Funeral For Murdered Mother, Daughters To Be In North Carolina

The funeral for Shanann Watts and her two young daughters Celeste and Bella, is set for Saturday in Pinehurst, N.C., more than two weeks after they were murdered in Colorado.

Formal charges were filed in Colorado last week against Christopher Lee Watts, 33, in connection with the deaths of his pregnant wife, Shanann, 34, and their young daughters, Celeste, 3, and Bella, 4.

The funeral mass for the three, as well as for the unborn son who was to be named Nico Lee, is scheduled Sept. 1 at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Pinehurst, according to an obituary in the Aberdeen Times.

Both Christopher and Shanann Watts had strong North Carolina ties before relocating to Frederick, Colorado in recent years.

Watts was charged with nine felonies related to the deaths of his wife and children, and appeared in court for the first timeA ug. 21. He faces a minimum sentence of life in prison with no chance for parole and a maximum sentence of the death penalty.

Based upon information that has emerged regarding the case, details suggest Shanann and her daughters may have been strangled in their home before their bodies were dumped in an oil field.

Watts has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of murder of a child by a person in a position of trust, one count of unlawful termination of his wife’s pregnancy and three counts of tampering with a deceased body.

Shanann's brother Frankie Rzucek of Aberdeen, N.C., recently spoke out about the pain of losing his sister and nieces. "He stole my whole world and treated them like they were trash," Rzucek said Friday morning in a Facebook post. "My sister and nieces meant the absolute world to me. They made me strive to be an even better man."

SEE ALSO: NC Family Of Pregnant Mom, Daughters Slain Speaks Out

A statement released by the family of Shanann Watts said: "It is with deep hurt, confusion and anger to confirm our beautiful cousin Shanann Watts, her unborn child, and her two angelic daughters, Bella and Celeste, were viciously murdered by husband Chris Watts; who confessed to the killings," according to CBS. "Please keep Shanann's parents and brother in your prayers."

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Related: 5 Fast Facts About Homicide Of Shanann Watts And 2 Daughters

Online condolences may be made here, according to the obituary, which also says the service will be livestreamed over the Boles Funeral Home & Crematory Facebook page.

Patch Editor Jean Lotus contributed

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Photos: courtesy of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation