Web Extra: Christopher Watts Sentencing

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Thank you. [00:00:30] Speaker 2: Please rise. For this session, the Honorable Marcello Kopp will resign. [00:00:36] Speaker 1: Good morning. You're welcome to be seated. Okay, we are on the record in Welk County case number 18, CR2003, people of the state of Colorado versus Christopher Lee Watts. Please have the parties identify themselves for the record. [00:00:55] Speaker 3: Your Honor, Michael Rourke, Steve Rennon, Patrick Rowe. On behalf of the people who also seated with us at the council table is Detective Dave Bommel from the Frederick District. [00:01:03] Speaker 1: Thank you. Your Honor, John Walsh and Catherine Harreld on behalf of Mr. Watts. Thank you. Mr. Rourke, did you want to make a record regarding compliance with the Victims Rights Act? Your Honor, I will. [00:01:14] Speaker 3: Your Honor, present in the courtroom are Frank Rusick, Sandy Rusick, and Frank Rusick, Jr. They are Shanann's mom, dad, and brother. They have been fully advised of the nature of the proceedings today. Also, based upon the order that the court entered last week, I can tell the court that Mr. and Cindy Watts are present in the courtroom as well. They've also had opportunity to meet with representatives from my office over the weekend to discuss the nature of the hearing today. I believe that we are fully in compliance with the Victims Rights Act. Thank you. [00:01:47] Speaker 1: So what I would like to do is explain the procedures that we're going to use regarding the sentencing hearing. Let me first say that I realize that the sentencing hearing is emotional for many of us. And I expect that your behavior in the courtroom, both in this courtroom and the overflow courtroom, is appropriate. If the court determines that your demeanor and behavior while in the courtroom during the hearing is not appropriate, I have advised the deputies that I will be asking you to be escorted out of the courtroom. So please be mindful of your demeanor during the sentencing hearing. Also, as a reminder, all electronic devices must be turned off. The only electronic devices that I have authorized to be used are those through the expanded media coverage order. If deputies see that you are using an electronic device not authorized by the court, the deputies will take action on that. So please be mindful of that. If you need to turn off your electronic devices, please do so now. So these are the procedures that we are going to use for the sentencing hearing. First, the prosecution will have an opportunity to present evidence. Once the prosecution finishes, the defense will have an opportunity to present evidence. Then, if there are any victims under the Victims' Rights Act, including Cindy and Ronnie Watts, that have not been called by the prosecution or the defense, or any other defined victims under the Victims' Rights Act, they will have an opportunity to make a statement to the court as it relates to their rights under the Victims' Rights Act. Thereafter, the prosecution will have an opportunity to argue. The defense will have an opportunity to make an argument. If Mr. Watts chooses to, he will have an opportunity to make a statement, and then the court will impose a sentence in this case. Does everybody understand? Okay. And so, Mr. Rourke, are you going to be speaking on behalf of the prosecution? [00:04:00] Speaker 3: Yes, Your Honor, I am. [00:04:01] Speaker 1: And you are welcome to present evidence. [00:04:04] Speaker 3: Thank you. Your Honor, if I may approach, I'm going to attend her to the court, what have been marketed as sentencing exhibits 1 through 21 inclusive. I have provided copies of these two defense counsel. [00:04:13] Speaker 1: Thank you. [00:04:17] Speaker 3: Your Honor, photographs 1 through 21, sentencing exhibits 1 through 21 represent a number of different photographs that are in discovery that Shanann's mother and father wanted the court to have for your consideration as you impose sentence today. They may allude to those, and I've asked them to do so by way of sentencing exhibit number, but that's the sum and substance of exhibits 1 through 21. [00:04:41] Speaker 1: Thank you. And do you have individuals who would like to make a statement? [00:04:46] Speaker 3: I do. Your Honor, if I could first call upon Frank Rusek to join me at the podium. [00:04:51] Speaker 1: Thank you. Good morning, Mr. Rusek. Good morning. [00:05:11] Speaker 4: I would like to say to the courts that Shannon, Bella, and Nico love and caring people. They love life. They love being around people who love them. They also, they always had good times. This is the first time they went to the beach this year, and they loved it. But God only knows what happened that night. Life will never be the same without Shannon, Bella, and Celeste, and Nico. Had all their lives to live, they were taken by a heartless one. This is the heartless one, the evil monster, who dare you take the lives of my daughter, Shannon, Bella, Celeste, and Nico. I trusted you to take care of them, not kill them. And they also trusted you. The heartless monster, and then you take them out like trash. You disgust me. They were loving and caring people. You may have taken their bodies from me, but you will never take the love they had from