Unknown Serial Killers of America: Carl Watts

Unknown Serial Killers of America opens its first episode with Carl Eugene “Coral” Watts at the center. The hour sketches a yearslong trail across Michigan and Texas, tying together confessions, near misses, and later convictions.

The series sets the table plainly: Watts admitted to a set of murders, was suspected in many more, and for a time came close to getting out.

A fresh audience can catch the re-air on Oxygen this Thursday, August 28, at 6:00 am ET. The episode originally ran on May 18, 2025, and returns in rotation as the series revisits cases with large victim counts and low name recognition.

Crime scene from Unknown Serial Killers of America (Image via @OxygenNetwork Facebook)

Also read: 5 chilling details about Carl Watts' crime

Case detailed overview for Unknown Serial Killers of America

Working in the 1970s and early 1980s, Watts targeted women in Michigan and Texas. The episode notes his nickname, the Sunday Morning Slasher, and outlines stabbing and drowning attacks that stretched across cities.

Investigators and reporters have long placed the suspected tally in the dozens, with some claims pushing past 100, according to Laredo Morning Times (May 21, 2025) reporting on the series premiere.

Texas prosecutors locked in a 1982 plea that gave Watts a 60-year sentence for burglary with intent to murder and immunity for a dozen confessed killings. Later, a mix of mandatory release rules and an appeals ruling shaved decades off his time, which raised the prospect of a 2006 release, according to the New York Times account of his case and later death.

Michigan authorities then moved. An eyewitness, Joseph Foy, stepped forward on the 1979 Ferndale killing of Helen Dutcher. That testimony helped secure a 2004 murder conviction.

Watts was also prosecuted in the 1974 stabbing of Western Michigan University student Gloria Steele, ending in another life sentence three years later, as detailed by the Detroit Free Press coverage tied to the Oxygen episode.

Interview scene from Unknown Serial Killers of America (Image via @OxygenNetwork Facebook)

The series also tracks the path that brought Watts back under the spotlight: survivor statements, old police surveillance notes, and the Sunday pattern linked to three Ann Arbor cases. It places Watts within a larger set of unsolved attacks while keeping the focus on what courts proved and what he admitted.

For broader context on his claims and the later court outcomes, the Los Angeles Times reported he once told police he had killed more than 80 and died in 2007 while serving life terms in Michigan.

The case file includes voices from survivor Melinda Aguilar, investigator Paul Bunten, and Maria Semander Crawford. They share stories of narrow escapes, the Houston apartment attack, the arrest, and the paper trail that helped Michigan hold two trials decades later.

Where to watch Carl Watts episode of Unknown Serial Killers of America

The re-air of Carl Watts, season 1, episode 1, plays on Oxygen at 6:00 am ET Thursday, August 28. The episode is also available for streaming on fuboTV, Peacock Premium, YouTube TV, NBC, Peacock Premium Plus, and Oxygen’s authenticated platforms. Digital purchase options include Amazon Video, Apple TV, and Fandango.

About the author

Preethika Vijayakumar is an Entertainment writer at Sportskeeda with a keen interest in pop culture. Although a law student, her curiosity about the world and passion for writing inspired her to explore and analyze the complex narrative and diverse character arcs that define the daily soaps.

With experience as a legal content writer, Preethika also achieved a notable accomplishment as her work was published in a book about criminology and victimology. As a fellow binge-watcher, Preethika aims to provide insightful analysis based on her firsthand viewing experiences, ensuring accuracy and relevance in her writing.

Outside of professional endeavors, she enjoys reading, playing guitar, and creating ceramics. Her favorite celebrity is Jensen Ackles, and if given the opportunity, Preethika would love to be a part of his show, Supernatural, although she isn’t sure she could last until the end.

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Edited by Divya Singh