Manslaughter Trial: Day Two

Alabama Mobile  Prosecutors continue to lay out their case against a mother accused in the deaths of her two young sons.
by Jessica Taloney
Published: Thu, February 19, 2009 - 6:18 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, February 19, 2009 - 6:22 pm CST
Two young brothers killed in an early morning motel fire may have filled up the bathtub with water in an attempt to survive. An assistant fire marshal, who testified during the second day of their mother's manslaughter trial, showed jurors pictures of the burned-out motel room, including the bathroom where the boys' bodies were found.

Joy Watkins, 24, is charged with manslaughter for the deaths of her five and six year old sons.

Investigators say Watkins left her children alone at the Bama Motel on Government Boulevard in February 2007 while she worked the overnight shift at a fast food restaurant. The children died when the motel room caught on fire, which investigators believe was started by the six year old.

The defense hopes jurors will be sympathetic for Watkins, a single-mother, who they say was doing everything she could to make ends meet.

During the cross examination of the assistant fire marshal, Watkins' attorney tried to create doubt about the cause of the fire, suggesting a faulty heater may be to blame.

Prosecutors will continue to lay out their case Friday.
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rosepetal, you wouldn’t know knowledge if it hit you in the face. I’m not going to ignore you, but you may me if you please.

dew, the only things i have ever seen you speak of with knowledge is drugs and how it should be legal to abuse an animal for sport. that quit breeding them statement is a two way street. no woman has a child by herself. no prison time can do to her what has already been done. she did not leave those children there for them to die. she left them there to go to work, to put a roof over their heads. now please stick to what you do best. describe the best crack and the family values of cockfighting, you might also want to put me on ignore. you do know where the button is.

rosepetal, you never cease to amaze me. You think that chicken fighters should rot in prison, however a woman who involuntary murders her two children should walk free! Get real! This is a great example of yet another case where the judicial system has failed the victims and those who loved them. The boys were five and six years old, there is NO EXCUSE whatsoever for them to have been left at home alone while she was at work. I can’t believe that she got away with this. So now it’s perfectly OK to leave your children alone at home at this age? I DON’T THINK SO! I don’t even leave my 10 year old at home alone for longer than 10 minutes, more or less a 5 year old. Furthermore, if you can’t afford to pay for childcare for your children, QUIT BREEDING! Not receiving child support is NOT an excuse for child neglect, which is exactly what this is a case of.

i am glad they did not find her guilty. i hope she will be ok, i am sure the guilt will haunt her the rest of her life. i believe she loved those children.

She may be free from the bars of a jailhouse but she must live with this for the rest of her life. She appeared to be trying which is more than most in her shoes. It does not make it right what she did though.  This is sad.

Thank you Rosepetal

yes, cmb1 she was found not guilty. its on another site.

SEXY N is the trial over? How do you know she is free?

well after talking to my husbands nurse, i found out if you take your spouse to court for back child support and the spouse does not pay, you are responsible for court fees, they threaten you with jail time if it is not paid. how stupid is that? the woman was trying to get support for the children and because they could not find the jerk with him being in mobile never the less she has to pay. was this woman getting child support? she might not have been the brightest mother, but does not mean she did not love those kids. i believe she will have a life time to serve without being in jail.

Well she is a free woman

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