Had James Watson suffered a heart attack and died before discovering the structure

of DNA, I think Francis Crick would be the first person to elucidate DNA structure.
Francis Crick was well versed in the techniques of X-ray crystallographic techniques
and was one of the few people who actually appreciated the importance of studying
DNA structure. By then Watson and Crick already had a general idea of the helical
pattern of DNA through the X-rays and had planned to use the model-building
technique in Paulings work which successfully produced the alpha-helix structure of
proteins. Had Watson died after his meeting with Dorothy Hodgkin, Crick would have
had to carry out the research on DNA structure more independently. Crick would
have faced similar problems regarding the sugar-phosphate backbone located near
the center of the fiber, and also the failure of the first magnesium-containing DNA
model. Since much of the discovery of DNA structure relied on the collaboration
between Watson and Crick, who also provided companionship and inspiration for
each other, it is hard to say whether Crick, or more generally anyone at all, would
be able to discover the structure of DNA in Watsons absence. However, it is evident
the Rosalind Franklins X-ray data of DNA and her insights in the organization of DNA
structure played a very important role in the discovery of DNA structure. This, along
with Chargaffs rule about DNA base composition will have been two important
factors for Crick to successfully discover the structure of DNA. Crick would also have
to somehow gain access to the critical X-ray data of the B-form of DNA, shown to
Watson by Maurice Wilkins, which clearly proved DNA is helical and influenced the
decision to build models with 2 strands. After that, Crick would have to figure the
complementary pairings of purine and pyrimidine in the double helix model of DNA,
and the antiparallel positioning of the bases. On top off all this, it is impossible to
conclude whether Crick would be able to discover the structure of DNA without
Watsons help, but with Franklins data, along with Cricks own expertise and
enthusiasm of DNA (and winning the Nobel Prize), he certainly would have a fighting
chance.