Five Life Sentences For The Murders Of Christopher Watts

In November of 2018, a man by the name of Christopher Watts was sentenced to five life sentences for the murders of his two daughters, Bella and Celeste, as well as the murder of his pregnant wife, Shanann Watts. Christopher avoided a trial by pleading guilty to his crimes, and the judge ordered three of the life sentences to be served consecutively to ensure that Watts would remain behind bars for the rest of his life with no possibility of parole. There are multiple criminal law concepts that apply to this case, and these can be explained using chapters 5 and 9 from the textbook, Criminal Law. The concepts that will be discussed are actus reus and mala in se, categories of crimes, and criminological theories. The first concepts relating to

The last concept that relates to this case is criminological theories, including Rational Choice Theory and Strain Theory, which are discussed in chapter 5 of the textbook. Rational Choice Theory is defined as “an explanation for crime, suggesting that offenders use a strategic thinking process to evaluate the potential rewards and risks from committing a crime and make their decision accordingly about whether or not to commit the crime” (Foundations of Criminal Justice, 2020). This aligns with the case, as Watts may have believed that murdering his family would allow him to pursue another relationship without having to worry about consequences like divorce or custody battles. Strain Theory is defined as “a crime that occurs when members of society are unable to achieve goals valued by society (principally, the accumulation of wealth). Failure to achieve goals results in frustration, leading some to turn to criminal activity to achieve goals” (Foundations of Criminal Justice, 2020). With this concept, it could be connected to this case by assuming that Watts took extreme measures to alleviate the stress of family responsibilities or relationship