Evil Eyes (19 page)

JL: What did she look like?

CW: Had dark hair with a furry coat? Unknown (U/K ): How old of a woman was she? CW: I don’t remember.

U/K: What would you say? What would you give [as] a reasonable guess? Young or old or in between?

CW: Guess about twenty-two or twenty-three. TL: About how tall was she?

CW: About 5'5'', 5'4''.

TL: Remember anything else about her? U/K: Thin or heavy? What would you say? CW: In between I guess.

TL: You said she had a coat. What kind of coat did she have?

CW: A furry coat, kinda like . . . TL: Fur coat?

CW: Yeah.

TL: Remember what color? CW: Dark brown.

TL: Solid dark brown? CW: Yeah.

TL: She was wearing it? CW: Yeah.

TL: Alright, she drove up into some apartments?

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CW: Uh huh.

TL: Where did she park her car? CW: On the, on the curb.

TL: In front of the apartments or behind the apartments? Or inside the apartments?

CW: On the side.

TL: On the side of the apartments? Alright, then you parked in behind her?

CW: No, down the street.

TL: Down the street, huh? Could you still see her from where you parked and where she parked?

CW: Yeah.

TL: Alright, she got out of her car? CW: Uh huh.

TL: Alright, then what happened? Do you remember what direction she walked? Did she walk towards the apartments or away from the apartments?

CW: Towards the apartments.

TL: Alright, you followed behind her?

JL: And where was it, where was it that you grabbed hold of her?

CW: Um, I forgot. I lost her, she went somewhere and then she came back out from the apartments to get in her car. JL: How long was she gone?

CW: I don’t know. About two or three minutes.

TL: The next time you saw her she was coming back to her car?

CW: Yeah.

TL: All right, then you approached her. Were you running towards her?

CW: Walking.

TL: Alright, when did she, did she realize that you were present?

CW: Yeah.

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TL: When? How far away were you from her? CW: About a good little ways.

TL: Fifteen, twenty feet? More? CW: About twenty, about fifteen feet. TL: Alright, then what happened?

CW: She walked over and got in her car. U/K: Did she get in, actually get into the car? CW: Yeah.

TL: Then what happened?

CW: Then I walked over to the car and she said something. Open up, getting out of the car.

TL: She said what?

CW: Something, I don’t know what she said. She got up to get out the car.

TL: She got back out of the car? CW: Yeah.

TL: Did she know you were standing there, right close to her?

CW: Yeah.

TL: Did you tell her to get out? CW: No.

TL: Do you know why she got out of the car? CW: She was trying to flag somebody down. TL: Did she see somebody?

CW: Yeah.

TL: Alright, who did she flag down or who was she trying to flag down?

CW: It was some people going by. TL: They were walking or driving? CW: Driving.

TL: Alright, so she stepped out of the car to flag these people down?

CW: Yeah, she blew her horn at them or something, then got out of the car.

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TL: Do you think she realized you were there? CW: Yeah.

TL: Do you think she was blowing the horn trying to get some help?

CW: Yeah.

TL: Or did you say anything to her at all? CW: No.

TL: You didn’t say anything at all? CW: No.

TL: Alright, then what happened? CW: I grabbed her and choked her.

JL: Where did all this take place after you grabbed her? CW: On the other side of the car.

JL: Was she already out on the other side of the car? CW: No.

JL: So, you grabbed her, she was by her driver’s door? CW: Yeah.

JL: Okay, and then where did you take her? CW: On the other side of the car.

TL: On the passenger side?

CW: Yeah, on the grass, on the other side of the car. Across the sidewalk. Or whatever.

TL: Was there anything near the car? CW: No.

TL: Did she fight? CW: Yeah.

TL: Was she still wearing that coat? CW: Yeah.

TL: Remember what she said during her struggle? CW: No.

TL: Then what happened?

JL: What was this that you choked her with? CW: My hands.

