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Wednesday, November 13, 2002

Admitted serial killer Coral Eugene Watts denied parole

By PAM EASTON

Associated Press Writer

HOUSTON (AP) - Admitted serial killer Coral Eugene Watts, set to be released from a Texas prison in 3 1/2 years, has been denied parole for a fifth time.

"The parole review process of Coral Eugene Watts is complete," Gerald Garrett, chairman of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, said Tuesday. "The parole panel recommended against parole."

The vote by the three-member panel, including Garrett, came Thursday on Watts' 49th birthday. He received similar news in 1990, 1993, 1996 and 1999.

His next parole hearing is scheduled for December 2005.

Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Larry Todd said Watts could become eligible for release following that hearing, and before his scheduled May 2006 mandatory release, if he continues to show good behavior.

"Under existing law he could earn some good-time credit and be released at an earlier date after December 2005," Todd said. "TDCJ will not speculate on a release date because it is dependent on credit earned."

In 1982, Watts was sentenced to 60 years in prison for burglary with intent to commit murder in a plea agreement in which he also confessed to killing 13 women. Watts received immunity in 12 of those cases.

Police and prosecutors said they lacked evidence to support their suspicions and obtaining Watts' confession was the only way to close open murder cases and get answers for grieving relatives.

Harris County prosecutors, Houston police and the judge in Watts' case thought the 60-year prison term would keep him behind bars until he was in his 80s. But mandatory release laws require Watts' discharge on May 8, 2006, unless he loses credits accumulated in prison for good behavior. He then would be 52.

"That was about as big a no-brainer as you will ever see," Houston victims' advocate Andy Kahan said of the parole board's decision. "I wish I could say I was shocked. Parole has always been a moot point in this particular case. The imminent issue still is his release."

Watts' good behavior while serving his sentence at the Ellis Unit northeast of Huntsville has cut his sentence significantly.

Texas' mandatory release program was approved in 1977 to relieve prison crowding. The program was rescinded in 1996. Inmates like Watts, however, remained eligible because they were incarcerated under terms of the plan.

Houston police homicide Sgt. Tom Ladd said it was difficult to build a case against Watts because he used different methods to kill, never sexually assaulted his victims and chose strangers. In addition, very little evidence ever was left behind as Watts killed within minutes of encountering his victims. The only common denominator was all the victims were women, Ladd said.

Police arrested Watts May 23, 1982, when one of two women he attacked got away and called for help. Both women survived. Watts confessed and received immunity for strangling a 20-year-old Houston woman, Michelle Maday, the same morning he was arrested.

Watts told police he killed 10 other Texas women and a woman from Michigan. He also confessed to strangling a 14-year-old Texas girl. Although he did not receive immunity in that case, prosecutors lacked the evidence to take him to trial.

Authorities in Michigan and Texas are scouring old cases to try to find evidence that might lead to another conviction to block Watts' scheduled release.

"Our time to remedy this situation is shorter than we actually anticipated," said Kahan, who has worked to organize victims' families in recent months. "We are still brainstorming amongst each other and trying to see if there is anything that can be remedied."

from the Reporter-News