TRAGIC texts a "killer dad" sent to his pregnant wife just months before he reportedly confessed to murdering her and their two young daughters have emerged.

Chris Watts, 33, sent the moving messages to wife Shanann, 34, on June 19, after she sent him an ultrasound pic showing their third pregnancy.

15 The bodies of Shanann and her kids were found dumped at a gas compound Credit: Facebook

15 The phone message Watts sent his pregnant wife after she pinged him a photo of the ultrasound Credit: Facebook

"Little Peanut!! Love her/him already!!!" he wrote in response to the photo she pinged to his mobile phone after looking at the tiny embryo of the child they planned to call Niko.

Shanann shared the exchange on her Facebook page writing: "I love Chris! He's the best dad us girls could ask for."

The tragic mum frequently heaped praise on her husband, writing on Facebook in April while on a work trip to New Orleans: "He’s my rock!"

"He takes care of us girls unconditionally! Thank you baby for holding down the fort this weekend! Love you," she wrote.

The Watts family murder - what is known so far:

The bodies of Shanann and her kids have been found dumped in a gas compound

They were reportedly found hidden inside gas tanks to mask their smell

Investigators say they were killed at the family home before their bodies were moved

Prosecutors have been told they now have until Monday to file charges against Watts

Shanann had just landed a glamorous new job which kept her away from home

The couple once filed for bankruptcy and were facing a hefty fine in court next week

Family friends say there were no signs the well-liked couple were in any kind of crisis

Chris Watts made an emotional TV appeal for his missing wife and kids to come home

After the appeal, cops reportedly announced he had confessed to killing his family

15 Chrisopher Watts, 33, arrested on suspicion of murdering his pregnant wife and two young daughters Credit: AP:Associated Press

Cops reveal they have found the body of missing Colorado mother Shanann Watts

In one online video she said meeting Watts was the "best thing that ever happened to her".

She said: “I got a friend request from Chris on Facebook and I was like, ‘Oh, what the heck, I’m never going to meet him.

“I accept, one thing led to another and eight years later we have two kids, we live in Colorado and he’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Shanann and the couple's two young daughters were found dead after being hidden inside gas and oil tanks at a plant where her husband worked in Frederick, on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado.

The bodies of the couple's two daughters Bella, four, and Celeste, three, were found later at the same industrial site.

Murder suspect Chris Watts' wife posted loving video saying 'he's best thing that ever happened to me'

They were allegedly hidden inside “mostly full tanks in order to conceal the smell, Denver 7 news reports.

While Colorado does increase penalties for crimes committed against pregnant women, it does not confer “personhood” status on an unborn fetus.

Although a person can be charged with fetal homicide only if it can be proven that the baby could survive outside the womb.

Prosecutors say they believe all the victims were killed in their home and the bodies later moved, but no cause of death has yet been made public in the case.

15 Cops say Shanann's body was found near those of her two daughters Credit: Facebook

15 Watts looked down as he appeared at Weld County Courthouse Credit: AP:Associated Press

Appearing in court last night, a shackled Watts didn't speak and looked down for much of the hearing only making eye contact as the judge reviewed his rights.

Though formal charges have not yet been filed, it's reported he could face three charges of murder and three charges of tampering with evidence.

Judge Marcelo Kopcow told prosecutors they had to file formal charges by Monday and set a date for a Tuesday hearing to review the case against Watts.

He also approved a request by the suspect's attorney that police preserve all written notes and notify the defence team before any of the autopsies are performed.

Authorities have not revealed a possible motive or other details in the case. A judge sealed the arrest affidavit, which might have provided that information.

15 The popular couple are said to have money problems in the past Credit: Facebook

15 The family were well liked in their home town Credit: Facebook

Dad, Chris Watts, begs missing family to come home hours before 'admitting killing them'

They had previously faced financial difficulties, and filed for bankruptcy in 2015 to escape credit card debts.

However, things are said to have changed recently after Shanann landed herself an $80,000-a-year job promoting health supplements and patches.

The perks of her new role inlcuded a Lexus company car and paid trips to Mexico, Las Vegas and the Dominican Republic - taking her away from her family.

The young mum was on a work trip just hours before she and her kids were killed sparking fears her husband felt jealous about her great new job.

15 The couple were due in court next week to face a lawsuit Credit: Facebook

The children had spent the weekend at home with their father while their mother was away working, police confirmed.

A chilling photo has also emerged which was also posted on Shanann's Facebook showing a "body" covered in a death shroud - days before she was killed.

