NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Several Tennessee exonerees gathered Friday at the Nashville Sign to see their faces on a digital billboard in recognition of International Wrongful Conviction Day, an annual observance aimed at raising awareness of people who lost years behind bars for crimes they maintain they did not commit.
At the intersection of Broadway and 16th Avenue, a billboard typically used to promote new music instead featured the faces of exonerees from across Tennessee. The display was organized by Public Bored: and brought together men and women whose cases represent decades of imprisonment later challenged or overturned.
For many, the moment was about more than recognition. It was a chance to reflect on years lost and the ongoing effort to rebuild their lives.
"I feel great, just being home, and today being the national day for Innocent and wrongful conviction day," said Thomas Clardy.
Among those honored was Joyce Watkins, who spent more than 27 years in prison.
"Twenty-seven years and two months. For a crime that didn't happen," Watkins said.
Watkins was convicted in the rape and murder of her 4-year-old great-niece. Later findings showed the child's fatal injuries occurred before she was ever in Watkins' care.
Despite the decades-long fight to clear her name, Watkins said perseverance carried her through.
"Don't give up. Never give up. I always pray and never give up," she said.
Clardy also knows the challenges of fighting for freedom. He spent 17 years in prison after being convicted of murder. A federal judge overturned his conviction in 2023, but that ruling was later reversed. After returning to prison, Clardy continued pursuing his claim of innocence.
"That was my whole thing about going back as opposed to running," Clardy said.
Gov. Bill Lee later commuted Clardy's sentence, allowing him to return home. Still, he says his legal battle is not finished.
"I'm innocent so I just can't wait till that day happens and I mean hopefully it will be soon," Clardy said.
Standing alongside him were others who spent decades incarcerated before gaining their freedom.
"Forty-six years, eight months and 22 days," said Rickie Webb, describing the amount of time he spent imprisoned.
"I served 24 years for a crime I didn't commit," added Darren Price.
Many of the exonerees credit the Tennessee Innocence Project with helping secure their release, including Artis Whitehead, who spent 21 years behind bars.
"It's different. I've been gone for 21 years. All of my children are grown. I have grandchildren and it's like, yeah, it's something definitely different," Whitehead said.
Though each story is unique, the exonerees gathered Friday shared a common experience: years lost to incarceration and a continuing effort to move forward.
With their faces displayed above one of Nashville's busiest corridors, many said the event reminded them how far they have come.
"Just giving thanks to Tennessee for the opportunity to be standing here today, somewhere that we all thought we would never be given, given that we all was facing life sentences," Clardy said.
If you’d like to help Thomas Clardy as he rebuilds his life at home, his family has started a GoFundMe.
International Wrongful Conviction Day is observed each year to honor exonerees, raise awareness of wrongful convictions and support ongoing criminal justice reform efforts. For the exonerees gathered in Nashville, the day was both a celebration of freedom and a reminder of the work that remains ahead.
September 11, 2001 is a day most associate with terror and tragedy. Austin Pollack shares a story from that day about hope and persistence: the effort to save a little girl’s life – with an organ donation. The problem? The young patient was in Houston, and her life-saving liver here in Nashville. With the grounding of all civilian aircraft, how could it be done? “Nobody ever said this isn’t possible.”
- Rhori Johnston
