Bio

Tony Randall Watts was born on August 23, 1966. He grew up in Florida. Not much information is available about his early childhood. He spent most of his life in Duval County, Florida.

As a teenager, Tony faced difficulties. He struggled with problems that often led him into trouble. There are no clear records of his education or any details about his family life. It is known that Tony had interactions with the law even before he committed his more serious offenses.

By the time he was an adult, he had been in and out of prison. He was released shortly before the events that would change his life. In February 1988, he was living in Duval County when he was involved in a violent crime that resulted in serious legal consequences.

In September 1988, Tony was arrested following an incident that took place just a few months prior. The incident led to charges that would eventually send him to trial and result in a death sentence.

Murder Story

On the morning of February 18, 1988, Tony Randall Watts confronted Glenda Jurado as she returned home from jogging. He forced her at gunpoint to go towards her house. Watts claimed he needed money to leave town and had recently been released from prison. When Glenda's husband, Simon Jurado, answered the door, Glenda warned him that Watts had a gun.

Simon complied with Watts' demands for money and gave him what he had. However, Watts continued to threaten them, claiming he would kill Glenda if he did not receive more. In response to these threats, Simon handed over a piggy bank filled with money. After taking the money, Watts searched the house and made Simon undress in the bathroom while also ordering Glenda to undress. He then assaulted Glenda in an attempted sexual assault.

During the struggle, Simon fought back by throwing a chair at Watts. This caused Watts to stumble into the hallway. Glenda managed to escape from the house, but she heard a gunshot and Simon scream as Watts ran out with the gun. Simon fled the house but collapsed on the lawn and later died from a gunshot wound.

In September 1988, Glenda and a neighbor identified Watts as the shooter after witnessing him flee the scene. Evidence linked him to the crime, including a baseball cap found in the Jurado home with hair similar to his and fingerprints on the front porch door.

Watts was arrested in September 1988. He was later indicted on multiple charges, including first-degree murder and armed robbery. On August 3, 1989, the jury found him guilty of all the charges. They recommended a death sentence, which the judge confirmed on September 15, 1989. Watts was sentenced to death for the murder, along with life sentences for armed burglary and robbery, and an additional thirty years for sexual battery.

Watts filed several appeals regarding his conviction and mental competence, but his sentences were upheld. His case went through various courts, and in 1992, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed his death sentence. Watts has since faced ongoing mental competency evaluations as part of his legal proceedings.