CRESCENT CITY, California — Benjamin W. Watta, sentenced to death for the brutal 1980 rape and murder of a Seal Beach woman, died in prison on December 22, 2025, at the age of 80, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Watta was discovered unresponsive in his cell at Pelican Bay State Prison during a routine count at approximately 11 a.m. Paramedics pronounced him dead shortly after 11:30 a.m., with the cause of death yet to be determined by the Del Norte County Coroner’s Office.
In 2008, a jury found Watta guilty of killing 70-year-old Simone Sharpe, whose body was discovered by her son on Christmas Eve in 1980. She had been suffocated and strangled, and evidence indicated a violent sexual assault had occurred. At the time of her murder, Sharpe was caring for her neighbor’s cats while the family was away on vacation.
The case remained unsolved for decades until a specialized task force began to review unsolved homicides using advanced DNA technology. In 2001, investigators connected Watta to the crime scene using DNA from a rape kit collected years earlier. At that time, Watta was already in custody for attempting to murder an ex-girlfriend in Florida and was subsequently extradited to Orange County.
Following his conviction, Watta received a death sentence, which was officially imposed in 2009. He was subsequently moved to Pelican Bay State Prison, where he remained on death row.
Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration placed a moratorium on executions in California in 2019, marking a significant shift in the state’s approach to capital punishment. The last execution in California took place in 2006.
Watta’s death concludes a contentious chapter in a case that shocked the community of Seal Beach and highlighted the enduring impact of violent crime on victims’ families. The investigation and eventual conviction underscored the importance of forensic advancements in solving cold cases, bringing closure to the family of Simone Sharpe after more than two decades.
As the coroner’s office conducts its investigation, the legacy of the case remains significant in discussions surrounding justice, punishment, and the evolution of forensic science in law enforcement.