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 Posting Date
Curry, Albert Fed-SD 2002 2003 Sexual Assault Not Sentenced 0.6 41 Black Male 08-29-2011
Daniels, Elmer Delaware New Castle 1980 2018 Child Sex Abuse Life 38.6 18 Black Male 12-17-2018
Dollard, Jermaine Delaware Kent 2013 2015 Drug Possession or Sale 20 years 1.2 38 Black Male 02-01-2015
Engesser, Oakley South Dakota Meade 2001 2015 Manslaughter 25 years 12.2 41 White Male 01-13-2015
Gonzalez, David South Dakota Lawrence 1999 2001 Child Sex Abuse 1 year and 6 months 1.7 33 Hispanic Male 04-06-2014
Letcher, Donald South Dakota McCook 1995 1996 Child Sex Abuse 5 years 1.2 29 White Male 03-31-2014
McCoy, Isaiah Delaware Kent 2012 2017 Murder Death 4.6 22 Black Male 02-03-2017
Purnell, Mark Delaware New Castle 2008 2022 Murder 43 years 14.0 16 Black Male 06-06-2022
Rome, Anthony Jr. South Dakota Minnehaha 1987 1990 Kidnapping Probation 0 47 White Male 03-18-2014
Schocker, Christopher South Dakota Roberts 2019 2025 Assault 10 years 0 53 White Male 03-09-2026
Slota, Frederick South Dakota Brown 2014 2019 Child Sex Abuse 30 years 3.2 41 White Male 02-19-2019
Wright, Jermaine Marlow Delaware New Castle 1992 2026 Murder Death 23.1 18 Black Male 08-19-2026