At the age of 12, Coral Eugene Watts confessed to having disturbing fantasies about harming and murdering women. By the time he reached 15, he had already committed his first murder.
Watts’ childhood inclinations towards violence and death paved the way for a twisted path of criminality. Some have likened his atrocities to those of Samuel Little, a notorious serial killer. Born in 1953 in Killeen, Texas, Watts later moved to Detroit as a child, which reportedly had a significant impact on him. Stricken with meningitis at nine, his relatives noted a drastic change in his demeanor following the illness.
His criminal activities escalated, with him admitting to multiple murders and sexual assaults. A chilling statement from a homicide detective quoted Watts claiming to have killed numerous women beyond count. Despite initially showing promise by earning a football scholarship at Lane College in Tennessee, Watts spiraled into darkness, ultimately getting expelled for stalking women.
The heinous trail of violence began with the murder of Gloria Steele at age 20, followed by other brutal killings, including that of Zenaida Tomes. Watts’ mental state raised concerns among psychologists, citing him as a significant risk for reoffending due to his lack of remorse and emotional detachment.
Dubbed the Sunday Morning Slasher, Watts terrorized Detroit with a series of brutal attacks and murders targeting slender, blonde, white women. His victims included Jeanne Clyne and Helen Dutcher, among others. Watts continued his killing spree, claiming more lives before being apprehended in 1982, with Melinda Aguilar’s escape leading to his capture.
Convicted of 13 murders, Watts initially received a 60-year sentence, later reduced to 24 years due to a legal technicality. He passed away in 2007 from cancer while incarcerated at the Ionia Maximum Correctional Facility in Michigan, marking the end of a reign of terror that spanned years.