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 Using the Registry for Research, 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: 7
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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
Banks, Medell Alabama Choctaw 2001 2003 Manslaughter Term of Years 15 years 2 27 Black Male 2002 2003 08-29-2011
Chandler, Edwin Kentucky Jefferson 1995 2009 Manslaughter Term of Years 30 years 7 21 Black Male 2002 08-29-2011
Charles, Lambert New York Queens 1993 1998 Manslaughter Term of Years 10 to 30 years 5 16 Black Male 1997 1998 08-29-2011
Craighead, Mark Michigan Wayne 2002 2022 Manslaughter Term of Years 5 years and 4 months to 17 years 7 38 Black Male 2009 08-17-2022
Fry, John California San Quentin 1958 1959 Manslaughter Term of Years 1 to 10 years 1 51 Black Male 1959
Gathers, Vanessa New York Kings 1998 2016 Manslaughter Term of Years 5 to 15 years 9 33 Black Female 2007 02-25-2016
Ruffin, Steven New York Kings 1996 2024 Manslaughter Term of Years 20 to 40 years 14 17 Black Male 2010 02-20-2024