JL: Okay, then what happened?

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CW: Then I took, took her coat and her pants and shirt off.

JL: You took her coat, pants and shirt all the way off ? CW: Yes.

JL: Then what happened?

CW: I tied the shirt around her neck and one end around her leg.

TL: You tied the shirt around her neck? CW: Uh huh.

JL: What did you do this for? CW: I don’t know.

TL: So you tied the shirt around her neck, then you tied her legs?

CW: Uh huh. TL: With what?

CW: The other end of the shirt. TL: Did you have her bent?

CW: Yeah.

TL: Were her legs behind her back? CW: Uh huh.

TL: Alright, then what did you do?

CW: Picked her up and put her in the Dumpster.

TL: Remember what the Dumpster looked like? What color it was?

CW: Gray, I believe.

TL: Was it a tall Dumpster or . . . ? CW: A short one.

TL: Was she heavy to lift? CW: Yeah.

JL: Was the Dumpster, was it full or was it empty or how would you say the volume of the Dumpster [was] at the time that you put here in there?

CW: Full. Well, almost full.

Ted Thomas (TT): Did she go in the top or the side door?

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CW: Over the top.

TL: Alright, what property did you keep? That belonged to her?

CW: I think a coat, a watch. May have been a ring. JL: How many rings?

CW: Two, I think. And the pants. TL: Did you take her shoes?

CW: I don’t know. I don’t think so. I don’t know. JL: You remember what kind of watch it was?

CW: Uh huh.

JL: Would it have been silver? CW: I don’t remember.

TL: What did you do with the watch and ring? CW: Threw them away.

TL: Know where you threw them? CW: In the garbage.

TL: Why did you take the watch and rings if you were going to throw them away later on?

CW: I don’t know. I just took them.

JL: Where would this Dumpster be that you threw the stuff ?

CW: I don’t remember.

JL: Was it the same one that you placed the body in? CW: No.

U/K: Was it on the same street? CW: No.

U/K: About how far away was it? Do you think? CW: Oh, about two miles I guess.

TL: You threw it away the same day you killed the girl? CW: Yeah.

TL: Anybody see you or did anybody come out or were present prior to you throwing the girl in the Dumpster?

CW: Yeah.

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TL: Remember who it was? Was it a male or female or how many?

CW: About three or four people. TL: Males, females?

CW: I’m not sure. I think it was two males and a female. TL: They say anything or look in your direction . . . ? CW: Yeah.

TL: What did they say?

CW: Nothing, they just looked and drove on off. Drove up into their apartment.

TL: Alright, had you already thrown the girl in the Dumpster when these people come out?

CW: No.

TL: Had you already strangled her? CW: No.

TL: Were you fighting with her then? CW: Yeah.

JL: Do you remember what color her blouse was? CW: It might have been black, I think.

U/K: What about her purse? CW: I don’t remember.

JL: Do you remember seeing her purse? CW: No.

JL: You don’t remember taking her purse or anything you know about the purse? What might have happened to it or where it might have been placed or anything?

CW: No.

TL: Why didn’t you put her in the car? What made you decide to put her in the Dumpster?

CW: I don’t know. I just put her in the Dumpster. TL: It was right there close?

CW: I guess.

TL: Was the Dumpster close to where you strangled her? CW: Yeah.

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TL: How close?

CW: Right there. Right next to where I was.

JL: Ever placed anybody else in a Dumpster? In Harris County?

CW: No.

U/K: Ever place anybody by a Dumpster? CW: I don’t think so.

JL: This same night. What were you driving that night? CW: I think I was driving my van.

TT: Did you notice if she had been drinking or anything? CW: No.

TT: Smell any alcohol on her? Or when you saw her in traffic was she weaving or anything when you pulled up? CW: No.

JL: Did you have any sexual contact with this woman? CW: No.

JL: Or anything sexual at all to do with any part of her? CW: No.

