Wednesday, June 12, 2002
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Wednesday, June 12, 2002 |
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Dust on Beverley's car linked to place body discovered By JOHN MUNFORD
As detectives began to search Jim and Beverley Watson's house for clues about the missing woman's whereabouts, their daughter noticed something in the garage that may be the only link between her father and the crime scene where Beverley Watson's remains were found dust on her mother's car, according to testimony in Jim Watson's Fulton County murder trial. Maj. Bruce Jordan of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department said in court Monday that Ashley Watson was in the garage when she said, "Why is Mom's car dirty?" "There was a large amount of dust on the car Ashley pointed out to us," Jordan said. Later in his testimony, he said the girl's statement "made him aware" something was amiss. Previously, Debbie White testified that when Beverley Watson drove to her home the evening before her disappearance, her car a red Dodge Avenger was clean as usual. Also, one of Beverley Watson's coworkers testified that she always kept her car clean. Beverley Watson's remains were found off Red Mill Road, which is a gravel road in south Fulton County. Prosecutors intend to prove the dust found on the car two days after her disappearance came from that road. But Watson defense attorney Lee Sexton questioned why crime scene technicians from the Sheriff's Department only bothered to sample the dust from Beverley Watson's car and not some from a nearby workbench, the floor or window blinds in the garage. Lt. Keith McQuilken, who oversaw the collection of evidence at the couple's south Fayette home hours after Jim Watson reported his wife had disappeared two days prior, said the car was the only item that was swabbed to be analyzed at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's crime lab. Sexton noted the dust may have come from a vent in the ceiling of the garage, which was pointed out in one of the various photos of the scene that have been displayed in court for the jury. "I didn't see enough dust on the floor to generate the dust on the car," Jordan said. To try and find Beverley Watson, area news outlets were asked to broadcast requests for information about her disappearance, Jordan said. That led to a flood of tips, too many for the 10 detectives in the criminal investigations unit to handle on their own, Jordan added. Detectives also monitored Beverley Watson's credit card and checking accounts after her disappearance but there was no activity, Jordan noted. Any activity would have shown she was alive somewhere because of the need for money to live, the detective said. But when Beverley Watson failed to pick up her last paycheck at Whitewater Country Club, it was a sign that she would never be found alive, Jordan added.
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