Seventeen year-old Christine W. Watson was found dead this
morning at South Beach of Amity Village shortly after 6 a.m. Watson was last seen alive by college
sophomore Christopher P. Hoggenbottam III at around 11 p.m. Both teenagers had been drinking heavily and
may have been under the influence of marijuana.
According to Hoggenbottam, Watson had decided to go swimming
at a remote section of South Beach near the South Beach Shoal bell buoy. The police were notified about Watson’s
disappearance around 6 a.m. by Hoggenbottam, who never saw Watson return from
the water.
Watson’s body was found mangled and washed up on the beach after
a brief search and was immediately sent to the coroner’s office for an autopsy.
“The body was severely mangled, and the wounds are
consistent with a motor boat accident,” Dr. Robert Nevin, medical examiner of
Amity Village, said. “It was a calm
clear night, and often fishermen are out fishing.”
There have been no leads on who exactly killed Watson,
however there has been some speculation that her death was caused by a shark
attack. Despite this risk the residents
of Amity village have been assured of their safety.
“Though a shark attack has not been completely ruled out, we
want to assure all residents and visitors on our fine island that they are in
no danger,” Martin Brody, Amity’s chief of police, said in a press release. “Our lovely beaches will remain open for swimming
pending the outcome of the investigation.”
Watson was a member of the varsity swim team at Amity High
School and a lifeguard at the Amity Island YMCA pool in Oak Bluffs. No charges have been filed in the case and
the investigation in ongoing.
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