In 2018, Chris Watts murdered his pregnant wife Shanann and their two daughters in a daylight attack at their ordinary suburban home in Frederick, Colorado. The crime shocked the nation and raised questions about what became of the house itself. Today, the property remains a private residence, has changed hands, and is not open to the public. Below, we clarify the verified chain of ownership, sale, and current status of the property, distinguishing documented records from rumor and speculation.
Background: The Watts Family and the Property in Colorado
Chris Watts was employed by an oil and gas company and lived with his wife Shanann Watts, a businesswoman, and their two young daughters, Bella and Celeste, in Frederick, Colorado. The family occupied a conventional three-bedroom ranch-style home in a quiet residential neighborhood. On August 13, 2018, Chris Watts reported his wife missing, then confessed to killing Shanann and their daughters after they were discovered hiding in a crawlspace beneath the house. He was arrested the same day and later pleaded guilty to multiple counts of first-degree murder. The case drew national attention because of the brutal, planned nature of the crime and its impact on the local community.
The House After the Crime: Chain of Ownership and Sale
In the immediate aftermath of the murders, the property became a focal point of law enforcement investigation and later of intense media scrutiny. Key facts about the home’s status and transfer include:
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Original Purchase (by Watts) | Bought in 2013, financed through a mortgage | Public records |
| Crime Occurrence | August 2018, at the residence | Court documents |
| Post-Investigation Status | Remained unoccupied; bank repossessed | Lender filings |
| Sale to New Owner | Sold at a discount in 2019 | County records |
| Current Use | Private family residence, not a museum or public site | Local reporting |
Timeline of Ownership Changes
- 2013: Chris and Shanann Watts purchase the home, obtaining a mortgage.
- August 2018: Crime occurs; the property becomes evidence and is vacated.
- 2018–2019: The home is foreclosed and taken back by the lending institution.
- 2019: The house is sold at a reduced price to a new private buyer.
- 2020–present: The property remains a private home with no public access.
Public Interest and Misinformation
Because of the shocking nature of the crime, rumors quickly spread about the house being haunted, turned into a museum, or preserved as a crime scene. In reality, the property has followed a fairly typical path for high-profile foreclosed homes: it was repossessed, sold privately, and returned to normal residential use. Neighbors and local officials have confirmed that the site is once again an ordinary house on a suburban street, with no markers or signage indicating its past. Attempts to visit the property are generally met with private ownership enforcement, and there are no legal or commercial plans to open the location to the public.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
The handling of the home reflects broader questions about crime scenes, victim families, and property rights. Law enforcement treated the house as a critical crime scene initially, collecting evidence before returning control to the mortgage lender. Shanann’s family has focused on memorializing her daughters rather than maintaining any connection to the house. Ethically, the new owners have chosen to live privately, and media outlets have largely respected boundaries by not disclosing specific identifying details about current residents. This balance allows the property to reintegrate into the neighborhood while acknowledging its tragic history.
Community and Neighborhood Impact
In the years immediately following the murders, the neighborhood experienced a surge in curiosity, with some residents leaving memorials near the family’s old bus stop and others concerned about privacy. Over time, the community has moved forward, though periodic media retrospectives around anniversary dates remind people of the crime. Local leaders have emphasized support for healing, mental health resources, and crime prevention, using the case as a teaching moment about recognizing warning signs without stigmatizing an entire area. The street remains a quiet residential neighborhood, and the house itself now blends in with other similarly aged homes.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Chris Watts’s house open to the public? No, the property is privately owned and not accessible to visitors.
- Who owns the house now? The home was sold to a private buyer in 2019; specific owner details are not publicly disclosed.
- Was the house renovated or altered after the crime? Available records indicate it was sold as a standard residential property, with no public details on major renovations.
- Are there plans to turn the house into a memorial or museum? No; there are no official initiatives to convert the property into any public site or memorial.
- Has the property value been affected by its history? Like many high-profile homes, it likely sold below market value due to its stigma, but long-term value has normalized with the neighborhood.
Final Thoughts
The question of what happened to Chris Watts’s house is ultimately a story about how ordinary properties absorb extraordinary events and then gradually return to normal. The home has transitioned from a crime scene to a repossessed asset and finally to a private residence again. While the tragedy that occurred there remains significant, the property itself follows a familiar trajectory in the real estate and criminal justice systems: it changed hands, returned to the market, and now exists like any other house, shielded from public view by the rights of current owners and the passage of time.
Related Topics
- High-profile crime property outcomes
- Foreclosure and resale of stigmatized homes
- Privacy rights for owners of historically significant crime sites