Detroit, MI –Attorney General Cox today authorized the charging of notorious serial killer Coral Eugene Watts, 48, in the 1979 stabbing death of Helen Dutcher.  Ms. Dutcher, who was 36 years old at the time of the 1979 murder, died as a result of multiple stab wounds. 

“This man is a confessed killing machine who has admitted he will kill again,” stated Attorney General Cox. “The specter of Watts’ release has haunted Michigan families, the nation, and untold victims and their families for too long.”

The murder charge stemmed from the resurfacing of an eyewitness in the 1979 murder of Ms. Dutcher. The eyewitness, expected to testify in the upcoming trial, called into the Attorney General’s office the morning after Attorney General Cox discussed the Watts’ case on a national television news show.

“These charges are a result of countless hours by several, persistent law enforcement agencies all intent on protecting the public. It is a credit to my staff at the Attorney General’s office, the Michigan State Police, the Ferndale Police Department, Texas law enforcement officials and other law enforcement agencies, that these 25-year old charges were able to be sworn out.”

Watts is currently serving a 60-year sentence as a result of pleading guilty to a charge of aggravated burglary in 1982 to Texas authorities.  When pleading in 1982, Watts confessed to killing 13 women to Texas and Michigan authorities, including two victims from Michigan. In addition, Watts is suspected of 26 murders, including six in Michigan and two in Windsor, and has claimed to have killed up to 100 victims. In the early 1980’s, Watts became known as the “Sunday morning Slasher” after a series of killings at the University of Michigan.  Watts left Michigan for Texas in 1981 after Michigan law enforcement intensified investigation efforts.  Watts was arrested in 1982 in Texas after Houston police apprehended him while attempting to drown a Houston woman.  

Through unusual circumstances, credits for good behavior while in jail, and automatic sentence reductions in the Texas parole system, Watts is scheduled to be released in May 2006 on parole from a Texas prison.  Law enforcement officials in Michigan and Texas have been examining over 100 murder cases over the last 20 years in an attempt to prevent Watts from being the first serial killer in US history to be released from jail. Currently, a Michigan law enforcement task force is finishing up investigating witnesses and evidence in Texas. 

            “The full resources of my office will be directed to ensure justice is delivered to the numerous victims and their families,” Cox stated. “The Attorney General’s office is committed to solving the most complex crimes in Michigan, protecting citizens from Michigan’s most violent criminals, and becoming a home to the best practices in law enforcement.”