Who Is Shanann Watts' Brother? New Details About Frankie Rzucek
He just wants to know why.
Facebook Who is Shanann Watts' brother? The brother of slain Colorado woman Shanann Watts and her two daughters has taken to Facebook to express his anger and sorrow.
The expecting mother's body was buried in a shallow grave and her daughters, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, were found in oil tanks nearby late last week. Chris Watts, Shanann Watts' husband and father of her children, has been charged with five counts of murder, one count of unlawful termination of a pregnancy, and three counts of tampering with evidence in his family's deaths on Tuesday.
Shanann's father, Frank Rzucek Sr., cired in the courtroom as the names of his slain daughter and granddaughters were mentioned as his son (and Shanann's brother), Frankie Rzucek, comforted him with a grave expression.
He has been very open about how he feels about the murder of his sister and nieces, especially on Facebook, posting both heartfelt and angry messages as the days drag on. Like his father, he has avoided the press as much as possible.
Here is everything we know about Shanann Watts' brother, Frankie Rzucek.
1. He wants to know WHY his sister and her kids were murdered.
The Denver Post via AP
As one would expect, Rzucek wants to know what the reason behind the murders of Shanann, Bella, and Celeste.
"I just want to know why," the heartbroken relative said. "My precious family my one and only sibling, my sister Shanann , 2 adorable nieces Bella and Celeste and her soon to be found out unborn son Niko."
2. He called Chris Watts a "heartless psychopath."
"I just want 30 seconds alone with that heartless psychopath. May Satan have mercy on his soul," Rzucek vented. "...My blood is boiling and the pain and anger and sadness I have in my heart. Nothing absolutely nothing would get in my way of taking away his life like he did mine and my ENTIRE FAMILY."
But the hurting brother does not regret his words, though he admitted he wants to do better as a person from here on, not just for himself but for those who look up to him.
"I let my feelings and love for my family get the best of me on my post last night about that evil man.. But I will never delete it or regret it," he said. "I meant every word. If you don't like it put my shoes on. He stole my whole world and treated them like they were trash. I've never been so mad, sad, enraged, hurt heartbroken, lost, and shocked in all my life. So forgive me for how I went about it. My sister and nieces meant the absolute world to me. They made me strive to be an even better man. I wanted them to be proud of their Uncle."
3. He said Shanann "beat all odds" to become pregnant.
According to Rzucek, Shanann suffered from lupus, an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks healthy cells by mistake. There is no cure, but treatments are available, the Lupus Research Alliance states. There are many risks associated with pregnant women with lupus, including an increased risk of miscarriage and complications.
But Shanann had two healthy children whom she became the "picture perfect mother" to, Rzucek said.
"When our family found out she beat all the odds and become pregnant I can't even explain our excitement" he wrote on Facebook. "Shanann was born to be a mother and help change lives. (This I know) She was the picture perfect mother."
4. He looked up to his sister.
Rzucek has been very open about his sister and how her death, as well as her daughters', has impacted him. He has written lengthy posts on social media describing how hurt he is, how much he loved her, and more. He especially took the tie to explain how much he looked up to Shanann.
"I always looked up to my sister and was a proud little brother," he shared. "Ill never forget day my sister got her driver's license and left the driveway to go to work, I cried while sitting on the front porch waving watching her drive off. Not because i was sad, but because in my head I thought back to riding next to her in our little power wheels car, and now she's a woman driving a real car. We weren't little kids anymore."
He added that Shanann even took him to her senior prom because she didn't have a date.
"She had success in her eyes and nothing was going to stand in her way of following her dreams," Rzucek continued. "She is the hardest working person I've ever known. No matter if her lupus was acting up or if she was pregnant, nothing stoped her from doing what needed to be done.
5. He's very grateful for the love and support he and his family has received.
Rzucek and his family have thanked everyone for supporting them throughout the loss of Shanann and her daughters but he also asks that people pray for anyone who ay be suffering, not just relatives.
"Don't just pray for us, pray that everyone finds peace and love in their hearts through these unimaginable circumstances," he wrote on Facebook. "Again my family and I appreciate all the love and support. God bless you all. xoxo
6. He is praying for Chris Watts' family.
Despite the harrowing circumstances, Rzucek asks that people pray for his brother-in-law's family as opposed to hating them.
"My prayers to his family," he wrote in a thoughtful Facebook post. "I pray people don't harass them or wish harm on anyone. God will take care of everyone and everything. They are our family and are hurting just as much."
7. He has asked that news outlets have the courtesy to leave his family alone as they grieve.
As Rzucek and his family mourn the loss of beloved Shanann, Bella, and Celeste, they would appreciate it if the media allowed them space to deal with this tragedy.
"To any News or Media Outlets that are trying to contact my family and I please give us our space at this time," he asked on Facebook. "We have a close family member that will be speaking on our behalf. So if all my friends and family could please ignore them and don't speak to them for us. Please and thank you so much."
Despite his pleas to be left alone, news trucks have continued to bombard his and his family's houses.
"On top of everything else we're going through I walk outside and see all these new stations sitting in front of our house," he posted the very next day. "They have been blowing every one of our phones up all the way from here to Colorado at least 30 different news people. there's a time and place for things like this all they want is ratings and who's going to get the first scoop. I told them to kindly f*** off. The cops were called and we told them to leave and they're just standing here."
Sarah Gangraw is a travel-addicted cat lady who lives on black coffee and cheese. She has a degree in journalism and writes about all things news, entertainment and crime. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter — she's occasionally funny.