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 convicted of murder 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.
Billions for wrongfully jailed man
TUKO.co.ke 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 KSh 2.7 billion 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.
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