A fire department captain in southern Arizona has been charged with murder in the cold-case slayings of his ex-wife, her mother and a third woman, according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department.
Authorities said all three deaths stemmed from a child-custody battle between Tucson Fire Department Captain David Watson and his ex-wife, Linda Watson, who disappeared 15 years ago. Her mother, Marilyn Cox, and Cox's friend, Renee Farnsworth, were fatally shot in 2003.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department said Watson has been a suspect all along.
A Tucson Fire Department spokesman said Watson is on unpaid leave.
He was arrested Saturday on suspicion of first-degree murder and was being held on a $2 million bond.
A Pima County Sheriff's Office spokesman said technological advancements and DNA testing helped confirm law enforcement suspicions that Watson had committed the crimes.
