Carl Eugene Watts “Morning Slasher” By: David Kristobak

Background At the age of 13 Watts suffered from meningitis and high fevers and he was pulled out of school for several months. During his illness he entertained himself by hunting and skinning rabbits. His reading skills were far below that of his peers and he struggled with retaining much of what was being taught. He also enjoyed constant fantasies that involved torturing and killing girls.torturing and killing girls When he was in grammar school, he was a shy and withdrawn child and was often teased by the class bullies. The decision was made to have him repeat the eighth grade, which humiliated him. He was constantly in trouble at school for physically confronting classmates, especially the girls. After finishing high school. Watts was accepted to Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee on a football scholarship The examining doctor described Watts as dangerous and felt he would most likely attack again.

Crimes Watts’ career as a serial killer began when he was 20 years old in 1974 Confessed to over 80 murders Kidnapping, torturing, and then murdering all of his female victims. In May 23, 1982, Watts was arrested for breaking into a home of two young women in Houston, and attempting to kill them. Watts was sentenced to the agreed 60 years to life imprisonment in Michigan Carl “Morning Slasher” Watts was his nickname during the trials.

Theory Strain Theory is the best theory represented by Watts. It explains how outside social structures and other people within society were forming in his head and making him perform these terrible acts. It explains his childhood and he was treated by bullies who would constantly pick on him. Also how his family went into shambles and how that shaped his way into developing a very dark state of mind into murder. While carl was very young he was diagnosed with a terrible disease making him to miss school and also repeat the grade he was in. So he resorted to killing animals which was his first stepping stones to murdering many people. His divorced and drug addicted mom would jump from man to man constantly. Which would enrage Carl into his deep hatred of woman especially those with similar characteristics of his mom. But what most infuriated Carl was the constant bullying and teasing he get from his peers. His family was considered very poor and not well of which gave a lot of headway to the bullying from outside classes to come in and infuriate Carl into developing a criminal attitude and a thirst for blood.

Cultural References eugene.htm These are just a few references based upon Carl’s life and all the events leading up to his murder trials and his death.