Coral Eugene Watts hated women. He viewed them as vile, unfaithful and envisaged relationships with them to be potentially harmful. Unlike many other serial killers he did not rape or even sexually assault his victims, they only showed signs of stabbings, slashing, suffocation and strangulation. There is a lot of speculation about how many he killed. Some believe it to be over eighty, at any rate however, he is certainly up there with the most brutal killers in American history. From a very young age he showed homicidal tendencies towards women. One source (unconfirmed) claimed that he had a job as a paper courier and on one of his rounds went up to a woman's house, knocked on the door and upon her answering assaulted the women later telling police he just wanted to ''beat somebody up''. Despite his track record of violent behavior and foreboding assessments from psychiatrists, there were those who were shocked upon hearing the kind of person he had really been.
One woman who fell in love with him was quoted as saying;
'I wouldn't describe him as a Christian, but he did attend church regularly. The man was sweet, very intelligent. He would pull out chairs for me, open doors, everything a gentleman would do. Lots of times we would sit and read the bible together. That's why it's hard to believe what the police said he did. There must've been a side to him I didn't know about.''
Investigating authorities are unsure about how many he killed, however they know for certain that at least thirteen women were killed by his hands. In 1974, Michigan, Gloria Steele was found with thirty three knife wounds in her chest. She was near West Michigan University. Watts targeted women whom he thought attractive but also those who were likely to lead successful lives possessing prestigious careers. On Halloween 1979 Jeane Clyne, a Detroit news reporter aged thirty five was found stabbed to death in Gross Pointe Farms, Detroit. She was returning from a doctor's appointment. Watts fitted eye witness description of the ''black jogger'' who was seen in the vicinity of Clyne's body during the time of the murder. Police began to keep him under tight surveillance on foot, from patrol cars and even helicopters. A surreptitious homing radio device was even installed in his vehicle.
In 1980, whilst living in Ann Arbor he stabbed three women to death on Sunday mornings during April, July and September. There was still insufficient evidence linking him to the killings. He moved to Houston, Texas where it is assumed most of his killings took place until his eventual capture and trial. It is confirmed that he killed at least 11 women in Texas between the 29/3 and 23/5 1982. Edith Ledbet, a married woman was killed before dawn 29 March 1982. The previous day she had completed her fourth year as a Medical Student. She was killed whilst jogging on Texas University medical school campus grounds. A blood stained sweat shirt, thought to be worn by the perpetrator, was found discarded nearby. Ledbet was the daughter of James.K.Allan a former state district civil judge and and more previously a Senior District Attorney.
Elizabeth Montgomery, 25, was walking her dog before midnight on Saturday the 12 September. When she returned home after twelve she was stabbed to death outside her home. ''I heard her scream when she neared the courtyard area. I ran out there. She finished up bleeding to death in my arms.''-Montgomery's boyfriend. The slasher struck again the same morning at 2am. Susan Wolfe was carrying groceries home from an all night supermarket where she was employed. As she left her car to the door of her home she was assailed by Watts who stabbed her six times before she died. Ironically, Wolfe and four other victims of Watts had moved from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Houston, Texas around the same time Watts did. Four months later Phyllis Ellen Tamm, 27, was found hanging from a tree at the Rice University campus. She was suspended two inches from the ground in a sitting position. She had been lynched using knitted fabric and bore no knife wounds.
Margaret Everson Fissi was visting her boyfriend in Houston. On Sunday the 17th of January, sometime in the morning, her car was found by her brother in law who was searching for her since she had not returned home when appointed. Her car was 150 yards from her house. The police broke into the boot of the car and found her beaten, strangled body curled up inside. Police believed she had been attacked somewhere between the university car park and her home. March 1982, Emily Laqua, who was only 14 disappeared never to be seen alive again. Two more girls went missing in April, 1982 believed to have been linked to Watts; Carrie Mae Jefferson, 34, post office clerk, and Susan Searlet, 25, who was last seen leaving a party early on a Sunday morning. Upon investigation into Searlet's disappearance, her car was found along with broken spectacles and contents of her handbag, indicating that a struggle had taken place.