me. They loved us more than you will ever know. Because you know what love, you don't know what love is. Because if you did, you would not have killed them. You monster. Thought you would get away with this. I don't know how. The cameras do not lie. You carry them out like trash. Of the house. Yes. I've seen the videotape. You buried my daughter, Shannon, and Nico, in a shallow grave. And then you put Bella and Celeste in huge containers of crude oil. You heartless monster. You have to live with this vision every day of your life. And I hope you see that every time you close your eyes at night. Oh, I forgot. You have no heart or feelings. Or love. Let me tell you something. I will think of them every day of my life. And I love them every day of my life. Prison is too good for you. This is hard to say, but may God have mercy on your soul. I hope you enjoy your new life. It's nothing like the one you had out here. May the courts have no mercy on you. It's hard every day. It hurts in so many ways. I have heard people say that you're not a monster. No, you are not. You're an evil monster. Thank you. Love you, Shannon, Bella, and Nico. Love you, Pop-Pop and Deb. And one other thing. And Shannon says, she is super excited for justice today. Thank you, Your Honor. Thank you, sir. [00:08:21] Speaker 1: Can I have just one moment here? Sure. [00:08:32] Speaker 3: Your Honor, Frankie Bruce, Jr. He has asked me to read his statement for him, but he would like to stand with me if that's okay. [00:08:43] Speaker 1: Of course. Sir, if I can just have you state your name for the record. Frankie Bruce, Jr. Thank you for being here. [00:08:51] Speaker 3: Your Honor, the past three months I've barely slept because I've been going through a lot of different emotions because I did not see this coming. You went from being my brother, my sister's protector, one of the most loved people in my family, to someone I will spend the rest of my life trying to understand. What gave you the right to put your hands on a woman, let alone my best friend, my beloved sister, your daughters, and your son. Why weren't they enough for you? In the blink of an eye, you took away my whole world, the people that mattered to me the most. Everything in my life I loved, your children. They trusted you. They loved you. They looked up to you because you promised to keep them safe. Instead, you turned on your family. My blood is boiling as I write these last words because they are the last you will ever hear from me. I can't even think of the right words to describe the betrayal and the hate I feel. And to be honest, you aren't even worth the time and effort it takes to put my pen to this paper. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't cry for my family. They were my whole world. All I do is ask myself why. Why would you do this? You don't deserve to be called a man. What kind of person slaughters the people that love them the most? Did you really think you would get away with this? Did you really think that this was your best option? To throw away your family like they were garbage? They deserve better and you know it. I hope you spend the rest of your life staring at the ceiling every night being haunted by what you've done. None of us deserve this. Hearing my mother and father cry themselves to sleep in this hotel room causes me anguish that is beyond words. I can't describe how this feels, how badly my heart is breaking for my poor parents. We trusted you. You have taken away my family from this earth, but you can never take them from my heart. You took away my privilege of being an uncle to the most precious little girls I've ever known. I will never hear the words Uncle Frankie again, but you will never be called Dad again either. You'll never be able to put your hands on another woman, let alone my best friend, my beloved sister, and your son. I just can't comprehend how they weren't enough for you. Shanann, Bella, and Cece loved you more than anyone. You were their hero. How could you destroy the people who loved them the most? I pray that you never have a moment's peace or a good night's rest in the cage you'll spend every day of your life in. A cage you are privileged to live in because my family isn't evil like you. We begged the district attorney to spare your life because despite everything, we believe that no one has the right to take the life of another, even someone like you. I feel sorry for your family. I know the pain that they must feel knowing that they can't hug you because that's how my mother, father, and I feel every time we cry for our family. Nothing hurts more than watching or hearing my family weep for their loved ones. I just wish that I could tell that you would tell the truth, but I know that that is asking for more than you are capable of. I stayed up all night writing this statement. I don't sleep because of you. My life will never be the same because of you, but at least my conscience is clear. I get to live free, but I can't say the same for you. I haven't slept in two days because I've been anxiously waiting for this moment, the moment I get to tell you how I feel, how this has affected my family and I. My family and I can finally grieve after today. If anything, we will come out of this stronger today than we were before, and we will continue to pray for your