Chris Watts' Ex-Mistress Disappears for Eight Years With Alleged New Identity Over Safety Fears

Nichol Kessinger, the former co-worker of Chris Watts, has gone into hiding and legally changed her name to avoid intense media scrutiny and personal threats.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Christopher Lee Watts, a Colorado man who murdered his pregnant wife and two young daughters in 2018, had an extramarital affair with his co-worker Nichol Kessinger at the time of the killings. After Watts confessed to the murders, Kessinger largely disappeared from public view, legally changing her name and rebuilding her life under an assumed identity to avoid the intense media attention and personal threats that followed.

Why it matters

The Chris Watts family murder case was one of the most notorious and disturbing crimes in recent history, capturing national attention. Kessinger's decision to go into hiding and change her identity highlights the lasting impact and trauma that can result from being connected to such a high-profile and heinous crime, even as an uninvolved party.

The details

Kessinger told authorities that she had begun an affair with Watts a few months before he murdered his family, and that Watts had led her to believe he was finalizing a divorce. After Watts' family disappeared and he was arrested, Kessinger said she learned he was still married and that something seemed "off" in his behavior. Kessinger alerted authorities about Watts, and following the release of the Netflix documentary "American Murder: The Family Next Door" in 2020, she petitioned for a legal name change in Colorado and moved out of the state, potentially being placed in witness protection for a time.

  • In August 2018, Chris Watts strangled his pregnant wife Shanann and smothered their two young daughters Celeste and Bella.
  • In November 2018, Nichol Kessinger spoke to the Denver Post about her affair with Watts.
  • In 2020, the Netflix documentary "American Murder: The Family Next Door" was released.
  • After the documentary's release, Kessinger petitioned for a legal name change in Colorado.

The players

Christopher Lee Watts

A Colorado man who murdered his pregnant wife and two young daughters in 2018.

Nichol Kessinger

Watts' former co-worker who had an extramarital affair with him at the time of the murders, and has since gone into hiding and legally changed her name to avoid media scrutiny and personal threats.

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What they’re saying

“I think a lot of people are probably gonna assume I was a catalyst.”

— Nichol Kessinger (The Mirror)

“He made me believe that he was doing all of the things that a rational man and good father would do.”

— Nichol Kessinger (Denver Post)

The takeaway

Nichol Kessinger's decision to disappear from public view and change her identity underscores the lasting trauma and stigma that can result from being connected, even tangentially, to a high-profile and horrific crime. Her story serves as a sobering reminder of the intense media scrutiny and personal threats that can follow in the aftermath of such events.