THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE SUNDAY • SEPTEMBER 2, 2018 A9

SLAIN COLORADO MOM, DAUGHTERS HONORED AT SERVICE IN N. CAROLINA

ASSOCIATED PRESS
PINEHURST, N.C.
Shanann Watts will be re-
membered as a “woman of
love” and her two young two
daughters as being filled
with life and joy, a priest said
Saturday during a funeral
service for the slain Col-
orado family found at an oil
work site.
The hour-long service in
Pinehurst, N.C., included no
reference to 33-year-old
Christopher Watts, the hus-
band and father charged in
the killings.
Police say he killed his
34-year-old pregnant wife
and their daughters, 4-year-
old Bella and 3-year-old
Celeste, inside the family’s
suburban Denver home
then dumped their bodies
on his former employer’s
property.
During the funeral at a
Catholic church, Father
John Forbes read com-
ments aloud from Shanann
Watts’ father, mother and
brother.
Watts is from North Car-
olina; the couple moved to
Colorado shortly after they
married about six years ago.
“You are nothing but
pure love, always caring for
everyone,” her father, Frank
Rzucek, wrote. “You will al-
ways be daddy’s little girl.”
Forbes said the victim’s
mother, Sandra Onorati
Rzucek, described Shanann
as a “fireball” and asked
God to “give all our love” to
her daughter and grandchil-
dren.
“Mom, Nonna, loves you
with all her soul,” she wrote.
Forbes said Shanann
Watts’ family would like to
see good come from the
tragedy, including a law to
recognize the lives of un-
born children such as their
grandson.
“They do not desire
vengeance and death, but
justice and life,” Forbes said.
Family members say
Shanann Watts was preg-
nant with a boy who she
planned to name Nico.
Colorado is one of 12
states without a law broadly
allowing for homicide
charges in the violent death
of fetuses.
Prosecutors have
charged Christopher Watts
with murder and other
charges, including unlawful
termination of a pregnancy,
a felony.
A friend asked police on
Aug. 13 to check on Shanann
Watts and her children after
she could not reach them via
text or phone.
Police searched the fam-
ily’s home in Frederick and
found Shanann Watts’
purse and phone still there.
Christopher Watts re-
mains in a Colorado jail
without bail and has not yet
entered a plea.
During interviews with
television stations before his
arrest, he spoke about miss-
ing his family.
Prosecutors have said
the girls’ bodies had been
submerged for days inside a
tank holding crude oil and
their mother was buried in a
shallow grave.
Authorities say Christo-
pher Watts told investiga-
tors that he killed his wife
because she had strangled
their daughters after he told
her he wanted to separate.
Prosecutors charged him
with killing all three family
members.

Summer
PUBLIC SAFETY

DEAD COUPLE
INSIDE HOME
SHOW SIGNS
OF TRAUMA Warehouse
EL CAJON
An elderly couple was
found dead from unspecified
traumatic injuries Friday
morning inside a home in
Clearance
FINAL WEEK!
unincorporated El Cajon
near the Blossom Valley
area, sheriff ’s officials said.
An in-home caregiver
Coles Does it All!
discovered the couple, Coles has 1,000s of rolls of quality carpet and clearance pricing on Wood, Tile, Luxury Vinyl and other fine floors with
whose names and ages were Immediate Installation. Hurry in for best selection and the lowest prices of the year - These specials won’t last!
not released, about 8:10 a.m. Ask for your FREE Design Consultation for Kitchen or Bath Remodeling.
inside a home on Toya Lane,
Lauren Coles The Design Team
a dead-end road in a neigh- PROFESSIONAL DESIGNERS
borhood north of Blossom
Valley Elementary School, EXCELLENT SELECTION CARPET | AREA RUGS
sheriff ’s homicide Lt. Rich QUALITY PRODUCTS LAMINATE | TILE | WOOD
Williams said.
Deputies found the man IMPECCABLE SERVICE VINYL | FINE FLOORS
and woman “obviously de-
ceased,” Williams said in a
statement. “Both had trau-
matic injuries.” Stainmaster Platinum
CARPET
Williams told the Union-
Tribune by email Friday
afternoon “it is too early in
the investigation ... to draw
conclusions” about whether
the incident might be a mur-
der-suicide. But he wrote
that homicide detectives
“are not looking for any out-
standing suspects at this
SALE PRICED FROM

