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: 54
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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 Contributing Factors Display Case Characteristics Any known recanters OM Tags DNA
Abbott, Stearns Kendall Massachusetts Middlesex 1880 1911 Murder Death 31 40 White Male 1911 Perjury or False Accusation, Inadequate Legal Defense
Adams, Laurence Massachusetts Suffolk 1974 2004 Murder Death 30 19 Black Male 2003 2004 08-29-2011 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense H, JI PR, WH, NW, KP, WT
Bennett, Joseph Massachusetts Suffolk 1998 2024 Murder Life without parole 17 22 Black Male 2006 2015 12-17-2024 False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense H OF, NW, WT
Brown, Albert Massachusetts Suffolk 1987 2022 Murder Life without parole 35 32 Black Male 2022 05-01-2023 False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct H PR, WH
Cascone, William Massachusetts Berkshire 1987 2023 Murder Life 35 17 White Male 2022 07-21-2023 False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense A, CV, H, IO, JV PR, WH, NW, PL
Cero, Gangi Massachusetts Suffolk 1927 1930 Murder Death 3 21 White Male 1930
Champagne, Raymond Massachusetts Norfolk 1979 2020 Murder Life without parole 40 23 White Male 1980 2020 07-30-2020 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense H, IO, JI PR, OF, WH, NW, WT, PJ
Chance, John H. Massachusetts Suffolk 1899 1911 Murder Life 12 31 Don't Know Male 1911 Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation
Choy, Frances Massachusetts Plymouth 2011 2020 Murder Life without parole 9 17 Asian Female 2020 10-11-2020 False Confession, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense A, CDC, F, H, IO, JV PR, OF, WH, NW, KP, WT, PJ, PL
Cifizzari, Gary Massachusetts Worcester 1984 2019 Murder Life without parole 35 23 White Male 2019 2019 01-08-2020 False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Inadequate Legal Defense CDC, H, IO, SA, BM
Clay, Frederick Massachusetts Suffolk 1981 2017 Murder Life without parole 36 16 Black Male 2001 2017 08-15-2017 Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense CIU, H, IO, JV PR, OF, WH, NW, KP, WT, PL
Connor, Myles Jr. Massachusetts Norfolk 1981 1985 Murder Life 4 32 White Male 1985 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct
Drumgold, Shawn Massachusetts Suffolk 1989 2003 Murder Life 14 23 Black Male 2003 2003 08-29-2011 Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct CV, H PR, OF, WH, NW, WT
Earle, Margaret Massachusetts Plymouth 2005 2010 Murder Life 5 21 White Female 2010 02-23-2014 Inadequate Legal Defense CV, F, H
Echavarria, Angel Massachusetts Essex 1996 2015 Murder Life without parole 19 27 Hispanic Male 2015 06-20-2015 Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense H, IO PR, WH
Ellis, Sean Massachusetts Suffolk 1995 2018 Murder Life 20 19 Black Male 2015 12-31-2018 Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct H, IO PR, OF, WH
Ellison, Ella Mae Massachusetts Suffolk 1974 1978 Murder Life 4 27 Black Female 1978 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct
Foxworth, Robert Massachusetts Suffolk 1992 2021 Murder Life 26 23 Black Male 2008 2018 03-01-2021 Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct CDC, CIU, H PR, OF, WH, NW, KP, WT
Grace, Frank Parky Massachusetts Bristol 1974 1988 Murder Life 11 29 Black Male 1985 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct
Greco, Louis Massachusetts Suffolk 1968 2001 Murder Death 27 47 White Male 1970 1995 08-29-2011 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct CDC, H, PH PR, OF, WH, NW, KP, WT
Haley, James Massachusetts Suffolk 1972 2008 Murder Life without parole 36 24 Black Male 2008 08-29-2011 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct H PR, WH
Hernandez, Angel Massachusetts Hampden 2010 2021 Murder Life without parole 10 42 Hispanic Male 2011 2021 06-21-2021 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct H PR, OF, WH, NW, WT
Hill, Michael Massachusetts Hampden 1996 2002 Murder Life without parole 4 18 Black Male 1999 09-10-2012 False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense H PR, WH, NW, KP
Jenkins, Shaun Massachusetts Suffolk 2005 2021 Murder Life without parole 16 23 Black Male 2011 2021 01-13-2022 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct CIU, H, IO PR, OF, WH, NW, WT
Johnson, Donnell Massachusetts Suffolk 1996 2000 Murder Term of Years 18 to 20 years 4 16 Black Male 1999 08-29-2011 Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct CV, H, JV OF, WH, NW, PJ
Johnson, Lawyer Massachusetts Suffolk 1972 1982 Murder Death 10 20 Black Male 1982 Perjury or False Accusation
