The Family Next Door Revealed About The Chris Watts Case

On Aug. 13, 2018, Shanann Watts and her two daughters, Bella and Celeste Watts, went missing. And while viewers of American Murder: The Family Next Door knew it was coming, it was still a particularly difficult moment in the documentary, as you know just who would be convicted of murdering them.

The first person to suspect that something terrible had happened was Shanann's friend Nickole Atkinson, who picked her up at the airport. After dropping Shanann off at home at nearly 2 a.m. that morning, Atkinson called the police when she couldn't get ahold of her friend later that day, as noted by Harper's Bazaar. Shanann also missed a doctor's appointment, which was completely out character for her, especially at 15 weeks pregnant.

Atkinson met officers at the Watts' residence that afternoon, and, with Chris Watts' permission, the authorities searched for evidence of Shanann's return from Arizona. And while they found her purse, medication, and phone, there was no sign of Shanann or her two daughters (via People). It was the beginning of the end: Shanann Watts was officially missing, and Chris was sketchy as hell about it.