2
time, and we have no reason

$ 99
to believe there is any danger
to the community.”
The Medical Examiner’s
Office will determine the
cause and manner of their /SQ.FT.
deaths. VALUE $6.99

French Oak
alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com

Bailey jail inmate found

dead in solitary cell
OTAY MESA
HARDWOOD
An inmate at the George
Bailey Detention Facility BELOW WHOLESALE
was found dead in his cell
Saturday morning, sheriff ’s
6” WIDTH UV CURED FINISH
officials said.
Deputies made the dis-
covery during a security
COLES SALE ONLY

3
check about 2:15 a.m. at the

$ 99
Otay Mesa jail.
The man was alone in the
secured cell, and there was
no preliminary evidence of
injury or foul play, according /SQ.FT.
to the Sheriff ’s Department. VALUE $8.99
Homicide investigators will

Luxury
be looking into the circum-
stances — which is routine
for in-custody deaths — and
the Medical Examiner’s Of-
fice will determine the cause
and manner of death.
VINYL PLANK
The man’s name has not
been released pending noti-
SPECIAL PURCHASE
fication of family. 20 MIL WEAR LAYER
He was in custody on
charges of assault on a peace
officer or firefighter with a
deadly weapon, inflicting
SALE PRICED FROM

2
great bodily injury and fel-

$ 49
ony resisting an officer.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Woman’s son arrested /SQ.FT.

after her boyfriend shot VALUE $5.79

KITCHEN & BATH

SAN DIEGO
A Grant Hill man was
shot in his home Friday
night, and San Diego police
arrested his girlfriend’s son
as the suspected shooter.
REMODELING
$
1500 OFF
The gunfire was reported
at a house on Imperial Ave-
nue just east of 29th Street
about 11:15 p.m., police said.
Officers discovered the
victim with two gunshot COMPLETE KITCHEN REMODEL
wounds to his stomach on
the sidewalk outside. Offi-

$
1000 OFF
cers learned the shooting
followed an argument be-
tween the man, 59, and his
live-in girlfriend.
During the argument,
the girlfriend’s son, 27, COMPLETE BATH REMODEL
pulled out a gun and fired,
police said.
The victim left the house IMMEDIATE INSTALLATION AVAILABLE | 15 MONTH SPECIAL FINANCING
and collapsed on the side- EIGHT TIME WINNER OPEN LABOR DAY 11-4
walk. He was taken to a hos- SAN DIEGO
pital and treated for wounds
that are not considered life-
SINCE
1947 1170 W Morena Blvd | 619.276.5140 IN-HOME
SAN MARCOS
SERVICE
threatening.
Police arrested the sus-
pect at the scene. ®
2175 Montiel Rd | 760.741.1001
SANTEE Call or make an
appointment online
gary.warth@sduniontribune.com VOTED #1 FLOORING
STORE IN THE USA FINE FLOORING 70 Town Center Pkwy | 619.442.3277
SAN DIEGO
Contact KITCHEN & BATH
SOLANA BEACH
320 S Cedros Ave | 858.481.3900 800.923.4919
us! REMODELING MCAS MIRAMAR ON BASE
NORTH COUNTY
800.794.1001
NEWSROOM WORLD FLOOR COVERING 45482 Elrod Ave. Bldg 2257 | 858.695.7286 SOUTH BAY
619-293-1211 ASSOCIATION
local@ Simplify Your Success NEX NAVY EXCHANGE 32ND STREET 619.616.7434
sduniontribune.com
ColesFineFlooring.com 2260 Callagan Hwy. Bldg. 3379 | 619.645.6359 Lic. #673209