Deadly Honeymoons on ID is investigating the murder of newlywed bride Karen Roston, who was strangled and thrown overboard by husband Scott Roston as they celebrated their honeymoon on a cruise ship off the coast of Mexico.
On February 13, 1988, the Roston couple were on the final day of their honeymoon cruise after their wedding nine days previously. Unfortunately, the newlyweds had been arguing regularly over the last couple of days, something which was noted by the other passengers.
That night, Scott was seen arguing with a woman on deck, and an hour later, he reported to the ship’s crew that his 26-year-old wife had fallen overboard. He blamed a sudden gust of wind.
Scott was interviewed by the ship’s doctor, who was also a deputized law enforcer in Hawaii, and he eventually asked the ship’s captain to put Scott in a guarded cabin.
The killer first raised suspicion because he had severe scratches on his face. He claimed to have hit his face off a gangway control box while trying to stop Karen from falling overboard. However, an examination of the box showed no sign of blood or impact.
Investigators later found tufts of Karen’s hair on the deck, along with an earring that had clearly been ripped from her ear. These pieces of evidence suggested a violent struggle had occurred on the deck.
Autopsy revealed Karen Roston had been murdered: Scott Roston was the only suspect
Karen’s body was found floating in the water about 22 miles south of San Diego. An autopsy revealed bruising around her neck, suggesting she’d been strangled.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelHer remains had been kept afloat due to air pockets trapped in her clothes. These air pockets would have been forced out had she attempted to swim on hitting the water. The experts determined that Karen had been unconscious when she hit the water.
Scott Roston was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He tried to come up with another harebrained reason for his wife’s death, claiming she had been murdered by Israeli secret agents.
He said the murder was revenge for a book he’d written titled Nightmare in Israel, in which he claimed he’d been abused in an Israeli mental hospital after being arrested on fake charges for burglary.
Scott Roston convicted for killing wife, Karen Roston
However, Scott’s ridiculous claim failed to withstand scrutiny, and he was convicted of murder in March 1989. He was initially sentenced to life in prison, with the judge referring to the case as one of the “cruelest” they’d experienced.
However, after an appeal in 1994, Scott’s sentence was reduced to 33 years and nine months, which put it more in line with the recommended guidelines for second-degree murder.
Deadly Honeymoons airs Saturday at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery.