Ashley and Todd Watson still strongly believe their father, Jim Watson, did not kill their mother Beverley, who disappeared in January 1997 and was found dead in a wooded area of south Fulton County in 1999.

At a press conference Tuesday night at the family's east Fayette home, the brother and sister proclaimed their father's innocence and expressed frustration that the court system took their father away from them.

Jim Watson, now serving a life sentence in the Reidsville state prison, was convicted in 2001 of murdering Beverley after a trial in Fulton County. An appeal of the conviction was rebuffed by the Georgia Supreme Court last month.

Jim Watson's mother, Gail Watson, said Tuesday that the best avenue to prove her son's innocence "is to find who really did it."

"Then Jim would be totally exonerated for the whole thing," Gail Watson said. "There's someone out there somewhere who can give us every answer we know and they can do it in such detail that they are the ones who did it or he or she. There's someone somewhere."

Ashley Watson said she suspected her mother was killed either by a motorist as she walked along or by someone who lured her into their car.

Tuesday night's press conference marked the first time that Todd Watson, now 14, has publicly addressed the matter. He was 6 years old when his mother disappeared; Jim Watson told police his wife walked out of the couple's home at night following an argument between them while neither of the kids were home.

Todd Watson said Tuesday that he loves his mom very much and he misses her more and more as time goes by. He also firmly proclaimed his dad's innocence in her death.

"If I thought that my dad had anything to do with her death or abused her in any way, we would not be here doing this interview," Todd Watson said. "My dad did not abuse my mom. If he had, I would have known because I lived with them and saw it ... every day."

Todd Watson also addressed the testimony in the case from several of Beverley Watson's friends who testified she told them if she ever disappeared, it would be because her husband killed her. They also testified that she said her husband threatened to kill her and hide her body where no one would ever find it.

"I do not know if my mom lied to her friends or if her friends lied to the police, but someone did lie. I made a promise to my mom that I would not stop trying to help my dad overcome this injustice. I cannot have my mom back, but I will have my dad back home where he belongs."

Ashley Watson said she did not believe her mother told several friends that if she ever disappeared, it was because her husband killed her.

"If I thought for one minute that my dad had murdered my mom, I would not be fighting to have my dad back home," she said.

Ashley also said though her dad admitted to cheating on her mom, that doesn't make him her killer.

"My dad loved my mom. She loved him. That is why my mom always accepted my dad back and why my dad always came