Chris Watts, the man accused ofkilling his pregnant wife and two young daughtersin August, has been sitting in the Weld County Jail for more than a month.
A source who has spoken to Watts tells PEOPLE the severity of his predicament has sunk in.
“He’s not doing well at all,” the source tells PEOPLE. “The gravity of the situation has hit him like a ton of bricks. Depression is setting in, and he’s despondent.”
A source at the Weld County Jail recently confirmed to HLN’sCrime & Justice with Ashleigh Banfieldthat the 33-year-old murder defendant is under “Close Watch Protocol” — a technical name forsuicide watch. PEOPLE has independently confirmed the report.
Guards must check on Watts every 10-15 minutes to ensure his well-being and must make visual contact with him. Additionally, Watts is not allowed the same privileges as other people at the jail, including no access to weights, reading material and television.
With nothing else to do, the source says, Watts spends most of his time in bed. “He sleeps all day and isn’t really talking to anyone, including his family.”
Chris Watts.Joshua Polson/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Watts does occasionally speak with the guards who are assigned to his cell block.
Watts is physically searched several times per day and each day there is a complete cell inspection to ensure he is not hiding any contraband with which he could harm himself.
Chris and Shanann Watts.Shanann Watts /Facebook
Watts was arrested on Aug. 15 andcharged with first-degree murder, among other crimes,in the deaths of his wife Shan’ann, 34, and daughters, Celeste, 3, and Bella, 4.
They were reported missing on Aug. 13 and their bodieswere found on the property of Chris’ former employer Anadarko Petroleumnot long after he was taken into custody. Anadarko fired Chris the same day as his arrest.
However, the affidavit shows, Chris allegedly said he only strangled his wife after watching her kill Celeste when he told her he wanted to separate.
Chris has not yet entered a plea. His lawyer did not respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment but,according to a statementfrom the state’s public defender’s office, their attorneys are barred from discussing ongoing criminal cases.
source: people.com
