage and he didn`t know any way out because of the kids,

because of the girls.

BANFIELD: Did he ever tell you his real last name?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): Yes.

BANFIELD: And he told you his name was Watts?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): Yes.

BANFIELD: Were you ever aware of who his wife was, because Shannan Watts was very prolific on social media.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): No, I wasn`t. I wasn`t aware until all this transpired. I did not know her. If he did mention her name, then I

don`t remember it. But I never knew her first name.

BANFIELD: When you see the postings of Shannan Watts now and there are so many, she seems like the most doting wife one could imagine. She`s

constantly praising this man. There are images in the house dedicated to him.

She calls him the greatest thing that ever happened to her. She buys him these wonderful Metallica tickets. And the year before that for his

birthday, she surprised him with a mechanical part that he coveted as a surprise.

[18:35:02] There are so many pictures of them embracing and seemingly in love and so many videos that show them happy. Do you believe what he told

you, that he was in an emotionally abusive and verbally abusive relationship? Do you believe that now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): Personally, I don`t really know. But I -- personally my belief after all of this transpired is that I don`t believe

that.

BANFIELD: Do you think you were the --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): I don`t know because before all this happened, if anybody would have asked me about him, I would have told them

that he was a very loving, very generous, very insecure, very kind, very compassionate, really empathetic and kind of dorky guy. But you never

really truly know anyone, I guess.

BANFIELD: Can you stay with me for a couple of minutes? I have to fit in a break. I have a very pressing question still for you. After the break, if

you can, I want to ask you your reaction when you started to see the news breaking about what happened to the Watts family. Sir, can you stay with me

for a few minutes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): Yeah.

BANFIELD: OK. We`ll be back right after this.

[18:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: We have breaking news. Just moments ago, very shocking new allegations about the Colorado family man who stands accused of killing his

wife and his two children. We are still talking to a man from Chris Watts` past, who claims to be his former lover.

We are not showing this man`s face. We are not naming him. He is concerned about his life and about backlash. We want him to be able to continue

living without fear of speaking out to us. We want to make it very clear, we sought this man out so that he can tell his side of the story.

However, we can`t independently verify the details that he describes. But we are going to continue speaking with him, this man who claims to be Chris

Watts` former lover. Sir, can you still hear me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): I can.

BANFIELD: Thank you so much for staying over the break. I do want to ask you your reaction when you heard the news that Chris Watts` family at first

was missing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): I actually didn`t even hear that they are missing. My ex-fiancee knew that I had had relation with him and I didn`t

hear anything until after the bodies were found.

BANFIELD: And what was your reaction then?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): I felt ill.

BANFIELD: Did you reach out to him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): To Chris?

BANFIELD: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): No. After that, no.

BANFIELD: When you found out that he had been arrested, did it ever cross your mind that he is the man who did this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): No, but -- no and yes, because -- yeah just your life experience, you never really know someone and you never

really know what someone is capable of.

And the way he portrayed himself as this victim and the way he just made me feel sympathy for him for going -- you know, living this life and living

this lie and going through all this and told me that if it were to ever come out, that he would be shunned and he wouldn`t be allowed to see his

girls. I really didn`t know what to think. My first initial reaction was that I just felt ill.

[18:45:01] I felt nauseous.

BANFIELD: Did you ever see any tendencies in Chris Watts towards violence?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): No. He was one of the most gentle people I`ve ever met.

BANFIELD: Did his behavior ever change from the moment you met him a year ago in June until you split with him in -- I think what, April or May?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): Yes. After that, I got a text from him to where it was very, very passive-aggressive. And he had never shown that

side of him before.

BANFIELD: And -- and can you -- can you go a little deeper there and tell me what you mean? What was the text? What did the text say?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): He flipped it around like I was the one in the wrong. He told me I did him dirty. He told me that I shouldn`t have had

all these empty promises which there weren`t any promises. I didn`t promise to run away with him. I didn`t promise to do any of that. And that`s the

way he portrayed it when he texted me.

BANFIELD: If you can stay for a moment, I want to ask you after the break, sir, how things ended and when the last time you saw Chris Watts was. Can

you stay with me for a moment?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): Yes.

