John Kenneth Watkins

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Charge:	Sexual Assault (includes aggravated)
Sentence:	14 years
Years Imprisoned:	6
Year Crime:	2004
Year Convicted:	2004
Year Cleared:	2010
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Arizona
County or Region of Crime:	Maricopa
City of Crime:	Gilbert
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"John Watkins was wrongly convicted in 2003 of rape that occurred in 2003 when he was 19. The rape victim told police that her attacker wore a white t-shirt, and in a six person lineup Watkins was the only person that the police had wear a white t-shirt. Both the victim and an eyewitness separately picked Watkins out of the line-up, and Watkins confessed to the crime after being continuously interrogated for four hours and told that he failed a DNA test. To get a reduced sentence Watkins pled guilty, although he asserted his innocence of the crime. In the fall of 2010 DNA testing of the victim's rape kit conducted under a program overseen by the Arizona Justice Project excluded Watkins as the woman's attacker. Watkins filed a motion to overturn his conviction based on the new exculpatory DNA evidence, and he was released on December 16, 2010, after 7-1/2 years of wrongful imprisonment."
Conviction Caused By:	"The victim and an eyewitness erroneously identified Watkins, and he falsely confessed to the crime."
Innocence Proved By:	"Watkins filed a motion to overturn his conviction based on the new exculpatory DNA evidence, and he was released on December 16, 2010, after 7-1/2 years of wrongful imprisonment."
Defendant Aided By:	Arizona Justice Project (primary) aided by Innocence Project NY
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	19
Age When Released:	25
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"DNA Test Frees Convicted Arizona Man of Rap, KPHO (Phoenix), December 22, 2010"
Information Location 1:	http://www.kpho.com/valleynews/26213605/detail.html
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John Kenneth Watkins

Charge:

Sexual Assault (includes aggravated)

Sentence:

14 years

Years Imprisoned:

6

Year Crime:

2004

Year Convicted:

2004

Year Cleared:

2010

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Arizona

County or Region of Crime:

Maricopa

City of Crime:

Gilbert

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

"The victim and an eyewitness erroneously identified Watkins, and he falsely confessed to the crime."

Innocence Proved By:

"Watkins filed a motion to overturn his conviction based on the new exculpatory DNA evidence, and he was released on December 16, 2010, after 7-1/2 years of wrongful imprisonment."

Defendant Aided By:

Arizona Justice Project (primary) aided by Innocence Project NY

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

19

Age When Released:

25

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"DNA Test Frees Convicted Arizona Man of Rap, KPHO (Phoenix), December 22, 2010"

Information Location 1:

http://www.kpho.com/valleynews/26213605/detail.html

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Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: