Tina Watson drowned while scuba-diving with her husband off the coast of Townsville in Queensland in 2003. She was on her honeymoon and very much in love with her husband Gabe. Dubbed the Honeymoon Killer, Gabe Watson, 32, was released from a Queensland prison on 11th November 2010 after serving just 18 months for the manslaughter of his wife Tina.
Alabama authorities were frustrated with Australia because we wouldn’t let him leave, they were keen to put him on trial as soon as possible, but the government was adamant - they wouldn’t send him back if he was likely to face the death penalty.
Alabama agreed that he wouldn't end up on death row, but it wasn't good enough for Canberra, they wanted a guarantee from the US Federal Government and finally got it. Watson had to wait in an Immigration detention centre in Melbourne until agreement was reached and when it was, the government released a statement "We are now satisfied that our international obligations have been met and are commencing plans for Mr Watson's removal".
ABC's Australian Story made a program about the case and it was clear from the evidence shown in that program, that Watson has indeed serious questions to answer and Alabama Attorney-General Troy King agrees and has promised to bring Watson to justice.
Ken Snyder (centre)
This morning, Ken Snyder, former US Marine and dive master said that Gabe Watson’s total lack of interest in his dying wife and “bullshit” explanation of her death made him furious.
Snyder and friend Doug Millsaps were the first to question Watson on the catamaran Spoilsport as doctors on Jazz II worked for 40 minutes to save his wife. They heard there was a missing diver and suited up to help with the search and when they asked him where his wife was, he said “She didn’t come up.”
Mr Snyder said Watson’s story – that he had to leave his sinking wife because his mask was knocked off was ridiculous. “Both me and Doug used the same term when we heard his story – bullshit, that didn’t happen” he said. Watson admits he was just “hanging out” on Spoilsport asking for hugs and showed no interest in the other boat where his wife lay dying and made no effort to see her until after she was dead.
Dr Stanley Stutz, a key prosecution witness, testified he saw a large diver envelope Tina for 10-15 seconds. "He swam over to her, in front of her, and put his arms around her armpits. I thought he was trying to save her, then they split apart and he went to the surface and she sank," he said. Dr Stutz was so alarmed he swam to his dive instructor yelling "Did you see that? Did you see that?" It was then that dive leader Wade Singleton shot to the bottom to rescue Tina, bringing her to the surface from 33 metres. Police believe that Watson turned off Tina's air, covered her to prevent her from surfacing and reached behind to restore her air to avoid suspicion.
Ken Snyder said Watson broke the first rule of diving - "Never leave your dive buddy" and didn’t hit a simple button that would have taken Tina to the surface. Snyder said the time it took Watson to get to the surface, two and a half minutes, was a “pedestrian stroll” when compared to Singleton who travelled 30 metres in one minute.
Prosecutors say Watson is a cold-blooded killer and chronic liar who planned to murder Tina for life and travel insurance policies. He also took the engagement ring he gave her off her finger before she was buried.
Tina's father was distraught when flowers he placed on Tina's grave kept disappearing so he set up a video camera and caught Watson sneaking up to the grave and taking them, one can only wonder why. Watson married Kim Lewis in August 2008, two months after he was ordered to face charges in Queensland for Tina’s death.
The trial continues.
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