U.S. authorities exonerated a woman from Tennessee this week who had been convicted of murdering her niece and spent 27 years in prison.
Joyce Watkins, 74 years old, had taken her four-year-old niece, Brandy, in Kentucky on June 26, 1987, along with her boyfriend at the time, Charlie Dunn. The following morning, Brandy was found unresponsive, prompting her aunt to take her to Nashville Memorial Hospital, where it was revealed she had sustained severe injuries, according to a report submitted to Davidson County. The report noted that Brandy was pronounced dead the next day, while she had been with her aunt for only nine hours. The forensic pathologist, Dr. Gretel Harlan, concluded that the injuries occurred during that time.
A year later, in August 1988, both Joyce Watkins and her boyfriend Charlie Dunn were convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated assault. The two spent 27 years behind bars before being paroled in 2015, with Dunn passing away in prison before his release. Prior to Joyce taking the young girl, Brandy had been living with her great-aunt, Rose Williams, while her mother was in Georgia at that time. During that period, a Kentucky social services worker visited the home after receiving a report of Brandy being abused. Williams explained that Brandy's injuries were due to an incident on the playground, and the investigation was closed.
After 35 years, Watkins was exonerated as a crucial point was clarified to clear her name, and Dunn was posthumously acquitted. According to "Russia Today," Jason Getzner, chief legal advisor for the Tennessee Innocence Project, told CNN: "We received this case because Joyce came to us… She just walked into the office and said, 'Let me tell you my story… I need your help.'"
Additionally, District Attorney Glen Funk told CNN, "Joyce Watkins and Charlie Dunn are innocent… We can’t give Ms. Watkins or Mr. Dunn their lost years back, but we can restore their dignity… We can restore their names… Their innocence demands it." Watkins expressed gratitude, saying, "I thank everyone for their prayers and helping me get out of this mess that cost me half my life for something I didn’t do, but I will overcome it."
