But Watson won't go free just yet. Police met him upon landing at the Los Angeles airport and did a hand-off from Australian immigration guards who accompanied him on his deportation trip. Watson will likely be sent to his home state of Alabama to face more murder charges there.
The 33-year-old was released from an Australian prison earlier this month, after serving 18 months for manslaughter. Australian prosecutors initially charged him with murder, arguing that he deliberately killed his wife, Tina, by turning off her air supply under the guise of giving her a "bear hug" underwater. But as part of a plea bargain, Watson agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Townsville Coroners Court / AP
Gabe Watson was convicted of manslaughter in the death of his wife, Tina.
Haunting photos from their scuba-diving trip show another diver posing for an underwater pic while their instructor rushes to rescue Tina's lifeless body, which was sinking to the seafloor. The 26-year-old bride had been married only 11 days.
Watson's plea deal angered his wife's family and authorities in their home state of Alabama, who believe he plotted to kill his wife even before they left the U.S. for their honeymoon in Australia. Prosecutors are expected to allege that Watson killed his wife in order to collect a life insurance payment. He may also be charged with kidnapping, for allegedly tricking his wife to go to Australia, where she was killed.
Tina's father, Tommy Thomas, reacted to news of Watson's arrival in the U.S. today. "What we want to see is justice done by our daughter. And obviously, an 18-month prison sentence, for murder, is not justice," told Alabama's Channel 13 TV.
Watson has since remarried. A former bubble-wrap salesman, he was dubbed the "Honeymoon Killer" by Australian media, which have followed his case closely.
U.S. officials have long sought Watson's extradition from Australia, but officials there were hesitant to turn him over to Americans because of their stance on the death penalty. Alabama allows the death penalty for murder cases, but Australian law prohibits the state from deporting anyone to a country where they could face execution. Australian officials have said that they agreed to deport Watson today after receiving assurances from their U.S. counterparts that he won't be executed -- even if he's convicted of first-degree murder.
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"The Australian government received assurances from the United States government that should Gabe Watson be returned to the U.S., the death penalty would not be sought, imposed or carried out in relation to this crime," Australia's immigration minister, Chris Bowen, told The Herald Sun newspaper.Watson's Australian lawyer, Adrian Braithwaite, said his client could have applied for asylum in Australia but decided against it after reviewing documents that showed he won't face the death penalty in Alabama.
"Based on advice that Mr. Watson had received from his U.S. attorneys, he has balanced up the risks going and ultimately has decided that he won't contest deportation," Braithwaite told Australia's ABC News. "He'll be returning to Alabama."