In-laws Of Chris Watts Don't Want Him To Earn Money

GREELEY, CO – The in-laws of convicted family-murderer Chris Watts are seeking to keep him from profiting off the tragedy, their lawyer said.

Sandra and Frank Rzucek, the parents of murdered Frederick mother Shanann Watts, 34, and grandparents of Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, and unborn grandson Nico, filed a wrongful death suit against Watts to make sure they have a claim to any financial gain he may accrue.

"The suit is largely symbolic. Were not anticipating making millions off case," said the Rzucek's lawyer, Steven Lambert of the Greeley firm Grant and Hoffman. Colorado already has a so-called "Son of Sam" law that prevents a "felonious killer " from making money off of selling memoirs or giving paid interviews.

Shanann's parents filed the suit in case their son-in-law Watts is given money, or comes into a sum of money, their lawyer said. They also want to make sure that he is not allowed to keep any proceeds from the sale of the couple's Frederick home, Lambert said.

Watts was sentenced Nov. 19 in Weld County District Court to multiple life sentences in prison without parole. The week before, he pleaded guilty to nine counts, including first-degree murder, tampering with deceased bodies and murder of an unborn child, to avoid the death penalty.

"Sandra and Frank did not want the death penalty," Lambert said. "They’re very devout people don’t want to meet what they construed as one injustice with another."

Watts was arrested Aug. 15, after his pregnant wife and daughters had been missing for two days. He eventually told investigators where to find their bodies, but claimed that his wife had strangled the daughters and that he then strangled her in a rage. Documents from the investigation, released by the court, showed Watts had an affair with both a woman and a man while becoming estranged from his wife.

International interest in the case has already led to "several books already being published on Amazon," Lambert said.

Watts has 21 days from the date of filing to respond to the suit, Lambert said.

• Related: Chris Watts Trial Documents Reveal 10-Month Relationship With A Man
• Related: Chris Watts' Mistress Went To Police Before His Arrest
• Related: Chris Watts Pleads Guilty: Avoids Death Penalty
• Related: Colo. Dad Blames Wife For Girls' Deaths, Says He Killed Her In Rage: Cops
• Related: Death Penalty Possible For Colorado Dad: Judge
• Related: Chris Watts 2012 Video May Hold Clues To Killings Motive: WATCH
• Related: Vigil Held For Slain Pregnant Frederick Woman, 2 Girls
• Related: Colo. Girls May Have Been Strangled, Court DNA Filing Suggests
• Related: Frederick Couple Faced Economic Pressure, Had Filed Bankruptcy
• Related: Christopher Watts Was "Smartest Student:" Former NC Teacher
• Related: 5 Fast Facts About Homicide Of Shanann Watts And 2 Daughters
• Related: Bodies Found On Anadarko Property May Be Missing Children, 3, 4

Read the lawsuit here:

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