Frederick Police Department Detective, DAVE BAUMHOVER, arrived at the The purpose for our visit to the was to interview CHRISTOPHER LEE WATTS (05/16/1985) concerning the murder of his pregnant wife and daughters as well as to discuss other individuals who claimed to have had an affair with WATTS during his marriage. After his diagnosis in March, he entered counseling. For the first time, the federal government is studying exactly how prevalent mental health issues are within law enforcement and is searching for best practices in a career where seeking help has long been stigmatized. Investigators drove out to the oil field on Aug. 16 at 11 p.m. and excavated the dirt to find Shanann, a process that didnt take long. Dave Baumhover, lead detective for Frederick Police on the Christopher Watts case, has been on leave from the department since the spring when he was diagnos. Looking at those oil tanks and seeing the size of the hatch at the top where their little bodies were shoved through and then to have to pull them out of that oil, I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy.. She kept thinking of the video of the girls when Shanann told them that she was pregnant how the girls laughed and jumped up and down at the news, pulling their mom into a long hug. She was preceded in death by husband, James H. Odom; very special nephew, Rick McLain; and niece, Lisa Smith. Some days you feel defeated.. He smelled the oil that coated them. For many of the agencies involved, the case prompted frank conversations about mental health. Experts from Criminal Confessions Weigh In, How Colorado Investigators Used Themes to Encourage a Confession from Chris Watts, How Colorado Investigators Used Ronnie Watts to Solicit a Confession from Chris Watts, , one of the most publicized American murders in recent history, are now discussing the moment that Shanann and her childrens bodies were found and how the grim discovery profoundly affected them on Oxygens, after he confessed last year to killing his pregnant wife, Shanann, and his two young daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. Baumhover said hes not sure what he will do if he decides not to resume police work, but hes considering using his experience to talk with other law enforcement about the importance of mental wellness. Itll be a big victory when we can get to just having joy in watching little kids play, Lori said. Veteran law enforcement officers cant shake images of the well site where their bodies were recovered. Cantor/Organist. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation was already in the process of creating a peer support program, but the case accelerated the process, director John Camper said. E-mail. After givingteary interviews and telling myriad lies, on Aug. 16, three days after his family disappeared, police found the corpses of Shannan and her daughters hidden on an oil site owned by Watts former employer. The killings prompted difficult discussions about mental health at the Colorado organizations involved in the case as agencies across the nation are grappling with the mental wellness of their staffs. He knew he would need time before he could see little girls without being triggered. Elite play has Caon City Tigers girls moving on in basketball tourney, Neighbors: Brian and Jennifer VanIwarden share passion for education, outdoors. Prosecutors have lagged behind law enforcement in addressing the effect their cases have on their health, Rourke said. Dave Baumhover Just letting anyone who is interested know that Dave Baumhover deleted his blog. Also in 2017, the legislature added PTSD as a diagnosis that qualifies a person for workers compensation, allowing people like Baumhover to access the program. Gaps started to form in his memory. Call the hotline at 303-322-7273 for free, 24-hour help. The killer, father and husband to the victims, had already confessed and received multiple life sentences. Still, the continued public and media interest in the case makes it difficult to move on, investigators said. Mike was a lifelong resident of Carroll and St. Lawrence Parish. A veteran investigator, she had handled scores of gruesomecases. Baumhovers flashbacks started soon after returning from Wisconsin, where he interviewed Christopher Watts in prison and learned the exact horrific manner of how he murdered his wife and children. https://www.mental-armor.org, New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Through counseling, Lee said she was able to process her grief. A few times he stepped away from policing to work in the private sector for better pay and at the request of family members who worried about him. There were few of the hallmarks of other murders because there didnt seem to be any signs of violence before the killings. After taking some sick time, he registered with workers compensation. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation still regularly receives emails, social media messages and calls about the case. He never processed that trauma correctly. He couldnt think. Accounting Director 563-589-0719. . The trip was supposed to be a chance for him to clear his head after leading the investigation into the murders of the girls and their pregnant mother, Shanann Watts. This week Simpson defeated Coe College by a . Its easier to just not go anywhere, he said. He saw their mothers shallow grave nearby. The Frederick, Colorado, police. She called the number for a counselor that she had been given and said she didnt understand what was happening. SafeHouse Denver: safe-house-denver.org. Dave Baumhover, who was the lead detective for Frederick Police on the Watts case, even toldthe Denver Postthat he has been diagnosed with acute PTSD as a result of working on the case. He tried to go back to work, but the flashbacks worsened. Every bit of Baumhover family life has been reshaped by PTSD. Where do you go where you dont see little girls? she asked. 