Freedom Stories: Our Exonerees
Since 2019, the Tennessee Innocence Project (TIP) has helped to exonerate 9 innocent clients who collectively served a total of 237 years behind bars. These are their stories.
Darron Price
On January 17, 2025, Darron Price was officially exonerated for a crime he did not commit. Darron’s case is the 9th exoneration achieved by the Tennessee Innocence Project (TIP) since its founding in 2019. Darron’s ordeal arose from a carjacking at Chickasaw Oaks Plaza in Memphis, TN on November 10, 2001. Despite the lack of credible proof connecting Darron to the crime, he was convicted and sentenced to forty-nine years in prison. Darron never wavered in his claim of innocence and was relentless in his pursuit for justice while incarcerated, which led him to TIP. Through its investigation and advocacy, TIP uncovered witnesses and DNA evidence that definitively proved Darron’s innocence. In 2024, TIP presented this new evidence to the court. On November 22, 2024, Darron’s conviction was overturned, and all charges were dropped on January 17, 2025. Darron can now begin rebuilding his life after decades of being wrongfully imprisoned and labeled a convicted felon.
"When we started reviewing Darron's case, it was pretty clear there was more to the story. With the help of investigator Marc Caudel, TIP pounded the pavement, tracked down witnesses, and got to the truth of the matter. This case demonstrates what can be uncovered after a fact-intensive, detailed investigation,” said Jessica Van Dyke, Legal Director of the Tennessee Innocence Project.
“Today is a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we remain committed to seeking justice. Darron’s exoneration exemplifies the mission of the Tennessee Innocence Project: to seek justice, uncover truth, and restore lives. This milestone serves as both a celebration of Darron’s newfound freedom and a call to action for systemic change to prevent further injustices,” said Jason Gichner, Executive Director of the Tennessee Innocence Project.
Scott Minton
In 2024, the Tennessee Innocence Project, in partnership with the Innocence Project, successfully vacated the wrongful conviction of Scott Minton, who spent 31 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Despite presenting 18 alibi witnesses and time-stamped receipts proving he was in another county at the time of the crime, Mr. Minton was convicted in 1994 based on unreliable eyewitness identification and a coerced false confession.
Through the tireless efforts of the Tennessee Innocence Project’s legal team—Jessica Van Dyke, Madison Lowery, and Marc Caudel and our partners with the Innocence Project—new scientific evidence on eyewitness identification and false confessions was presented during post-conviction proceedings. Expert testimony demonstrated that law enforcement’s tunnel vision, coupled with evolving and inconsistent accounts from the victim, led to the dismissal of critical evidence supporting Mr. Minton’s innocence. The court ruled that these advancements in scientific understanding constituted new evidence, ultimately overturning his conviction.
Mr. Minton’s case underscores the importance of the Tennessee Innocence Project’s mission to address systemic flaws in the justice system and prevent wrongful convictions. By advocating for the application of emerging science and fighting for those without a voice, our team remains committed to ensuring justice for the innocent and improving investigative and judicial practices across Tennessee.
Photo Credit: Alyssa Pointer, Innocence Project
Ricky Lee Webb
Convicted in 1976 for a rape and murder he did not commit, Ricky Lee Webb was sentenced to consecutive life sentences. On Friday, October 4th, Ricky Lee Webb was released from prison after his conviction was overturned, and he was officially exonerated later that month. The fourth longest serving exonerated person in US history, Ricky spent 46 years, 8 months, and 20 days behind bars, maintaining his innocence throughout.
Artis Whitehead
During the morning of May 9, 2002, a robbery occurred at B.B. King’s Blues Club on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Over eight months after the crime occurred, a Crime Stoppers tip named Artis Whitehead as the perpetrator. He was arrested and charged although no evidence connected him to the robbery, and his fingerprints and palm prints did not match those found at the scene. On January 31, 2024, 21 years after his exact arrest date, Artis Whitehead was exonerated.
Wayne Burgess
In 1999, Wayne Burgess was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison for the death of his girlfriend’s one-year-old daughter in Pulaski, Tennessee. He has spent the last 24 years locked up in Hardeman County Correctional Facility, losing decades of his life for a crime he did not commit. After more than a year of tireless work by a team of attorneys led by Jason Gichner, the conviction was overturned and vacated on April 13, 2023.
Claude Garrett
In 1992, Claude Garrett was convicted of the murder of his fiancé, Lori Lance, after a horrific house fire took place in their Old Hickory, Tennessee home. Mr. Garrett sustained injuries from the fire, but Ms. Lance sadly succumbed to smoke inhalation. In 2022, the Tennessee Innocence Project successfully overturned his wrongful conviction and were able to greet Mr. Garrett as he walked out of prison.
Joyce Watkins &
Charles Dunn
Joyce Watkins and Charles Dunn were wrongfully convicted in 1988 of the murder and sexual assault of Ms. Watkins’ great niece. In 2015, Ms. Watkins was released on parole. Unfortunately, Mr. Dunn never experienced freedom, as he passed away the same year while incarcerated. In 2022, the Tennessee Innocence Project is proud to have helped exonerate Ms. Watkins and Mr. Dunn.
Paul Shane Garrett
In 2003, Paul Shane Garrett pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter to avoid a life sentence. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and released in 2011. DNA evidence was critical in proving Mr. Garrett’s innocence. The Tennessee Innocence Project was honored to help clear Mr. Garrett’s name in 2021 when he was officially exonerated.