Watson arraigned after escape
The convict who escaped from the West Tennessee State Penitentiary in Henning on Aug. 7 was arraigned in a Lauderdale County courthouse Wednesday afternoon.
Curtis Ray Watson was not physically in the courtroom but appeared via video conference from detention. The only person who could view Watson via video was Judge Janice Craig, who presided over the hearing.
Watson is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual battery in connection with the homicide of Tennessee Department of Corrections Administrator Debra Johnson.
Watson faces additional charges of felony escape and especially aggravated burglary in connection with his escape.
The courtroom, almost solely comprised of corrections officers, was silent as the judge read Watson’s charges.
Because Watson was already serving time, bond was a non-issue, the judge said.
Had Watson not escaped and accrued additional charges, he could have been released as early as 2025, according to Assistant Attorney General Julie Pillow.
Authorities say Watson, 44, killed Johnson, a 38-year employee of TDOC during his escape that led to a five-day manhunt headed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
According to TDOC, Watson was last seen on the day of his escape on a golf
Micaela A Watts
cart outside of Johnson’s residence around 8:30 a.m.
Between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., Watson took a tractor and reflective vest from the prison and drove away from the site, the affidavits say. Officials did not notice he was missing until an hour later, according to the affidavit.
When Johnson did not show up for work, her colleagues came to her house around 11:30 a.m. and discovered Johnson’s body. She was discovered with ligature marks around her neck and signs of sexual assault, according to the affidavit.
TDOC Commissioner Tony Parker said it was immediately evident that foul play had been involved in Johnson’s death, and authorities quickly initiated a search for Watson, who had escaped the grounds on a tractor he used as part of his work detail.
Hundreds of law enforcement officials searched for Watson for five days before he was spotted in Henning, Tennessee, by a home security camera.
Following the sighting in Henning, Watson was captured around 11 a.m. Sunday in the 600 block of Caroline Street in Henning, said TBI Director David Rausch. He surrendered without incident after exiting a soybean field about 10 miles from West Tennessee State Penitentiary.
Authorities previously said they will consider the death penalty when prosecuting Watson.
On Wednesday after Watson’s hearing, Lauderdale County Attorney General Mark Davidson reaffirmed prosecution is considering the death penalty, or life without the possibility of parole.
After Wednesday’s hearing, Davidson said that Watson’s capture and subsequent charges are “beneficial” for the Johnson family, as they move forward from their loss.