At the young age of 12, Coral Eugene Watts confessed to having disturbing fantasies about harming and murdering women, and by the time he turned 15, he had committed his initial homicide. These twisted thoughts from his childhood paved the way for a life of depravity and violence. Some have likened him to Samuel Little, a notorious serial killer believed to have claimed the lives of around 100 women.

Born in Killeen, Texas, in 1953, Watts later moved to Detroit during his early years, which had a significant impact on him. Stricken with meningitis at around nine years old, his family noted a sudden change in his demeanor. By the age of 15, he had already committed his first murder and engaged in multiple sexual assaults. A detective recalled a bone-chilling statement from Watts, claiming he had killed a staggering number of women.

Despite a troubled upbringing, Watts secured a spot at Lane College in Tennessee on a football scholarship, offering hope for a positive future. However, his violent dreams soon took over, leading to his expulsion from the college just three months later for stalking women. Returning to Michigan, Watts embarked on a series of savage attacks on women.

One of his early known victims was Gloria Steele, a 20-year-old who fell prey to Watts’ brutality. She was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered, with her body later discovered bearing 33 stab wounds and a crushed windpipe. Additionally, suspicions arose that Watts was also responsible for the brutal killing of Zenaida Tomes in 1972.

Upon his eventual arrest for various assaults, Watts displayed troubling psychological traits, raising concerns about his future actions. Described as hazardous, lacking in remorse, impulsive, and emotionally distant, with a high risk of repeating his crimes, Watts posed a severe threat.

In 1976, a series of brutal murders in Detroit led to the moniker “Sunday Morning Slasher” for the killer, as the incidents consistently occurred around 4 am on Sundays. Watts targeted slim, blonde, white women, with victims including news reporter Jeanne Clyne, who was fatally stabbed in front of her home in 1979.

Watts’ killing spree extended to victims like Shirley Small, Glenda Richmond, and Rebecca Greer-Huff in Michigan before he fled to Texas to evade capture. Melinda Aguilar and Lori Lister narrowly escaped an attack in 1982, eventually aiding in his capture. Watts’ total body count reached a chilling 13, with killings executed through various methods.

Although apprehended in 1982, it wasn’t until 1990 that Watts was recognized as a serial killer with numerous victims across the country. Despite being sentenced to 60 years in prison, a legal technicality granted him immunity, reducing his sentence to 24 years. In 2007, after years of incarceration, Watts succumbed to cancer at the Ionia Maximum Correctional Facility in Michigan.