Latest news with #AmericanMurder
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Five disturbing details missing from Netflix's Chris Watts murder documentary
Netflix documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door tells the real-life story of how one man brutally murdered his wife and children, before dumping their bodies in the most callous way. However, some key details were omitted Netflix is known for its regularly updated stream of gripping and shocking true crime content, but one documentary remains one of the most horrifying. Viewers were left so deeply disturbed by Netflix documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door, they were 'sick to their stomach' when it was first added to the streaming platform. The show told the story of a father who brutally murdered his pregnant wife and children. On August 13, 2018, Chris Watts, 35, strangled his pregnant wife, Shanann Watts, 34, to death and then killed his two daughters, Bella, four, and Celeste, three, in Colorado, where the family lived. Shanann's body was found on property owned by Anadarko Petroleum, one of the US's largest oil and gas drillers in Colorado, where Watts worked as an operator. Investigators found the bodies of Bella and Celeste nearby in an oil tank. Watts pleaded guilty to nine charges, including murder and the unlawful termination of a pregnancy. He is currently serving a life sentence without parole in Wisconsin. The Netflix documentary, which was aired in 2020, followed the tragic turn of events. From showing how Chris and Shannan met and began their romance to the aftermath of her and their daughters' murder, the documentary also used real-life footage to bring Watts' crimes to life. As seen on the doc, he eventually confessed to the triple murder, but some details from the story were omitted. Here, the Mirror looks at the five chilling details that were missing from the documentary, as reported by US news site 1. 'Evil' mother-in-law Shannan isn't thought to have had a good relationship with Chris Watts' parents and branded her mother-in-law, Cindy Watts, "evil". She believed Cindy endangered their youngest daughter, Celeste, by serving her ice cream with peanut chips, despite her severe nut allergy, Daily Mail reported. 'You should call your dad and tell him you did not appreciate your mom putting your daughter at risk today,' she told her husband in a furious message. 'She's evil and willing to risk your daughter's life just to get under my skin.' Tensions escalated to the point where Watts' parents reportedly blocked Shanann on Facebook and skipped Celeste's birthday party entirely. They hadn't even attended their son's wedding. As the doc showed, devastated Cindy vowed in court to continue to support her son despite his despicable crimes, which included the deaths of his young daughters. 2. Marriage obsession American Murder: The Family Next Door depicted Watts as having an affair with coworker Nichol Kessinger, but it didn't reveal that the illicit romance was a full-blown relationship and Kessinger had hopes of marrying Watts, reports Daily Mail. Just nine days before the murders, on August 4, 2018, Kessinger searched Google for over two hours, looking at wedding dresses. She also browsed topics related to 'marrying your mistress,' according to Business Insider. After discovering Watts had lied to her, Kessinger is said to have later filed to change her name in Jefferson County, Colorado. 3. Alleged affairs Amanda McMahon claimed she had a one-night stand with Watts in March 2018 after meeting him on Tinder. 'It got really fast and aggressive,' she said of the encounter. She told the police that she had to physically fight Watts off her after he turned violent, putting his hands around her throat and trying to initiate anal sex despite her reluctance. He also reportedly revealed details of his "rape fantasy" to her in extreme detail. And a few months after the murders, The Mirror spoke to the gay escort Trent Bolte, who claimed he had a 10-month affair with Watts in 2018. However, Watts denied any involvement. 'I've never been with a guy,' he told police. 4. Female prison visitor According to an 'Inmate Visitation History' document dated January 6, 2020, a woman named Anna Nowak was approved to see Watts and made 31 visits between March and December 2019. The document shows that she was once turned away after exceeding the maximum visits for a single day. 5. Plans for romantic getaway The documentary hinted at marriage troubles - using Shanann's own text messages, but she also made serious efforts to save the relationship - because she loved her husband and she didn't want a broken home for her two daughters who doted on their father, The Daily Mail reported that the unsuspecting spouse was looking for travel deals on Groupon and had also arranged childcare for Bella and Celeste so she and her future killer could holiday together. To the outside world, the Watts looked like any family next door - a loving couple and two adorable children living a happy, normal life together. But behind closed doors, it was a very different and horrifying story.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Yella Beezy arrested, charged with capital murder after allegedly hiring shooter to kill fellow rapper MO3
