On March 27, 1982, Edith Anna Ledet, a 34-year-old white female from Galveston, Texas, was brutally murdered in the early morning hours. A promising medical student, Edith was scheduled to graduate from the University of Texas Medical Branch later that spring. She had previously pursued a career in accounting before shifting her focus to medicine, a testament to her ambition and dedication.
That morning, she was out jogging near the Port Holiday Apartments on Postoffice Street when she was attacked and stabbed 15 times. Her body was discovered lying on her back in a walkway near the apartment complex, dressed in a gray jogging suit. She was described as having reddish hair, standing 5 feet 4 inches tall, and weighing approximately 120 pounds.
The violent nature of the crime shocked the Galveston community, and local authorities launched an intensive investigation. Initially, there were no suspects, and Crime Stoppers offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment. The case remained unsolved for several months until a breakthrough came later that year.
In August 1982, Coral Eugene Watts, a 28-year-old Black male from Michigan, confessed to killing Edith Anna Ledet along with several other women across Texas. Watts, later dubbed the “Sunday Morning Slasher,” admitted to murdering 11 women in three South Texas counties between September 1981 and May 1982. His victims included women of various ages and backgrounds, but all were attacked in sudden, brutal assaults. Watts claimed he targeted women he believed had “evil eyes,” and his killings were not sexually motivated—he did not rob or rape his victims.
Watts confessed to stabbing Edith before dawn as she jogged, and shortly afterward, he attempted to attack another woman, Glenda Kirby, who managed to escape due to his hands being slick with blood from the earlier murder. This detail helped corroborate his confession. Edith's murder was one of several that Watts admitted to, and it fit the pattern of his other crimes: sudden, violent attacks on women in public or semi-public spaces.
Following his confession, Watts was arrested and eventually convicted for multiple murders. His case drew national attention due to the sheer number of victims and the randomness of his attacks. Authorities believe he may have killed over 100 women, making him one of the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history. Edith Anna Ledet's death, while tragic, played a crucial role in helping law enforcement understand the scope of Watts' crimes and bring him to justice.