The mum told how her daughters had wrapped a three-foot plastic doll in the mat from the game Twister.

"I don’t know what to think about this..." Shanann wrote while adding two laughing-tears emojis.

Family friends have now revealed they have been left dumbfounded by the brutal killings.

15 This chilling pic was posted on Shanann's Facebook page Credit: facebook

One man told how he spent time with Chris Watts and his daughters just a few days ago and all seemed fine.

“You know, the hardest part about it all is - when you're closer to the family... is the 'why?'” said Jerry Lindstrom. “The why gets bigger.

"We're dumbfounded,” Lindstrom said Thursday night. “We don't get it. Lost.

“He was a good mechanic if you needed help with your car - he'd help you. If you needed help with furniture, he'd be over there in a heartbeat to help you out.

15 Chris Watts appeared on US TV to say he had no idea where his family was Credit: NBC

"It's just horrible,” he said. “Why do people do this? Why does it come down to this? There had to have been an easier route."

On Wednesday, Watts, 33, appeared on US TV to claim he had absolutely no idea where his wife and kids had disappeared to hours before "confessing" to cops.

He was filmed outside the family home as he pleaded for the safe return of his missing family - hours before reportedly confessing to killing them.

15 Watts will appear again in court early next week Credit: Reuters

Dad, Chris Watts, begs missing family to come home hours before 'admitting killing them'

15 A photograph sits amid the tributes as they grow outside the family home Credit: AP:Associated Press

He looked into the cameras as he said: "I have no idea, like, where they went. I don't feel like this is even real right now. It's like a nightmare I can't wake up from."

During the interview - now seen around the world - he told how he called in the cops after learning his house was deserted.

However, just hours later legal sources claimed he had confessed to killing his family.

Watts has not been formally charged. A judge ordered him held without bail. As he was escorted into the courtroom, Watts did not speak.

15 Watts earlier claimed he texted his wife numerous times but didn't receive any response Credit: Facebook

15 Shanann worked for a company which sells weight loss and wellness patches Credit: Facebook

15 Shanann was 15 weeks pregnant with the couple's third child when she disappeared Credit: Facebook

Cops said Watts made the shocking confession earlier in the week, according to Denver7. The police later tweeted Watts is being held at the Weld County Jail.

The FBI and Colorado Bureau of Investigation are also investigating the incident, local legal sources told reporters on the ground.

During the interview, Watts claimed he texted his wife numerous times but didn't get any response which he thought was odd. He then raced home but found it empty and quickly filed a missing persons report with the cops. Tell-tale signs that 'killer dad' may have give himself away? Renowned body language expert Judi James has analysed Chris Watts interview and reveals any clues which may have given him away. "Body language is not a precise science and using it in legal cases like this one can be especially difficult as lying signals can depend primarily on guilt-based responses. "What this means is that an honest person lying about a very minor misdemeanor can easily look more guilty than a murderer who might be incapable of feelings of guilt or even who believes their actions were justified. "The other feature of this footage is that - like a lot of people wanting to look honest - he clearly sticks to the true events of his story. "The narrative here is about the friend calling him and how the house was empty when he got there. "These are likely to be events that he really did experience, so the verbal version and the non-verbal signals would be more likely to be congruent and it is often this that gives an impression of being cool and collected. "His arms are folded which would help avoid any gesticulation that might be incongruent to the verbal narrative. Although this creates a physical 'poker face' his emotions still emerge via a side-to-side swaying of the body and a shaking of the head as he talks. "The head shake will look like a 'no' gesture but it can also be used to register disbelief. His eyes move to his right as he relates his story before coming back to perform sustained bouts of quite level eye contact. "The sideways glance can suggest someone is accessing creative thinking but this trait isn't true of everyone. Eye contact is often seen as a signal of truthfulness but it is often acted quite effectively by people who are guilty too. "His blink rate isn't accelerated to a point where you might suspect anxiety or fear but his breathing does sound a little shallow, which can happen under pressure. However that pressure could be caused by either guilt or by anxiety about a missing family."

He claimed: "I was trying to get home as fast as I can, I was blowing through stop lights. I was blowing through everything just trying to get home as fast as I can because none of this made sense.

"I don't feel like this is even real right now. It's like a nightmare I can't wake up from."

The Frederick Police Department confirmed they had made an arrest "in connection to the missing person's case" of Shanann and her daughters.

The couple were married in Charlotte in 2012. Public records show that they were each arrested multiple times in North Carolina - he three times and her 15 times - but the charges in the arrests are not known.

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