family. Sincerely, Frankie Rusick. [00:12:15] Speaker 1: Thank you, Mr. President. [00:12:16] Speaker 3: Go ahead. Your Honor, Sandy Rusick would like to address the board. Good morning. [00:12:35] Speaker 5: Good morning, Your Honor. Thank you for this moment. [00:12:38] Speaker 1: I could just have you just identify yourself for the record. My name is Sandra Rusick, Shannon's mother. Thank you. [00:12:44] Speaker 6: I wanted to say thank you for this moment. I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has prayed for our beloved family, who had sent gifts, cards to us from all over the world. I know God will put the evil people where they need to be. I also want to take the time to thank the town of Frederick, Greeley, FBI, the DA's office, the CBI for exceptional work. We thank Nicole Atkinson, Shannon's neighbor, Nathan, and his family. To me, they're our heroes. They really, they really are. God bless. God makes no mistakes on who he puts in your life. Marriage is about love, trust, and friendship, and unity. We marry for sickness and health to death do us part. Our daughter, Shannon, loved you with all of her heart. Your children loved you to the moon and back. Shannon's family was her world. Shannon put a crown on your head. But unfortunately, the day that you took their life, God removed that crown. We loved you like a son. We trusted you. Your faithful wife trusted you. Your children adored you. And they also trusted you. Your daughter, Bella Marie, sang a song proudly. And I don't know if you got to see it, but it was, Daddy, you're my hero. I have no idea who gave you the right to take their lives. [00:14:27] Speaker 5: But I know God and his mighty angels were there at that moment to bring them home to paradise. God gives us free will. [00:14:39] Speaker 6: So not only did you take the family of four, your family of four, you took your own life. I want the world to know that our daughter and her children were so loved by us. There will always be protected by God and his mighty angels. I didn't want death for you because that's not my right. Your life is between you and God now, and I pray that he has mercy for you. From Shannon's mother, Bella Marie, Celeste Catherine, and Nico Lees. Nana. Thank you, Your Honor. [00:15:25] Speaker 3: Your Honor, that's all the witnesses that I had intended on calling, and I know that the court addressed this during the procedural posture. I am aware that Mr. and Mrs. Watts would also like to address the court. I would certainly invite the court if you want at this point to call upon them, or we can certainly do it after any evidence that the defense has as well. [00:15:41] Speaker 1: Sure. Does Cindy or Ronnie Watts wish to make a statement for the Victims' Rights Amendment? Good morning, Ms. Powers. [00:15:55] Speaker 7: Good morning, Your Honor. [00:16:01] Speaker 1: I'm going to have you folks introduce yourself for the record. [00:16:04] Speaker 8: I'm Cindy Watts. [00:16:06] Speaker 1: I'm Ron Watts. Thank you. And I have authorized you to make a statement to the court as paternal grandparents of the children. And if you choose not to make a statement, but your designee, Ms. Powers, chooses to, she can do so as well. How would you like to proceed today? Can I read that? [00:16:26] Speaker 7: Yeah, do I read that. I want you to start, [00:16:29] Speaker 1: but I would like to read that. Who's going to be speaking today? [00:16:31] Speaker 7: Your Honor, initially, they've asked me, and they're hoping that they have the strength to speak, but if they do not, they've written out their statements and asked me to finish for them. [00:16:40] Speaker 1: That would be fine. Who would like to go first? [00:16:43] Speaker 7: If I could start, Your Honor. On behalf of the Watts, Your Honor, and to the community, we thank you for the opportunity and the recognition under the Victim Bill of Rights. We come today as the grandparents and the parent of the daughter and children whose life was taken in this case. We are not here to ask for leniency. We are not in any way condoning or tolerating the crime that has occurred and the pain that has been caused. We join in our daughter-in-law and grandchildren's family in saying, this should never have happened. This is not condonable. This is something that we will never get over. We appreciate the consideration that everyone has paid, most especially the families that have lost everyone. We appreciate that they begged for Christopher's life. We agree and echo what they have said, that it is not his place to take anyone's life, nor would it be our place as a community to take his life. So we thank you for the opportunity and for every consideration and effort that's been put out. The prosecution in this case has in fact respected the Victim Bill of Rights. They took the time to explain that the information that my clients had at the time that they were interviewed was not correct. They were misinformed. They were searching for answers. They were not intending to cause any pain to anyone. And they appreciate that the prosecution answered their questions and gave them the time and the respect and the consideration so that they could tell this court and to everyone in this community that the interview content was not their message, that they accept that their son has done this, that