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: 14
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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
Ballesteros, Juan Matta Fed-CA (Central) 1990 2018 Kidnapping Life without parole 0 40 Hispanic Male 1997 1990 04-20-2020
Bradford, Marcellius Illinois Cook 1988 2001 Kidnapping Term of Years 12 years 6 17 Black Male 2001 1994 08-29-2011
Connor, Reginald New York Kings 1993 2015 Kidnapping Term of Years 12 1/2 to 25 years 12 23 Black Male 2004 08-02-2015
Engel, Gary Missouri Clay 1991 2010 Kidnapping Term of Years 90 years 19 33 White Male 2010 08-29-2011
Fitzgerald, John Fed-CA (Southern) 2007 2009 Tax Evasion/Fraud Not Sentenced 0 40 White Male 2007 08-29-2011
Massey, Shawn Giovanni North Carolina Mecklenburg 1999 2010 Kidnapping Term of Years 11 1/2 to 15 1/4 years 11 25 Black Male 2010 08-29-2011
McLaughlin, Mark Fed-PA (Eastern) 1996 2000 Tax Evasion/Fraud Not Sentenced 0 30 White Male 1998 1996 08-29-2011
McLaughlin, Russell Fed-PA (Eastern) 1996 1998 Tax Evasion/Fraud Not Sentenced 3 36 White Male 1998 1998 08-29-2011
Smith, Ralph Ohio Fairfield 2000 2021 Kidnapping Term of Years 67 years 21 24 Black Male 2019 2021 10-14-2021
Vaz, David Vermont Orleans 2022 2023 Kidnapping Not Sentenced 1 27 Black Male 2023 09-19-2023
Wagstaffe, Everton New York Kings 1993 2015 Kidnapping Term of Years 12 1/2 to 25 years 22 23 Black Male 2014 08-02-2015
Walters, Earl New York Queens 1994 2023 Kidnapping Term of Years 17 1/2 to 40 19 17 Black Male 2013 09-05-2023
Weiner, Mark Virginia Albemarle 2013 2015 Kidnapping Term of Years 8 years 2 52 White Male 2015 2015 07-16-2015
Whitehead, Artis Tennessee Shelby 2003 2024 Kidnapping Term of Years 249 years 20 38 Black Male 2017 2023 02-12-2024