BANFIELD: We`ll be right back after this.

[18:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: Shocking allegations are surfacing tonight from the man who claims to be Chris Watts` former lover. I want to make it very clear, we

can`t independently confirm the disturbing details that he`s sharing. But we sought him out specifically so that he could share his side of the story

with us.

We`re not naming him. We are not showing him. Because understandably, he is fearful of speaking out in this very, very public story. We continue to

speak with him now, the man who claims to be Chris Watts` former lover.

Sir, thank you again for staying through the break. Can you tell me if it ended well between you and Chris Watts when you called it off in March or

April of this last year?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): It didn`t necessarily end ugly, but it didn`t end well. I --

BANFIELD: I think I`m losing your signal, but I do want to know what you mean when you say it didn`t end well. Can you be more descriptive? How did

you break things off, and what was it like? Sir, can you hear me? Your signal has been in and out for the last 30 minutes or so. I want to make

sure we still have you on the line.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): All circuits are busy. Please try your call again later.

BANFIELD: I think we may have lost this interview, but we are going to try to re-establish contact. I do want to reiterate, if you`re just joining us,

this is a pretty astounding development in this case.

We thought one of the biggest secrets, according to the police, that Chris Watts was keeping before this remarkable story broke was that he was having

an affair with someone at work. It was never mentioned that it was a woman. It may well have been a woman.

It may also have been a man, because, if what this young man is telling us, that he had a 10-month-long affair with Chris Watts with whom he had this

relationship that began online, he called him loving, generous, insecure, kind, compassionate, empathetic and one of the most gentle people he`d ever

met, but that when the news broke that he`d been arrested for the murders of his wife and two children, it literally sickened him.

We`re going to try to re-establish our contact with this person. I have a lot more questions to ask. When we do, hopefully we`ll be able to do so.

Hope you`ll stay for the second hour of "Crime & Justice." It begins right after this.

[18:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: Breaking news just moments ago. Some very shocking new allegations have surfaced about that Colorado family man who was accused of

killing his wife and his baby girls. We are talking with a man from Chris Watts` past, a man who claims to be Chris Watts` former lover. To be clear,

we are not showing his face.

[19:00:01] We are not naming him so that he can continue to live his life without fear of speaking out in this headline-making crime story.

We want to make it clear that we sought this man out ourselves so that he could tell his side of the story and his connection to this case. We

cannot independently verify the details that he describes, but we are going to continue speaking with this man who claims to be from Chris Watts` past

as Chris Watts` former lover.

Sir, can you still hear me, sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I can.

BANFIELD: I`m going to reset the stage with you somewhat for viewers that have just joined in this hour who may not have heard some of the things

that you told me during the last hour, so I apologize for repeating questions. But I want to begin at the beginning. How was it that you

first met Chris Watts?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I met him on an app called MeetMe. He reached out to me and messaged me.

BANFIELD: When he messaged you, what was he asking you and what was he telling you about himself?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): It was very much small talk. He told me his age. He told me he has a daughter -- he has two daughters. He told

me that he was looking for a relationship in the long run.

I asked him why his profile said straight if he was messaging me, and he said that he was not out and not ready to be out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): When you first met him, what was your impression of him and --

(CROSSTALK)

BANFIELD: I`m sorry, say again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I said he was -- he said he was not out, and he wasn`t ready to be out as far as sexuality.

BANFIELD: And when you met him, how soon did your relationship turn sexual?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): How soon?

BANFIELD: Yes. How soon after you actually met him in person did your relationship turn romantic?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): That night.

BANFIELD: It was instant?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Yes.

BANFIELD: Did he indicate to you that he was living a secret life? Did he indicate to you that he needed to keep his life with you secret? Did you

get an inclination that maybe he was hiding a family somewhere else?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): No. Because he was upfront with me about having kids, I didn`t think he had a wife.

BANFIELD: Sir, there has been a lot of reporting from the police affidavit after he was arrested saying that he was having an affair with someone at

work. Did you suspect that perhaps that person whom he was having an affair with at work might be a man?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Yes.

BANFIELD: Do you think it`s possible it was a woman?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): It`s possible.