they accept that he chose to plead guilty, that he sought and requested their consent and agreement for a life sentence. They appreciate that he is given the opportunity to serve that life sentence. It is his responsibility. It is his sentence. And it is not enough to make up for what has done. We understand and we join the family in that we have questions. We don't know how such a thing could possibly happen or that a man that was responsible for raising his children and protecting his wife would take the steps that he did and that he would disregard their bodies and the love that he had for them and they had for him and everyone else and take the gestures and put this community through the investigation and the discovery and the responsibility of bringing justice. We do not understand that. We do not think it was appropriate. We cannot begin to think that an explanation will ever justify it. My clients indicate that they understand that a full opportunity for a confession with all of the responsibility and accountability has not occurred. And they support the family and the request that that happen if not today at an appropriate time in an appropriate manner so that everyone can have peace to understand to the best of their ability the details that they need and to have their questions answered. And by giving this opportunity of a life sentence we hope that he embraces that moment that had the death penalty been pursued there would not have been an opportunity to be accountable and to give a full confession. And had the death penalty been sought counsel would have fought for his life. The prosecutors would have been engaged in a multiple year battle. The families would have been torn apart. This community would have had to subsidize it and endure it. And we have so much respect and gratefulness that that did not happen. we would strongly encourage Christopher Watts to give that full confession in the tone and in the timing that he thinks is appropriate with the guidance of his counsel. We feel that it would be appropriate and helpful to ease the pain and the suffering. But we also say we don't think that there's anything that he can say that will ever account for his behavior. There's nothing that can be done to cure the harm he has caused and he has the responsibility to serve his sentence with dignity and with regard for everyone and to spend every breath that he has left in an atonement for what he has done. [00:21:36] Speaker 1: Do you want to read it? Yes. So I can decide to state your name for the record. [00:21:41] Speaker 8: Cindy Watts. [00:21:42] Speaker 1: Thank you. [00:21:44] Speaker 8: My name is Cindy Watts. I am the grandmother of two beautiful granddaughters, Bella Marie, Celeste, Catherine Watts. I am also the mother of Christopher Watts, who I will be directing most of my statement to. First, I'd like to begin by recognizing the absolute horror of this crime and acknowledging the devastating loss that both the Rusek family as well as our family have faced. [00:22:10] Speaker 2: Our families have been irreparably broken by the needless deaths of Shanann, Bella, Cici, and Nico. This is something we will never get over. We will always mourn the loss of our family and in that, we are united in our grief. I am still struggling to understand how and why this tragedy occurred. I may never be able to understand and accept it, but I pray for peace and healing for all of us. Now to my son Christopher, I have known you since the day you were born into this world. I have watched you grow from a quiet and sweet, curious child who Bella reminded me so much of, to a young man who worked hard in sports and later mechanics to achieve your goals. you were a good friend, brother, father, and son. You have, we have loved you from the beginning and we still love you now. It might be hard for some to understand how I can sit here under these circumstances and tell you although we are heartbroken, although we can't imagine what could have led us to this day, but we love you. Maybe you can't believe it either. As the Lord said in Jeremiah 3.31, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you and you. As your mother, Chris, I have always loved you and I still do. I hate what has happened. Your father and sister and I are struggling to understand why. But we will remain faithful as your family just as God remains faithful because of His unconditional love for us all. We love you and we forgive you, son. [00:24:24] Speaker 7: Judge, if I could read Mr. Watts' statement. [00:24:28] Speaker ?: Yes. [00:24:29] Speaker 7: My name is Ronnie Watts and I am the grandfather of Bella, Celeste, Niko Watts and I am the father of Shannon. I am the father of Christopher Watts as well and one of the most important things I've done in my life is to raise my children and to watch as they started their own families. I spent many years coaching Little League and talking to my son, taking him to the races and sharing my love and knowledge of cars with him. He was just as involved with his girls. I believe he loves his girls. I know he does. This tragedy has impacted my family in so many ways. Beyond losing my precious grandchildren, our beloved daughter-in-law, we are forced to question everything. We still don't have all the answers and I hope one day, Christopher, you can help