Coral Eugene Watts has been in a Texas prison since 1982, after he struck a plea bargain with authorities who arrested him as he fled the home of assault victims Lori Lister and Melinda Aguilar.

After a Texas Court of Appeals ruled that defendants must be notified of the finding of an aggravating factor in their sentences, an appeals court found the decision applied to Watts and reduced his charges, making him a nonviolent felon and thus eligible to receive credit for time served. Under those circumstances, Watts became set for release in 2006.