Crime news
April 27, 2015 Updated: April 27, 2015 5:02pmThis April 26, 2015 photo provided by the Pima County Sheriff's Department shows David Dwayne Watson in Tucson, Ariz. Watson, 46, is being charged with the August 2000 killing of his ex-wife and the later killings of his former mother-in-law and a third woman. (Pima County Sheriff's Department via AP)
This April 26, 2015 photo provided by the Pima County Sheriff's...
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A high-ranking firefighter in southern Arizona has been arrested in the deaths of his ex-wife, her mother and a third woman, slayings that authorities have been trying to solve for 15 years.
The Pima County Sheriff's Office arrested 46-year-old David Watson on Saturday in Tucson without incident. Watson faces three counts of first-degree murder and is being held at the Pima County Jail.
Watson is suspected of killing his ex-wife, Linda Watson, after a bitter child custody battle. Watson was reported missing on Aug. 21, 2000.
Her body was found in the Tucson Mountains in west Tucson in 2003 among the remains of immigrants who have died while walking the treacherous desert about 70 miles north of the Mexican border, sheriff's office spokesman Tracy Suitt said.
Her body was at the medical examiner's office for several years before DNA testing helped identify her in 2011, Suit said.
Watson is also accused of killing Linda Watson's mother, 63-year-old Marilyn Cox, and Cox's friend, 53-year-old Renee Farnsworth, on May 7, 2003. The women were gunned down at the home of Linda Watson after Cox returned from a court-mandated visit with her granddaughter, Suitt said.
Cox also had been in a legal battle with Watson over the girl. The girl was Linda Watson and David Watson's only child.
Suitt said he couldn't delve into details about what led to Watson's arrest this weekend, saying it could hurt the case.
"We are dealing a person who is very dangerous, and if we give out some information it will jeopardize this case. We're gonna hold off on some of the details," Suitt said.
Watson has worked for the Tucson Fire Department for 20 years and in 2007 was promoted to captain.
"The Tucson Fire Department is saddened to learn about the circumstances related to one of our employees. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family of the victims," spokesman Barrett Baker said in a statement. Watson is on unpaid leave, Baker said.
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