On September 1, loved ones gathered to give their final goodbyes to Shanann Watts, her unborn baby boy, and her two daughters, Bella and Celeste. It was a heartbreaking scene as the beloved family was laid to rest after a 90-minute funeral in North Carolina. Despite the mass of mourners sharing their outpouring of love, however, there was one person missing and his lack of involvement was allegedly intentional: Chris Watts, the Colorado husband and father who is accused of murdering his family before pretending that they went missing.
Although Watts was in jail during his wife and children's funeral, he purposefully didn't want to be involved with any aspect of it.
According to People, a source close to Watts shared that he was "aware" of Saturday's service for his wife of nearly six years, unborn son, 4-year-old daughter, and 3-year-old daughter. The source claims, however, that Watts purposefully didn't reach out or have any input on the funeral proceedings from jail. āHe knew better than to suggest anything,ā the source said.
Watts reportedly told another source that the gravity of the situation is officially sinking in and he's now "in mourning."
It's been more than two weeks since Watts' was arrested and charged with nine felonies, including first-degree murder andĀ unlawful termination of a pregnancy in the first degree. But despite reportedly showing little emotion when first brought to jail, a second source tells People that Watts is now starting to grieve. "Itās all beginning to sink in,ā the source said. āHeās in the mourning process.ā
But there was no room for Watts' "grief" -- or even mention of him -- during the funeral proceedings.
"From a young age, I always knew my sister was going to be successful — and nothing would stand in her way. She was born to be a mother. Boy, was she ready! Closets were full even before she knew she was pregnant. She couldnāt wait," Shanann's brother, Frankie Rzucek noted in a statement at the funeral.Ā āI always worried about her and the girls being so far because I couldnāt protect them.ā
Rev. John J. Forbes also read statements from Shanann's parents during the service that expressed just how much they miss their daughter and grandchildren. "Daddy loves you. You are a wonderful daughter and a great mother. You are nothing but pure love, always caring for everyone,"Ā Frank Rzucek's statement said. "You will always be Daddyās Little Girl. Until we meet again, I love you with all my heart."
Now, Watts could face the death penalty if convicted of Shanann, Bella, Celeste, and Nico's murders.
Watts allegedly admitted to strangling Shanann during police questioning but blamed his girls' deaths on his deceased wife. According to an arrest affidavit, Watts says that he only killed Shanann because of how she reacted when he told her that he wanted to separate. Watts claimed he then saw over the baby monitor Shanann strangling Celeste whileĀ Bella was āblueā and lifeless nearby.Ā
He reportedly claims that he thenĀ āwent into a rageā and strangled Shanann in reaction to her killing their children. However, Chris has been charged with everyone's death and is alone inĀ protective custody, according to the Weld County Jail.
"Obviously, heās in a tough place,ā the source added. āAnd he understands that heās not going anywhere any time soon.ā