Within 24 hours of these disapearances, Yolanda Garica was found stabbed to death near her home.
''Whoever this sadistic killer is. Somebody's got to know him. He is ritualistic and may have killed people in other states. Ritualistic killers do not kill once. They have to repeat the ritual''-Police Lietenant Mason.
Watts frequently changed addresses and disappeared for weeks at a time before he was seen again and his trail could be picked up. It was difficult to keep up with him or to do anything without violating his civil rights. On Sunday 23rd May, Michelle Marie Maday, 20, was murdered on her birthday. She was found dead, her body twisted on it's side in the bathtub by her own mother. Reports confirmed that she had been strangled but not sexually assaulted. Nothing had been stolen from her home and there was no sign of forced entry.
An hour after Michelle's body was found, two policeman who were on patrol were sent to investigate a disturbance at an apartment shared by two women. Upon arrival they heard the sound of a door being kicked in an upstairs apartment. It was then that they spotted a black man running from the flat. Watts had snuck up behind Lori Lister outside her apartment building, choked her until she was unconscious and left her lying on the pavement. Using her key to open the door to her apartment Watts stumbled in to find her flat mate, Melinda Aguilar.
Melinda stated:
''I had been sleeping badly because my room-mate had been away for the night. Early in the morning I thought I heard someone scream. Then I heard a key rattle in the door and called out Lori's name. The door was opened by a black man wearing a red sweatshirt and faded jeans. He rushed at me, yanked me from the bed and started choking me. He dragged me into the bedroom and tied my hands behind me with a coat hanger and belt.''
When Melinda heard the sound of running bath water, despite her bonds ran out of the apartment and over the four foot railing of the balcony only to land on her knees, 13 feet below, on the grass. She ran away to find help. The kicking sound on the door turned out to be a neighbor, who had saved Lori from drowning by dragging her from the bathtub. The police officers chased Watts with weapons drawn and caught him as he fled into a dead end area. Upon his arrest Watts maintained his right to silence.
Psychiatry reports on Watts confirmed his hatred of women. The defence psychiatrist claimed he was a paranoid schizophrenic. The state was unable to sentence Watts to death because capital punishment in Texas is exclusive to murder during rape, robbery or a felony. Watts did not fit this criteria.
''They were all done quickly like a signature. I would run up behind them and just kill them and flee from the scene.'' -Watts.
Watts' plea council struck a plea bargain in which he agreed to plead guilty to burglary in exchange for admitting to the authorities about the murders in Michigan and Houston, provided he was given immunity from further prosecution. It is possible that he was responsible for murders in Canada as well. The prosecution wanted sixty years in order to ensure that it would be a minimum of twenty years, one third of his sentence, before he would be eligible for parole.
Watts willingly lead authorities to the bodies of Carrie Mae Jefferson. Jefferson was discovered in the weeds at a bayou. In a giant waste pipe the decomposed body of 14 year old Emily Laqua was found with a locket and chain containing photos of her mother and brother nearby.
'It was the most frightening experience I've encountered. I knew the cases of each victim and Mr.Watts was reading them back. We were digging up a body and it didn't bother him. He wanted a hamburger. So when we were done we took him to a hamburger joint and bought him one''-Prosecuting attorney Jack Frels.
Frels also described Watts ability to remember the details of his crimes as;
''Frightening, phenomenal and uncanny. The man could remember the time, the date , locations, clothing worn by his victims and the makes of their cars.''
Watts had told the police that he would drive around all night. Once he spotted a victim to whom he was attracted he would follow her until he could make contact. Watts confessed to two other assaults in Galveston, Texas. Both women had survived being slashed or stabbed. A man had been given a life sentence for the murder of a nineteen year old waitress. Watts admitted that this was his doing and the man was subsequently released. Linda Catherine Tilley had been found drowned in a housing complex swimming pool. Forensics had initially ruled out foul play. The reality of the situation was that Watts had been following a woman for 150 miles from Houston to Austin, his intended victim must have turned off the highway unnoticed by Watts. When he saw Tilley returning from a date in a similar vehicle he mistook her for the woman he had been stalking.
