Tina Watson

Who was Tina Watson?

Christina Mae "Tina" Thomas Watson, a 26-year-old American from Alabama, died while scuba diving on her honeymoon in Queensland, Australia on 22 October 2003. She was a newlywed, having married a fellow American, David Gabriel "Gabe" Watson, 11 days earlier. He was initially charged by Queensland authorities with his wife's murder. This was changed to manslaughter with a guilty plea. He was subsequently sentenced to a term of imprisonment for her manslaughter.

At trial, evidence presented included Gabe Watson's differing accounts of what had happened on that day, of the couple's diving experience, and of Tina Watson's life insurance. While he was serving his term, authorities in Alabama flagged an intention to charge him with murder at a later date. After his release, he was deported from Australia to Alabama. Australian authorities would only return him to the United States once an assurance was in place that Watson would not be sentenced to the death penalty if found guilty of murder. He was then charged by Alabama authorities with Tina Watson's murder and was put on trial. However on 23 February 2012, Alabama judge Tommy Nail dismissed the murder case due to lack of evidence, over the objections of prosecutors.