Instructions for Using the Registry

The table below shows all individual exonerations. By default, the table is set to show exonerations from 1989 through the present. Check "Pre-1989" in the Exoneration Era filter to view Pre-1989 exonerations. Use the filters on the left to search for exonerations with particular criteria. Hover over the symbols for explanations of filters or columns. Use the Keyword Search box to filter for cases that contain those keywords in the narrative summary.

If multiple keywords are entered, the search will show cases in which the narrative contains ANY of those words. Since the table is filtered to 1989 through the present by default, a search for the name of someone who was exonerated before 1989 will not produce results until the Date of Exoneration is adjusted, or the Pre-1989 filter is selected. Once filters have been set, select the column headings you wish to display, and sort the table by whatever column heading you choose by clicking on the column heading. For more detailed instructions, see Understanding the Registry, under "About" at the top right of the Home Page. Note: 1989 was the year of the first DNA exoneration and the dawn of a new era of wrongful convictions. The Registry used to separate the two - pre and post 1989 exonerations - into two separate and distinct databases. They are now synthesized to reflect the entire body of exoneration data. If you wish to view exonerations prior to 1989, check "Pre-1989" in the Exoneration Era filter. Read Less
Total records: 9
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Name State County Convicted Exonerated Crime Sentence Term of Years Years lost Age Race Sex Year of recantation Date of Release Posting Date
Beamon, Melvin Todd Alabama Montgomery 1989 1990 Murder Term of Years 25 years 0 24 Black Male 1989 1989 08-29-2011
Chapman, Justin Georgia Haralson 2007 2016 Murder Life 8 27 White Male 2015 07-12-2016
Dandridge, Beniah Alton Alabama Montgomery 1996 2015 Murder Life 20 29 White Male 1998 2015 10-12-2015
Lee, Lawrence William Jr. Georgia Wayne 1987 2015 Murder Death 28 25 White Male DK 2015 01-18-2016
McMillian, Walter Alabama Monroe 1988 1993 Murder Death 5 45 Black Male 1991 1993 08-29-2011
Pardue, Michael Alabama Baldwin 1973 1997 Murder Life 24 17 White Male 1996 1997 08-29-2011
Talley, Terry Georgia Troup 1981 2021 Sexual Assault Life 39 23 Black Male 2021 04-04-2021
Watkins, Joseph Georgia Floyd 2001 2023 Murder Life 22 19 White Male 2003 2023 10-17-2023
Williams, James Georgia Chatham 1982 1989 Murder Life 3 50 White Male 1985 06-22-2013