"Mary Ann Wiley is Coral Watts' best friend," Fossi says bitterly. "If only he knew."
Bryan Collier, director of the parole division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, says that when Watts is released in 2006, he will be housed in a county jail--where and for how long, no one knows yet--and fitted with a GPS-equipped electronic monitor. Collier admits that a parolee might be able to get the monitor off, but its removal would quickly alert authorities. "We would probably escort him if he went anywhere," Collier says. "We would significantly restrict his movement and control his access to the community."
In August 1982, Watts confessed to the murders of (pictured from left to right each row) Jeanne Clyne (October 31, 1979), Linda Tilley (September 5, 1981), Elizabeth Montgomery (September 12, 1981), Susan Wolf (September 13, 1981), Margaret Fossi (January 17, 1982), Elena Semander (February 7, 1982), Emily La Qua (March 21, 1982), Anna Ledet (March 27, 1982) and Michele Maday (May 23, 1982). Watts also confessed to killing (not pictured) Phyllis Tamm (January 4, 1982), Yolanda Gracia (April 15, 1982), Carrie Mae Jefferson (April 16, 1982) and Suzanne Searles (April 25, 1982). He tried but failed to kill Julia Sanchez (January 17, 1982), Alice Martell (January 29, 1982), Patty Johnson (January 30, 1982), Glenda Kirby (March 27, 1982) and roommates Lori Lister and Melinda Aguilar (May 23, 1982).
If you see this man, run like hell: Coral Eugene Watts in a recent prison photo.
Related Content
More About
Prosecutor Jones doubts any guard could ever monitor Watts. "He's so highly elusive," Jones says, "he'll slip that person in 30 minutes."
Fossi points out that because Watts is not classified as a sex offender, he will eventually leave the jail setting for a residential environment, and authorities are not required to notify the neighbors.
Some day, Watts could be moving in next door to you.
Biding His Time
Watts' sister, Sharon Watts, who lives in Detroit, is troubled by the media attention on efforts to keep her brother in prison. "There are victims on both sides of the fence," she says. "His children are just as innocent as those other people. I feel for those families, but I feel for his family, for my mother. They should be able to live this down."
Sharon Watts, who has visited her brother in prison, says he's on medication now. "He views the world different," she says. "I personally don't think he has the energy to get out and do something."
Watts' old nemesis Paul Bunten was furious about the plea bargain. "I don't understand how you can forgive somebody for taking somebody's life," Bunten says. Because Washtenaw County, where Ann Arbor is located, wouldn't grant immunity, Bunten was rebuffed by Houston authorities when he arrived to talk to Watts in August 1982. He flew back to Michigan and waited.
Later that year, Bunten and Dr. Stock visited Watts in prison to talk about the Ann Arbor murders. Bunten wanted to know not just how he killed, but why. Stock and Bunten spent more than eight hours with Watts, who described how he'd committed the murders he'd confessed to but refused to talk about anything for which he hadn't received immunity.
Bunten asked Watts if he'd killed other women in Texas.
"Yes," Watts admitted.
"Why didn't you confess to those?" Bunten asked.
"They were making it into a circus," Watts complained. "There were cameras everywhere. I just got tired of it."
"Coral, I haven't got enough fingers and toes to count the women you've killed, do I?" Bunten said, pressing him harder.
Watts looked at the three other people in the room--80 digits among them, including his own--and couldn't resist a boast. "There are not enough fingers and toes in this room to count the murders I've committed," Watts said. But he didn't mention the "evil eyes" rationale, refusing to tell Bunten why he killed. "I will take that with me to the grave."
"Doesn't it bother you to know you took these girls' lives?" Bunten asked.
"It used to, but it doesn't anymore," Watts said, without emotion, as though he were talking about squashing a tick.
The only evil eyes, it turned out, were Coral Eugene Watts' own.