1:17. Prosecutors have lagged behind law enforcement in addressing the effect their cases have on their health, Rourke said. I wonder why because he said it could help others who suffer from PTSD. Library Services Coordinator 563-589-0267. "Did you look at her while you strangled her?" one asked. It wasnt just the Watts case that caused his PTSD, Baumhover said. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Lasting trauma from the case was not limited to Baumhover. Dont look right. In movie-like detail, he saw the hazmat crew pull their bodies from the oil storage tanks where they had been dumped by their father. He couldnt understand how such horror was possible and how Watts could coldly detail it step by step. E-mail. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! She wants to make sure all departments know what is available so that other families can avoid the hell theyve been through. gave multiple emotional interviews pleading for the safe return of his family, And check the NFL Sunday night schedule here. The Watts case was so traumatic for law enforcement and the general public, in part, because it was simultaneously unlike so many other cases and also too familiar, said Nicoletti, who worked with some who investigated the case. And then every time I think about them the next thought in my mind is about my own daughter.. Television stations continue to create documentaries. If they go out, Lori directs her husband where he shouldnt look so he can avoid seeing kids that might trigger him. During the prison interview, Watts revealed how he killed Shanann and put her body on the floor in the back seat of his truck. He knew it would destroy them. Frederick Police Department Detective Dave Baumhover, FBI Special Agent Grahm Coder and CBI Agent Tammy Lee were present for the interview, according to an inmate visitation log viewed by ABC. Kirby Lewis, Agent in Charge at CBI, noted that the next morning, investigators arrived with this sense of dread because you know what the mission is. 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The Coloradoan. He graduated from Carroll High School in 1973 and then attended Universal Technical Institute in Omaha for heating and cooling service. Hes not sure whether he will be able to return to law enforcement, a career that once drew him like a magnet. After taking some sick time, he registered with workers compensation. After his diagnosis in March, he entered counseling. The endless videos and photos of the girls that Shanann posted online, which Lee reviewed during the investigation, created a vivid mental image of the sisters. She listed the incidents mostly seeing moms with their kids. He brought in therapists from North Range Behavioral Health to help his staff. Moving to End Sexual Assault (MESA): movingtoendsexualassault.org. And I said, I know. . Chaffee County man sues after police use flash-bang near his head during SWAT-style traffic-stop, Colorado grocery stores can begin selling wine on Wednesday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Dont look right. Opinion: Colorado farms going fallow? In the meantime, Baumhover cant wait for summer to end, for the neighborhood kids to go back to school, so he can look out at the playground visible from his back porch or walk the dog and not worry about running into children that trigger his flashbacks. James "Jim" Leo Baumhover died June 8, 2020 at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll. There were few of the hallmarks of other murders because there didnt seem to be any signs of violence before the killings. The night after the confession, Baumhover lay on his hotel room bed. ET) on Monday. Dave Baumhover at 303-652-4222 or dbaumhover@frederickco.gov, or the Frederick Police Department at 720-382-5700. This is not an issue that is new, said Shannon Scully, manager of criminal justice and advocacy at the National Alliance on Mental Illness. During the 2019 session, lawmakers expanded access to the Peace Officer Mental Health Grant, which was created in 2017 and pays for counseling services at local agencies. I'm really sad he deleted his blog. Elise Schmelzer is the public safety reporter at The Denver Post and covers policing, crime and criminal justice. I felt like I knew what they sounded like. They suffer nightmares about oil wells or are haunted by a lasting memory of the girls giggles. Just a nagging. She expected she would take this one in stride as well. It was the first time his wife, Lori, had seen him cry. He smelled the oil that coated them. It was the accumulation of the difficult cases hes worked in his career a rash of teen suicides in Frederick, a toddler who shot himself in the face, horrific sexual assault causes. It will also bring some much needed mythbusting to this case, and hopefully by shining a light into the darker side of criminal investigations - the emotional and psychological toll investigators suffer - do some good along the way. At the sight of the girls, he once again was at the Weld County oil site where eight months ago he had recovered the bodies of Bella and Celeste Watts. Moving to End Sexual Assault (MESA): movingtoendsexualassault.org. Copyright 2018 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Additional Information from Frederick Police: If you have any information regarding this case, please contact Det. Also in 2017, the legislature added PTSD as a diagnosis that qualifies a person for workers compensation, allowing people like Baumhover to access the program. After taking some sick time, he registered with workers compensation. Shanann was curled up, as if just thrown in, David Maloney, Colorado Bureau of Investigation Laboratory Manager at the Denver Forensic Science Laboratory, said. Some days you feel defeated.. What Was Chris Watts Motive For Killing His Entire Family? She expected she would take this one in stride as well. Cops need to hear from other cops, he said. He brought in therapists from North Range Behavioral Health to help his staff. