Robert Watson
Real Name: Robert Gerald Watson
Aliases: Robert Watson
Wanted For: Abduction, Rape and Escape
Missing Since: April 4, 1991
Case[]
Details: On March 1, 1991, thirty-four-year-old truck driver Robert Watson was arrested in Morristown, Tennessee for abduction and rape. He was accused of picking up a hitchhiker and raping her at a truck stop. He had several years of previous arrests for sexual assaults and other felonies. He was taken to Hamblen County Jail to await extradition back to Ohio for trial. Early in the morning on April 4, Watson and two other inmates were assigned to clean a common room known as the "Slam Area". At 2AM, Deputy Fred Kimbrough and a jail trustee were in an adjacent hallway when the three inmates signaled that their work was finished. The inmates attacked Kimbrough and the trustee. During the struggle, the button was pushed to open the jail's automatic doors to the outside. Kimbrough overpowered one of the inmates, but Watson and inmate Christopher Williams escaped.
Later that day, Williams was apprehended in the area. Watson, however, made a clean getaway. In addition to escape, rape, and kidnapping, he is wanted for questioning regarding a series of murders in Ohio along interstate highways during the last decade.
Extra Notes:
- This case first aired on November 25, 1992 as a part of the Special Live Edition along with those of Cathy Ferner, Windy Korioth, Becky Terry, Kimberly, Katie, and Kelly Hurley, Connie Jo Hamilton, John Harman, Michael Hansen, Susan Roberts, Joseph Rodia and Ken Dickerson.
- It was updated later on the November 24, 1993, episode.
- It was excluded from the FilmRise release of the Robert Stack episodes, but was included in the Dennis Farina version.
- It is believed that the murders mentioned are the Ohio Prostitute Murders, which were featured in the February 19, 1992 episode.
Results: Captured. A viewer tip led to Watson's arrest in a remote area of Monroe County, Tennessee on July 2, 1993. On July 9, he was returned to Ashland County, Ohio to stand trial on charges of rape, kidnapping, assault, and menace. On October 1, he was convicted on all counts and given a ten to twenty-five year sentence. Watson was questioned regarding the prostitute murders, but he was never charged in any of the cases. He has since been released.
Links:
- 'Unsolved mystery' solved - July 6, 1993
- Robert G Watson, Jailed in Tennessee, Will Be Sent to Ohio For Questioning in Prostitute Deaths - July 6, 1993
- Arrest of Former Truck Driver is Lead in Probe of 8 Unsolved Slayings - July 7, 1993
- Task force wants to question man charged in rape - July 8, 1993
- Slaying task force has new suspect - July 9, 1993
- SitcomsOnline Discussion of Robert Watson and the Ohio Murders
- Robert Gerald Watson at Homefacts.com