Watts tried to drag the woman behind a wooden fence but she struggled and they both fell into the pool only fifteen minutes away from her apartment. Watts drowned the woman but the autopsy had declared that she had merely tripped in the water and drowned. Watts died in 2007 of prostate cancer in prison whilst serving prison time.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1562306/coral_eugene_watts/
One woman who fell in love with him was quoted as saying;
'I wouldn't describe him as a Christian, but he did attend church regularly. The man was sweet, very intelligent. He would pull out chairs for me, open doors, everything a gentleman would do. Lots of times we would sit and read the bible together. That's why it's hard to believe what the police said he did. There must've been a side to him I didn't know about.''
Investigating authorities are unsure about how many he killed, however they know for certain that at least thirteen women were killed by his hands. In 1974, Michigan, Gloria Steele was found with thirty three knife wounds in her chest. She was near West Michigan University. Watts targeted women whom he thought attractive but also those who were likely to lead successful lives possessing prestigious careers. On Halloween 1979 Jeane Clyne, a Detroit news reporter aged thirty five was found stabbed to death in Gross Pointe Farms, Detroit. She was returning from a doctor's appointment. Watts fitted eye witness description of the ''black jogger'' who was seen in the vicinity of Clyne's body during the time of the murder. Police began to keep him under tight surveillance on foot, from patrol cars and even helicopters. A surreptitious homing radio device was even installed in his vehicle.
In 1980, whilst living in Ann Arbor he stabbed three women to death on Sunday mornings during April, July and September. There was still insufficient evidence linking him to the killings. He moved to Houston, Texas where it is assumed most of his killings took place until his eventual capture and trial. It is confirmed that he killed at least 11 women in Texas between the 29/3 and 23/5 1982. Edith Ledbet, a married woman was killed before dawn 29 March 1982. The previous day she had completed her fourth year as a Medical Student. She was killed whilst jogging on Texas University medical school campus grounds. A blood stained sweat shirt, thought to be worn by the perpetrator, was found discarded nearby. Ledbet was the daughter of James.K.Allan a former state district civil judge and and more previously a Senior District Attorney.
Elizabeth Montgomery, 25, was walking her dog before midnight on Saturday the 12 September. When she returned home after twelve she was stabbed to death outside her home. ''I heard her scream when she neared the courtyard area. I ran out there. She finished up bleeding to death in my arms.''-Montgomery's boyfriend. The slasher struck again the same morning at 2am. Susan Wolfe was carrying groceries home from an all night supermarket where she was employed. As she left her car to the door of her home she was assailed by Watts who stabbed her six times before she died. Ironically, Wolfe and four other victims of Watts had moved from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Houston, Texas around the same time Watts did. Four months later Phyllis Ellen Tamm, 27, was found hanging from a tree at the Rice University campus. She was suspended two inches from the ground in a sitting position. She had been lynched using knitted fabric and bore no knife wounds.
Margaret Everson Fissi was visting her boyfriend in Houston. On Sunday the 17th of January, sometime in the morning, her car was found by her brother in law who was searching for her since she had not returned home when appointed. Her car was 150 yards from her house. The police broke into the boot of the car and found her beaten, strangled body curled up inside. Police believed she had been attacked somewhere between the university car park and her home. March 1982, Emily Laqua, who was only 14 disappeared never to be seen alive again. Two more girls went missing in April, 1982 believed to have been linked to Watts; Carrie Mae Jefferson, 34, post office clerk, and Susan Searlet, 25, who was last seen leaving a party early on a Sunday morning. Upon investigation into Searlet's disappearance, her car was found along with broken spectacles and contents of her handbag, indicating that a struggle had taken place.
Within 24 hours of these disapearances, Yolanda Garica was found stabbed to death near her home.
''Whoever this sadistic killer is. Somebody's got to know him. He is ritualistic and may have killed people in other states. Ritualistic killers do not kill once. They have to repeat the ritual''-Police Lietenant Mason.
