Gabe Watson lives quietly in Alabama today with his second wife, Kim Lewis, whom he married in 2008. A judge acquitted him of capital murder in Birmingham on February 23, 2012, and no further charges can be brought against him in either the United States or Australia. He has not spoken publicly since walking out of the Mel Bailey Criminal Justice Center that day.1CNN. Alabama Honeymoon Trial
Where He Lives Now and His Second Marriage
Watson returned to Alabama after his acquittal and has stayed out of the public eye. His attorney, Brett Bloomston, told reporters outside the courthouse that the case had been a “nightmare for Gabe and his family” and that he hoped Watson could “get some closure and move on, start his life over.”1CNN. Alabama Honeymoon Trial Watson has made no public statements or appearances since.
He married Kim Lewis in August 2008, while the Australian murder charge was still pending. The two had known each other since high school in Hoover, Alabama, where they had been members of the Future Business Leaders of America together.2People. Gabe Watson Acquitted of Murdering Wife on Australian Honeymoon Dive Some tabloid coverage remarked on a physical resemblance between Lewis and Tina Watson, and Alabama investigators looked into a “love triangle” theory during the murder investigation. They found insufficient evidence to connect Lewis to any plot.3Daily Telegraph. Gabe Watson Love Triangle Theory in Honeymoon Dive Killing
Why No Further Charges Are Possible
The legal chapter is closed. Prosecutor Don Valeska confirmed after the Alabama acquittal that there was no avenue for appeal and that the case was “over forever.”1CNN. Alabama Honeymoon Trial Under Alabama law, an acquittal is final. Double jeopardy did not bar the Alabama trial in the first place only because the earlier prosecution had taken place in a foreign country; now that Watson has been tried and acquitted in Alabama, that door is shut too.
The Australian side is also settled. Watson served 18 months in a Queensland prison on his manslaughter plea and was deported back to the United States in November 2010.4The Guardian. Australia Deports American Gabe Watson That sentence is complete. He has no outstanding warrants or pending proceedings tied to Tina Watson’s death.
How the Alabama Case Ended
Watson’s capital murder trial began in February 2012 in Birmingham before Jefferson County Circuit Judge Tommy Nail.5AL.com. Gabe Watson Acquitted of All Charges Prosecutors argued that Watson had plotted the killing in Alabama to collect life insurance and other assets, and that he had deliberately turned off Tina’s air supply during their honeymoon scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef in October 2003.
The financial motive fell apart during testimony. Prosecutors had initially claimed Watson stood to gain up to $210,000.6CBS News. Prosecutor: Gabe Watson Had Financial Motive to Drown Wife on Honeymoon But the human resources director at Tina’s employer testified she could not have increased her workplace coverage to $165,000 before the wedding.7AL.com. Prosecution Insurance-Profit Motive At the time of her death, Tina held only $33,000 in life insurance, and her father, Tommy Thomas, was the beneficiary who collected the payout. A separate $10,000 travel insurance claim Watson filed was denied.8AL.com. Prosecutors: Gabe Watson Killed Wife Bloomston told the court, “Gabe never stood to gain anything from Tina’s death; he lost.”1CNN. Alabama Honeymoon Trial
After the state rested, the defense moved for acquittal without calling a single witness.9Monash University. The Price of Justice1CNN. Alabama Honeymoon Trial5AL.com. Gabe Watson Acquitted of All Charges
The Watson family and defense team argued the Alabama prosecution had been politically driven. Then-Attorney General Troy King brought the indictment during a re-election campaign and used materials bearing the slogan “Justice for Tina.” King later acknowledged that a key part of the insurance theory relied on statements from Tina’s father that would be considered hearsay.10ABC News. Honeymoon Murder Trial Motivated by Politics, Watson Family Alleges
The Australian Sentence He Already Served
Before the Alabama trial, Watson had already been prosecuted in Queensland. He was extradited to Australia and, on June 5, 2009, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Supreme Court to manslaughter.11ABC Australia. US Murder Charge Could Follow Honeymoon Death12ABC News. Australia Honeymoon Death Father Seeks Justice13The Guardian. Man Guilty of Manslaughter in Wife’s Scuba Death4The Guardian. Australia Deports American Gabe Watson
Because Australia opposes capital punishment, Alabama Attorney General Troy King had to formally assure that the death penalty would not be sought before Watson could be returned. King privately called the requirement “extortion” but agreed.14NBC News. Gabe Watson Deportation Details Watson landed at Los Angeles International Airport on November 25, 2010, was taken into custody, and was transferred to Alabama to face the state’s murder and kidnapping charges.15ABC News. Honeymoon Killer Gabe Watson Returns to US
What Tina’s Family Has Said
Tina’s parents, Tommy and Cindy Thomas, rejected the outcome. Through the “Justice for Tina Thomas” Facebook page, they wrote that their daughter “found no Justice” and criticized Judge Nail for refusing to “allow 3/4 th of the evidence in” and for acting as the jury himself. They said all they had ever wanted was “a JURY of his peers with ALL the evidence.” They voiced the same frustration about the Australian plea, noting that Watson “had to plea but NO JURY NO TRIAL.”16AL.com. Gabe Watson Trial: Tina Thomas Watson’s Parents Respond
No civil suit against Watson has been reported, and no further criminal action is available. He remains, more than a decade after the acquittal, a private citizen in Alabama.