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: 14
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Name State County Convicted Exonerated Crime Sentence Years lost Age Race Sex Posting Date
Bridges, Timothy North Carolina Mecklenburg 1991 2016 Sexual Assault Life 24.7 22 White Male 03-07-2016
Britt, Timothy North Carolina Robeson 2013 2017 Child Sex Abuse 25 to 30 3/4 years 4.3 37 White Male 12-03-2017
Brown, Keith North Carolina Wilson 1993 1999 Sexual Assault 35 years 4.0 25 Black Male 08-29-2011
Cotton, Ronald North Carolina Alamance 1985 1995 Sexual Assault Life 10.4 22 Black Male 08-29-2011
Grimes, Willie North Carolina Catawba 1988 2012 Sexual Assault Life 23.9 41 Black Male 10-08-2012
Hunt, Darryl North Carolina Forsyth 1985 2004 Murder Life 17.6 19 Black Male 08-29-2011
Jean, Lesly North Carolina Onslow 1982 1991 Sexual Assault Life 8.6 22 Black Male 08-29-2011
Long, Ronnie North Carolina Cabarrus 1976 2020 Sexual Assault Life 43.9 20 Black Male 09-14-2020
Massey, Shawn Giovanni North Carolina Mecklenburg 1999 2010 Kidnapping 11 1/2 to 15 1/4 years 10.6 25 Black Male 08-29-2011
McInnis, Edward North Carolina Scotland 1988 2015 Sexual Assault Life 26.9 27 Black Male 08-15-2015
Parker, Michael North Carolina Henderson 1994 2014 Child Sex Abuse Life 20.6 35 White Male 08-25-2014
Shaw, Willie Jr. North Carolina Mecklenburg 2016 2021 Other Violent Felony 8 2/3 to 11 5/12 4.6 43 Black Male 02-16-2021
Sledge, Joseph North Carolina Bladen 1978 2015 Murder Life 36.4 34 Black Male 01-23-2015
Waters, Leo North Carolina Onslow 1982 2003 Sexual Assault Life 21.0 32 White Male 08-29-2011