I don't know how I missed the verdict in the guy who cut off his wife's oxygen while scuba diving on their honeymoon and killed her for the insurance money so he could marry his high school sweetheart who he had been sleeping with the entire time. I'm not sure how an Alabama judge said the prosecutors did not prove their case when the guy confessed to manslaughter in Australia and served 18 months in jail for the crime. Granted, not a long time to serve in jail for killing someone, but he plead guilty. As in he did it and yet prosecutors in Alabama did such an awful job that it never even went to the jury and the judge stopped them after they presented their case and said the a-hole was free to go. I know he has been with his high school girlfriend and current wife for a while now, but does she really sleep all that well at night? Oh, maybe she was the mastermind? Did Nancy Grace go off last night?
forget sleeping at night--how could she love him? Touch him??
ReplyDeleteWell well well. Unfortunately he might not have to pay for it in this lifetime, that happens sometimes. But he'll pay eventually, he'll pay.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking she should sleep with one eye open. Maybe she only has to worry if there is a life insurance policy on her. At the very least, never go swimming with him.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes people think like that? What would've been so hard to *not marry her in the first place* so he could be with the other woman?
ReplyDelete^Ah, I forgot about the money part. Money rules the day.
ReplyDeleteFlipping through the channels last night, I see Jose Baez on CNN, saying that the judge did the right thing because there wasn't enough evidence to proceed.
ReplyDeleteBaez knows all about "not enough evidence" and it sounds to me like another case of CSI-itis.
OMG! US Judicial system....Enough said!
ReplyDeleteI know these two are American, but why would a U.S. court try him for a crime that took place in another country? I mean, he was charged and convicted in another country, so I don't really understand why he was able to be charged again for the same crime (not that I think he wasn't responsible, just trying to understand).
ReplyDelete@ Karen.. Right?! The whole thing is so disenchanting
ReplyDelete@Megley, when I first read your comment, I read "Joan" instead of "Jose" and I thought, "why the fuck is Joan Baez talking to CNN about court cases?"
ReplyDelete@Surfer, I was wondering that too. Unless it's a civil case maybe?
How can she be with him? It's always easy to say, "well I'd never...." but to live/marry/sleep with a murderer? No.
He was not the beneficiary on her insurance policy.
ReplyDelete@Surfer, @Anita_mark, this is from ABC news:
ReplyDelete"Watson had pleaded guilty to negligent manslaughter in Australia for failing to save her and spent 18 months in prison. Alabama tried him for murder, claiming the alleged crime was plotted in the U.S."
Looks like she is under the spell. He's giving her the mirror and she bought into it, believing anything he says. I'm sure this guy has a past and I hope some journalist somewhere drags it out in the open soon. Laws here have been watered down so much that you can literally get away with murder with the accused always having more rights than the victim. Something needs to change.
ReplyDeleteThanks Colleen. That makes a little more sense, although to me, it still sounds like they were trying him for the same crime, just laying different charges.
ReplyDelete@Surfer-through a technical loophole, they were able to try him here because they said he plotted it here and therefore the Australian case is irrelevant. It was a great idea, but unfortunately, it was the Australian investigators who really did a shabby job-they didn't seem to care that a foreigner was killed in their country and opted to settle for a plea due to the cost of trying the case.
ReplyDelete@Enty-I only caught the last half of NG last night and she was covering a story in Alabama of a stepmom and grandmother who punished a 9 year old girl with bladder problems to run for 3 hours around the house for fibbing about eating a canndy bar on the bus. The girl collapsed and died as a result. How is it these people live among us???
I feel so badly for the parents of the woman who was killed by her husband. He actually thought she had changed her policy to have him as beneficiary, but she lied to him about it because she and her dad were suspicious. Not a great way to start a marriage. So I guess this guy got away with the perfect murder. I doubt we have heard the last from him.
^Seriously?! About the being suspicious part? HOW can someone go ahead with a marriage when they are already suspicious about their soon-to-be husband? HOW?! She didn't want to call off a wedding?
ReplyDeleteIt might sound cold but I think his H.S. sweetheart deserves anything that might happen to her. I feel as little sympathy for her as I do for women who seek out and marry convicted murderers. How can you love a man who killed is own wife??
ReplyDeleteI definitely don't *want* anything to happen to these women but the fact that they flirt with danger leaves very little room for me to care about their well-being.
I remember this from 48 Hours and it sure seemed to me this guy was guilty as hell. I was surprised when I heard the news today.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I wasn't the only one who wondered why Joan Baez was commenting on this case.
Why would anyone marry him?
If the HS sweetheart is convinced of his innocence, why wouldn't she marry him? I wouldn't take a vacation with him, that's for certain. So sad that justice was not done in this case.
ReplyDeleteJose Baez needs to STFU.
@Dani - True, I guess she could think he's innocent. I'm not sure how b/c this story is too fishy but people in love are willing to believe just about anything!
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ReplyDeleteSociopath Next Door by Martha Stout
Without Conscience by Hare
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Jane Valez Mitchell was all over this case last night. Nancy actually covered the story of the 9 year old Alabama girl that her bio Grandma and Stepmom made her run for 3 hours for eating chocolate and lied about it. The girl died due to dehydration and the step mom and grandmother have been charged with felony murder. Her father was stationed in Pakistan and wasn't there to protect her.
ReplyDeleteSad story.
The Judge should be kicked off the bench. This should of gone to the jury to decide. Or the prosection should refile charges.
ReplyDeleteThis is crazy.
This was a huge story in Australia when he was tried. They did the plea deal because they didn't think they could prosecute him for murder. The main evidence they had was a photo he posed for showing another diver going to his wife's aid while he was posing for the camera. @Ice Angel, we really did care that a woman was killed in our country. Please don't think that we don't. We unfortunately have crappy laws and judges who don't give as much jail time to people as the public would like. The fact that he got off in America has been heavily reported in our news also.
ReplyDeletewho knows what happened in the court room. maybe the prosecutors did a bad job, maybe they didn't. maybe they just didn't have enough evidence.
ReplyDeleteI think that the prosecutors in australia were not disinterested, but there was no direct evidence other than his behavior that he killed her. so, they probably did the best they could. at least they got him for something.
the dead wife's family fought for years to get this guy prosecuted, both in australia and in the us. so, sad for them.
I would think it would be nearly impossible to prove that he planned it here in the US. And I would think it would have been really hard for the Australia courts to prove that he killed her and it wasn't an accident. It sucks, but I don't think anyone fell down on the job here.
ReplyDeleteHe wasn't convicted for manslaughter, previously. He was convicted of leaving a non-certified diver unattended. The judge basically questioned the intent of the prosecution. The judge asked a very basic question they couldn't fully answer logically. His question made complete sense to me. So did his dismissal. The money made from the insurance wouldn't have covered the wedding and honeymoon. So, the Judge couldn't see why money was used as a reason for the death.
ReplyDeletehe woman who died is from the town where I lived and we are OUTRAGED. This man is getting away with murder and many suspect that his new wife helped with the cover up and disposing of evidence while the newlyweds were in Australia. (Now this is local gossip but I have to say it makes sense)
ReplyDeleteSo I feel NO pity for the new wife and hope to hell someone in this case gets a conscious and this monster is put away.
@anita, I laughed so hard at that 1st comment.
ReplyDeleteThis story is so weird. If he wanted to be with the HS Sweetheart, why didn't he just marry her?? I don't get the mindset of people that think murdering someone is better than facing something difficult or awkward.