5 harrowing details about the murder of Linda Watson on Dateline, explored 

It's been more than two decades since the brutal killing of Linda Watson, a case that was detailed in NBC's Dateline episode "Secrets of the Desert". From a custody battle to two more murders, the episode covers it all.

In 2000, Linda Watson, a mother of one and ex-wife of David Watson disappeared from her house. This marked the beginning of a complex case involving her ex-husband David Watson.

Despite the investigation and search for Linda Watson, her family couldn't find her. However, in 2003, skeletal remains were found in the Arizona desert and later confirmed to be Linda Watson's.

Now that Linda had died, her ex-husband David Watson, and her mother Marilyn Cox were looking after her daughter, Jordynn Watson. In 2003, things took a dark turn when Linda's mother and her mother's friend, Renee Farnsworth, were eliminated.

These all killings were linked to David Watson, who was later convicted of all three murders. The ex-husband of Linda Watson was a former firefighter who resigned from his captain position after being highlighted for the crimes.

However, there is more to the case. Continue reading to explore some of the startling details about the murder.

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Five upsetting details on Linda Watson's murder case on Dateline

When Linda Watson went missing, her family began an extensive search for her and even offered cash as the reward for some clues or information. However, nothing seemed to help them until a skeletal remains was found and DNA testing proved that it was Linda Watson.

As revealed in the Dateline episode, Linda Watson didn't disappear on her own or was abducted by someone for money, but was murdered by her ex-husband, David Watson. While the man was serving his time in prison, another man named Corey Fox claimed that he killed Linda Watson.

Fox is already an inmate and his letter was declared to be a false confession. This way, Watson remains the killer of the three women, and here are five harrowing details about the case:

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1) A custody battle turned deadly: Dateline follows the true-crime

The Dateline episode revealed that the brutal killings stemmed from the legal custody battle between Linda Watson and her ex-husband David Watson for Jordynn. Their conflict escalated and led to a gruesome chain of events, leading not just Linda, but her mother and their close ally Renee Farnsworth dead.

While Linda was killed in 2000, Marilyn Cox and her friend were shot in 2003. Their murders led to the investigation against David Watson, who continuously denied the charges until the evidence proved his involvement.

Also Read: 5 harrowing details about the murder of Rob Limon on Dateline, explored

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2) Linda's death was followed by a double murder

As mentioned above, it all began with the disappearance of Linda Watson in 2000. While the case remained unsolved for years, the 2003 skeletal remains again brought her disappearance to light, and at the same time, Marilyn Watson was fighting against David and his second ex-wife for Jordynn Watson's custody.

Little did Cox and her friend know that they would soon meet their ends at the hands of a single gunman who killed them in Marilyn’s driveway. As per Tucson.com, Marilyn Cox's sister was heartbroken and called David Watson the "same sadistic coward" who took three lives.

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3) Linda Watson's dead body remained unidentified for 11 years

Linda Watson's body was found in 2003, but it wasn't confirmed that the skeletal remains belonged to her until 2011. As explained in the Dateline episode, a DNA test helped the investigators to learn that it was indeed Watson's body whom they initially couldn't identify due to a backlog at the medical examiner's office.

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4) David Watson hid his crime for years: Dateline highlights his crime

Another chilling detail about the Linda Watson murder case is that David Watson worked as a respected firefighter at the Tucson Fire Department and even rose to the rank of captain in 2007, all while evading suspicion for years. He finally resigned in 2015, after his arrest, and this might have served as a sock to many who followed him as a captain.

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5) Watson's second ex-wife Rosemary Watson confessed to lying

At first, David Watson's second ex-wife, Rosemary Watson, provided him with an alibi during the original investigation. However, she later admitted to having lied, and her testimony became a turning point in the murder case. While her confession added an emotional layer to the already harrowing case, it helped the investigation to prove Watson's crime and contribute to his ultimate conviction of 66 years for three murders.

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