Amanda McMahon, the woman with whom Chris Watts had an affair, has spoken about her relationship with the convicted murderer, detailing how she came to realize the true extent of his violent nature. In an interview, McMahon described her initial perception of Watts as a kind man met through the dating app Tinder, a stark contrast to the man who would later confess to killing his pregnant wife, Shanann, and their two young daughters, Bella and Celeste.
McMahon revealed that her understanding of Watts's character began to shift as their affair progressed. She recounted specific instances and observations that, in retrospect, signaled his disturbing tendencies. The affair took place while Watts was still married to Shanann, who was 15 weeks pregnant at the time of her death.
Watts murdered his family in August 2018. He initially claimed he did not know where they were, but evidence later surfaced that led to his arrest. During interrogations, Watts eventually confessed to the killings. He stated that he killed Shanann after she returned from a work trip, and then disposed of her body in an oil field. He also admitted to killing his daughters. Watts pleaded guilty to five counts of murder and other charges in November 2018, avoiding the death penalty by agreeing to serve multiple life sentences consecutively.