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Chris Watts Ordered To Pay Wife's Parents $6 Million For Murdering Their Daughter And Grandkids
Chris Watts will be unable to profit from the sale of his home or any potential future book deal thanks to a judge's ruling.
Chris Watts is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for murdering his pregnant wife Shanann Watts and their two young daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, but the prison term isn't the only punishment he's facing.
A judge ordered the notorious family murderer him to pay $6 million to his slain wife’s parents as the civil case they filed against him concluded last week, the Denver Channel reports.
Shanann’s parents Frank and Sandy Rzucek filed the wrongful death lawsuit last November, the same day that Watts was sentenced to multiple life sentences behind bars.
While payment is unlikely, the lawsuit was filed to ensure that profits from the sale of the Watts' home go to Shannan’s family, according to the Denver Post. Watts will also be unable to make any money in the event he writes a a book about the tragedy. Watts now owes them $1 million for each of the deaths on top of another $3 million for emotional pain, an amount that will grow by 8 percent each year with interest.
“The Rzucek family has not been the same since August 13, 2018,” a court document obtained by the Denver Channel states. “They have suffered with anger, loneliness, sadness, and depression. For a substantial period of time following the discovery of their daughter and grandchildren’s murders, they were unable to work, leave the house, or even eat.”
Watts didn't contest the suit and agreed to the $6 million judgment prior to the ruling, the Denver Post reports.
Watts is currently serving out his life sentences in Wisconsin. Back in February, during a five-hour interview with investigator, Watts laid out in disturbing detail how he killed his wife and daughters, including how he had sex with Shanann shortly before choking her to death.
Before the murders, the Watts' household appeared to be a picture perfect all-American family, which has led to the country's fascination with the case. A special which focuses on the painful investigation will air on Oxygen’s “Criminal Confessions” on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. ET/PT.
