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: 13
Select More Columns:
Name State County Convicted Exonerated Crime Sentence Term of Years Years lost Age Race Sex Year of recantation Date of Release Posting Date
Barnes, Jepheth South Carolina Spartanburg 1996 2003 Child Sex Abuse Term of Years 16 years 7 51 Black Male 2003 09-03-2016
Bennett, Gary South Carolina Horry 2002 2020 Murder Life without parole 18 36 White Male 2018 2020 11-23-2020
Bivens, Phillip Mississippi Forrest 1980 2010 Murder Life 30 28 Black Male 2010 08-29-2011
Brewer, Kennedy Mississippi Noxubee 1995 2008 Murder Death 12 21 Black Male 2007 08-29-2011
Brooks, Levon Mississippi Noxubee 1992 2008 Murder Life without parole 16 26 Black Male 2008 08-29-2011
Brown, Sherwood Mississippi DeSoto 1995 2021 Murder Death 26 24 Black Male 2011 2021 10-04-2021
Dixon, Bobby Ray Mississippi Forrest 1980 2010 Murder Life 30 22 Black Male 2010 08-29-2011
Gagnon, Richard South Carolina Horry 2008 2015 Murder Life without parole 5 32 White Male 2009 2013 06-02-2015
Howard, Eddie Lee Jr. Mississippi Lowndes 1994 2021 Murder Death 27 38 Black Male 2011 2020 02-25-2021
Johnson, Arthur Mississippi Sunflower 1993 2008 Sexual Assault Term of Years 55 years 14 33 Black Male 2008 08-29-2011
Mitchell, Perry South Carolina Lexington 1984 1998 Sexual Assault Term of Years 30 years 15 20 Black Male 1998 08-29-2011
Ruffin, Larry Mississippi Forrest 1980 2011 Murder Life 22 19 Black Male 2002 08-29-2011
Willis, Cedric Mississippi Hinds 1997 2006 Murder Life 9 19 Black Male 2006 08-29-2011