Dallas rapper Yella Beezy has been arrested and accused of arranging a murder-for-hire in the death of a fellow hip-hop artist. The "That's on Me" musician, whose real name is Markies Conway, was arrested Thursday following a grand jury indictment and charged with capital murder while remuneration in connection with the 2020 death of Melvin Noble, the rapper who performed as MO3, according to court documents reviewed by Entertainment Weekly. Conway allegedly hired Kewon White to kill Noble, who died in November 2020 following a shootout on Interstate 35 in Dallas. A representative for Conway didn't immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly's request for comment Friday. Representatives for the Dallas County District Attorney's Office and the Dallas Police Department declined to comment on the case. Related: Blue Bloods and SVU actor Isaiah Stokes convicted of second-degree murder after New York shooting Conway's grand jury indictment alleges that he "intentionally and knowingly" caused Noble's death by employing White "for remuneration and the promise of remuneration, namely: United States currency." His bond was set at $2 million. White was arrested in December 2020 on a firearm charge, and has also been charged with Noble's murder, according to the United States Attorney's Office. He is currently serving a nine-year sentence after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2022. Conway had previously been arrested and charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon and possession of marijuana. Both of those charges were later dismissed, according to court documents. Additionally, Conway was arrested and charged with sexual assault and child endangerment in 2021, but those charges were dismissed as well, according to CBS News. Related: What really happened to Gabby Petito? Unpacking the true story behind Netflix's American Murder documentary and the case that captivated the nation Yella Beezy is best known for his song "That's on Me," which hit No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and spawned a remix with 2 Chainz, T.I., Rich the Kid, Jeezy, Boosie Badazz, and Trapboy Freddie. He also opened for Beyoncé and Jay-Z at the Dallas and Houston shows on their On the Run II Tour in 2018. The rapper later collaborated with Quavo, Gucci Mane, Chris Brown, Lil Baby, Young Thug, and Ty Dolla $ign, and most recently released the track "Hit," featuring Lil Wayne. Related: Louisiana woman charged with second-degree murder in death of Super Bowl reporter Adan Manzano MO3 rose to prominence with his 2019 song "Errybody," which featured Boosie Badazz. The duo later collaborated on the album Badazz MO3, which rose to No. 136 on the U.S. Billboard 200. His posthumous 2021 single "Outside" hit No. 92 on the Hot 100. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Where Brian Laundrie's Sister Cassie Stands With Their Parents Today
Originally appeared on E! Online 's sister Cassie Laundrie is mourning the loss of more than just her brother. In Netflix's detailed account of 's 2021 murder by her fiancé—who was found dead by suicide a month later—in American Murder: Gabby Petito, Cassie shared that she was 'just as upset, frustrated and heartbroken as everyone else' by the series of tragedies. And when it comes to her relationship with their parents Christopher Laundrie and Roberta Laundrie—who in 2024 settled a lawsuit from Gabby's parents Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt that alleged they withheld information about Gabby's murder as well as the whereabouts of her body—Cassie clarified there simply isn't one. "I am losing my parents and my brother and my children's aunt and future sister-in-law on top of this," she explained in the docuseries released Feb. 17. "We have literally been finding everything out with the news like everybody else." More from E! Online Donald Trump Replaces Desk After Elon Musk's Son Picks Nose During White House Visit A$AP Relli Breaks Silence After A$AP Rocky Is Found Not Guilty in Gun Assault Trial A$AP Rocky and Rihanna Promise to Name Their Next Baby This After Court Case But while Cassie has made the deliberate decision to distance herself from her parents due to the situation, the Petitos also spoke out against her, saying in the three-part docuseries that their many attempts to contact Cassie during the weeks their daughter was missing went unanswered. Since the series' release, Cassie has also defended herself on social media, making it clear that she has no loyalty to her parents and no involvement in her brother's crimes. 'If you're new here,' she wrote in the caption of a Feb. 17 Instagram post. 'And just starting to attack me today. I've been non contact with my parents for almost two years. Have fun.' In the same post, she went on to deny the Suffolk County detective Tracey Barry's report at the time, alleging that Cassie recounted Brian telling her he flew home leaving Gabby at a Wyoming hotel amid her disappearance. 