No lawyer yet for St James man accused of killing American wife

ST JAMES, Jamaica — A St James man accused of murdering his American wife who was in the country celebrating her birthday, appeared in court without a lawyer or obvious family support on Wednesday.

When Dane Watson, 31 appeared in court he was asked whether he had retained an attorney. Watson shared that family members had been in dialogue with a lawyer and provided the attorney’s name. However, no relatives were present in court, and the attorney’s name was not listed on the prosecution’s file.

READ: St James man charged with murdering American wife, Melissa Samnath

It was the first court appearance for Watson who was charged, on May 20, in relation to the murder of 35-year-old New York resident Melissa Samnath. She was found with multiple injuries at Cornwall Regional Hospital on April 29 and was later pronounced dead. Police believe the suspect took her to the hospital and left her there.

READ: Family hands in St James murder suspect

It is also believed Watson fled St James and was hiding in Gayle, St Mary. Concerned about his safety, he reportedly contacted relatives, who then coordinated with the Gayle police to arrange his surrender.

During the hearing, the investigating officer requested that Watson undergo a psychiatric evaluation based on his demeanour and Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton granted the request. In responding to the judge’s question about his medical history, Watson revealed that he previously had a collapsed lung and sometimes has an irregular heartbeat along with difficulty breathing.