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25, at St. Lawrence Church-St. John Paul II Catholic Parish in Carroll. Baumhover went to Wisconsin because he needed to know what happened. But he always came back. The trip was supposed to be a chance for him to clear his head after leading the investigation into the murders of the girls and their pregnant mother, Shanann Watts. Itll be a big victory when we can get to just having joy in watching little kids play, Lori said. Dave Baumhover asking if he remembers them. Marshall fire victims protested green building codes as too expensive. A report by the U.S. Department of Justice released in April recommended 22 changes that should be made to improve mental health wellness among law enforcement, including that agencies embed mental health professionals, create programs that support officers families and implementing regular mental health wellness checks. Baumhovers work was done. The Frederick, Colorado, police. I felt like I was mourning their deaths.. He explained how he smothered the girls individually, how 4-year-old Bella had to watch her little sister die. I mean, it affected me deeply and I wasnt on scene, he said. And it did, he said, but the answers came at a price. She had just gone to bed, Lee said during the taping of Criminal Confessions, fighting back tears. Anxious calls and texts from his wife lit up his phone. They suffer nightmares about oil wells or are haunted by a lasting memory of the girls giggles. But as he bolted from the restaurant to the parking lot to escape the flashback rage, grief and anxiety flooding his body he knew it would take more than a trip to heal the post-traumatic stress disorder he was diagnosed with after the case. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. The tanks had to be drained so that the girls could be removed, a process that disturbed several people on scene. Its easier to just not go anywhere, he said. Call the 24-hour hotline at 303-443-7300. He shortly after was promoted to the agencys lone detective position. The interview begins somewhat casually with Watts entering the Wisconsin prison's computer room to find CBI Agent Tammy Lee, FBI Special Agent Grahm Coder and Frederick police Det. Where do you go where you dont see little girls? she asked. If they go out, Lori directs her husband where he shouldnt look so he can avoid seeing kids that might trigger him. Where do you go where you dont see little girls? she asked. Carroll City Cemetery. Instead, she sobbed at the hair salon as her helpless mother and sister looked on. He knew it would destroy them. The entity was formed on July 22, 2021 in the jurisdiction of Colorado. The registered agent of the entity is Ming Liu . But as he bolted from the restaurant to the parking lot to escape the flashback rage, grief and anxiety flooding his body he knew it would take more than a trip to heal the post-traumatic stress disorder he was diagnosed with after the case. He knew that his staff would need extra support after he was texted images from the oil site where the bodies were recovered. Its easier to just not go anywhere, he said. View Full Report . The Watts family also seemed so normal, he said. Newspapers in English Newspapers from Ireland She is survived by her brother, Grover Smith (Lucy), brother-in-law, Conrad Odom (Frances); nieces, Stacie S. McLain and Pam Mizzell; nephews, Michael . John Nicoletti, a Denver psychologist who specializes in treating public safety professionals, said he has seen a seismic shift in the conversation surrounding mental health in law enforcement over his 40-year career. Ive always felt that theres a bigger purpose to this, Baumhover said. In the meantime, Baumhover cant wait for summer to end, for the neighborhood kids to go back to school, so he can look out at the playground visible from his back porch or walk the dog and not worry about running into children that trigger his flashbacks. Even hundreds of miles away in Phoenix, he couldnt escape reminders of the case he was trying to move past. The report also recommended the creation of a nationwide study of law enforcement suicides and the circumstances surrounding them. 0:00. She wants to make sure all departments know what is available so that other families can avoid the hell theyve been through. Join Facebook to connect with Dave Baumhover and others you may know. He knew it would destroy them. Timothy Schott, assisted by Deacon Dave Prenger. But you cant. It wasnt just the Watts case that caused his PTSD, Baumhover said. At least 167 officers died by suicide in 2018. Call the 24-hour hotline at 303-443-7300. He couldnt think. Wife, Lori directs her husband where he shouldnt look so he can avoid the hell theyve been through involved. Baumhover at 303-652-4222 or dbaumhover @ frederickco.gov, or the Frederick Police: if you have any Information regarding case! 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