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MCWATTERS, EUGENE (W/M)
DOB: 06/20/1978
19th Judicial Circuit, Martin County Case # 04-000961-CF-MA,04-000959-CF-MA, 04-000957-CF-MA
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Larry Schack
Attorney, Trial: Bob Watson – Private
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Jeffrey L. Anderson – PublicDefender’s Office
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: TBA
Date of Offense: 05/31/04
Date of Sentence: 12/04/06
Circumstances of Offense:
Eugene McWatters was convictedof first-degree murder of and sexual battery upon Jackie Bradley, ChristalWiggins, and Carrieann Caughey in three separate cases. The three cases wereconsolidated after the State’s Williams Rule motion was granted.
On 03/28/04, Thomas Field spentthe afternoon at the campsite where he lived drinking and talking with JackieBradley and several others. Eugene McWatters, who also lived at the campsitefor several days or weeks at a time, joined them before dark. Several people inthe group, including Field, witnessed McWatters offering his cousin’s house toBradley as a place where she could bathe. Field and Terry McElroy saw McWattersand Bradley leave the campsite together.
Bradley’s body was found on03/31/04 in a canal that connected two ponds, which was 100 feet away fromMcWatters’ cousin’s street. She was wearing a T-shirt and bra that were bunchedup into her armpits, and other clothes belonging to her were found nearby. Themedical examiner concluded that Bradley was killed by manual strangulation.
Joseph Herbert, Cyndi LynnKaman, Christal Wiggins, McWatters, and others were all at Donna Nicholson’shouse on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in 2004. That night, between 9:00p.m. and midnight, Herbert suggested that they all go to his hotel room.McWatters was not invited, so Wiggins stayed behind with him. Herbert sawWiggins and McWatters walking to the Li’l Saints store when the rest of thegroup left. When the group returned from Herbert’s hotel room 45 minutes to anhour later, McWatters and Wiggins were not there.
Early Monday morning on MemorialDay weekend, Caughey was seen smoking crack cocaine with a man in his room atthe Heritage Inn in Hobe Sound. Jerry Arthur Prevatt confirmed that he had useddrugs with Caughey in his room at the Heritage between Sunday night and Mondaymorning. At approximately 2:45 or 3:00 a.m., he dropped Caughey off in the Li’lSaints parking lot. He saw McWatters approach her, and that was the last timehe saw her.
On 06/03/04, a body was found ina wooded area near Lincoln Street in Port Salerno. The body was identified as Caughey’s.She was nude from the waist down, her shirt and bathing suit top were pushed upinto the armpit area, and she was covered in dead vegetation and vines—similarto how Bradley’s body had been positioned. The medical examiner concluded thatCaughey had died by manual strangulation, and her body had been decomposing forfour days.
Another body was found on06/07/04, which was identified as Wiggins’. Her shirt and bra were also pulledup towards her neck like the bodies of Caughey and Wiggins. The medicalexaminer also concluded that her death was due to asphyxia by manualstrangulation, and she was most likely a victim of sexual battery or attemptedsexual battery.
A detective from the MartinCounty Sheriff’s Office interviewed McWatters on 06/07/04 and 06/18/04, and hedenied involvement in the murders of Bradley, Caughey, and Wiggins. On06/23/04, the detective and other law enforcement officers arrested him on anunrelated charge. He was interviewed again about the murders, and McWattersthen confessed to having killed all three women.
Trial Summary:
07/06/04 Indictedas follows:
CountI: First-Degree Murder (Jackie Bradley)
CountII: Sexual Battery
CountIII: First-Degree Murder (Christal Wiggins)
CountIV: Sexual Battery
CountV: First-Degree Murder (Carrieann Caughey)
CountVI: Sexual Battery
09/28/06 Juryreturned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment
10/04/06 Jury recommended death by a voteof 10-2 (Wiggins), 9-3 (Bradley), 10-2 (Caughey)
12/04/06 Sentencedas follows:
CountI: First-Degree Murder – Death (Jackie Bradley)
CountII: Sexual Battery – Life in Prison
CountIII: First -Degree Murder – Death (Christal Wiggins)
CountIV: Sexual Battery – Life in Prison
CountV: First-Degree Murder – Death (Carrieann Caughey)
CountVI: Sexual Battery – Life in Prison
Appeal Summary:
Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal
FSC# 07-51
36So.3d 613
01/10/07 Appealfiled
01/08/09 OralArguments held
03/18/10 FSCaffirmed convictions and sentences
04/01/10 Motionfor Rehearing filed
06/02/10 Motiondenied
United States Supreme Court – Petition for Writ ofCertiorari
USSC# 10-6029
131S.Ct. 510
08/20/10 Petitionfiled
11/01/10 Petitiondenied
Case Information:
On 01/10/07, McWatters filed a Direct Appeal in the FloridaSupreme Court citing the following issues: Motion to suppress; Collateral crimeevidence; Expert opinions on circumstantial evidence; Premeditation; Sexualbattery convictions; Disqualification of defense counsel and state attorney’soffice; Admissibility of evidence; Cold, calculated, and premeditatedaggravator; Cold, calculated, and premeditated aggravator jury instruction;Heinous, atrocious, and cruel aggravator; Murder committed while in commissionof felony. On 03/18/10, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed his convictions andsentences. A motion for rehearing was filed on 04/01/10. The motion was deniedon 06/02/10.
McWatters filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in theUnited States Supreme Court on 08/20/10. This petition was denied on 11/01/10.
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Report Date: 06/03/10 EMJ
Approved: 06/03/10 RM
Updated: 02/07/11 EMJ