"Honeymoon killer" in limbo as Australia jail term ends

SYDNEY - An American jailed over his wife's death on a honeymoon diving trip left prison Thursday but remained in custody as Australia seeks pledges he will not face execution if deported to the United States.

Bubble-wrap salesman David "Gabe" Watson, dubbed the "Honeymoon Killer" by media after admitting his wife's manslaughter on the Great Barrier Reef in 2003, was in immigration detention after being freed from a northeastern jail.

Australia is seeking written guarantees Watson, who served just 18 months, will not risk the death penalty if he faces trial in his home state of Alabama.

Diving novice Christina Watson, 26, drowned after her husband, an experienced rescue diver, failed to inflate her buoyancy vest or remove weights to bring her to the surface and instead went to get help.

Christina was pulled from the ocean floor by a diving instructor. The couple had been married just 11 days and were honeymooning on the world-famous reef.

An inquest heard earlier that a fellow diver saw Gabe Watson bear-hugging his wife underwater before he re-surfaced while she sank to the ocean floor.

In mid-2008, coroner David Glasgow found it was likely Watson killed his wife by holding her underwater and turning off her air supply, adding he may have been seeking a life insurance payout.

At a later trial Watson pleaded guilty to manslaughter and, after an appeal, was jailed for 18 months, a sentence which he has now served.

Australia has received assurances over Watson from Alabama Attorney-General Troy King, but wants a further, written guarantee from US Attorney-General Eric Holder, which could take weeks or months to obtain.

Australian law prevents suspects from being surrendered for extradition if it could result in their death.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen denied media reports that Watson was asked to sign his "death warrant" when given a document outlining a possible death sentence if he returns to the United States.

Personal comment:
I think diving is quite a risky activity, there should be a diving expert companion at all times when under the water. With regards to this incident, i think that the problem lies not only in the diving aspect, but marriage as well. Also, in my opinion, a jail term lasting 18months for a death case is too short. Afterall, it's a life lost. Furthermore, the death did not happen accidentally, but deliberately. Based on the fact that it had been an intended one, shouldnt the sentence be heavier? Now that the murderer has been freed, who knows who will be the next victim? This case, in my opinion, has been looked upon too lightly.
If i were to be the diving instructor, i will make sure that i am with my non-experienced divers at all times under the water. This is my responsibility to ensure their safety. Their payment to this activity that i'm in-charged of, is for both enjoyment and safety. Thus, i believe the diver expert who were with the couple could have been more careful and conscious.

- Chua Rui Yi, 13 November 2010