Inmate sentenced to death in Las Vegas for murdering his wife dies in custody

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A Nevada death row inmate who killed his wife during a trip to Las Vegas in 2006 died while incarcerated, prison officials said.

John Watson was pronounced dead on Sept. 23 at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center in Carson City, the Nevada Department of Corrections said in a news release.

Watson, 84, was serving a death sentence at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center, also in Carson City. According to NDOC, an autopsy has been requested.

MORE ON NEWS 3 |Former Las Vegas teacher sentenced to 9 years in prison for distributing child pornography

A jury convicted Watson in 2010 of killing his wife, Everilda Watson, while staying at a Las Vegas hotel and sentenced him to execution.

Watson maintained his innocence and appealed the conviction. He argued that his attorney told jurors without his consent that circumstantial evidence could lead them to find Watson guilty of second-degree murder.

The district court granted a new trial, but the Nevada Supreme Court reversed that decision. All remaining post-conviction claims were denied and an appeal was filed with the state Supreme Court in August.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.