Sheriff’s Office makes arrest in strangulation murders
By Chris Butler
Staff Writer
Martin County Sheriff’s Deputies say the prime suspect
in the murders of three Martin County women is now
behind bars.
Eugene Wayman McWatters, 26, 4553 S.E. Garden St.,
Stuart, was arrested and charged last week with three
counts of murder in connection with three strangled
bodies found in the Port Salerno and Golden Gate areas
earlier this year.
Martin County Sheriff Robert Crowder described Mr.
McWatters, who has resided in Martin County his entire
life, as a transient who frequented Port Salerno.
The body of Jackie Bradley, 43, was found March 31 at
the east end of Garden Street in Golden Gate.
The bodies of Carrie Ann Caughey, 18, and Christal
Dawn Wiggins, who would have turned 30 June 8, were
discovered early last month in Port Salerno.
Sheriff Crowder said Mr. McWatters’ name was on his
office’s list of potential suspects after the
discovery of Ms. Bradley’s body.
He said Mr. McWatters was one of the last people seen
with Ms. Bradley before her death.
While half a dozen individuals who frequented the area
were acquainted with Ms. Bradley, Sheriff Crowder said
Mr. McWatters was the only one who stood out as a
suspect.
“We feel that we have some closure, hopefully, for the
families of the victims,” Sheriff Crowder said at a
press conference announcing the arrest.
“The community has been somewhat ill at ease knowing
that there was someone on the street who was capable
of committing crimes like these. But we feel that we
have the right person,” he added.
Mr. McWatters was arrested at the Wedgewood Commons
Shopping Center without incident.
While Sheriff Crowder said he would not characterize
Mr. McWatters’ statements to investigators as “a
confession,” he said Mr. McWatters told detectives the
three crimes were spontaneous, and not planned.
“He said things which confirmed our belief that he did
these crimes,” Sheriff Crowder said.
According to the arrest report, Mr. McWatters told
investigators he met Ms. Bradley in the woods near
Golden Gate in late March and began having consensual
sex with her.
According to the report, Mr. McWatters said “he did
not know what came over him, but he killed (Ms.)
Bradley and threw her body into the ditch.”
Also according to the report, Mr. McWatters told
detectives he encountered both Ms. Caughey and Ms.
Wiggins in May.
The report further stated he smoked crack and had sex
with the two women, at separate times, in a wooded
Port Salerno area.
Mr. McWatters, according to the report, told
detectives the two women died during sex, but would
not elaborate further, other than to say he takes
responsibility for all three deaths.
He also told detectives that he made attempts to hide
the three women’s bodies after they died.
Sheriff Crowder said all three women were unclothed
when they were discovered.
Lab results that might connect Mr. McWatters to the
crimes through DNA evidence were not conclusive as of
press time.
Sheriff Crowder would not comment on a motive for the
deaths.
Before being arrested and charged with the three
murders, Mr. Wiggins was first arrested last week on
charges stemming from an unrelated accusation of
sexual battery made against him by another female.
The sexual battery was reported as having occurred in
2003, in the Golden Gate area, the same area where Ms.
Bradley’s body was found.
Sheriff Crowder said publicity surrounding the murders
prompted the woman to report the battery, something
she didn’t do in 2003.
The sexual battery charge, along with follow-up
evidence related to it, allowed detectives to arrest
Mr. McWatters on that charge last week.
Sheriff Crowder did not discuss any evidence
surrounding the sexual battery charge.
Sheriff Crowder said Mr. McWatters had been under
detectives’ surveillance following the June 3
discovery of Ms. Caughey’s body.
The body of Ms. Wiggins was found four days later on
June 7.
Mr. McWatters told investigators that Ms. Wiggins and
Ms. Caughey both died hours apart, on May 31.
Sheriff Crowder said his office is investigating
whether or not Mr. McWatters could have been involved
in other crimes of a similar nature.
The arrest report lists Mr. McWatters’ occupation as a
roofer.
The Sheriff’s Office file on Mr. McWatters is
extensive.
According to previous reports, Mr. McWatters was
arrested on charges of burglary, robbery, grand theft,
possession of drug paraphernalia, aggravated assault
with a deadly weapon, battery, trespass, forgery and
violation of probation.
According to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office,
Mr. McWatters was arrested in that county for two
counts of aggravated battery in 1998.
In 1994, when Mr. McWatters was 15, his mother,
Jacqueline Wayman, of Port St. Lucie, filed a missing
child report and stated her son “has mental problems
for which he had been prescribed medication.”
Mr. McWatters remains in the Martin County Jail with
no bond.