74-Year-Old Woman Who Spent 27 Years in Prison for Crime She Didn't Commit Released
- In 1987, Joyce Watkins and her then-boyfriend Charlie Dunn went to pick her four-year-old great-niece Brandi
- The next day, the little girl was rushed to hospital with head trauma, and she passed away
- They were acquitted of murder years later after it was established that the medical examiner made a mistake, but Dunn died in prison
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A 74-year-old woman who was wrongfully jailed for the murder of a relative has been freed.
Source: UGC
Niece's death
Joyce Watkins, from Tennessee, US, was acquitted for killing her great-niece.
CNN reports that in 1987, Watkins and her then-boyfriend Charlie Dunn went to pick her four-year-old great-niece Brandi.
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The next day, Brandi was unresponsive, and they rushed her to the hospital.
The girl suffered from head trauma and had injuries to her privates.
The two were with Brandi for two hours, and the medical examiner concluded she got the injuries while with them.
In 1988, Watkins and Dunn were convicted of aggravated rape and first-degree murder. It was later established that the medical examiner made an error, leading to their wrongful conviction.
After spending 27 years in jail, they were granted parole in 2015, but Dunn died in prison.
“I wish my daddy was here to witness this day. He knew he was innocent, he knew he did not commit those crimes,” Dunn’s daughter said.
Watkins and Dunn's lawyer said he is unsure whether their families will be compensated for their wasted time spent in jail.
Millions for wrongfully jailed man
Briefly News previously reported that a man who spent 22 years in jail for a crime he did not commit was given billions.
Eddie Bolden, wrongfully convicted in 1994 for a double murder, was awarded more than R3.6 million in damages by a jury after he sued the city of Chicago and two police detectives.
Bolden was set free in 2016, two years after a court established that his trial attorney was ineffective.
He received a certificate of innocence that allowed him to get paid for his time behind bars.
Source: Briefly News
Maryn Blignaut (Human-Interest HOD) Maryn Blignaut is the Human Interest manager and feature writer. She holds a BA degree in Communication Science, which she obtained from the University of South Africa in 2016. She joined the Briefly - South African News team shortly after graduating and has over six years of experience in the journalism field. Maryn passed the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course (Google News Initiative), as well as a set of trainings for journalists by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at: maryn.blignaut@briefly.co.za
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
