The House Where Chris Watts Killed His Wife Is For Sale—at a Steep Markup

The infamous Colorado home where Chris Watts strangled his pregnant wife to death is up for sale—at a steep markup.

The five-bedroom, four-bathroom house in Frederick was listed on Wednesday for $775,000. That’s about a 29.2% increase from when it last sold in November 2022 for $600,000, according to Realtor.com® data.

The home was at the center of a tragedy when Chris killed his wife, Shanann Watts, during an argument on Aug. 13, 2013. He had told her he wanted a divorce and confessed to having an affair with a colleague. Then he smothered the couple’s children Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, in his car.

Chris Watts dumped his wife’s body in a shallow grave and put his daughters in oil tanks at Anadarko Petroleum, where he worked. He was sentenced to multiple life sentences with no possibility of parole.

The last time the property went on the market, real estate appraiser Randall Bell told Realtor.com that selling a home like this is “tough.”

“It’s a gruesome crime, and it’s not where a lot of people want to go home and relax with that kind of history,” said Bell, CEO of Landmark Research Group, which specializes in real estate affected by tragedies or disasters.

The unwanted notoriety is “annoying, and it can go on for years,” he added.

The new owners had the property for just under a year and a half before listing it. Neighbors previously told Realtor.com that people drive by the home on weekends or stop to take pictures. There have even been attempted break-ins, likely by those fascinated by the crime.

The home, built in 2013, spans nearly 6,200 square feet. It boasts a three-car garage, an open floor plan, and a chef’s kitchen with granite countertops and double ovens. There is a gas fireplace and a walk-in closet in the primary bedroom. Homeowners association fees are $70 a month.

While the listing boasts “new exterior paint” and “views of our lovely Colorado mountains,” it fails to mention the murders that captivated the nation. The crimes were also the subject of the 2020 Netflix documentary “American Murder: The Family Next Door.”

Calls to the real estate agency listing the property were not immediately returned. The owner of the property declined to speak with Realtor.com.

The Wattses bought the spacious property for just under $399,954 in May 2013, according to Realtor.com data.

Multiple liens were put on the home after the murders, which stalled a sale. Shanann’s parents, Sandra and Franklin Rzucek, won a $6 million wrongful death lawsuit against their son-in-law. The HOA also had liens on the property after dues went unpaid. Those debts were applied to the property in the form of liens.

It appears the Rzuceks released their liens when the home was finally sold in late 2022, according to property records.

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