RJ Sangosti/Getty
Christopher Watts’ mother told The Denver Post she thinks her son was “coerced” by his attorneys into pleading guilty to murdering his wife and two daughters to avoid the death penalty. According to Cynthia Watts, her son told his father that he only killed his wife after he discovered that she had strangled their two children. “I know he confessed, but he was railroaded into it,” Cynthia Watts said. “I want him to take back the plea deal.” Watts told the newspaper her son’s public defenders were solely focused on avoiding the death penalty, reportedly telling her, “We just want to save his life.” She also told the Post she thinks Watts should have gotten a “psychiatric evaluation to determine his mental state” when he killed his wife. Watts pleaded guilty earlier this month to murdering his 34-year-old wife, Shanann, and his daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste. Bella and Celeste were reportedly found in August in an oil tank where Watts used to work, and Shanann was located in a shallow grave close by. Watts’ sentencing is scheduled for Monday.