BANFIELD: So you don`t get the impression that perhaps Chris Watts had discovered that he was gay and could not live a straight life any longer?

I`m trying to get the idea of motive if, in fact, he`s guilty of these crimes. Would it possibly be because he had discovered that he was, in

fact, not straight, not bi, but instead gay and could not live with the life as he had it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Yes, I did, but we had many conversations. I had asked him if he`s sure he`s not bisexual because he,

obviously, had two children. And he said -- he told me that he didn`t know, but as of that moment, he was attracted to me and only me as a male.

BANFIELD: So does it surprise you then when you had learned in this breaking story that his wife was 15 weeks pregnant?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Yes. That was --

BANFIELD: Was he telling you that he was no longer romantic with her?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): After I found out that he was married?

BANFIELD: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Yes. He told me that they didn`t have sex anymore.

[19:04:58] BANFIELD: Did he ever come across to you as suspicious? And I`ll be frank with you, when we watched his interview -- the day he gave

the interview to all the T.V. cameras, stood out on his front porch, and begged us all to help him find his missing family, we`ve been to this rodeo

before. And we had our suspicions about the telltale signs that he wasn`t telling the truth.

Did you ever get the impression from your 10-month relationship with him that he wasn`t telling you the truth?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Yes. Come December, I knew that there were secrets that he was keeping from me. I didn`t know what exactly, but

I knew that there were secrets.

BANFIELD: Did you suspect he was having any kind of romantic relationships with any other men at the time that you were with him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Yes, that`s the first thing I suspected because he was -- there`s certain things he wouldn`t tell me or there`s

lies I caught him in. There were -- yes, there were just lots of red flags come December.

And then after I met him with him and his -- Bella and Celeste were in the -- in his truck, in his pickup, and Bella made a comment, asking if she

could sleep with him and mommy tonight. And that`s when I found out he was married, and it just kind of all tied in for me. All my suspicions ended

up being right.

BANFIELD: So tell me about the conversation that you had once those children in the back seat had mentioned that there was, in fact, a mommy,

that was, in fact, sleeping in the same bed as the man that you had been dating. Tell me what you talked about once you were out of the presence of

the kids.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I had asked him why he lied to me. He told me that because he knew he wouldn`t have a chance with me if he told

me he was married because he -- he very much told me what I wanted to hear.

He told me that he knew I had good morals. And that he knew I wouldn`t follow through with anything if I knew that he was married. He told me

that -- that`s when he told me that he was -- that his wife was verbally and emotionally abusive. He told me that he didn`t love her, and it was

clear that she didn`t love him.

BANFIELD: Did you ever believe the stories that he was telling you about his, quote/unquote, unhappy life at home, or did you get an inkling -- were

there any telltale signs when he told you the stories about his home life that maybe that wasn`t quite true?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I mean, I knew that something was wrong at home because if nothing was wrong, he wouldn`t have pursued me. But I

was very wary of anything he told me after that because he had already lied to me.

BANFIELD: Can you tell me what you think Chris Watts was doing when he wasn`t with you? Do you think he was actually having a normal family

relationship as is depicted in so many of these Facebook videos that his wife had posted, or do you really think that he was miserable?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Both, if that makes sense. I mean, I could see in his eyes that he was very unhappy and the way he opened up to

me. But, I mean, he -- I know he hasn`t been convicted yet or anything, but a sociopath can -- a sociopath can easily lead two different lives and

feel two different emotions. And he could have been telling me what I wanted to hear or what he thought I wanted to hear.

[19:10:04] BANFIELD: Do you suspect that Chris Watts was on other dating apps as well?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I -- after that, yes, I suspected it.

BANFIELD: There`s a lot of evidence of Chris` life changing precipitously in the last year or two. There are pictures of Chris Watts from 2012 where

he is, ironically, giving a conference speech about fidelity and about cheating with someone at work.

And he`s 50 pounds heavier. And his appearance is completely different than the person we see on social media with him in -- in -- listen, in the

recent past right up until July of this year. Do you have any --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Yes, I --

BANFIELD: -- anything to add about that --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I saw that.

