Carl Watts

Serial Killer

Carl Eugene Watts: The Sunday Morning Slasher

Overview

Carl Eugene Watts, sometimes called Coral Eugene Watts, was an American serial killer whose violent crimes spanned Michigan and Texas during the 1970s and early 1980s. Known as the "Sunday Morning Slasher," Watts attacked women and girls using an assortment of methods, including stabbing, strangulation, drowning and bludgeoning. He was convicted of two murders in Michigan, confessed to numerous additional killings in Texas and was suspected by investigators of committing many more. The exact number of people murdered by Watts remains unknown. He confessed to thirteen killings under an immunity agreement, later claimed responsibility for dozens of deaths and reportedly suggested that his total number of victims could exceed eighty. Some investigators believed he may have killed as many as one hundred women, although that larger estimate has never been conclusively established. His habit of attacking strangers, moving between jurisdictions and changing his methods made it exceptionally difficult for detectives to connect his crimes.

Early Life and Emerging Violence

Carl Eugene Watts was born on November 7, 1953, in Killeen, Texas. His parents separated when he was young, and he was primarily raised by his mother. The family eventually settled in Inkster, Michigan. Watts reportedly experienced serious behavioral and academic problems after suffering meningitis as a child, although no medical condition can adequately explain or excuse his later violence. By adolescence, Watts was stalking, threatening and attacking girls. In 1969, when he was fifteen, he assaulted a young woman near her home. He was placed in a psychiatric facility, where evaluators described him as dangerous and warned that he was likely to commit further violence. Despite those warnings, he was eventually released. Watts later attended Lane College in Tennessee and Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. His college career was brief and troubled. Women reported being followed or attacked, and Watts was repeatedly associated with suspicious behavior around apartment buildings. He frequently approached doors while pretending to be searching for someone named "Charles." Once a woman opened the door or lowered her guard, he attempted to force his way inside. ...

Confirmed Victims: (17)

Gloria Steele Age: (19), Date of Death: 1974-10-30

Suspected Victims:

Zenaida Tomes Age: (20), Date of Death: 1972-09-06

Nadine Jean ODell Age: (16), Date of Death: 1974-04-16

Malak Mimi Haddad Age: (34), Date of Death: 1979-09

Dawn Jerome Age: (20), Date of Death: 1979-10-02

Peggy Pochmara Age: (22), Date of Death: 1979-10-08

Hazel Connof Age: (23), Date of Death: 1980-03-10

Denise Dunmore Age: (26), Date of Death: 1980-03-31

Linda Monteiro Age: (27), Date of Death: 1980-05-31

Lilli Marlene Dunn Age: (28), Date of Death: 1980-07-31

Debra Mackey Age: (20), Date of Death: 1982-01-06

Survivors:

Lenore Knizacky Age: (23), Date of Attack: 1974-10-25

Diane K. Williams , Date of Attack: 1974-10-25

Dalpe Age: (20), Date of Attack: 1980-10-06

Angus Age: (30), Date of Attack: 1980-11-01

Julia Sanchez , Date of Attack: 1982-01-16

Patty Johnson Age: (19), Date of Attack: 1982-01-30

Martell Age: (19)

Melinda Aguilar Age: (18), Date of Attack: 1982-05-23

Lori Lister Age: (21), Date of Attack: 1982-05-23

Carl Eugene Watts - Wikipedia