Jones, Darrell Massachusetts Plymouth 1986 2019 Murder Life without parole 31 18 Black Male 2017 2017 06-20-2019 Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense H, IO OF, WH, NW, PJ
Jones, Milton Massachusetts Suffolk 1976 2022 Murder Life 14 23 Black Male 1990 01-03-2023 Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense CIU, H, IO PR, WH
Kamara, Barry Massachusetts Suffolk 1992 2023 Murder Life 17 17 Black Male 2009 03-30-2023 Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct CIU, H, IO, JV PR, WH, NW
Leaster, Bobby Joe Massachusetts Suffolk 1971 1986 Murder Life 16 21 Black Male 1986 Mistaken Witness ID
Limone, Peter Massachusetts Suffolk 1968 2001 Murder Death 32 31 White Male 1970 2001 08-29-2011 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct CDC, H OF, WH, NW, WT
Lucien, James Massachusetts Suffolk 1995 2021 Murder Life without parole 26 21 Black Male 2021 12-22-2021 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense CDC, CIU, H PR, OF, WH, NW, KP, WT, PJ, PL
Mazza, Anthony Massachusetts Suffolk 1973 2021 Murder Life without parole 47 25 White Male 1977 2020 06-13-2021 Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct CDC, H PR, WH
Passley, Marlon Massachusetts Suffolk 1996 2000 Murder Life 3 23 Black Male 1999 08-29-2011 Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence CV, H
Phinney, Roland Jr. Massachusetts Middlesex 1990 2008 Murder Life 16 36 White Male 2006 08-29-2011 False Confession, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct H PR, WH
Pope, Joseph Massachusetts Suffolk 1986 2022 Murder Life 35 30 Black Male 2021 11-09-2022 False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct H PR, WH, NW, PL
Qualls, Ronnie Massachusetts Suffolk 1993 2020 Murder Life 26 20 Black Male 2019 09-21-2020 Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation CDC, CIU, H, IO
Reissfelder, George Massachusetts Suffolk 1967 1982 Murder Life 10 26 White Male 1977 Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct
Rodriguez, Santos Massachusetts Hampden 1954 1957 Murder Life 2 26 Hispanic Male 1957 Mistaken Witness ID, False Confession
Rosario, Victor Massachusetts Middlesex 1983 2017 Murder Life 31 24 Hispanic Male 2014 09-18-2017 False Confession, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense A, CV, H, IO, NC OF, WH, NW, INT, PJ
Salvati, Joseph Massachusetts Suffolk 1968 2001 Murder Life 29 31 White Male 1970 1997 08-29-2011 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct CDC, H OF, WH, NW, WT
Santos, Louis Massachusetts Suffolk 1985 1990 Murder Life 3 20 Black Male 1988 08-29-2011 Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct H OF, NW, WT
Schand, Mark Massachusetts Hampden 1987 2013 Murder Life without parole 26 21 Black Male 1989 2013 10-16-2013 Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct H, IO PR, OF, WH, NW, KP, WT, PJ
Silva-Santiago, Jesus Massachusetts Plymouth 2006 2010 Murder Life without parole 4 28 Hispanic Male 2010 10-06-2013 Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct H PR, NW
Sprinkle, Keyon Massachusetts Suffolk 2002 2020 Murder Life 18 17 Black Male 2004 2020 05-22-2020 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct H, IO, JV PR, OF, WH, NW, KP, WT, PJ
Sullivan, Harold Massachusetts Bristol 1986 1990 Murder Life 5 31 White Male 1987 1990 08-29-2011 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct H PR, OF, WH, NW, WT
Sullivan, Michael Massachusetts Middlesex 1987 2019 Murder Life without parole 26 25 White Male 2013 03-07-2019 False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation CDC, H, IO
Tameleo, Henry Massachusetts Suffolk 1968 2001 Murder Death 17 63 White Male 1970 1985 08-29-2011 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct CDC, H, PH OF, WH, NW, WT
Toro, Angel Massachusetts Suffolk 1983 2004 Murder Life 1 30 White Male 2003 1984 08-29-2011 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct H OF, WH, NW, WT
Waters, Kenneth Massachusetts Middlesex 1983 2001 Murder Life 18 25 White Male 1983 2001 08-29-2011 False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct H, IO PR, OF, FA, WH, NW, WT, PJ, PL
Watson, James Massachusetts Suffolk 1981 2020 Murder Life without parole 39 20 Black Male 2001 2020 11-25-2020 Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense CIU, H, IO PR, OF, WH, NW, KP, WT, PL
Weichel, Fred Massachusetts Norfolk 1981 2017 Murder Life without parole 36 28 White Male 2017 08-10-2017 Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct H, IO OF, WH
Wilhite, Charles Massachusetts Hampden 2010 2013 Murder Life without parole 2 25 Black Male 2011 2013 02-04-2013 Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct H PR, OF, WH, NW, WT
Williams, Clarence Massachusetts Suffolk 2002 2020 Murder Life 18 25 Black Male 2004 2020 05-22-2020 Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct H PR, OF, WH, NW, KP, WT, PJ