Eight years after Chris Watts killed his pregnant wife, Shanann Watts, and their two young daughters, the convicted murderer is serving five consecutive life sentences at Dodge Correctional Institution (DCI) in Waupun, Wisconsin. He also seems to have started over again and found love behind bars, and he may soon be married.
Meanwhile, Chris’ family continues to grapple with the case publicly. His mother, Cindy Watts, recently said she does not believe her son killed his daughters, even though he pleaded guilty to doing so.
Here is what is known about Chris’ life today, including where he is in custody.
What Prison Is Chris Watts In?
Chris is being held at Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin, where he is serving five consecutive life sentences for the August 2018 killings of Shanann, 34, and daughters Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. Shanann was 15 weeks pregnant with the couple’s third child at the time of her death.
He pleaded guilty on November 6, 2018, in order to avoid a trial. His mother later said he chose the plea because he didn’t “want to put [his] family through that.”
Inside DCI, Chris is reportedly a born-again Christian. He has been photographed holding a Bible during visitation and has been described as deeply engaged in his faith during recent meetings with his new partner.
Inmates at the facility operate under strict rules around visits. Prisoners are prohibited from any physical contact with loved ones until the end of the visit. Once it is time for the visitor to leave, they are given 10 seconds to embrace. Conjugal visits are not allowed.
Chris Watts’ Girlfriend Lizzie Henderson Plans to Marry Him
Chris is now in a relationship with Lizzie Henderson, who has reportedly relocated from Ohio to Wisconsin to be closer to him as the couple plan to wed.
Henderson confirmed the relationship to the Daily Mail while acknowledging their love story could be viewed as “weird.”
She did not reveal how they met or how their connection turned romantic. “How things began is between me, him and God,” she said.
Henderson applied to legally change her name to Lizzie Watts in September 2025, according to court documents viewed by the outlet. She sparked marriage rumors when she was photographed wearing a ring on her wedding finger, and her former stepfather said the couple submitted a marriage request to prison officials. At DCI, inmates seeking to marry must meet strict criteria and receive formal approval from the warden before any nuptials can move forward.
Asked what she thought about Chris’ crimes, Henderson told the Daily Mail that he “knows how I feel.” She added, “I don’t know all the people involved, but I would want to respect them.”
Henderson has made the most of her time with Chris, revealing she visited him 20 times in 2025 and spent Christmas Day with him in 2024. The pair were also spotted kissing just one day after the seventh anniversary of the killings, per the outlet.
Inside Chris Watts and Lizzie Henderson’s Prison Visits
Lisa Johnson, who was visiting a loved one at Dodge Correctional Institution, said she saw Chris and Henderson together during a visit in August 2025.
Johnson told the Daily Mail that Chris was holding a Bible while speaking with Henderson. She described Henderson as “googly-eyed” and said she seemed “really excited to take a picture with him.”
Because inmates and visitors are only permitted to embrace for 10 seconds at the end of a visit, Johnson said the couple made full use of the window. Chris and Henderson “hugged their whole 10 seconds while they were kissing,” she recalled.
Chris Watts’ Mom Cindy Watts Insists He Didn’t Kill His Daughters
While Chris builds a new life inside prison walls, his mother is still publicly disputing part of his conviction. Cindy Watts told the Daily Mail in October 2026 that she does not believe her son killed Bella and Celeste.
“Christopher is a good person, I know him,” Cindy told the outlet. “Nobody in his past or even now, who meets him in prison, can find anything bad to say.”
She added that “there’s no way he’d kill his girls.”
Cindy said she wished the case had gone to trial rather than ending in a plea. “I would’ve liked to see a defense for my son, and one that would allow him to say out loud, ‘I killed Shanann but not my girls,’” she said.
When Chris first confessed, he told police he killed Shanann because she told him she had killed the girls. Cindy told the outlet that the theory “makes the most sense” to her.
“I’m not saying he shouldn’t be in jail,” she said. “He killed his wife, but why the girls? There’s no way he could put the girls in that eight-inch hole… It’s not how he is, it’s just not.”
Chris Watts’ Family Still Searching for Answers
Chris’ father, Ronnie Watts, also raised doubts. He pointed to what he described as inconsistencies in his son’s second confession, when Chris admitted to killing his daughters. Ronnie said he will not deny that his son is a killer, but he is most interested in knowing whether Chris acted alone or had an accomplice.
Ronnie added that he still wonders why Chris took a plea deal when his attorneys could have presented evidence in court about what happened to Shanann and the girls.
Chris’ sister, Jamie, said she, too, is left without closure. “You’re left with no real answers, or mental health answers or something, you know,” she said. “Because a normal guy that’s never been in trouble before in his life loses his mind one night and annihilates his whole family. No, it doesn’t make sense to me. None of it makes sense.”
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
