Emily Elizabeth LaQua, a 14-year-old white female, was tragically killed on March 20, 1982, in Brookshire, Texas. Originally from Seattle, Washington, Emily had recently moved to Brookshire to live with her father, Frank LaQua, following her parents’ divorce. Her mother, Elizabeth Young, remained in Washington with Emily’s siblings. Emily had taken on significant responsibilities at a young age, often helping care for her brother and sister while her mother worked two jobs.
Seeking independence and a fresh start, she relocated to Texas and was preparing to begin work as a waitress.
On the evening of her death, Emily left her father’s home after an argument, intending to walk to her new job. She never arrived. Her father reported her missing the next day. For five months, Emily was considered a runaway, and her disappearance did not initially raise alarm. However, in August 1982, her body was discovered hidden in a culvert in Waller County, not far from Brookshire. The discovery was made after Coral Eugene Watts, a known serial killer, led investigators to the site. Watts had confessed to multiple murders across Texas and Michigan, and Emily’s case was among those he admitted to.
Watts, a Black male in his late twenties at the time, had previously been granted a plea deal by Harris County authorities, which offered him a 60-year sentence for burglary in exchange for information about unsolved killings. However, because Emily’s body was found in Waller County, and that jurisdiction had not agreed to the immunity deal, her case remained prosecutable. Despite this, Emily’s murder was not included in Watts’ plea bargain, and for years, it was considered a lesser priority compared to his other crimes.
Emily’s death had a profound impact on her family. Her father, Frank LaQua, disappeared shortly after her funeral and was later declared dead in 1993. Her brother Franklin, who suffered from epilepsy, died two years after Emily’s murder following a massive seizure. Her mother, Elizabeth Young, eventually became a pastor and social worker, channeling her grief into faith and service. She later expressed a renewed commitment to ensuring Watts remained incarcerated, recognizing the importance of justice for her daughter.
Watts’ confession to Emily’s murder was part of a broader pattern of violence. He admitted to killing or attacking at least 19 women, often targeting them randomly. Emily, a 14-year-old white female, was the youngest known victim. Her case stands out not only for the brutality of the crime but also for the initial misclassification of her disappearance and the delayed pursuit of justice.
