# Accused American "honeymoon scuba" killer pleads guilty to manslaughter **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 5, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accused-american-honeymoon-scuba-killer-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter/498761 "2009-06-05T01:35:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2009, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accused-american-honeymoon-scuba-killer-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter/498761/21 "2009-06-10T04:59:35Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > It retains a certain cachet. Or has become tainted by a slightly dusty, musty, old fashioned air, depending on your predilictions. ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accused-american-honeymoon-scuba-killer-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter/498761/22 "2009-06-10T18:57:22Z")
Did anyone click though to the [original story](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25276933/)? That picture alone seems to discount the husband’s tale. There are at least 3 other people nearby (the dive master, the person getting their picture taken, and the photographer). His “went to get help” excuse doesn’t seem very believable. I suppose the woman and her husband could have been a ways away from the group in the picture, but they had to be within sight. Still, not “beyond a reasonable doubt”, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accused-american-honeymoon-scuba-killer-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter/498761/23 "2009-06-11T12:22:53Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Or has become tainted by a slightly dusty, musty, old fashioned air, depending on your predilictions. I’m not going to tell Mrs Piper, QC what you said! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accused-american-honeymoon-scuba-killer-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter/498761/24 "2009-06-11T16:58:58Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > … > > - even if it was functioning, it’s possible that the deceased or the accused accidentally turned it off… The only way to “turn off” a scuba air supply is to close the valve on the air tank. The valve sits behind one’s neck and has to be turned like a screw multiple times to be completely off. It is not something you can do to yourself accidentally, and even if done purposefully it would be difficult. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accused-american-honeymoon-scuba-killer-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter/498761/25 "2009-06-11T21:08:24Z")
> [@jk1245](#): > > Did anyone click though to the [original story](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25276933/)? > > That picture alone seems to discount the husband’s tale. There are at least 3 other people nearby (the dive master, the person getting their picture taken, and the photographer). His “went to get help” excuse doesn’t seem very believable. I suppose the woman and her husband could have been a ways away from the group in the picture, but they had to be within sight. You could just as easily argue the other way though. With other divers in sight, wouldn’t someone notice the husband turning off his wifes air, holiding her under till she passed out, and turning the air back on. Neither version makes a lot of sense. And given that and the lack of motive (the life insurance thing seems pretty weak, as others have said, changing insurance policies before marriage is hardly unusal) or clear cause of death I think the Crown is luck to get any conviction. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accused-american-honeymoon-scuba-killer-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter/498761/26 "2009-06-11T23:19:49Z")
So, he goes to jail for X amount of time in a foriegn country and is shipped back to the US when his time is done or does he have to do parole there? Also, would this arrest/conviction/sentancing appear on his US records or is it something that is a " What happens in (x) stays in (x) ? I am assuming with this plea the life insurance monies won’t be paid out, correct? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accused-american-honeymoon-scuba-killer-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter/498761/27 "2009-06-12T03:19:32Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I’m not going to tell Mrs Piper, QC what you said! :eek: To the extent some people now see “QC” as very slightly fusty here it’s because (since they stopped appointing QC’s years ago) older senior counsel are QC and younger are SC. The same wouldn’t hold true in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accused-american-honeymoon-scuba-killer-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter/498761/28 "2009-06-12T03:34:42Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > To the extent some people now see “QC” as very slightly fusty here it’s because (since they stopped appointing QC’s years ago) older senior counsel are QC and younger are SC. The same wouldn’t hold true in Canada. It would depend on the province. Ontario abolished QCs back in the 1980s, mostly due to the “fusty, old, elitist” reason. An elderly relative who was an Ontario QC was extremely upset at this decision, although existing Ontario QCs, including him, were grandfathered. Most other provinces still allow QCs to continue to be appointed. Of course, attitude means a lot. At our Alberta firm, there are partners who insist I address them in any written communication as “John A. Smith, QC.” Other partners with QCs insist I call them “Bill” or “Sue” in written communications. As an articling student, I have to say that it’s not always easy figuring out who to call what in order to keep a partner happy. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accused-american-honeymoon-scuba-killer-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter/498761/29 "2009-06-18T04:40:44Z")
An update: the Queensland Attorney-General has announced [an appeal against the sentence.](http://www.smh.com.au/national/honeymoon-killer-sentence-inadequate-20090618-cij9.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accused-american-honeymoon-scuba-killer-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter/498761.md?page=1)