BANFIELD: -- that change in his appearance? Like, tell me your thoughts on that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): His change in appearance?

BANFIELD: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I -- I really didn`t know because when I first saw that video of him giving his thesis or whatever it was in

college, I didn`t even think it was him. He looked so different. But he had disclosed to me that he was a part of that Thrive. It`s like a dieting

-- his -- Shanann was involved in it, and he disclosed to me that he was on a Thrive diet.

I`m not really sure how it works, but he was wearing -- he was wearing a patch on his chest one day, and I asked him what it was. And then he told

me. So after I saw that video, I thought maybe it was -- he had lost the weight from doing this Thrive diet, whatever. I don`t know.

I think it`s a patch that helps your appetite or something like that, but it`s essentially a business that -- where you promote it on Facebook and

all that.

And I -- to be perfectly honest (ph), I can`t even look at Shanann`s -- I saw one of Shanann`s videos, and I saw one of the videos of their family

and I couldn`t look at any others. I can`t. Physically, I get nauseous.

BANFIELD: You get nauseous when you see these videos and these images of him with his wife and his children?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Yes.

BANFIELD: Are you angry?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Yes, I am. I was lied to, and I`ve been -- I mean, there`s (INAUDIBLE).

I don`t know Shanann, but it`s (INAUDIBLE) Shanann killed the girls and blah, blah, blah. And that makes me angry because I knew Chris. I know

the way he moves. I don`t know how (INAUDIBLE) like I said, kind of dorky, compassionate person.

I don`t know (ph) what happened and I couldn`t begin to tell you even what happened that night, and all these people on social media are suddenly

criminologists and psychiatrists. And, yes, that`s probably the thing that I`ve been -- after I -- I mean, yes, I`m very angry with Chris, but it -- I

realize that that`s wasted energy.

And now the thing that makes me angry is people assuming they know what happened. Because I knew -- I knew Chris, and I -- like I said, before

this, I would have told you he`s not capable of anything like this. But he already admitted to at least two of the murders, his wife and unborn child.

So for people to sit there and say that Shanann killed the two girls is asinine.

BANFIELD: Have you seen many of the videos that Shanann has posted with Chris clearly playing a starring role in them as well? And if so, what are

your thoughts about the Chris Watts that you see in her videos?

[19:15:12] UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I saw -- like I said, I saw one and I chose not to look at any after that. But the one that I did see,

he almost seemed like the person that I knew. I mean, quiet, reserved, very soft-spoken. So --

BANFIELD: Can I ask you this -- and it`s a difficult question, but given the now proven lies that Chris told the national press, one interview after

another, staring straight at the camera, shaking his head, folding his arms, that his wife and children were missing, knowing full well that they

were, in fact, buried at his work site 30 minutes away, do you think there is any possibility that the story he tells, according to the police, that

Shanann killed those children and that he killed her in a rage, do you think there`s any chance that that is true?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I mean, until everything comes out, there`s always that chance, but my personal belief is no. But I can`t --

BANFIELD: That`s he`s telling yet another lie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Yes.

BANFIELD: When was the last --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): They -- I mean --

BANFIELD: Sorry, go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): All of them were strangled. All of them were strangled. And I`m not a criminologist or anything either, but

I`m just putting all the pieces together.

BANFIELD: That`s all right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): All of them were strangled with -- I mean, in the same way.

BANFIELD: We`re still trying to get to the bottom of that. We still don`t know that that`s, in fact, true either. That was something that was

floated in a defense motion for requests for forensic testing, but it`s certainly not something that the police have confirmed. The cause of death

hasn`t been released. It may take weeks and weeks until we really do know what it was that, in fact, led to the deaths of these three people on your

screen and that unborn child.

But it is -- I mean, it is fascinating to speak with you, one who was also duped by Chris Watts. One who -- if your story is as you tell it, one who

was lied to, as he continued to live yet another lie. That he was having a gay relationship outside of his straight marriage and not telling you and

certainly not telling Shanann, that we know of.

Do you suspect -- let me put it this way. Is it possible you may know the person with whom he was having a relationship at his company?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): No.

