5 details about Linda Watson's murder

The 2000 disappearance and killing of a single Tucson mother, Linda Watson, will feature in an upcoming episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered. It will shed light on how a bitter custody battle ended with a triple homicide and the conviction of former fire department captain David Watson.

The episode, titled Secrets of the Desert, airs on Oxygen this Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 8.00 pm ET. The synopsis reads:

"Linda Watson is a single mom raising a beautiful daughter when she disappears; then, suddenly, Linda's mom goes missing too, along with another friend; police are convinced the three cases are connected, but unraveling the mystery takes years."

The attack on 35-year-old Linda Watson was followed by the shooting deaths of her mother Marilyn Cox and one of the latter's friends, Renee Farnsworth. They were both gunned down in Cox's driveway in May 2003.

David Watson's arrest came in 2015, followed by a conviction and sentencing two years later.

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Linda Watson's custody battle with her ex-husband, David's arrest, and more details about the case

1) Linda Watson went missing from her house in 2000

According to reports by KOLD News 13, the single mother-of-one was attacked inside her house in the 2600 block of West Curtis Road on August 20, 2000. She went to church that day and had lunch with her mother Marilyn Cox, who then dropped Linda off at her house. However, the following day, a maintenance worker found that the back door of the house was unlocked.

Investigators later found signs of a struggle inside, including blood on multiple spots and a broken cup. Linda was nowhere to be found.

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2) She was embroiled in a contentious custody battle with her ex-husband David Watson

At the time of the crime, Linda Watson was embroiled in a custody battle with her ex-husband David Watson over their four-year-old daughter Jordynn. The victim was allegedly preparing to get a restraining order against David, the captain of the Tucson Fire Department. When the 35-year-old disappeared, Jordynn began staying with her father.

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3) Linda's mother Marilyn Cox initiated a search for her and took over the custody battle

A few days after Linda went missing and failed to appear for one of the custody hearings, her mother Marilyn Cox initiated a search for the missing woman. Cox also took over the custody battle on her behalf for supervised visitations with the former couple's daughter Jordynn.

However, in May 2003 Cox and one of her friends, Renee Farnsworth, who had been accompanying her throughout the legal battle, were both gunned down in Cox's driveway.

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4) Linda Watson's remains were unearthed in October 2003

In October of the same year that Cox and Farnsworth were shot to death, Linda Watson's skull was discovered in the desert near the Silverbell Mine, north of Tucson. However, the skeletal remains were only identified as hers in 2011 due to a delay caused by the assumption that the bones belonged to someone who died while illegally crossing the border.

The medical examiner was able to confirm that she died of a fatal gunshot wound to the head.

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5) David Watson was arrested, charged, and convicted of the triple homicide

Fire Department captain and Linda Watson's ex-husband, David, who had been a suspect since the beginning of the investigation, was arrested and charged in connection with the triple homicide in 2015. His trial in November of the following year concluded in a hung jury. During a second trial in 2017, he was found guilty of second-degree murder in Linda's death and of first-degree murder in each of the other two killings.

David Watson was sentenced to 66 years to life in prison.

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Secrets of the Desert will shed more light on the case on March 8, 2023, at 8.00 pm ET.