us. Chris, I want to talk to you as a father and son. You are here today accepting responsibility but I want to tell you this now. I love you. Nothing will ever change that and I want you to find peace and today is your first step. The Bible says if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us. Chris, I forgive you and your sister forgives you and we will never abandon you and we love you. Dad. Judge, thank you for the opportunity to address the court. [00:26:24] Speaker 1: Are there any other statutory victims under the Victims' Rights Act that would like to make a statement today? Your Honor, [00:26:34] Speaker 3: I'm not aware of anything. [00:26:36] Speaker 1: For the record, nobody is raising their hand. Mr. Walsh, would you like to present any evidence? We have no evidence, Your Honor. Thank you. Mr. Walker, is there any statements you would like to make on behalf of the prosecution? [00:26:53] Speaker 3: Yes, please. Your Honor, there are no words to adequately describe the unimaginable tragedy that brings us before this court today. By my comments, I'm not even going to try to express the horror, the pain, or the suffering that the defendant has caused to these families, to this community, and to all who are a part of this investigation. However, I do want to spend a few minutes sharing with the court the details of the crime as so far you've only had an opportunity to repeat the affidavit and a few facts here and there that have been offered to the court in the motions and pleadings that have been filed. The questions that have screamed out to anyone who will listen since August 13th of 2018 are why and how. Why did this have to happen? How could a seemingly normal husband and father annihilate his entire family? For what? These are the questions that only one individual in this courtroom or on this planet knows the answers to. I fully expect we will not receive the answers to these questions today nor will we at any point in the future. I don't expect that he will ever tell the truth about what truly happened or why. Even if he did there is no rational way that any human being could find those answers acceptable responses to such horrific questions. The best we can do is try to piece together some kind of understanding from the evidence that is available to us. And the evidence tells us this. The defendant coldly and deliberately ended four lives. Not in a fit of rage not by way of accident but in a calculated and sickening manner. Shanann was 34 years old she had married the defendant in November of 2012. Over the weekend leading up to August 13th she had been at a work conference in Phoenix, Arizona and returned home in the early morning hours of August 13th. We know that she got home about 1.45 in the morning. The doorbell camera on their home shows her arriving back home from the airport. Shortly thereafter at least according to the defendant they had a what he referred to as an emotional conversation about the state of their marriage and about what their lives would look like going forward. What was said during that emotional conversation only he knows. What we do know is that shortly after that the defendant strangled her to death with his own hands. we know that he slowly took her life the morning of August 13th. We know that this was not done in an uncontrolled vengeful manner that he tried to describe to agents from CBI and the FBI. If that were the case you would expect to see vicious horrible bruising about her neck shoulders and face. You would expect to see the highway bone in her neck broken. You would expect to see some kind of defensive wounds on his body as she struggled and fought for her own life. None of those are present. The only injuries that were on Shanann's body were one set of finger or bruising what appeared to be fingernail or finger mark bruising to the right side of her neck. We know that our experts will tell us that it takes two to four minutes to strangle someone to death manually with their own hands. The horror that she felt is the man that she loved wrapped his hands around her throat and choked the life out of her must have been unimaginable. Even worse what must Bella age four and Celeste age three must have experienced or thought is their father the one man on this planet who was supposed to nurture and protect them was snuffing out their lives. They both died from smothering. Let me say that again. The man seated to my right smothered his daughters. Why? Imagine the horror in Bella's mind as her father took her last last breaths away. Your Honor I understand very clearly Bella fought back for her life. The frenulum the connective tissue between her upper lip and her gum had an inch and a half excuse me a centimeter and a half laceration. She bit her tongue multiple times before she died. She fought back for her life as her father smothered her. Celeste had no such injuries. In fact she had no external injuries at all. But according to the medical examiner she was smothered nonetheless. The defendant then methodically and calmly loaded their bodies into his work truck not in a hasty or disorganized way. He was seen from the neighbor's doorbell camera backing his truck into the driveway going back and forth into the house and back out to the truck three different times. One time for each of their bodies. He