BANFIELD: Did you know anyone he worked with?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I -- no, I never met any -- I never met anyone close to him besides his daughters.

BANFIELD: Did he tell you what he did for a living or where he worked?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Yes. He told me that he got --

BANFIELD: And can you tell me what he told you? Like, what does -- how did he describe his job? What did he tell you he did for a living?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): He told me he worked for an oil and gas company.

BANFIELD: Did he describe his job at all?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): No, not really. Not that I recall.

BANFIELD: Was he a field worker? Was he an office worker? Was he an executive? I mean, his job title is operator but that can mean a lot of

things. Did he give you any indication that he was, you know, out in the dusty fields, on the rigs, or anything else on a daily basis?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Yes, the -- what I got from it was that he was out on the field most of the time.

BANFIELD: Did he wear a hard hat or work boots? Did he wear loafers when you saw him? What kind of clothing would he wear specifically if he was

coming from work?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): The time -- the couple of times I saw him coming from work, he had overalls on and like -- I`ve seen a hard hat

in his truck, but that`s (INAUDIBLE).

BANFIELD: So it looked like -- he looked like he was the kind of guy whose job would make him familiar with the field operations of oil rigging

outside?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Correct.

BANFIELD: As opposed to an executive who is an engineer who might be able to run these operations and set the plan in motion for the guys who

actually have the boots and hit the dirt?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Right.

BANFIELD: Got it. Do you think, sir, that you were his first boyfriend?

[19:20:10] UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I -- he told me that he had had experiences with some male before, but he said that was in his teenage

years. So, I mean, after everything that`s come about, I don`t -- I don`t know. But at the time, yes, I assumed that I was his first.

BANFIELD: Do you consider your relationship with Chris Watts to be one of a boyfriend, or did you have a casual, physical relationship with him only?

Can you -- can you clarify or categorize or qualify the kind of relationship you had with him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I can`t necessarily categorize it, but I didn`t call him a boyfriend to friends or anything. I called him a guy

that I was seeing. So probably more casual, but there towards the end, he was very (INAUDIBLE).

BANFIELD: Was your relationship with him during moments where perhaps Shanann traveled? Because we know that for her job, she did go on several

trips. Was that an opportunity when he would see you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Yes. I don`t know about before I found out that he was married, but the last time we had relations, I know that

Shanann was out of town.

BANFIELD: So you did -- your last relations with him were at a time where you knew he was married, but you had not yet split with him. What was the

deciding factor as to why you stopped seeing him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Things just kept -- he just -- to me, it looked like he kept telling lies and just kept telling me what he

thought I wanted to hear.

BANFIELD: Can I ask you this --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): It was --

BANFIELD: Can I ask you, what do you hope happens to him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I hope he gets convicted, and I hope he stays in prison for the rest of his life.

BANFIELD: It`s an incredible story that you tell, and I appreciate you coming forward. I want to remind our viewers that we reached out to you,

and that is a critical part of this -- of the factor in why we`re doing that interview.

When we come back after the break, Chris and Shanann`s marriage certainly wasn`t what it may have seemed to be. Chris allegedly had this male lover.

Coming up next, more shocking revelations and some additional questions from that lover himself.

[19:23:10] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: Tonight, we have someone who claims to be from Chris Watts` past. Chris Watts` recent past.

Now, we are not going to show you this person because he wants to continue his life without consequences for speaking out in this case, but we are

going to let him tell his part of how he connects to the story.

This is a story that, we have to be honest with you, we can`t independently verify, but it is a story that could be extremely telling as we try to

figure out what happened in the Watts family. This is a man who claims to be Chris Watts` former lover and he joins me now live.

Sir, can you hear me OK?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): I can.

BANFIELD: I won`t use a name for you, and I understand your panic about having backlash in this very public story. This is a very public case.

But can you tell me how it is you first met Chris Watts?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): It was on an app.

BANFIELD: And what kind of an app was it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): It was kind of a social media app. The app`s called MeetMe.

BANFIELD: And when you met him on this app, how did he present himself? And what was the nature of him connecting with you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): He messaged me. It seemed all very innocent at first. On the profile, it didn`t have a last name or anything.

