Woman starts online fundraiser for 16-year-old charged with murder
theGRIO REPORT - Joann Thompson had never met 16-year-old Deanna Watson in person, but when she heard about the charges of murder that were being brought against Watson for standing up to and ultimately killing the man who was allegedly beating Watson and her siblings, she knew she wanted to get involved.
Joann Thompson had never met 16-year-old Deanna Watson.
But when Thompson heard the details surrounding the murder charges Watson currently faces, she wanted to get involved.
Watson is accused of killing her mother’s boyfriend, who allegedly was beating her and her siblings.
“The system failed those kids,” Thompson told People magazine. “I just had to do something to help her.”
According to the Charlotte Observer, Watson said that her mother’s boyfriend, 36-year-old Omar Dunbar, had dragged her little brother down the stairs earlier that day and that when she had tried to intervene, he spit in her face. Later, during an argument, things escalated to the point that Watson killed Dunbar. Although Watson’s mother denied the allegations, there were records of three different domestic violence incidents in the home that police had been alerted to.
Watson was arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina July 15.
It was that record that got Thompson, 43, thinking. “With this paper trail of domestic abuse that’s been going on for years, you want to lock this child up?” she said. “That’s a little harsh, isn’t it?”
So Thompson set up a Fundly account for Watson and began researching lawyers to try to help.
“She’s just a child,” Thompson said. “This is very traumatizing for her. She doesn’t have an attorney at all, and we don’t want to see her sign something she doesn’t understand.”
Ultimately, Thompson hopes to have Watson free before she turns 17 next month.
“She has suffered enough,” Thompson told People.
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