Watson Murder Case - Discussion

[STwill]

I think that her BCD could have lifted it, but I'm more interested in if he could have done it using only his BCD.

I kind of hope that it does go to trial just so the evidence can be presented.
I'm still of the opinion that he was simply incompetent given his limited experience.

 

[DandyDon]

If I needed to lift someone, I'd try their BC but why didn't she?

Nah, after the infamous Florida case failed this week, no way they will try this one.

 

[STwill]

I have no idea, or if she did try to inflate her BCD, it wasn't with enough air.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

What is this Florida Case people are talking about? Got a link?

There has been significant discussion around the amount of weight both of them carried. It seems they were both grossly overweighted if you are to believe the reports. Common problem with new or inexperienced divers to carry too much weight.

As I have mentioned before when this topic was discussed. We still talk about dive weight in pounds here. There should have been no confusion about weight really... all dive weights I have seen here are in pounds including all the ones I have seen in Queensland.

I would love to see justice done in this case but I am not sure that is possible I am not sure going to trial to satisfy the curiosity of so many (I admit I would love to know what facts a trail would bring out too) will bring justice tho. I suspect a trial will not satisfy curiosity but whet the appetite for more. I am not sure the outcome of the trail will satisfy anyone either.. there will still be those who will believe the trial got it wrong no matter what way it goes!

 

[Ayisha]

Honeymooner's diving death 'an accident, not murder'

So according to that article, she had more than double the weight that she should have been wearing. I don't remember reading this elsewhere, was this mentioned before. In my opinion, that is a very significant part of the whole situation. How much air would have been needed to make her negative?

I wonder how he was weighted, was he over weighted at all? Too much combined for 1 BCD?

Yes, Tina's weighting has been discussed several times in the original accident thread as well as in this thread. There were references to her weighting in the police transcript which was linked to in k-girl's statements and sources thread. Some people thought she was grossly overweighted while some people were unsure.

I'm finding it difficult to do a search with this new system, but if you search my posts, you will find links to each of the weighting discussions and original posts.

 

[Ayisha]

There may have been confusion over the weights in kilograms? 9 kg = 20#, so yeah that sounds like too much, depending on her BC & wetsuit. He didn't say what suit she was wearing so we are left to guess.

We aren't really left to guess because Dr Edmonds said that:

Tina Watson, 26, of slim build, was "grossly overweighted" with nine kilograms of weights for her first ocean dive - more than twice what she needed with the equipment she was using, he said.

bold added

 

[DandyDon]

What is this Florida Case people are talking about? Got a link?

I am kinda sorry I mentioned it as it's gotten so much press over here, and still is, as it was and still is so bizarre - involving a seemingly crazy family. Here is an article Casey Anthony trial - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia but there are thousands of news stories.

A similarity may exist tho, in that so many think that the accused was certainly guilty, yet the prosecution could not present convincing evidence "beyond a reasonable doubt" as required. Rumors suggest that the jury believed the guilt, but it simply was not established. There has been some comparisons to the O.J.Simpson trial, which had a major turn I think when the Asst DA asked him to put the glove on his hand - seeming not having done any research with leather gloves that have been wet and subsequently shrink. I used to have to re-wet leather gloves to get them on, and allow them to dry on my hands.

In this case, popular opinion may lean towards guilt, but sufficient evidence seems lacking. Why bother trying if you don't think you can, especially with the costs that could bankrupt the court and the subsequent politics?

There has been significant discussion around the amount of weight both of them carried. It seems they were both grossly overweighted if you are to believe the reports. Common problem with new or inexperienced divers to carry too much weight.

As I have mentioned before when this topic was discussed. We still talk about dive weight in pounds here. There should have been no confusion about weight really... all dive weights I have seen here are in pounds including all the ones I have seen in Queensland.

I forgot about the use of pounds in weighting there, sorry & thanks. Eh, 20# would be what I'd wear in saltwater and a 3 mil suit. A petite woman would need less of course, but then a petite woman might chill more easily than I and take a 7 mil suit. Different divers have different weighting needs and cold tolerances, and we know nothing here about what she needed in what suit in the past. As new as she was, and as incompetent as he seems, there is a possibility of an honest mistake in weighting.

Beyond that, her failure to inflate or ditch would not be so surprising as we see that all too often in A&I forum. Was it panic tho, or murder?

I would love to see justice done in this case but I am not sure that is possible I am not sure going to trial to satisfy the curiosity of so many (I admit I would love to know what facts a trail would bring out too) will bring justice tho. I suspect a trial will not satisfy curiosity but whet the appetite for more. I am not sure the outcome of the trail will satisfy anyone either.. there will still be those who will believe the trial got it wrong no matter what way it goes!

I'd like to see a trial but am doubtful. As it is now, his lawyer could already object since he was not given a speedy trail.

 

[spoolin01]

I don't see that the weighting is clearly much of a factor supporting any claim of unmanageable buoyancy. Didn't the two start the dive and swim out a short distance, only to return to fix his dive computer batteries? I don't recall mention of either of them noting weighting issues at that point. At any rate, what's the lift capacity of a standard small jacket BC - 25 lbs?. What the expert's latest statement means begs clarification. Most people consider a few pounds negative at the start to be optimal - so how much 'extra' she was carrying over common practice isn't clear. Even 9 pounds (or 19) shouldn't exceed the easy capability of a motivated man of his strength.

I agree that the prospect of a trial is satisfaction for morbid curiosity, but doesn't hold much promise for justice, beyond flipping a coin.

 

[DandyDon]

I was wrong, again - hate it when that happens: Gabe Watson to go to trial in February 2012 in Alabama charged with murdering wife Tina | News.com.au He looks different in that pic.

 

[STwill]

Well it looks like we get to see what evidence they came up with. I hope that it is something good if they are going to spend all that money on a trial.