The following text is the actual interrogation and confession by Coral Eugene Watts in regard to the murder of Yolanda Gracia:

Jim Ladd ( JL): The next case we’re talking about is one you were telling us about yesterday when you were talking about driving around Hobby Airport. And watching the girl walking down the street. The Spanish girl. Remember that one?

Coral Watts (CW ): Uh huh.

Tom Ladd (TL): Speak up now, Coral.

JL: To start with what time of day or night was this? CW: I think it was in the evening.

JL: How late in the evening?

CW: Uh, I’m not sure. In between light and dark, getting, just starting to get dark.

JL: Where did you first see her?

CW: Walking. At a corner by a light. To an intersection. Uh, two lights, traffic lights.

JL: Is it a big intersection? CW: Yeah.

JL: Do you remember what else was on that intersection?

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CW: A motel, I think, and a gas station. TL: Was she walking by herself ?

CW: Uh huh.

JL: This was a Spanish female? Is that correct? Was she Mexican?

CW: I think so.

JL: About how old of a woman was she?

CW: I don’t know. About twenty-five, twenty-eight. Something like that.

TL: Did she come out of a store or anything or . . . ? CW: No.

TL: First time you spotted her she was just walking down the street?

CW: Yeah.

JL: Do you know that area of town very well? CW: No.

TL: What were you doing out there? CW: Driving.

JL: Do you even know the names of any of the streets that you were near?

CW: No.

JL: Would you recognize it if you saw it again? CW: Yeah.

JL: This area. What was this? You say this was, this one was twenty-five, twenty-eight years old. Do you remember what she was wearing?

CW: I think it was a white dress. It might have flowers in it or something or other and glasses.

JL: What else did she have on? CW: That’s all that I can remember. TL: Was she carrying anything?

CW: She might have had a purse, I think. JL: You say it was almost dark?

CW: Uh huh.

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TL: What, did you follow behind her in your car? CW: No, I parked the car and got out.

TL: Was this behind her, then walked up behind her or did you pass her and park the car, get out, and let her walk towards you?

CW: I passed her and parked the car. TL: Let her come towards you?

CW: Uh huh.

TL: By the time she reached the point where you were, was she in some kind of neighborhood or what?

CW: Yeah.

TL: Houses on both sides of the street? CW: Uh huh.

Unknown (U/K ): What about any other businesses, do you remember?

CW: No.

Ted Thomas (TT): All residential? CW: Yeah.

JL: At this time, was it, how was the lighting? Was it to where you could see a good distance or a . . . ?

CW: Yeah.

JL: So it was still, people could probably still see you if anybody was watching?

CW: Yeah.

JL: Isn’t this kind of unusual? For you? Like in that light in the neighborhood where people could see you for distances and such as that?

CW: It didn’t seem unusual to me.

JL: Did you see anybody around before this happened? CW: Yeah, there was some people. There was some people in a car, ah, white car. I think it was an old Plymouth or something.

JL: Why’d you kill her Coral?

CW: Evil eyes. She had evil in her eyes.

The following text is the actual interrogation and confession by Coral Eugene Watts in regard to the murder of Michelle Maday:

Jim Ladd ( JL): Okay, the two men were talking to each other. They went their own way. She got out of the car. Then what did she do?

Coral Watts (CW ): Oh, then she walked across the street and passed where I was.

JL: Then what did she do?

CW: She walked over to a door and pulled out some keys to go in.

Unknown (U/K): When she walked in, are we talking about walking into an apartment complex? Or where did she go into?

CW: To apartment complex.

JL: So then she came in from her car and I assume there’s a sidewalk there?

CW: Uh huh.

JL: When she came into this set of apartments would she have went to her left or to her right?

CW: To the left.

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JL: Would she have been near the street or would she have been going back deep into the apartments?

CW: Near the . . .

JL: So, she walked into the apartment project itself, to that set of apartments, not too far when she went to the left? CW: Uh huh.