then drove them away from their family home one final time intent on hiding any evidence of the crimes that he had just committed. In one final sign of callousness for his wife his daughters and their unborn son and their remains he drove them to a location that he thought no one would ever find them to one of the oil tank batteries with which he was so familiar. He knew this was safe. He had texted a co-worker the night before saying I'll head out to that site I'll take care of it. He had carefully ensured that he would be alone in the middle of the plains to secrete away the remains of his family in a place that he hoped they would never be found. In one final measure of disrespect for the family he once had he ensured that they would not be together even in death or so he thought. He disposed of them in different locations. He buried Shanann and Nico in a shallow grave away from the oil tanks. Bella and Celeste were thrown away in the oil tanks at this facility different tanks so these little girls wouldn't be together in death. Imagine this your honor this defendant took those little girls and put them through a hatch at the top of an oil tank eight inches in diameter. Bella had scratches on her left buttocks from being shoved through this hole. A tuft of blonde hair was found on the edge of one of these hatches. The defendant told investigators that Bella's tank seemed emptier than Cece's because of the sound that the splashes made. These were his daughters. Significantly when his co-workers arrived at the tank battery later that morning to a person they all described him as acting completely normally. It was a normal work day even while his daughter sank in the oil and water not far away from him. And then his efforts at deception truly began. We've all seen the emotionless interviews that the defendant gives to the local media asking for help in locating his family. We watched as he claimed that the house was empty without them and that he hoped that they were somewhere safe and that he just wanted them to come home. He told investigators that they were at home sleeping when he left for work that morning and that Shanann had told him that she was taking the girls to a friend's house for the day. What is striking about this case your honor beyond the horrors that I've already described to you is the number of collateral victims that he created by his actions. While he stood in front of TV cameras asking for the safe return of his family scores of law enforcement officers neighbors friends and family scoured the area fretted for their safe return. They texted him begging for any information and sending him their best wishes all the while he hid what he had done. The list of indirect victims does not end there. Think of the firefighters and the Colorado State Patrol hazmat experts who had to don protective suits and who were called upon to pull Bella and Celeste out of those oil tanks or the coroner employees who had to conduct these autopsies or the victim assistants who frantically attempted to ease the suffering of those affected. All of this your honor for what? Why? Why did this have to happen? His motive was simple your honor he had a desire for a fresh start to begin a relationship with a new love that overpowered all decency and feelings for his wife his daughters and unborn son. While Shanann texted the defendant over and over again in the days and weeks leading up to her death attempting to save her marriage the defendant secreted pictures of his girlfriend into his phone and searched and texted excuse me texted her at all hours of the night. While Shanann sent the defendant self-help and relationship counseling books one of which ironically enough was thrown in the garbage. He was searching the internet for secluded vacation spots to take his new love in researching jewelry. And while Shanann took the girls to visit family in North Carolina the defendant went to car museums and the sand dunes with his new girlfriend. The stark contrast between the subjects of their internet and text content is absolutely stunning. Even the morning after he killed them and disposed of their bodies he made several phone calls. One was to the school where the girls were supposed to start telling the school that he would that the girls would not be coming to school anymore that they were being unenrolled presumably to give him some more time before law enforcement notification about them going missing. He contacted a realtor to start discussing the selling of his house and he texted with his girlfriend about their future. None of this answers the questions of why however if he was this happy and wanted a new start get a divorce you don't annihilate your family and throw them away like garbage why did Nico Celeste Bella and Shanann have to lose their lives in order for him to get what he wanted. Your Honor Justice demands the maximum sentence under the agreement reached by the parties. As you will recall the agreement calls for life sentences as to Shanann Bella and Celeste and all of those to run consecutively to one another. It also calls for the count of unlawful termination of a pregnancy as to Nico to run consecutively to counts one two and three. I would suggest that the extreme aggravation present in the defendant's conduct and in the efforts that I have