Watts frequently changed addresses and disappeared for weeks at a time before he was seen again and his trail could be picked up. It was difficult to keep up with him or to do anything without violating his civil rights. On Sunday 23rd May, Michelle Marie Maday, 20, was murdered on her birthday. She was found dead, her body twisted on it's side in the bathtub by her own mother. Reports confirmed that she had been strangled but not sexually assaulted. Nothing had been stolen from her home and there was no sign of forced entry.
An hour after Michelle's body was found, two policeman who were on patrol were sent to investigate a disturbance at an apartment shared by two women. Upon arrival they heard the sound of a door being kicked in an upstairs apartment. It was then that they spotted a black man running from the flat. Watts had snuck up behind Lori Lister outside her apartment building, choked her until she was unconscious and left her lying on the pavement. Using her key to open the door to her apartment Watts stumbled in to find her flat mate, Melinda Aguilar.
Melinda stated:
''I had been sleeping badly because my room-mate had been away for the night. Early in the morning I thought I heard someone scream. Then I heard a key rattle in the door and called out Lori's name. The door was opened by a black man wearing a red sweatshirt and faded jeans. He rushed at me, yanked me from the bed and started choking me. He dragged me into the bedroom and tied my hands behind me with a coat hanger and belt.''
When Melinda heard the sound of running bath water, despite her bonds ran out of the apartment and over the four foot railing of the balcony only to land on her knees, 13 feet below, on the grass. She ran away to find help. The kicking sound on the door turned out to be a neighbor, who had saved Lori from drowning by dragging her from the bathtub. The police officers chased Watts with weapons drawn and caught him as he fled into a dead end area. Upon his arrest Watts maintained his right to silence.
Psychiatry reports on Watts confirmed his hatred of women. The defence psychiatrist claimed he was a paranoid schizophrenic. The state was unable to sentence Watts to death because capital punishment in Texas is exclusive to murder during rape, robbery or a felony. Watts did not fit this criteria.
''They were all done quickly like a signature. I would run up behind them and just kill them and flee from the scene.'' -Watts.
Watts' plea council struck a plea bargain in which he agreed to plead guilty to burglary in exchange for admitting to the authorities about the murders in Michigan and Houston, provided he was given immunity from further prosecution. It is possible that he was responsible for murders in Canada as well. The prosecution wanted sixty years in order to ensure that it would be a minimum of twenty years, one third of his sentence, before he would be eligible for parole.
Watts willingly lead authorities to the bodies of Carrie Mae Jefferson. Jefferson was discovered in the weeds at a bayou. In a giant waste pipe the decomposed body of 14 year old Emily Laqua was found with a locket and chain containing photos of her mother and brother nearby.
'It was the most frightening experience I've encountered. I knew the cases of each victim and Mr.Watts was reading them back. We were digging up a body and it didn't bother him. He wanted a hamburger. So when we were done we took him to a hamburger joint and bought him one''-Prosecuting attorney Jack Frels.
Frels also described Watts ability to remember the details of his crimes as;
''Frightening, phenomenal and uncanny. The man could remember the time, the date , locations, clothing worn by his victims and the makes of their cars.''
Watts had told the police that he would drive around all night. Once he spotted a victim to whom he was attracted he would follow her until he could make contact. Watts confessed to two other assaults in Galveston, Texas. Both women had survived being slashed or stabbed. A man had been given a life sentence for the murder of a nineteen year old waitress. Watts admitted that this was his doing and the man was subsequently released. Linda Catherine Tilley had been found drowned in a housing complex swimming pool. Forensics had initially ruled out foul play. The reality of the situation was that Watts had been following a woman for 150 miles from Houston to Austin, his intended victim must have turned off the highway unnoticed by Watts. When he saw Tilley returning from a date in a similar vehicle he mistook her for the woman he had been stalking.
Watts tried to drag the woman behind a wooden fence but she struggled and they both fell into the pool only fifteen minutes away from her apartment. Watts drowned the woman but the autopsy had declared that she had merely tripped in the water and drowned. Watts died in 2007 of prostate cancer in prison whilst serving prison time.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1562306/coral_eugene_watts/