It just had his last initial. He was listed as straight and not bi or homosexual, so I was kind of off put by it. And then we talked for a

while, and he just told me he wasn`t really out or comfortable being out.

BANFIELD: But eventually, you met him in person. And take me from there, what happened?

[19:30:03] UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Correct. And that -- and that person -- he came over -- the first time we met, he came over to the

place I was staying in Loveland, Colorado, which is pretty much a neighboring town to Frederick.

BANFIELD: And when you met, was it clear why he was there? Did -- was it clear that he wanted a romantic relationship with you, or did that develop

in time?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was clear that he was interested in me and attracted to me.

BANFIELD: And how soon was it that your relationship turned romantic?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That night.

BANFIELD: How long did you continue a sexual relationship with Chris Watts?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Off and on until March or April.

BANFIELD: So, how does that time out? Is that about nine or 10 months?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

BANFIELD: And during that time --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About 10 months.

BANFIELD: Sorry, go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About 10 months. We originally met in June last year.

BANFIELD: OK. And during that time, did he ever tell you that he was married or had children?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I found out when we were both out and about -- well, I knew he had children. He told me he had children. But he

portrayed it -- he portrayed that he was single, and when there was some point in January -- late January or February that I met up with him and got

in his Ford pickup, and he had his daughters with him. And the oldest pretty much spilled the beans that he was still married. She asked him --

I`m sorry, I`m so nervous. She asked if she could sleep with him and mommy tonight. And that`s when I found out.

BANFIELD: And what transpired between you and Chris Watts when you discovered with his children in the back of his truck that there was a

mommy on the scene? What was the conversation between the two of you after that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I waited until the appropriate time -- not in front of his children. And as soon as we left and I got in my car, I

texted him and asked him what was going on and all of that. And he kind of broke down and told me that he was married, and I don`t know if any of this

is the truth, but I just want to go on record saying I don`t know if any of it is the truth. But he told me that he was the victim of emotional and

verbal abuse, and he was trapped in the loveless marriage and he didn`t know any way out because of the kids --because of the girls.

BANFIELD: Did he ever tell you his real last name?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

BANFIELD: And he told you his name was Watts?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

BANFIELD: Were you ever aware of who his wife was? Because Shannan Watts was very prolific on social media?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I wasn`t. I wasn`t aware until all of this transpired. I did not know her -- if he did mention her name and I don`t

remember it, but I never knew her first name.

BANFIELD: When you see the postings of Shannan Watts now, and there are so many, she seems like the most doting wife one could imagine. She`s

constantly praising this man. There are images in the house dedicated to him. She calls him the greatest thing that ever happened to her. She buys

him these wonderful Metallica tickets. And the year before that for his birthday, she surprised him with a mechanical part that he -- that he

coveted as a surprise. There are so many pictures of them embracing and seemingly in love, and so many videos that showed them happy. Do you -- do

you believe what he told you that he was in an emotionally abusive -- and verbally abusive relationship. Do you believe that now?

[19:35:13] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Personally, I don`t really know. But I -- personally, my belief after all of this transpired is that I don`t believe

that.

BANFIELD: Do you think you were the --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I --

BANFIELD: Go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know because before all of this happened, if anybody would have asked me about him, I would have told them that he was a

very loving, very generous, very insecure, very kind, very compassionate, really, really empathetic, and kind of dorky guy. But you never truly know

anyone, I guess.

BANFIELD: Can you stay with me for a couple of minutes? I have to fit in a break. I have a very pressing question still for you. After the break,

if you can, I want to ask you your reaction when you started to see the news breaking about what had happened to the Watts family. Sir, can you

stay with me for a few minutes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

BANFIELD: OK. We`ll be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:41:44] BANFIELD: We have breaking news, just moments ago, very shocking new allegations about that Colorado family man who stands accused

of killing his wife and his two children. We are still talking to a man from Chris Watts` past who claims to be his former lover. We`re not

showing this man`s face, we are not naming him. He is concerned about his life and about backlash. We want him to be able to continue living without

fear of speaking out to us. We want to make it very clear, we sought this man out, so that he can tell his side of the story. However, we can`t

independently verify the details that he describes, but we are going to continue speaking with him, this man who claims to be Chris Watt`s former

lover. Sir, can you still hear me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can.

