Bio

Kevin Michael Watts was born on January 18, 1981, in Santa Clara, California. He grew up in a challenging environment, which his family struggled to navigate. When he was about 14 years old, his mother moved him to San Antonio, Texas, to live with an aunt. This move was motivated by concerns about his involvement with street gangs in California.

In Texas, Watts found himself continuing his association with gangs. His early years were marked by a disregard for education, and he dropped out of high school in the ninth grade. He described school as boring and felt that the teachers did not engage with him. Instead, he focused on the street life, seeking money and excitement. Watts admitted to using drugs and alcohol during this time.

Watts had a history of legal troubles, including multiple misdemeanor convictions for offenses like evading arrest and driving under the influence. By the time he reached adulthood, he had also been involved in physical altercations and exhibited troubling behavior.

At the time of his arrest in March 2002, Watts was 21 years old and had an infant daughter. His lifestyle, characterized by substance abuse and gang involvement, significantly influenced his actions during the events that would lead to his arrest.

Murder Story

On March 1, 2002, Kevin Michael Watts entered the Sam Won Garden restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, armed with a Tec-22 pistol. He demanded money from the employees who were preparing the restaurant for opening. In an aggressive act, he fired a shot into the ceiling to intimidate them. He then forced four employees, including the manager Hak Po Kim, cook Yuan Tzu Banks, and cook Chae Sun Shook, into the kitchen.

Watts ordered the three employees to kneel and shot each of them in the back of the head. After the shooting, he coerced Kim’s wife, Hye Kyong Kim, to retrieve her husband's wallet and car keys from his pants pocket. Watts then forced her to empty the cash register, taking about $100. He abducted her, forcing her into the vehicle belonging to the manager.

After the abduction, Watts sexually assaulted Hye Kyong Kim in the car and later at a different location. He repeatedly assaulted her, forced her to ingest narcotics, and allowed his roommate to assault her as well. During this time, she was held against her will and subjected to various forms of abuse.

Hours after the murders and assaults, the police received reports of the stolen vehicle driven by Watts. They were able to locate him, and during a failed attempt to escape, Watts crashed the vehicle into two police cars before being apprehended. He was found with the murder weapon and eventually confessed to the crimes.

Following his arrest, Watts was charged with multiple offenses, including capital murder. He was convicted in February 2003 and sentenced to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals upheld his conviction and sentence.

On October 16, 2008, Kevin Watts was executed by lethal injection in Texas. He expressed thanks to his friends and family and encouraged other inmates before the execution drugs took effect, leading to his death at 6:17 p.m.