Jonathan Watson, a 41-year-old convict in the California prison system, recently made headlines by attacking and killing two convicted child molesters. In a letter to Mercury News, Watson explained that he took matters into his own hands to protect children from these repeat offenders.
After being transferred to the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran, Watson realized he couldn’t trust himself around child molesters. He urgently requested to be moved to a different facility but his plea was ignored. As a result, he was pushed to take drastic action.
Watson was previously classified as Level III security, but upon his transfer, he was lowered to Level II. This change meant he was no longer confined to a single cell and was moved into a dormitory-style living space. Watson believed this decision to be a careless mistake by prison officials and expressed multiple complaints, but they fell on deaf ears.
Just six days after his transfer, Watson found himself sharing a living space with a child molester, whom he referred to as “Molester #1.” Feeling threatened, Watson decided the situation needed immediate resolution. With a sense of urgency, he packed his belongings, certain that he must take action the next day.
Hours before the killings, Watson met with a prison counselor, demanding to be returned to Level III security. However, his request was brushed off. Watson’s warnings were not taken seriously, in spite of his admitted difficulty in controlling his violent urges around child molesters.
When “Molester #1” started watching children’s programming in front of other inmates, Watson saw it as a blatant provocation. He decided to take matters into his own hands. Armed with a cane, Watson attacked and killed the child molester. He then left the pod to turn himself in, encountering “Molester #2” along the way. Without hesitation, Watson took the opportunity to rid the world of another predator.
After killing two child molesters, Watson approached a prison guard to confess his actions. Astonishingly, the guard initially thought it was a joke before witnessing the shocking aftermath. Watson explained, “I’ve got some pretty bad news,” and the guard quickly realized the seriousness of the situation.
It is important to note that Watson had already been serving a life sentence for a murder conviction in 2009. His actions raise questions around inmate safety and the measures in place to prevent violent acts within the prison system.
While the circumstances surrounding this case are complex, they shed light on the challenges faced by prisoners and concerns regarding their reintegration into society.