described mandate that the sentences for counts seven eight and nine the tampering with the deceased human body each be the maximum of 12 years and that those sentences run consecutively to one another. It is very clear that each of these acts excuse me that these were not the subject of one act but each oil tank that he walked up with his daughter's bodies and the hole that he dug for his wife and unborn son mandate a mandatory consecutive sentence. It's been alluded to this morning but the defendant was certainly eligible for the death penalty in this case under the existing law in the state of Colorado. As you heard Shanann's family strongly opposed my office seeking the death penalty and being bound to the criminal justice system for the next several decades. That's in large part as you've heard why we have reached the agreement that we have. Four lives were lost at the hands of the defendant on August 13th for reasons that we will never fully understand nor will we know. In the end the Rusek family was much more merciful towards him than he was towards his wife his daughters and his unborn son. Prison for the remainder of his life is exactly where he belongs for murdering his entire family. Thank you. [00:39:51] Speaker 1: Are you seeking 91 days to file a request for restitution? I am your honor please. I'll grab that request. Mr. Walz will you be speaking on behalf of your client? Your Honor, Ms. Harrell. Thank you. Good morning, Ms. Harrell. [00:40:10] Speaker 9: Good morning, Your Honor. Mr. Watts has asked us to share this morning that he is devastated by all of this. And although he understands that words are hollow at this point he is sincerely sorry for all of this. Thank you. [00:40:25] Speaker 1: Thank you. Mr. Watts as I indicated when we began you have the right to make a statement if you choose to. Would you like to make a statement? [00:40:37] Speaker 5: No, sir. [00:40:38] Speaker 1: Thank you. So the court has considered the arguments made by the attorneys. The court has considered the statements made by the victims in this case. The court is going to find that the plea agreement is fair and reasonable under the circumstances. I want to acknowledge the Rusek family as well as the Watts family that showing mercy on Mr. Watts is understood. and I respect that decision to request that the district attorney not seek the death penalty in this case. And so the court is going to accept this plea bargain under the circumstances. Words that come to mind when I hear the evidence in this case are a senseless crime and the viciousness of the crime and equally aggravating in this court's determination is the despicable act of disposing of the bodies in the manner in which they were done in this case. I've been a judicial officer now for starting my 17th year and I could objectively say that this is perhaps the most inhumane and vicious crime that I have handled out of the thousands of cases that I have seen and nothing less than a maximum sentence would be appropriate and anything less than the maximum sentence would depreciate the seriousness of this offense. so the court is going to sentence Mr. Watts as follows with regard to count number one murder in the first degree as it relates to Shanann Watts the court is going to sentence you sir to a life sentence in the Colorado Department of Corrections followed with no possibility of parole and that is going to run consecutively to all but counts three and four with regard to count two as it relates to murder in the first degree with Bella the court is going to sentence you to life in the Colorado Department of Corrections with no possibility of parole with regard to count number three the court is going to sentence you as it relates to Celeste to life in the Colorado Department of Corrections with no possibility of parole with regard to counts four and five relating to Bella and Celeste as a different theory of first degree murder the court is going to sentence you to life in the Colorado Department of Corrections and legally those sentences must run concurrently as a different theory of first degree murder recognizing the unlawful termination of pregnancy for the unborn child that has been named Nico the court absolutely believes that the maximum sentence of 48 years would be appropriate appropriate to run consecutive to the other charges with an additional mandatory parole period of three years as set forth by statute with regard to count number seven as it relates to tampering with a deceased body as well as counts eight and nine each a class three felony the court is going to impose a maximum sentence of 12 years each for those counts to run consecutively to the other counts the court is going to order that statutory fees be paid and court costs the court is going to grant the prosecution 91 days to file a notice of restitution and that will be the sentence of the court we will shortly be in recess I would respectfully ask the parties that you remain in your seat there is a plan by the deputies on allowing people to exit the courtroom so please remain seated until you are authorized to leave the courtroom based on the direction of the deputies deputies I would respectfully ask that you take this defendant into custody and have him serve the rest of his life in the department of corrections we are in recess