Overview
- Multiple outlets reported Wednesday that Lizzie Henderson, a 39-year-old realtor, moved from Ohio to Wisconsin, confirmed a relationship with convicted killer Chris Watts, and the couple has applied to marry through the state prison system.
- Reporting cites prison visitation logs and interviews showing Henderson visited Watts frequently in 2024–2025, with outlets citing roughly 20–23 visits and at least one eyewitness who said the pair embraced during a 2025 visit.
- Court records and reporting say Henderson filed to change her surname to Watts in September 2025 and has been photographed wearing a ring, though there is no public record yet that prison authorities have approved the marriage application.
- Watts remains serving multiple consecutive life sentences for pleading guilty in 2018 to killing his pregnant wife, Shanann, and their daughters, and Wisconsin policy allows inmates to request marriage but requires formal warden approval and compliance with strict standards.
- The reports have drawn criticism from family members and raised wider ethical and policy questions about prisoners' rights to marry, the role of visitation and name-change filings in signaling intent, and how officials will handle the application.