Suvechha Sarkar
In late April 2018, the authorities uncovered the remains of a 35-year-old woman named Molly Nicole Watson at a desolate location in Monroe County in the northeastern part of Missouri. The loving mother of one was a reputed member of the community, known for her kindhearted nature. Therefore, the news of her murder left her loved ones in shock and disbelief. The episode titled ‘I Now Pronounce You Dead’ by ABC’s ’20/20′ takes a closer look at this appalling crime along with the investigations that soon followed. It features accounts from officials involved in the case, her family members, and witness accounts that helped unmask an unexpected killer.
Molly Watson’s Life Turned Upside Down Two Days Before Her Dream Wedding
Molly Nicole Watson was born on December 15, 1982, in the small town of Moberly, Missouri, to Timothy E. and Sandi L. Watson. She grew up surrounded by the love of her parents and her brother Timothy E. Watson III. From goofing around the house together to being her protector, her brother was like a best friend to her. Not only did Molly have a bubbly personality, but she was also academically gifted. She had successfully attained a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Psychology. She eventually felt she found the love of her life when she got married in her early 20s. However, the marriage did not last long, but she gave birth to her beloved son, Declan Davis Johnson, when she was going through her divorce.
Molly’s life revolved around him as she aspired to provide Declan with everything she had to offer. She ultimately pursued a meaningful career as a Corrections Officer at Burrell Behavioral Center in Moberly, where she met the man of her dreams, James Addie. As they grew closer, Molly fell head over heels for him. After a 7 year-long blissful relationship, they got engaged. With great anticipation and excitement, she began planning her perfect wedding until an unexpected tragedy struck her on April 27, 2018. Just 48 hours before her big day, 911 received a call from Glen McSparren, informing them about a woman who was found on a desolate gravel road in Monroe County.
As soon as the officials arrived at the scene, they found her deceased. They reportedly found blood on the ground and determined that she was shot to death. On checking her vehicle registration and documents in her purse, they identified her as 35-year-old Molly Nicole Watson. The detectives also found her and James Addie’s marriage license in the car. Investigators also discovered a shirt, tire tracks near the crime scene, and an empty .22 caliber ammunition box leading away from the location. The autopsy determined Molly’s cause of death to be a single gunshot wound to the back of her head from a small caliber weapon. A full-fledged investigation was launched, which unearthed a shocking detail.
Molly Watson’s Killer Was Leading a Double Life Behind the Mask of Love
When questioned by the police, Glen reportedly told them that he had seen two cars near the crime scene earlier that night. As per his accounts, when he had gone to inquire if anyone was stuck, a short and older man driving the car asked him to take another way. Glen allegedly returned to check based on his suspicion when he found Molly and her car. The big shock arrived when the officials arrived at James’ home to inform him about the death of his fiancée. It turned out that he was leading a double life and had a wife named Melanie Addie, who was also the mother of his two children, Ben and Emma. When questioned, he alleged that he was at a friend’s house and returned around 8:30 pm. He reportedly showed them the second mobile he used to contact Molly and alleged that he had been talking to her that evening.
Molly and James were on a 22-minute call on the fateful night, but he did not mention what she was up to. Apart from discovering that his car was covered with huge amounts of dust, they also retrieved ammunition, which matched the empty box at the scene. The officials found his text messages and circumstances to be very suspicious, so they arrested and charged him with first-degree murder. With further investigation, it was revealed that the DNA of the blood present on the t-shirt near the crime scene matched Molly’s. Another account came up where James had allegedly told Molly that his wife had passed away due to injuries from a car accident. However, as per Molly’s phone records, she had been searching for Melanie’s obituary.
According to the officials, this search pointed out that Molly was allegedly suspicious of James’ story about his wife’s death. He had also sent Molly a text reading that he would meet her that night. An expert analysis also tied him to the crime as the tire tracks found at the scene matched one of the tires of his car. All the evidence and a major witness statement from his daughter, Emma, ultimately led to his conviction. The jury finally found him guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action on April 29, 2021. He was sentenced to life in prison without any possibility of parole on July 12, 2021, for the murder of Molly Watson. Additionally, James was also given a consecutive 10-year imprisonment for the second charge.
