At the young age of 12, Coral Eugene Watts confessed to having disturbing dreams about harming and murdering women. By the time he turned 15, he had already committed his first murder. His twisted fantasies from childhood paved the way for a life filled with depravity and violence. Comparisons have been made between Watts and notorious killers like Samuel Little, known for his alleged involvement in numerous murders of women.
Born in 1953 in Killeen, Texas, Watts later moved to Detroit during his childhood, which seemed to have a significant impact on him. After contracting meningitis at around nine years old, family members noticed a drastic shift in his behavior.
By the age of 15, Watts had already committed his first murder and engaged in multiple sexual assaults. His chilling statement that there were too many victims to count shocked even seasoned investigators. Despite receiving a football scholarship to Lane College in Tennessee and initially showing promise of turning his life around through sports, Watts soon succumbed to his dark desires.
Expelled from college for stalking women within just three months, Watts returned to Michigan and embarked on a spree of violent attacks against women. His first confirmed victim, Gloria Steele, suffered a horrific fate at the hands of Watts, followed by a string of brutal murders that terrorized the community.
Watts’ killing spree continued with a series of gruesome attacks, earning him the moniker “Sunday Morning Slasher” in Detroit. His victims, predominantly slim, blonde, and white women, fell prey to his heinous acts of violence. Despite being a star football player, Watts’ predatory behavior escalated, leading to a trail of terror and bloodshed.
Finally apprehended in 1982, Watts was linked to a total of 13 murders committed through various brutal methods. Although sentenced to 60 years in prison, a legal technicality later reduced his term to 24 years. In 2007, after years of incarceration, the infamous serial killer passed away from cancer at the Ionia Maximum Correctional Facility in Michigan, bringing an end to his reign of terror.