Watson Murder Case - Discussion

[clownfishsydney]

At the murder trial, the instructor who trained them both said you could do the Rescue Course as soon as you finished the Open Water. This means 5.

 

[bluesy]

Hello~

I am not a diver but simply someone who has been interested in this case since The Photo was first published.
The discussion here has been very enlightening and for the most part very civil.
Anyone who thinks this thread is inflammatory needs to go hang out on some of the crime boards!
There's a lot of outrage out there.

Judge Nail's acquittal was no surprise.
While I imagine that Gabe is quite relieved with his acquittal, it's almost a shame that the defence didn't put on its case.
I believe they would have shown that Gabe Watson may be capable of some pretty outrageous behaviour but he did not plan and carry out the murder of his bride.
What I learned from reading this thread is that Gabe most likely lacked the diving skills to pull it off had he wanted to.
If he could relive those seven fateful minutes I'm sure he would act differently.
Most likely he would have been somewhere else with Tina, having fun on dry land.
Still, there are those who will never believe that Tina was not killed in cold blood.

The insurance angle was nothing more than a lame attempt to give Alabama jurisdiction over the case and the prosecution had to hold their noses and marry that theory.
It was an albatross around their necks and it was getting stinkier by the day.
FWIW, in my family we don't bury the diamonds, we call them heirlooms.
It didn't surprise me that the judge lost it over that.
The prosecution really screwed up there just when they were doing a great job of making Gabe look dark and sinister.

The legal wrangling between the families is not over.
IMVHO I don't think that Tina and Gabe's marriage would have lasted as long as the fallout from Tina's tragic death.
It's nice to think that Gabe will take the high road and return Tina's body and her belongings to the Thomas family.
I can't imagine that his wife wouldn't want him to do that.
Both families have suffered terribly and it's unlikely that everything will be rainbows and unicorns from now on.
I hope that they can all find peace and move forward with their lives.

I have tremendous admiration for SCUBA divers.
When I was twelve, my eighteen year old brother lost his best friend to an accident in one of Florida's beautiful but deadly blue springs.
The sport has terrified me ever since.
Strangely enough, this forum has helped me to set aside some of that fear and replace it with respect.
So, back into lurk I go but I think I will be hanging around.
It's nice here!

 

[theduckguru]

While some think the judge's ruling in this case was proper, I disagree. If the evidence against Watson was no more than a pile of poo, the case should have been dismissed a long time ago. I suppose one can argue that the prosecution deserved their day in court, but Watson deserved not to be tried for a crime there was not probable cause.

 

[clownfishsydney]

I have discussed a lot about what has happened with Gabe, most recently today. He is so relieved that this is all over. He has been away with Kim at a friend's place and for the first time in something like 4 years has been legally able to go out of his house after 8 pm. His mother told my wife that he laughed for the first time in 8 years yesterday!

The US ABC will be doing an hour long program on this matter on 20/20. I think this may be on Friday 2 March. They have interviewed many people, including me, for the show.

I think one of the most amazing things was that the prosecution appears not to have asked its witnesses questions that they should have anticipated that the defence would ask. As such, their witnesses nearly all became defence witnesses when they were asked very obvious questions. I even think that they have not read my web site articles even when they were given to them as defence witness statements or if they did read them, they did not even think to get a scuba diving witness to assist them. Either this, or they really did not want to win the case.

 

[bluesy]

I have discussed a lot about what has happened with Gabe, most recently today. He is so relieved that this is all over. He has been away with Kim at a friend's place and for the first time in something like 4 years has been legally able to go out of his house after 8 pm. His mother told my wife that he laughed for the first time in 8 years yesterday!

The US ABC will be doing an hour long program on this matter on 20/20. I think this may be on Friday 2 March. They have interviewed many people, including me, for the show.

I think one of the most amazing things was that the prosecution appears not to have asked its witnesses questions that they should have anticipated that the defence would ask. As such, their witnesses nearly all became defence witnesses when they were asked very obvious questions. I even think that they have not read my web site articles even when they were given to them as defence witness statements or if they did read them, they did not even think to get a scuba diving witness to assist them. Either this, or they really did not want to win the case.

Do you know how the Thomas family is doing?

 

[DandyDon]

Hi Bluesy...

Judge Nail's acquittal was no surprise.
While I imagine that Gabe is quite relieved with his acquittal, it's almost a shame that the defence didn't put on its case.

Edit: [-]It's just words, but I think that is why it's a Dismissal. If it had gone thru defense, to the jury, and not convicted, then it'd be an Acquittal. Again, just words, but with different meanings.[/-] Actually, I was wrong there. :blush:

The insurance angle was nothing more than a lame attempt to give Alabama jurisdiction over the case and the prosecution had to hold their noses and marry that theory.
It was an albatross around their necks and it was getting stinkier by the day.
FWIW, in my family we don't bury the diamonds, we call them heirlooms.
It didn't surprise me that the judge lost it over that.
The prosecution really screwed up there just when they were doing a great job of making Gabe look dark and sinister.

Yeah, I was amazed that they actually took it to trial, but then I wouldn't want to be in an Alabama courtroom for anything. Our states and respective aspects differ a lot at times, but it's a big country put together by piecemeal in our history. Well, once could say the same for the UK and even the English language I suppose.

I have tremendous admiration for SCUBA divers.
When I was twelve, my eighteen year old brother lost his best friend to an accident in one of Florida's beautiful but deadly blue springs.
The sport has terrified me ever since.
Strangely enough, this forum has helped me to set aside some of that fear and replace it with respect.
So, back into lurk I go but I think I will be hanging around.
It's nice here!

Thank you. Sorry hear about your family friend as well as that effect on you, but glad you have thought thru it some here. My mom's brothers scared her about water as a child and I don't think I remember her ever getting in when we went swimming or to a lake. I have a thing for heights that comes and goes.

While some think the judge's ruling in this case was proper, I disagree. If the evidence against Watson was no more than a pile of poo, the case should have been dismissed a long time ago. I suppose one can argue that the prosecution deserved their day in court, but Watson deserved not to be tried for a crime there was not probable cause.

No, I think the Grand Jury should have thrown it out. A defense deserves a day in court, as does a plaintiff, but not a prosecutor. Alabama politics.

 

[clownfishsydney]

I have no knowledge of the Thomas family's feelings, although I am sure I know what they will feel. I doubt that Tommy Thomas would ever speak to me, although I would be happy to discuss any aspect of this matter with him, including explaining what happened and why I believe (know) this.Hatred for some will always last, no matter the evidence to the contrary.

 

[Foxfish]

Tina's computer was not capable of being downloaded. All that can be ascertained was the depth and time. Do you know a Rescue Diver can have as little as 5 dives!

Thanks. So only the total time of her dive and the maximum depth could be obtained from her computer. I understand therefore that the whole of the dive profile, ie. depth versus time graph, was inferred from other dive computers.

Are you taking about a rescue diver course in America? I cannot see that being the case in Australia.

Edit. Saw your post about which confirmed this was the case.

 

[Foxfish]

I have no knowledge of the Thomas family's feelings, although I am sure I know what they will feel. I doubt that Tommy Thomas would ever speak to me, although I would be happy to discuss any aspect of this matter with him, including explaining what happened and why I believe (know) this.Hatred for some will always last, no matter the evidence to the contrary.

Do you believe that the events in the last moments before Tina's death were essentially as described by Gabe? Did you find big inconsistencies in his story?

 

[clownfishsydney]

Foxfish, this was an American instructor. I thought you had to do Advanced first, but he testified that it could be done straight after Open Water.

Gabe's story, as reported by him in four separate interviews and two statements, was essentially the same. The only differences were some amendments in the second statement to distances where he wanted to clarify he meant feet rather than yards. The statements made by others and to the Coroner's Inquest again were all essentially the same. Of course, not everyone spoke about the same part of the dive, some mentioned point A, C, G, H, and another A, B, F, G, I and another B, C, H and I. The only exception to this were the statements and evidence by Tommy and Alanda Thomas which had one matter that was different to all others. This was that Gabe was ripping off all his dive gear as he ascended.

However, as the Police did not take statements from the third person who heard the same conversation (Cindy Thomas) and the statements were not recorded till April and May 2007 (3.5 years later) there has to be some questions asked about this bit.

All in all, I am confident that the story Gabe told everyone, including the Police, was the same every time.