Uncle: Ambassador's family "devastated" by death

TIGERTON - Don Slicer knew it couldn't be good when his phone at home in Tigerton rang at 4:30 in the morning.

“I was shocked that it was Chris, but I wasn't shocked that it could happen,” said Slicer about his reaction to hearing his nephew, Ambassador Chris Stevens, died.

Slicer's sister married Stevens' father five years ago.

Stevens died on Tuesday in an attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

• Photos: U.S. Ambassador killed in Libya
• Timeline: U.S. Ambassadors killed in the line of duty
• Mark Green, former U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania, reacts to Stevens' death

“Chris was in Libya all the time, so he didn't attend the regular kind of family reunions or come together and see each other every few months,” said Slicer.

Slicer says his sister and brother-in-law emailed him from London. He says they are waiting for directions from the State Department. The couple told Slicer they are devastated.

“Devastating is a good word, I've lost a son, I know what it's like and I know what they are going through right now,” said Slicer.

Stevens is originally from California. Slicer says he plans to head there for his nephew's funeral.

“I never thought, even in Libya after Kadafi was gone, that that would be a huge problem, but I was always a little nervous because of the unstableness of the country,” said Slicer.

Although tension and protests continue in Libya, Slicer says it is important to honor the memory of those who died, including Stevens.

“His family adored him, the people that worked with him were very impressed by him,” said Slicer. “He is a tremendous loss not just for our family, but for the entire nation.”