The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
Australia indicts American in wife's drowning
TOWNSVILLE, Australia - Australian prosecutors charged an American man on Friday with murder in the drowning of his wife during their honeymoon at the Great Barrier Reef.
The filing of the indictment allows authorities to begin the process of extraditing David Gabriel Watson, of Birmingham, Ala., to face the charges in Australia.
Watson's wife, Christina Mae Watson, drowned on Oct. 22, 2003, while the couple was diving at a shipwreck off Queensland's coast, 11 days after their wedding. Last June, the Queensland state coroner found there was sufficient evidence to charge Watson with his wife's murder.
Justice Keiran Cullinane said Friday that Watson was required to appear in court on Feb. 3, 2009, to answer the indictment but noted that he had no power to force the American to return to Australia.
Australia and the United States have an extradition treaty, though the process can take months and Watson's lawyers have said they would likely oppose his extradition.
Watson, an experienced diver, was acting as a so-called dive buddy for his less-experienced wife on the day she died. He told police she panicked underwater and then sank away from him. He said he decided to go for help rather than following her to the sea floor to attempt a rescue.
During the coroner's inquest, police testified they initially thought the death was an accident. However, they became suspicious when Watson changed details of his account.
The coroner said the circumstances of the drowning remained unclear but that a possible motive was Tina Watson's modest life insurance policy.
- Rate this

-
-
We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high. If you thought it was well written, do the same. If it doesn’t meet your standards, mark it accordingly.
You can also register and/or login to the site and join the conversation by leaving a comment.
Rate it yourself by rolling over the stars and clicking when you reach your desired rating. We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high.
The comment period for this story has ended.
Ads by Google
- Back to Top
- Return to World Breaking News
-
CON >< CUSSIONS
Examining hockey head injuries
-
Random Acts of Kindness
Your encounters with goodness
-
Open Secrets
Red River students mine government data banks
-
Ski with WFP
Register here to ski Asessippi with the Winnipeg Free Press
-
Miss Lonelyhearts
Maureen Scurfield offers life advice
Poll
Most Popular
- New cutting machine breaks through ice near Selkirk
- Ice-cutting machine to stay submerged until spring
- Off-duty officer stops assault on Transit driver
- Charges considered in machete attack
- Huge death toll averted in BC avalanche, but 'stupidity' blamed for two killed
- Alta. killer also struck here
- Crusader up for Nobel Prize
- Teenage girl charged in man's death
- Family of luger killed at Olympics will receive insurance money from Games
- Mr. Matas a worthy nominee
- Crusader up for Nobel Prize
- From poster couple to problem couple
- Manitoban wheelchair-user badly beaten in Australia
- Six-year-old leads RCMP to attacker
- Woman injured after being struck by train
- Musician's mother dies
- Gang showdown 'imminent'
- New cutting machine breaks through ice near Selkirk
- Off-duty officer stops assault on Transit driver
- Mr. Matas a worthy nominee
- Olympic-sized hypocrisy
- Crusader up for Nobel Prize
- Not wrong, just illegal
- Teacher's lapdance caught on tape, watched by world
- Students could be punished
- Is this the worst Olympics ever?
- Second video of lap dance uncovered
- Missing Stonewall man found dead
- Mr. Matas a worthy nominee
- What should happen to two teachers who performed a sexually suggestive dance routine in front of students?
- Charges considered in machete attack
- New cutting machine breaks through ice near Selkirk
- Ice-cutting machine to stay submerged until spring
- Demise of Canadian climate research would impact global initiatives: scientists
- Readers reject race card in shooting
- If you don't feel like sharing, get your own candy bar miss lonelyhearts
- Off-duty officer stops assault on Transit driver
- Huge death toll averted in BC avalanche, but 'stupidity' blamed for two killed
- Vatican newspaper defends Pope, denies celibacy requirement is cause of clerical sex abuse
- British couple convicted for public smooch seeks appeal in Dubai
- Wielding a weapon costs a life
- Greyhound apologizes for stranding passengers
- You can't keep grandpa from seeing baby despite childish family dynamics
- Aboriginal elders removed from court on Hydro hearing
- Gang showdown 'imminent'
- Explore drug aids before giving up sex
- Lesbian teen faces classmates after school cancels dance over her request to bring girlfriend
- No more quick fixes: mayor
- First Nations people pack courtroom
- Looters target family's home
- Teacher's lapdance caught on tape, watched by world
- MP may regret taking aim at Christian youth centre: Mayor Katz
- Students could be punished
- Police shoot and kill suspect
- Second video of lap dance uncovered
- More ominous issue underlies Youth for Christ flap
- Wielding a weapon costs a life
- Mounties hook ice-fishers for open beer
- Youth centre sparks dispute
- Canadian women's hockey team stunned by reaction to post-gold party
- Ice-cutting machine to stay submerged until spring
- Former prosecutor ambushed on CBC
- Growing immigrant population means cross-the-board political scrap for votes
- You can't keep grandpa from seeing baby despite childish family dynamics
- Not wrong, just illegal
- Snowbirds flocking to 'south Winnipeg'
- Egg board embraces chicken emancipation
- New cutting machine breaks through ice near Selkirk
- British couple convicted for public smooch seeks appeal in Dubai
- 7-time Tour de France champion Armstrong arrives in South Africa for Cape Argus
- Manitoban wheelchair-user badly beaten in Australia
- Socialism for the rich is Tory way
- Indian Act changing to treat descendants equitably
- Cabela's to open across Canada
- New cutting machine breaks through ice near Selkirk
- Gang showdown 'imminent'
- Iceland airline bullish about Winnipeg
- Older women invading Facebook
- Schooling future soccer stars
- It’s The Sounds of Silence, unless you have big bucks
- Text of Shane Koyczan's opening ceremonies poem, "We Are More"
- Teacher's lapdance caught on tape, watched by world
- Olympic-sized hypocrisy
- Cabela's to open across Canada
- Oprah's on, and so is our Jon!
- Not wrong, just illegal
- Online drug pioneer tumbles
- Mounties hook ice-fishers for open beer
- No listings for buyers flooding the housing market
- Second video of lap dance uncovered
PREVIOUS

0 Comments