The widowed

husband of Beverley Watson was hit Friday with a wrongful

death suit filed by her family in Fayette County Superior

Court.

Beverley

Watson was last seen alive on Jan. 17, 1997. A portion of

her remains were found by a surveyor earlier this year.

The Fulton

County Police Department has investigated the case, which

is now in the hands of that county's district attorney,

whose office is still reviewing it, a spokesman said

Wednesday. Beverley Watson's remains were returned to her

husband this summer, and he had her cremated.

The Fulton

County District Attorney has not charged anyone with a

crime in connection with her death. Fayette County law

enforcement authorities are not involved in the case, and

Jim Watson has never been named as a suspect.

Fred

Callaway, Beverley's father, along with her three

siblings and on behalf of her two children, charged that

Jim Watson caused his wife's wrongful death and then lied

repeatedly to cover it up, according to court records.

After the

suit was filed, Judge Paschal English issued an order

prohibiting Jim Watson from divesting any of their

marital assets, including the contents of their home and

a business they jointly owned.

The suit

alleges that there were numerous incidents of physical

and mental abuse inflicted upon Beverley Watson by her

husband during their marriage, and that Jim Watson was

involved in "incidents of infidelity."

According

to the suit, Jim Watson was "extremely

possessive" and "demonstrated extreme and

unreasonable jealousy" toward his wife, who had

filed for divorce and sought court protection against him

before her disappearance because she feared for her

safety.

On the

night she was last seen, a Friday, Beverley Watson

allegedly left her home in Fayetteville and went to the

home of a friend, Debbie White, according to the suit.

She then went back home and got into an argument with her

husband.

White and

numerous family members tried to reach her by telephone

throughout the weekend, the suit alleges, but Jim Watson

lied about her whereabouts, saying one time that she was

asleep in the house.

When White

called back Monday, Jan. 20, she told Jim Watson that she

was going to the police. Later that day he went to the

Fayette County Sheriff's Department and reported his wife

missing, according to the suit.

Beverley

Watson's family charges that Jim Watson called her

employer, WhiteWater Country Club, the morning of Jan. 20

to say that she was out of town for a few days, although

her car and many personal items such as her purse were

still at her home.

Jim Watson

also claimed that his wife left the house the night of

Jan. 17 and never came back, although he claimed she was

home sleeping when her family and friends called over the

weekend, the suit alleges.

The family

is asking for more than $1 million in damages based on

the value of Beverley Watson's remaining years with her

children as well as pain and suffering. Jim Watson has

caused her "excruciating pain, terror and emotional

horror" through his actions, the suit charges.