What happened to Shanann Watts and her two daughters Bella and Celeste – were they murdered by Chris Watts?

SHANANN Watts and her two young daughters were found dead in Colorado.

Husband and father Chris Watts has been jailed for the murders as well as the death of his unborn son. Here's what we know about the tragic deaths.

What happened to Shanann Watts and her daughters Bella and Celeste?

The bodies of Shanann, 34, and her kids were found at a compound near Denver, Colorado.

Shanann had just landed a glamorous new job which frequently kept her away from home.

The young mum was on a work trip just hours before she and her kids were killed sparking fears her husband felt jealous about her great new job.

Shanann frequently heaped praise on her husband Chris Watts, writing on Facebook in April while on a paid trip to New Orleans: "He’s my rock!"

"He takes care of us girls unconditionally!

"Thank you baby for holding down the fort this weekend! Love you."

In one online video she said meeting Watts was the "best thing that ever happened to her".

She said: “I got a friend request from Chris on Facebook and I was like, ‘Oh, what the heck, I’m never going to meet him.

“I accept, one thing led to another and eight years later we have two kids, we live in Colorado and he’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Shanann had also revealed to friends and family she was pregnant with their third child, a son they had hoped to name Niko.

Her husband Chris Watts made an emotional TV appeal for his missing wife and kids to come home after their disappearance.

Hours after making the appeal, cops reportedly announced Watts had confessed to killing his family.

Investigators were reportedly immediately suspicious after finding Shanann’s wallet and keys still in the house.

Watts pleaded guilty to three charges of murder in the deaths of his wife, Shanann, and their young daughters, Celeste, three, and Bella, four.

He also admitted two counts of murdering a child, one count of unlawful termination of a pregnancy and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body.

In doing this he escaped the death penalty and will now be in jail for the rest of his life, having received five life sentences for slaughtering his pregnant wife and their two young daughters, and dumping their bodies on an oil work site.

First-degree murder charges in Colorado require a minimum sentence of life without a chance at parole for adults.

Watts sent his mistress Nichol Kessinger a chilling text message that his family had "gone" at around 3.45pm on the day his wife and kids were reported missing.

Ms Kessinger recalls receiving the emotionless and cold message, which followed a dozen of other normal messages they had shared throughout the working day.

Reading the news, she became even more confused when she realised journalists were outside his house, and she was horrified to learn he was still married to a woman who was 15 weeks pregnant.

Ms Kessinger had started dating Watts in early July, believing he was separated and at the end of divorce proceedings.

When were the murders?

The children had spent the weekend at home with their father while their mum was away working, police confirmed.

Shanann and the girls had been missing since Monday, August 13, and were found on Wednesday, August 16.

Shannan's body was found buried in a shallow grave and the girls had been dumped in oil tanks on the property of Watts' former employer.

He was arrested the following day and charged with first degree murder and other felony counts in the slayings.

He was sentenced on November 19.

Judge Kopcow handed down five life sentences – three consecutive and two concurrent – with no possibility of parole.