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Family of Shanann Watts speaks out against movie depicting murder

The movie "Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer" will be released on Lifetime on Jan. 25

GREELEY, Colo. — The trailer promises a glimpse into the life of a killer. The family of the victims depicted in the movie said it's more Hollywood than reality.

The family of Shanann Watts is speaking out about a movie coming out later this month highlighting the murder committed by her husband Chris Watts. 

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Speaking through their lawyers in Greeley on Wednesday, the parents of Shanann Watts said they were never consulted about the making of the Lifetime movie that premieres Jan. 25.

"If people are wanting to watch in order to see an accurate depiction of their daughter's, son-in-law's, and grandchildren’s lives, they need to look elsewhere," said Steven Lambert, a lawyer with the Grant & Hoffman law firm. "They want people to know that at least from the advertising that they’ve seen, the trailers that they’ve seen, the pictures that they’ve seen, that it’s not an accurate portrayal of their daughter, of their grandchildren or even of Chris Watts himself."

Chris Watts was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife Shanann Watts and their two young daughters Bella and Celeste. While he spends the rest of his life incarcerated, the pain outside prison walls is still raw, made harder every time the movie trailer comes on.

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"What’s hurtful is when they’re actually showing Shanann being strangled in the movie and showing the girls being hauled out to the oil site," said Brad Hoffman, another lawyer representing Shanann Watts' family. 

Nearly a year and a half after the murder, Shanann’s family said they’re also still the targets of online harassment and threats.

"There’s really no legitimate purpose for it," said Tom Grant, another lawyer representing the family. "This case is closed and they would like to be able to move on and not be subjected to the internet bullying."

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