Chris Watts finally pleads guilty to murdering his pregnant wife and two daughters to avoid the death penalty

Chris Watts, 33, has pleaded guilty to murdering his pregnant wife and their children in a case that shocked the world.

He struck a plea deal on Tuesday, November 6, in a bid to avoid the death penalty.

He arrived the court wearing a bullet proof vest and sobbed each time he pleaded guilty to each of the nine charges.

In full the charges are: three counts of first-degree murder after deliberation, two counts of first-degree murder – victim under 12/position of trust, one count of first-degree unlawful termination of a pregnancy, and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body.

Watts killed wife Shanann, 34, along with their daughters Bella, four, and Celeste, three, on either August 12 or 13. Shanann was 15 weeks pregnant with a baby boy they were going to name Nico.

He buried his wife in a shallow grave and stuffed his dead daughters in oil tanks where he worked. He then went on TV to feign ignorance of their whereabouts and made a passionate plea for them to return home.

Yesterday, Shanann's family sat in the front row of the court as they listened to Watts enter his pleas.