Kriti Mehrotra
‘American Murder: The Family Next Door’ is an emotional and ominous documentary that tells us the horrific tale of how Christopher Watts murdered his 15-week pregnant wife, Shanann, and their two daughters, and then pretended as if they had left him and disappeared for good. Although his act didn’t last for long, the loss of life and his actions were so heartbreaking and senseless that it shook the nation. Even today, it chills our bones to think about the details of it, so we can only imagine how it affects those who were close to the case and the people. And, as we saw in the documentary, Nickole Atkinson played a key role.
Who Is Nikole Atkinson?
Nickole Atkinson, Shanann Watts’ close friend and co-worker, was the one who figured out that Shanann and her daughters were missing. At around 2 a.m. on August 13, 2018, she dropped Shannan off at her Frederick, Colorado, home following a weekend business trip they had taken to Arizona. But, just a few hours later, when Nickole tried to get in touch with her friend, she couldn’t get ahold of her. And, after Shanann missed an important ob-gyn appointment set for 9 a.m., she grew seriously worried. Nickole decided to take matters into her own hands and visit her home to see if everything was okay, and when she saw no sign of anyone, she called Shanann’s husband, Chris, her parents, and also the police.
What followed was an extensive search for the family and an un-webbing of lies that were told by Chris. Nickole, knowing her friend and her habits, after having seen them over the last four years, knew that something had to be wrong. After all, Shanann wasn’t one to leave the house without her phone, her lupus medication, or without thinking about the well-being of her children. Nickole cooperated and told the authorities all that she knew of Shanann, her daughters, her husband, and their strenuous relationship over the last month and a half. She knew how bad things were and how Shanann was trying to repair them, but she never could have guessed that Chris could have taken the messier way out.
Where Is Nickole Atkinson Today?
Nickole Atkinson, happily married, working, and with young kids of her own, has enough on her plate as it is. But, unfortunately, not all has gone right for her in the past couple of years. Even though she understands the loss that she has faced, she admits that the grief of losing one of her closest friends doesn’t really stop. No matter how busy she is or what is going on in her life, she still thinks of Shanann and wishes that she could share her experiences with her.
And, we’re sad to report that recently, Nickole was diagnosed with breast cancer as well. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy to try to keep it at bay, and from what we can tell from her social media, thankfully, she is thriving. Residing in Firestone, Colorado, with her family and still working as a Promotor at Le-Vel, the multi-marketing company, we’re sure that she has a big support group of her own – people who’ll take care of her, just like she tried to with Shanann. But still, we’re praying for her. (Featured Image Credit: Netflix)
Read More: Where Are Shanann Watts’ Parents Now?