'No one from my family contacted me until detective Barry called me,' she noted. 'Det. Barry gravely miscommunicated what I told her in the phone.' Meanwhile, her parents' attorney blatantly criticized the docuseries, sharing that its framing is exactly what the Laundrie family had 'expected.' 'One perspective depicted as the 'truth' as seen through their lens,' their attorney Steven Bertolino said in a statement to The Sun. 'Each side believes their perspective is correct. Hard to see through the lens of the other with all the noise and distrust.' Without going into too much detail, the lawyer continued to discredit the facts presented as true in American Murder. 'The documentary contained many inaccuracies, incorrect juxtapositions of timelines, and misstatements and omissions of fact—perhaps deliberate to capture their 'truth,' perhaps due to simple error,' he continued. 'We all know Brian took Gabby's life and Brian then took his own as well.' To see more bombshells from Netflix's American Murder: Gabby Petito, keep reading. Gabby Petito's Family Thought Brian Laundrie Was Nice, Laundrie Didn't Support Gabby Petito's #VanLife DreamThe Cops Gave Brian Laundrie the Benefit of the DoubtThe Police Footage Was Eye-Opening for Gabby Petito's FamilyGabby Petito Texted Her Ex-Boyfriend From the RoadGabby Petito's Parents Tried to Get in Touch With Brian Laundrie's Family This Was When Gabby Petito's Parents Knew Something Was Really WrongBrian Laundrie's Mom Wrote She'd Help Him Get Rid of a BodyInvestigators Detailed Brian Laundrie's Attempt to Create an AlibiJoe Petito Remains Haunted by Thoughts of Daughter Gabby's Last MomentsGabby Petito's Family Didn't Buy Brian Laundrie's Version of Events For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Yahoo
What Brian Laundrie Said Happened to Gabby Petito When She Died
Originally appeared on E! Online Warning: This story discusses suicide and murder. Brian Laundrie's account of 's 2021 death has been revealed. In the Netflix docuseries American Murder: Gabby Petito, which premiered Feb. 17, a handwritten letter left behind by Laundrie—in which he admitted to ending his fiancée's life during a cross-country road trip—told his version of events in what he described as 'an unexpected tragedy.' 'Rushing back to our car, trying to cross the streams,' he wrote, according to the doc. 'I hear a splash and a scream. I can barely see.' Laundrie, 23, went on to allege the van life influencer was 'gasping' and 'freezing cold' when he found her. 'When I pulled Gabby out of the water, she couldn't tell me what hurt,' he continued. 'While carrying her, she continually made sounds of pain.' From there, Laundrie described the 22-year-old as 'begging for an end to her pain.' But while he 'thought it was merciful' to end her life, Laundrie wrote he instantly second-guessed his actions. Keep reading for more bombshells from American Murder: Gabby Petito. More from E! Online Machine Gun Kelly Shares Rare Message About His and Pregnant Megan Fox's Baby After Breakup A$AP Rocky Found Not Guilty in Gun Assault Trial What Brian Laundrie Messaged Himself From Gabby Petito's Phone After Her Murder 'From the moment I decided to take her pain away,' he reflected in his note, 'I knew I couldn't go on without her.' Laundrie returned home to Florida without Petito in September 2021 and went missing days after the FBI opened an investigation into her disappearance. Shortly after her remains were discovered in Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming, his body was found at Florida's Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, with authorities later determining that Laundrie died by suicide. 'I have killed myself by this creek,' Laundrie shared in his letter, which investigators discovered alongside his remains, 'in the hopes that the animals will tear me apart.' While Petito's cause of death was ruled as a homicide caused by manual strangulation and blunt-force trauma to her head and neck, Laundrie's explanation of the events leading up to her passing only added to the mystery left for her loved ones. 'We knew at that point we weren't ever going to get remotely close to answers we were hoping for,' her stepfather Jim Schmidt said in the series, 'because the only two people that truly knew what happened are now both gone.' Keep reading for more bombshells from American Murder: Gabby Petito. Gabby Petito's Family Thought Brian Laundrie Was Nice, Laundrie Didn't Support Gabby Petito's #VanLife DreamThe Cops Gave Brian Laundrie the Benefit of the DoubtThe Police Footage Was Eye-Opening for Gabby Petito's FamilyGabby Petito Texted Her Ex-Boyfriend From the RoadGabby Petito's Parents Tried to Get in Touch With Brian Laundrie's FamilyThis Was When Gabby Petito's Parents Knew Something Was Really WrongBrian Laundrie's Mom Told Him She'd Help Him Get Rid of a BodyInvestigators Detailed Brian Laundrie's Attempt to Create an AlibiJoe Petito Remains Haunted by Thoughts of Daughter Gabby's Last MomentsGabby Petito's Family Didn't Buy Brian Laundrie's Version of Events If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit for additional resources.