BANFIELD: Thank you so much for staying over the break. I do want to ask you your reaction when you first heard the news that Chris Watts` family at

first was missing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I actually didn`t even hear that they were missing. I -- my ex-fiance knew that I had had relations with him, and so I didn`t

hear anything until after the bodies were found.

BANFIELD: And what was your reaction then?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I felt ill.

BANFIELD: Did you reach out to him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I -- to Chris?

BANFIELD: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. After that, no.

BANFIELD: When you -- when you found out that he`d been arrested, did it ever cross your mind that he is the man who did this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, but -- no and yes because -- yes, just through life experience, you never really know someone. And then you never really know

what someone is capable of. And the way he portrayed himself as this victim and the way he just made me feel sympathy for him for going -- you

know, living this life and living this lie and going through all of this, but told me that if it were to ever come out that he would be shunned. He

wouldn`t be allowed to see his girls. I just -- I really didn`t know what to think -- my first initial reaction was that I just felt ill. I felt

nauseous.

BANFIELD: Did you ever see any tendencies in Chris Watts towards violence?

[19:45:01] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. He was one of the most gentle people I`ve ever met.

BANFIELD: Did his behavior ever change from the moment you met him a year ago in June until you split with him in, I think, what, April or May?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. After that, I got a text from him to where it was very, very passive aggressive. And he had never showed that side of him

before.

BANFIELD: And can you go a little deeper there and tell me what you mean? Like, what was the text? What did the text say?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He flipped it around like I was the one in the wrong. He told me I did him dirty. He told me that I shouldn`t have had all these

empty promises which there were no promises to him. I didn`t promise to run away with him. I didn`t promise to do any of that. And that`s the way

he portrayed it when he texted me.

BANFIELD: If you can stay for a moment, I want to ask you after the break, sir, how things ended and when the last time you saw Chris Watts was. Can

you stay with me for a moment?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

BANFIELD: We`ll be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:52:09] BANFIELD: Some shocking allegations are surfacing tonight from the man who claims to be Chris Watts` former lover. I want to make it very

clear we can`t independently confirm the disturbing details that he`s sharing, but we sought him out specifically so that he could share his side

of the story with us. We`re not naming him, we are not showing him because understandably he is fearful of speaking out in this very, very public

story. But we continue to speak with him now, the man who claims to be Chris Watts` former lover. Sir, thank you again for staying through the

break. Can you tell me if it ended well between you and Chris Watts when you called it off in March or April of this last year?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It didn`t necessarily end ugly, but it didn`t end well. I -- his text (AUDIO GAP)

BANFIELD: I think I`m losing your signal but I do want to know what you mean when you say it didn`t end well? Can you be more descriptive? How

did you break things off and what was it like? Sir, can you still hear me? Your signal has been sort of in and out for the last 30 seconds or so. I

want to make sure we still have you on the line.

P.A.: All circuits are busy, please try your call again later.

BANFIELD: I think we may have -- we may have lost this interview, but we`re going to try to re-establish contact. And I do want to reiterate, if

you`re just joining us, this is a pretty astounding development in this case. We thought one of the biggest secrets, according to police, that

Chris Watts was keeping before this remarkable story broke was that he was having an affair with someone at work. It was never mentioned that it was

a woman. It may well have been a woman. It may also have been a man. Because if what this young man is telling us, that he`s had a 10-month-long

affair with Chris Watts, with whom he had this relationship that began online, he called him loving, generous, insecure, kind, compassionate,

empathetic, and one of the most gentle people he`d ever met.

But that when the news broke that he`d been arrested for the murders of his wife and two children, it literally sickened him. We`re going to try to

re-establish our contact with this person. I have a lot more questions to ask. And when we do, hopefully we`ll be able to do so. I hope you`ll stay

for our second hour of CRIME & JUSTICE. It begins right after this.

[19:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: We`ll see you back here tomorrow night at 6:00 Eastern. Thanks so much for watching, everybody. "FORENSIC FILES" begins right now.

END