The After Show: Blood on the Door
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What is the story behind Joan Berry's quest for justice?
Hi there, everybody. It's Deborah Roberts, and welcome to 2020 The After Show. Today, we're going to talk a little bit more about the mom who became a warrior to find her daughter's killer. I reported on this story on Friday night's edition of 2020. Joan Berry, whose daughter, Jonna, was stabbed to death when she was a 21-year-old student at UT, the University of Tennessee. There was no suspect and no arrest for years. And Joan just became consumed by this whole thought of who could do something like this so vicious to her daughter and what laws needed to change to make it a little easier to solve these kinds of crimes. So today we're going to dig into it. And joining me is my colleague, my friend, Blue Browning. Hey, Blue. Hello.
Hey, it's so great to be with you, Deborah.
Oh, good to be with you. And you really are a partner in crime when we come to these stories because you and I have worked on a lot together. This story was actually somewhere you lived. Yeah, yeah, exactly. University of Tennessee. I didn't go to school there, but I worked in Knoxville and I was so familiar with that area. But how did you wind up thinking about this story and thinking it would work for 2020?
Well, it definitely was Joan and how passionate she was. I saw an interview that she did and I saw the anguish in her voice. But also, I was so inspired listening to her. This mother had no answers for nearly three years. She basically went on a crusade, and it led her to wanting to change the laws in Tennessee. And she was successful, but she still did not have an answer as to what happened to her daughter, who killed her daughter. But finally, as we saw in the show...
there was an answer there was an answer but it took a very long time and blue you know this is almost like the two of us when we drive along when you and i are off covering these stories and we're in the car and you and i get to talk about not only the background but what your thoughts were my thought so we're kind of like in the car all over again the two of us and i remember you got us on the one of the apps and got us turned right back around we we turned off the wrong road. And I just found ways and we found our way back on. But when I came to you to meet up with you at Joan's home in Tennessee, as I said, I had worked in Knoxville before. And so I felt a connection in a way to the community. And even though I didn't know her story, to her. And I remember stepping into her doorway and meeting her and her husband. And
It was just really striking to me to get to know her. Just this lovely woman who, you know, was carrying her heartache still in her hand, but also her daughter's presence throughout the house. I mean, mementos everywhere, even though it had been 20 years. So let's take a listen from the show and we'll talk more about that. I see memories of Jonna everywhere in the house, right? Yes.
It's a portrait of Jonna. That was actually done after she was murdered. These are Jonna's little baby shoes.
They rest here.
That's where they stay here all the time. This is Jonna's room. We call it Jonna's room.
Jonna's room.
And I still have her wedding gown. You still have it. Still have her wedding gown. All these years later. After 20 years. This is it.
That's beautiful. This is the dress. The wedding gown. All the beading.
Oh, look at the train. She looked beautiful in it, yes. 20 years old.
That was such a touching moment to me. And I have to tell you, Blue, when you had described Joan and you said she had all these mementos in the house and she had Jonah's room, I thought it was kind of almost just her tribute. She can't forget her only daughter, you know?
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the story behind Joan Berry's quest for justice?
0:26–10:50
2
How did Joan Berry become an advocate for change?
10:50
3
What challenges did they face in finding footage of Jonna?
7:24–13:51
4
How did Joan's efforts change DNA laws in Tennessee?
13:51
5
What emotional moments were captured during the interviews?
7:08
6
How did the lack of technology affect the investigation?
6:51–14:31
7
What legacy does Joan Berry hope to leave behind?
14:31–24:13