Man Who Spent Half His Life in Prison Has Murder Charges Dropped: ‘I Can’t Tell You How Good I Feel’

A Georgia man who spent over 20 years in prison is finally free after a judge dismissed a murder charge against him.

A Floyd County district attorney asked for the charge against Joey Watkins to be dismissed after his initial conviction was vacated and on Thursday, September 21, the judge agreed. The 43-year-old was moved to tears when he was told that the charges had been dropped.

"Cried like a baby I guess you could say, just knowing that it was finally finished, finally over," Watkins told The Associated Press.

In 2000, Watkins was convicted and sentenced to serve life plus five years in prison for the murder of Isaac Dawkins in northwest Georgia. 

The Georgia Innocence Project fought for decades to overturn the conviction, eventually winning Watkins a new trial based on issues with juror misconduct and other factors.

Christina Cribbs, senior attorney with the Georgia Innocence Project, says that cell phone data shows that Watkins was not near Dawkins when he was killed. In January, a judge agreed to release him from jail on bond as he waited for his second trial, which has now been dismissed.

"I can't tell you how good I feel," Watkins said, according to a Facebook post from the Georgia Innocence Project. "Do you know how many times I drove by and looked up at these windows and thought, one day I'll be able to sit up there, have a beer, and actually relax? Well, that day is finally here and I am so grateful."

A GoFundMe was set up to help Watkins rebuild his life after losing over 22 years to wrongful conviction and imprisonment and has raised over $10,000 so far.