By Bob Johnson
The Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Married for 11 days, Gabe and Tina Watson strapped on their scuba equipment for a chance to explore a 100-year-old shipwreck in the natural underwater wonder that is Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
The Alabama couple splashed into the water on their 2003 honeymoon halfway around the world, and the dive soon turned horrific – 26-year-old Tina Watson’s lifeless body began drifting toward the ocean floor. Was it a tragic accident, as her husband claimed? Or did Gabe Watson deliberately disconnect her air supply, then hold her in a bear hug, drowning his new wife, as Alabama authorities contend?
Gabe Watson, dubbed the “Honeymoon Killer” by Australian media, pleaded guilty to manslaughter there for not doing enough to save his wife. Now, the case is back in the United States. Alabama prosecutors believe his 18-month prison stint was too lenient, and they think they can get a murder conviction on home soil.