Stories of Freedom

Joey Watkins

Joey Watkins

22 Years Lost
On September 21, 2023 following a 22 year fight to clear his name, Joey Watkins' ankle monitor was cut off and he was finally able to live his life as a free man along with his family and friends.

Lee Clark

Lee Clark

25 Years Lost
After 25 years behind bars for a crime that never happened, Lee Clark was exonerated and walked out of Floyd County Jail into the arms of dozens of friends, families, and loved ones on December 8th, 2022.

Devonia Inman

Devonia Inman

23 Years Lost
Despite compelling information showing that the State convicted the wrong man, it took a massive team effort that spanned almost a decade to correct this obvious injustice. In December of 2021 Devonia walked out of Augusta State Medical Prison and into the arms of family just in time to celebrate his first Christmas as a free man in more than two decades.

Ron Jacobsen

Ron Jacobsen

31 Years Lost
At 61 years old, after spending more than half his life incarcerated for a crime he did not commit, Ron Jacobsen has at last been fully exonerated.

Dennis Perry

Dennis Perry

21 Years Lost
Together with co-counsel, GIP secured a new trial for Dennis in a 35-year-old double murder he didn’t commit. He was released on bond July 23,2020. While the fight isn’t over, Dennis is enjoying the little things, like time with his grandchildren, earning his driver’s permit, and road trips with his loving wife, Brenda.

Terry Talley

Terry Talley

40 Years Lost
Despite profoundly unreliable evidence, Terry was convicted of several crimes against White women in 1980s Troop County. GIP fought for years: obtaining DNA testing that proved innocence, uncovering buried evidence and official misconduct, and even partnering with police – all culminating in four exonerations and Terry’s freedom in February 2021.

Johnny Lee Gates

Johnny Lee Gates

43 Years Lost
Johnny Lee Gates spent more than 43 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. On May 15, 2020, he walked free from Muscogee County Jail.

Kerry Robinson

Kerry Robinson

18 Years Lost
Wrongfully convicted as teen based on bad science and a lying incentivized witness, Kerry was exonerated in January 2020 thanks to new DNA evidence and the tireless efforts of his family, DNA scientist Greg Hampikian, attorney Rodney Zell & GIP. Kerry embraces every moment he has in freedom and with loved ones.

Michael Googe

Michael Googe

7 Years Lost
A unique partnership between the Georgia Prosecuting Attorneys' Council, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Georgia Innocence Project led to the exoneration of Michael Googe of Brunswick, GA. He was convicted in 2007 for the burglary of a convenience store.

Michael Marshall

Michael Marshall

2 Years Lost
On December 14, 2009, more than two years after being wrongfully convicted, Michael Marshall was set free after post-conviction DNA testing proved his innocence.

John White

John White

27 Years Lost
John White walked out of prison as a free man in December of 2007, after losing more than 27 years of his life to wrongful conviction.

Pete Williams

Pete Williams

22 Years Lost
On January 23, 2007, after serving over 22 years of a 45-year sentence, Pete Williams was released from prison at the age of 45. When asked how it felt to be released after all the years he spent in prison, Pete said, “Being free—nothing can replace that. Freedom, it means everything.”

Robert Clark

Robert Clark

24 Years Lost
Robert was exonerated in December 2005, and walked out of prison an innocent man. At the time of his arrest, he was 21 years old, the father of a 5-year-old son, and lived with his mother, who never lost faith in him throughout his trial and incarceration.

Clarence Harrison

Clarence Harrison

17 Years Lost
Clarence Harrison, Georgia Innocence Project’s first exoneree, served nearly 18 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He was released in 2004 after post-conviction DNA testing conclusively proved his innocence.