Bio

James Watson, born Charles Gillam, came into the world in Paris, Arkansas, in 1870. His father was not present for his birth. As a child, James was told that his father had died, but he learned the truth at age nine—his father had actually abandoned the family. When James’s mother remarried, she decided to call him "Joseph Olden," after his new husband. This change created confusion for James. He did not get along with his stepfather, which led him to run away from home at around 12 years old.

As he grew up, James had a complicated life. He married many times, though the exact number of his wives is unclear. Some sources suggest he was married over 40 times, while others claim he had 19 wives. He himself admitted to having seven confirmed murder victims, which shows that not all of his marriages ended well.

James worked in advertising after settling in St. Louis. He faced legal troubles due to dishonest business practices around 1912, prompting him to flee to Canada. Once there, he took on the name James Watson, which he would keep for the rest of his life. In June 1913, he married Katherine Kruse in British Columbia. This marriage ended when he left her without a divorce.

Watson continued to marry and traveled to various places. He had relationships with women from Canada and different parts of the United States. In early 1918, he married Marie Austin in Calgary, Alberta. They later moved to the U.S., where Marie was reported missing shortly after their marriage.

James’s life became even more chaotic as he married other women. He had significant relationships in Washington and California. By 1920, his actions had drawn attention, and he was arrested on suspicion of bigamy. During this time, authorities discovered the body of a woman, and James confessed to multiple crimes, resulting in a life sentence in prison on May 10, 1920. He remained incarcerated until his death on October 15, 1939.

Murder Story

In 1918, James Watson began a string of marriages that would turn deadly. His first victim was Marie Austin, whom he married in March of that year in Calgary, Alberta. He killed her with a rock and disposed of her body in a lake near Coeur D'Alene, Idaho.

Later in 1918, he married a widow in Seattle. During their honeymoon in Spokane, he pushed her over a waterfall. In early 1919, Watson married Maude Goldsmith in January and Beatrice Andrewartha in February. Beatrice was murdered when they visited Lake Washington. Watson drowned her in the lake.

He married Elizabeth Prior in March 1919 at Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. While they were touring near Olympia, they got into an argument. Watson knocked her unconscious and killed her with a hammer. In June 1919, he married Bertha Goodrich. During their honeymoon, he bludgeoned her to death and dumped her weighted body in a lake.

In July, he was with his new bride, Alice Ludvigson, near Port Townsend, Washington. She fell out of the boat and drowned in the St. Joe River. Watson then married Nina Delaney in December 1919. A month later, her nude body was found outside of town. She had been strangled, and her body showed signs of severe violence.

Watson's downfall came in the spring of 1920 when his nineteenth wife suspected him of cheating. She hired a private investigator, who discovered evidence of Watson’s past marriages. Watson was arrested in April on suspicion of bigamy. While in custody, authorities found an unidentified woman's body near Plum Station, Washington. Fearing that the body might belong to one of his victims, Watson confessed to the murders. On May 10, 1920, he was sentenced to life in prison for seven counts of murder. Watson died in prison on October 15, 1939.