Crime Library: Criminal Minds and Methods

Coral Eugene Watts: The Sunday Morning Slasher

Killing Rampage

Not long after Coral's release he began dating a woman named Delores. The pair had a child together, but never married. Eventually, the couple split up and Coral began dating another woman, Valeria, who married him in 1979. Their marriage lasted only six months.

During a police interview years later, Valeria admitted that Coral's behavior became increasingly volatile during their brief relationship. According to Moore, Valeria told investigators that Coral had violent nightmares, "became messy, leaving clothes, even garbage on the floor." Moreover, he would "cut up houseplants with a knife" and melt candles onto tables. Even more bizarre was the fact that every time they had sex, Coral would get up and leave the house for hours. Larry Werner suggested in his 2002 Star Tribune article that it was likely that Coral went stalking for new victims during that time.  

Over the course of a year, many more women were attacked and murdered. One of them was Detroit News reporter Jeanne Clyne, 44, who was attacked on Halloween Day, 1979, as she walked home from a doctor's appointment. She was accosted in broad daylight along a busy suburban road near her home in Grosse Point Farms. She died from 11 stab wounds.

Unfortunately, police were unable to find any evidence leading them to a suspect. Initially, detectives suspected Jeanne's husband, but he was later cleared of suspicion when Coral confessed to her murder.

Jeanne Clyne, victim
Jeanne Clyne, victim

It is not known whether Coral attacked any more women between Clyne's murder and his divorce in May 1980. At least, there was no evidence linking him to any other crime. However, considering his record, it's very possible that he did commit other assaults.  

On April 20, Ann Arbor, Mich., high school student Shirley Small, 17, was stabbed to death twice in the heart outside her home. A similar attack against Glenda Richmond took place outside her Ann Arbor area home that summer. The 26-year-old manager of a diner was found dead with 28 stab wounds to her chest. There was not enough evidence at either scene to convict anyone. Yet, the murders bore the trademark of Coral Watts.

On September 14, University of Michigan graduate student Rebecca Huff, 20, was found murdered outside of her home. She had been stabbed approximately 50 times. Her case was unique because it was one of the first murders to be directly linked to Coral. Moreover, it prompted one of Ann Arbor's largest murder investigations. It took two months before the link between Coral and Rebecca was made.

 

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