The family of Shannan Watts is suing convicted killer Chris Watts for the murder of their daughter, two granddaughters and unborn grandson.
Shannan Watts’ parents — Frank and Sandra Rzucek — are seeking more than $100,000 from their estranged son-in-law, according to The Coloradoan, as part of a wrongful death lawsuit.
In the suit, the Rzuceks contend Chris Watts “misled investigators” during the investigation into the disappearance of Shannan Watts and their grandchildren. Chris Watts also lied to the public and media outlets about his immediate family’s whereabouts.
Chris Watts was sentenced last week to life in prison. The 33-year-old felon was given three consecutive life sentences with an additional 12 years tacked onto each term for tampering with the bodies of his wife and two daughters.
Colorado Killer Chris Watts Sentenced for Killing Pregnant Wife and Daughters
Sandra Rzucek told Chris Watts during the hearing that she “didn’t want death for you because that’s not my right,” adding, “Your life is between you and God now, and I pray he has mercy for you.”
Shannan Watts’ father, Frank, called his son-in-law “a heartless monster.”
“I trusted you to take care of them, not kill them,” he said. “Then you take them out like trash. You monster.”
"We begged them to spare your life because despite everything, we believe no one has the right to take the life of another, even someone like you," brother of Shannan Watts tells Christopher Watts, who is to be sentenced today https://t.co/BcMoBwjPUd pic.twitter.com/3ik6vONTj1
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 19, 2018
Judge Marcelo Kopcow described Chris Watts’ crimes as “perhaps the most inhumane and vicious” over which he’s ever presided.
In early November, Chris Watts pleaded guilty to strangling his 34-year-old wife, who was 15 weeks pregnant, and their two daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste. He then dumped the bodies in a nearby oil field owned by his former employer, Anadarko Petroleum.
A hearing regarding the Rzuceks’ lawsuit is scheduled for Jan. 28.