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Chris Watts Is Corresponding with Women from His Prison Cell: Source

Chris Watts, the man who murdered his pregnant wife and two daughters, has found a way to pass the time as he spends his days in prison: He is corresponding with multiple women, PEOPLE confirms.

"He got a lot of letters at first," says a source who has spoken with Watts in jail. "Many of them are from women who thought he was handsome and felt compassion for him. He had nothing better to do, so he wrote them back. And he started having penpals. A couple of them stood out, and they've kept in contact."

And are the women troubled by Watts' horrific crimes?

"Believe it or not, no," the source says. "They have compassion on him, despite what he did."

On August 13, 2018, Watts strangled his wife, Shanann, in their Colorado home. Then he drove her body to a job site at the oil company where he worked. He disposed of his wife's body and then smothered his daughters — Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. After pleading guilty to the murders, he received a life sentence.

RELATED: Chris and Shanann Watts' Final Texts Before He Killed Her Are Revealed in New Netflix Doc

Authorities said Watts committed the murders because he was having an affair with a co-worker who thought he was already separated. In the days before the killings, Shanann Watts reached out to a friend and shared her growing concerns about her marriage — but she never suspected her life was in danger.

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RELATED: Chris Watts Is 'Triggered' by Netflix Documentary, Which 'Makes Him Feel a Lot of Shame': Source

Watts, 35, is now sitting in a Wisconsin prison. He has a Bible and several family photos in his cell.

The insider says that Watts has already received more mail in the past few days since the release of a new Netflix documentary about his infamous case. The documentary, entitled American Murder: The Family NextDoor, began streaming on Netflix on September 30.

RELATED: See Family Murderer Chris Watts' Case in Pictures

While the source would not clarify how many letters he has received in the past week, it has been "more than 10."

"Some of the letters are angry," the source says. "A lot of them are from people of faith who want to pray for him. But then he gets letters from women who want to connect with him, you know, romantically. He responds because he doesn't have anything better to do."

Watts is in protective custody, and only leaves his cell for an hour a day for exercise and showers. He is not eligible for parole.