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 ALL of those words. So adding more search terms will narrow the search. Terms with fewer than three characters (e.g., "IQ") are ignored in searches. Searches can be further narrowed by using "quotation marks" to search for exact phrases. Keywords both inside and outside quotation marks can be combined. And, truncated words can be entered: the term "discrim" will return all variants on that root. No "wildcards," such as "*" are necessary for truncation.

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.

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Total records: 12
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Name State County Convicted Exonerated Crime Sentence Years lost Age Race Sex Date of Release Posting Date
Ballard, Frances Tennessee Shelby 1987 1993 Child Sex Abuse 5 years 0.2 54 White Female 1988 03-21-2013
Brown, Joyce Ann Texas Dallas 1980 1990 Murder 25 to Life 9.0 33 Black Female 1989 08-29-2011
Canen, Lana Indiana Elkhart 2005 2012 Murder 55 years 7.2 43 White Female 2012 11-06-2012
Choy, Frances Massachusetts Plymouth 2011 2020 Murder Life without parole 8.9 17 Asian Female 2020 10-11-2020
Gray, Paula Illinois Cook 1978 2002 Murder 50 years 6.7 17 Black Female 1985 08-29-2011
Hanzlik, Kimberly New York Bronx 2011 2024 Murder 20 to Life 13.8 34 White Female 2024 12-13-2024
Jimerson, Tina Arkansas Dallas 1992 2020 Murder Life 26.2 23 Black Female 2018 10-08-2020
Killian, Gloria California Sacramento 1986 2002 Murder 32 to Life 16.4 35 White Female 2002 08-29-2011
Reasonover, Ellen Missouri St. Louis 1983 1999 Murder Life 15.7 24 Black Female 1999 08-29-2011
Shepard, Ann North Carolina New Hanover 1972 2012 Other Violent Felony 15 years 5.3 33 White Female 1978 11-17-2016
Spellman, India Pennsylvania Philadelphia 2013 2023 Murder 30 to Life 10.0 17 Black Female 2023 02-17-2023
Weimer, Crystal Pennsylvania Fayette 2006 2016 Murder 15 to 30 years 9.5 23 White Female 2015 06-29-2016