USA Today
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
The most shocking moments from Netflix's 'American Murder: Gabby Petito'
Hear this story In 2021 Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie packed their 2012 white Ford Transit Connect van for a cross-country road trip. She posed photos of them with their arms wrapped around each other in The Narrows in Zion National Park and kissing at Utah's Mystic Hot Springs. But Laundrie shockingly returned to his parents' Florida home alone on Sept. 1. Authorities discovered Petito's body near Grand Teton National Park on Sept. 19 and a coroner ruled her death a homicide. Netflix's new docuseries, 'American Murder: Gabby Petito' (now streaming), attempts to answer the question that often follows a tragedy: What went wrong? Laundrie died by suicide, and the story of what happened died with him. Over three episodes, viewers see path Petito's life took. She's lovingly cuddled by her mom, Nichole Schmidt, in a hospital bed after being born on March 19, 1999. Schmidt also remembers the last time she saw her 22-year-old daughter, before Petito's road trip. 'She hugged me so tightly, and it was just the best hug ever that you could get from your kid,' Schmidt says in the docuseries. 'And I remember saying to Brian, 'You take care of her. Keep her safe.' And he looked at me, and he smiled, and he said, 'I will.'' But Laundrie had 'a very dark side' to him, a friend of Petito's reveals in 'American Murder,' evident in text messages detailed in the series. Here are the most shocking moments from the docuseries. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. 'Gabby's gone, please call a lawyer':Brian Laundrie's parents detail 'frantic' conversations with son Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie's text messages: 'Don't try to control me' Petito and Laundrie began dating early in 2019 were engaged in July 2020. Throughout their relationship, Laundrie attempt to control Petito, her friend Rose Davis says. She remembers an evening when Laundrie snatched Petito's I.D. so she couldn't go out with Davis. He berated Petito for working at Taco bell and called her 'disgusting,' later explaining his objection stemmed from 'worry you'll leave. It's just that I couldn't have my life without you.' Davis says Petito would blame herself for Laundrie being upset, thinking, ''I don't deserve him. I'm hurting his feelings. I'm a bad person,' and he wanted her to feel that way.' In a text shown, Petito pleaded to Laundrie, 'Don't try to control me because it only makes me mad. I love you so much but it's the way you speak to me that hurts me most.' A 911 call reporting a domestic dispute On Aug. 12, a person called 911 to report a domestic disturbance after seeing a man in a white van slapping a woman. But when police investigated, they determined Petito was the aggressor. Laundrie told cops he'd pushed Petito away in self-defense and that her phone scratched his face. They two 'had a nice morning,' he said, while Petito said they'd spent the morning arguing and that Laundrie wouldn't let her into their van. Petito said that she hit him first and officers decided to separate the couple for the evening and took Laundrie to a hotel. But the two got together that night, against law enforcement's wishes, and continued on their trip. Gabby Petito's ex sheds light on a potential motive Petito's former boyfriend, identified only as Jackson, says he and Petito chatted on Aug. 22, following a fight with Laundrie. Jackson viewed the call as 'a cry for help.' Jackson says Petito said, 'I have a plan. I think I want to leave him. I'm going to do it. I have to figure out when to do it.'' 'From the sound of her voice, and the way she was saying it,' he says, 'I think that she wasn't sure of what he would do or what he could do.' What happened to Gabby Petito? On Aug. 27, 2021 Petito and Laundrie visited a Whole Foods in Jackson, Wyoming. Security footage shows Laundrie slamming the door before entering the store. According to the docuseries, this is the last-known footage of Petito. Authorities believe Petito did some work on her computer around 8:30 that evening, but the next day, there is no evidence of Petito being alive. Laundrie had a phone call with his mom that lasted about 55 minutes. Laundrie's father reached out to a lawyer. On Aug. 30 Laundrie left Wyoming for Florida, using Petito's debit card to fuel their van. There was also an electronic payment made from Petito to Laundrie for $700, with a message reading 'Goodbye Brian, I'll never ask you for anything again.' Petito's was found on Sept. 19. Her cause of death was determined to be strangulation. Brian Laundriewrote in notebook that he killed fiancee Gabby Petito, FBI says In a letter, Brian Laundrie's mom vowed to help him 'dispose of a body' Filmmakers include a note from Laundrie's mother, Roberta Laundrie, which she directed him to 'burn after reading.' 'If you're in jail, I will bake a cake with a file in it,' she wrote her son in the undated letter. 'If you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags.' Roberta has denied that her words pertained to Petito's death. Petito's parents said they reached out to Laundrie's parents and sister, but their messages went unanswered. When officers visited the Laundrie's residence on Sept. 11, body camera footage shows Laundrie's dad told the officer that Laundrie was home but referred the cop to an attorney for further questioning. While Christopher and Roberta Laundrie have not faced criminal charges, they settled a civil suit with Petito's parents in 2024, which accused the Laundries of withholding knowledge of Petito's death.
