Why an Innocent Woman Spent 27 Years in Prison

Imagine spending nearly three decades in prison for a crime you didn’t commit. That was the reality for Joyce Watkins, who in 1989 was wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of her four-year-old great-niece. Joyce and her longtime partner, Charlie Dunn, never stopped insisting they were innocent. Yet flawed medical testimony, prosecutorial missteps, and systemic biases put them behind bars for life.

Charlie tragically died in prison after 27 years. Joyce was paroled in 2015 but forced to live under the stigma and restrictions of being labeled a registered sex offender. Still, she never gave up her fight to clear her name.

In this episode of The Death Readiness Podcast, I talk with Jason Gichner, Executive Director of the Tennessee Innocence Project, about Joyce’s story, the flaws in the justice system, and what her case teaches us about resilience, justice, and protecting your voice.

The Tennessee Innocence Project

The Tennessee Innocence Project is a nonprofit law firm that represents people who are actually innocent, those convicted of crimes they did not commit. The Project’s exonerated clients each served more than 26 years, on average. Beyond litigation, the Project also advocates for policy reforms aimed at preventing wrongful convictions.

How Joyce’s Story Began

Joyce became entangled in tragedy after caring for her great-niece for just nine hours. The child arrived at Joyce’s home already showing signs of injury and distress. Joyce immediately called her niece’s mother and sought medical. Yet flawed medical testimony placed blame squarely on Joyce and Charlie.

During trial, prosecutors offered Joyce a deal: one year in prison if she testified against Charlie. She refused. She wouldn’t send an innocent man to prison, even if it meant a life sentence for herself.

The Power of Expert Testimony

The conviction rested almost entirely on flawed testimony from a medical examiner who claimed that the timing of the child’s injury could be determined by the absence of a single type of cell on brain slides. Decades later, independent experts, including Tennessee’s chief medical examiner, proved that theory was biologically impossible.

The Impossible Choices Innocent People Face

Joyce’s refusal of the plea deal meant she spent 27 years behind bars. Many others in her position make a different choice: pleading guilty to crimes they didn’t commit.

Why? Because prosecutors hold immense leverage. Faced with the risk of life in prison or even the death penalty, pleading guilty can feel like the only way out, even for the innocent.

Exoneration, Finally

Years after her parole, Joyce reached out to the Tennessee Innocence Project. Jason’s team reinvestigated her case, uncovering junk science and suppressed evidence, like police reports that proved the prosecutor’s claims were false.

The Project presented its findings to Nashville’s Conviction Review Unit. After an independent investigation, the District Attorney’s office agreed: Joyce and Charlie were innocent.

In December 2021, both convictions were overturned. By early 2022, all charges were dismissed, and Joyce and Charlie were formally exonerated. Tragically, Charlie had already died in prison of cancer and never saw his name cleared.

Life After Exoneration

Exoneration doesn’t erase decades of injustice. Under Tennessee law, wrongfully convicted individuals may seek up to $1 million in compensation but the process is full of roadblocks. Even with unanimous support from the parole board, Joyce’s case still sits with the governor’s office, unresolved. Charlie’s family may never qualify for compensation.

Beyond money, exonerees face trauma, lost opportunities, and the challenge of rebuilding a life from scratch. The Tennessee Innocence Project helps with therapy, housing, benefits, and community but freedom doesn’t erase the damage done.

Learn More and Take Action

Joyce’s story shows us why protecting your voice matters, even when the cost feels unbearable. It also reminds us why organizations like the Tennessee Innocence Project are so important. Learn more about the Tennessee Innocence Project at tninnocence.org

Listen to the episode here: