Watson Murder Case - Discussion

[Foxfish]

Testimony in Gabe Watson trial focuses on dive computer readings | al.com

Dive master testifies in Watson honeymoon death trial

FYI: Today's court reports from Alabama. One of them mentions Gabe's remark about Tina's boobs while she is in her casket.

Like many people I find Gabe's comments and behaviour offensive. These revelations clearly don't help his case. Seems to me there are a lot of people in the public and maybe in the jury who would be happy to see him get a conviction just because of these kinds of things. Gabe's general behaviour and attitude toward Tina and her family could indicate there is a more sinister side to him. Personally I'm not convinced it shows the kind of malice that would lead to murder. It smacks of immaturity. Gabe should be tried and convicted on his actions on the day, not because of his periodic moronic behaviour. I expect the two can be hard to separate when you are close to the situation.

In the last link I posted, there is testimony right at the end with Ken Snyder's wife Paula. She seems a genuine person. It was interesting that her response seems more sensitive and understanding of Gabe. She evidently believes that Gabe was deeply affected by the death of his wife.

 

[Foxfish]

Found the video that showed the snippets of the interview with the prosecution witness Michael Moore - here.

Accused scuba honeymoon killer Gabe Watson 'showed photos of wife Tina next to drowning signs at funeral' | Mail Online

It does seem the news group was keen to highlight the flaws and failings in the prosecutions case but it would be hard not to conclude it had taken some heavy hits on several fronts.

Video is down the bottom of the page. You may have to endure a Target advertisement before the video.

 

[mike_s]

so on the Today show this morning, they showed testimony of Tina's best friend.


the best friend testified at the trial that at the wake, she made a comment of something about how nice she looked (in the casket).

she then said that Gabe's response was "at least her breasts are perky".



Your wife is lying there dead and that's the crap comment you've got to make about her? jeez... what a douche bag.

 

[ItsBruce]

I'm not surprised the reenactment video was not allowed. A live witness would not be allowed to testify that a crime might have been committed in a certain way. It is inadmissible speculation. An expert would have to be able to say that to a reasonable scientific certainty it happened that way and would have to provide foundational facts for that opinion. That the testimony is in the form of a video does not make it admissible. And even with a warning that it is a reenactment of what may have happened, it will have too much weight.

By way of example, I recall an instance where where deposition testimony was being read to the jury. To make clear who was saying what the judge let us pit one of our team on the witness stand to read the part of the witness. The particular reading was where we caught the witness in a lie. As the "witness" read the lie, the judge interrupted, turned to the. "witness" and asked "How do you explain that?!" We had to remind the judge it was just read-back.

Prof this could catch the judge off guard, imagine a video.

 

[ItsBruce]

so on the Today show this morning, they showed testimony of Tina's best friend.

the best friend testified at the trial that at the wake, she made a comment of something about how nice she looked (in the casket).

she then said that Gabe's response was "at least her breasts are perky".

Your wife is lying there dead and that's the crap comment you've got to make about her? jeez... what a douche bag.

Not very classy, but I could see someone with little class saying something like that in a misguided effort to hide the pain of a loss.

 

[Jax]

Witness In Honeymoon Murder Trial Testifies That Diving Firm Did Not Prep Bride For Scuba Outing | Fox News

Seriously, they didn't know the woman hadn't been in open water? How could she be certified?

 

[mike_s]

Witness In Honeymoon Murder Trial Testifies That Diving Firm Did Not Prep Bride For Scuba Outing | Fox News

Seriously, they didn't know the woman hadn't been in open water? How could she be certified?

she was certified in a local quarry. per certification agencies, they consider that acceptable for open water dives.


(doesn't mean a diver is skilled enough for boat dives, in current, etc.... but it's just the way that it is now days with cert agencies).




you above comment of "she hadn't been in open water" wasn't what they said either.

Here is the quote from the article, they did refer to the ocean.

"Were you not aware that she had never been in the ocean in an open water dive?" Bloomston asked.​

Just including all the facts in regards to that statement

It also said she had 11 previous dives. Rivers, lakes, quarries, etc. would count towards that.




I've been on a few liveaboards. None of them included an "orientation dive" or a "private" dive breifing (as noted in the article) . All included a dive breifing but it was given as a group to everyone and was mandatory.

Never had a liveaboard do "diver skill checks" before either. (of course rules/laws might be different in Australia). I've seen some divers ask for a DM to dive with them on the first dive on a liveaboard, but that was on request. never seen a boat turn that down either.
​

 

[Foxfish]

While noting that Gabe Watson was his wife's dive buddy, Bloomstom asked whether Tina Watson would have been able to save her husband if he had gotten into trouble. Wade replied, "No."

Honeymoon Killer Trial Sees Photos of Tina Watson - ABC News

 

[Griffo]

I've been on a few liveaboards. None of them included an "orientation dive" or a "private" dive breifing (as noted in the article) . All included a dive breifing but it was given as a group to everyone and was mandatory. ​

​

After a newly certified driver jumped off a boat near here and drowned (overweighted, air turned off), local regulations were changed to require all divers to have done at least 1 ocean shore dive before they let you on a boat. This was designed to prevent inexperienced "warm water tourist divers" from making the same mistake. And they do actually keep records - when i first went on they knew I had never dived with them and demanded to see my log book.

Queensland also has what i generally thought were oppressive codes of conduct for dive operators. I'm suprised more is not made of the fact that these guys were allowed to dive unsupervised on their very first dive.

From the Qld code of practice:
2.3.3.4 Certificated divers
A. Assessing Diver Competency
The person conducting the business or undertaking should ensure the dive supervisor ensures each diver is assessed as being competent prior to diving. Factors taken into account should
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include:
(a) the recency of the diver’s recreational certificate and of the last dive
(b) the diving experience, including experience in relevant environmental conditions, of the diver since the certificate was gained, for example, as contained in log books
(c) the diver’s current medical fitness to dive.

If there are doubts as to the competence of the diver to complete a particular dive, a Certified assistant or dive instructor should accompany the diver on that dive or assess the diver during an assessment dive.

 

[Ayisha]

...Keep in mind that in Tina's case the lack of air to her lungs was because her lungs became clogged with water, not because she was deliberately holding her breath as in free diving...

As has been pointed out several times in the distant past, Tina's lungs did NOT have any water in them. She asphyxiated. That forms the whole basis of the prosecution's attempt to understand what happened since everything was ruled out with perfectly working equipment and a reg in her mouth.

I also believe that she was in the throes of death when Stutz saw her moving slightly and then freefalling lifelessly. I believe that is the prosecution's theory and why she was already dead/almost dead in the short time it took Singleton to get to her.