List of exonerated death row inmates

This list contains names of people who were found guilty of capital crimes and placed on death row, and were later found to be wrongly convicted. Some people were exonerated posthumously.

This list includes individuals who were sentenced to death and had their sentences overturned by acquittal or pardon.[1] The state listed is the state where the individual was convicted, the year listed is the year of release, and the case listed is the case that overturned their conviction.

This list does not include:

  1. Posthumous pardons for individuals executed before 1950;
  2. Inmates who were given life sentences when their country, province or state abolished the death penalty;
  3. People who were threatened with death and never jailed;
  4. People who were jailed by extralegal groups or courts, for example as often occurs in cases of sentences of stoning.

List by country

Japan


1989

  • Masao Akahori (convicted 1954) [2][3]

1983

Taiwan

2012

  • The case of Su Chien-ho: Su Chien-ho (蘇建和), Liu Bing-lang (劉秉郎), and Chuang Lin-hsun (莊林勳) were sentenced to death for the 1991 murder of Wu Ming-han and his wife Yeh Ying-lan in Hsichih, Taipei county, Taiwan. They were acquitted in 2012.[5]

2016

  • The case of Cheng Hsing-tse: Cheng Hsing-tse (鄭性澤) was sentenced to death for the 2002 murder of a police officer in Fengyuan, Taichung, Taiwan. He was acquitted in May 2016.[6]

United Kingdom

1966

1968

1969

  • Death penalty for murder abolished.[11][12]

1973

  • Despite abolition in the UK, the separate legal systems meant death sentences still passed in Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Channel Islands but with no likelihood of them being carried out. One Provisional Irish Republican Army member was sentenced to death for murder before this anomaly was abolished. European Union protocols signed in 1999 on human rights mean no death penalty statute can exist in an EU country.[13]

United States

As of November 8, 2019, the Innocence Database from Death Penalty Information Center shows 167 exonerations of prisoners on death row in the United States since 1973.[14]

1970s

1977

1980s

1987

  • Joseph Green Brown. Although the prosecution dropped all charges after a new trial was ordered, his conviction was not expunged causing difficulty with employment, and no compensation was given. He was re-arrested in 2012 and charged with the murder of his wife in North Carolina, for which he was convicted on September 12, 2013.[16][17]
  • Perry Cobb. Illinois. Convicted October 15, 1979.[18]
  • Darby J. Tillis. Illinois. Convicted October 15, 1979. Perry Cobb and Darby Tillis, two African American men were convicted of First Degree Murder after a third trial by an all-white jury. The primary witness in the case, Phyllis Santini, was determined to be an accomplice of the actual killer by the Illinois Supreme Court. The Judge in the case, Thomas J. Maloney was later convicted of accepting bribes.[19]

1989

1990s

1993

1995

  • Robert Charles Cruz, Arizona. Convicted 1981. (Cruz disappeared in 1997. His remains were found in 2007.[24])
  • Rolando Cruz and Alejandro Hernandez, Illinois. Convicted 1985.[25][26]

1996

  • Joseph Burrows, Illinois. Convicted 1989. Joseph Burrows was released from death row after his attorney Kathleen Zellner persuaded the real killer to confess at the post-conviction hearing, and Peter Rooney, a reporter for the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, obtained a recantation from a key witness.[27] The Burrows case was the subject of a book by Rooney titled Die Free: A True Story of Murder, Betrayal and Miscarried Justice.
  • Verneal Jimerson and Dennis Williams, Illinois. Convicted 1985.[28][29]
  • Gary Gauger, Illinois. Convicted 1993.[30]

1999

  • Shareef Cousin, Louisiana (Louisiana v. Cousin, 710 So. 2d 1065 (1998)). Convicted 1996.[31]
  • Anthony Porter, Illinois. Convicted 1983.[32]
  • Ron Williamson, Oklahoma. Convicted 1988. Along with Gregory R. Wilhoit, Williamson later became the inspiration for and subject of John Grisham's 2006 non-fiction book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town.[23]
  • Ronald Jones, Illinois. Convicted 1989.[33]

2000s
2000
  • Earl Washington, Jr., Virginia (pardoned). Convicted 1994 (1984, without life sentence).[34]
  • Frank Lee Smith, Florida. Convicted 1985. Smith died in prison in January 2000, before being exonerated later that year.[35]
2001
  • Charles Irvin Fain, Idaho. Convicted 1983.[36]
2002
2003
2004
  • Alan Gell, North Carolina. Convicted 1995.[42]
  • Ernest Willis, Texas. Convicted 1987.[43]
  • Kirk Bloodsworth, Maryland. Convicted 1985.[44] Kirk Bloodsworth is the first person sentenced to death row to be exonerated by DNA evidence.
  • Ryan Matthews, Louisiana. Convicted 1999.[45]
2007
  • Curtis McCarty, Oklahoma. Convicted 1986.[46]
2008
  • Kennedy Brewer, Mississippi. Convicted 1995.[47]
  • Glen Edward Chapman, North Carolina. Convicted 1995.[48]
  • Levon "Bo" Jones, North Carolina. Convicted 1993.[49]
  • Michael Blair, Texas. Convicted 1994.[50][51][52]
2009
  • Nathson Fields, Illinois. Convicted 1986.[53]
  • Paul House, Tennessee. Convicted 1986.[54][55]
  • Daniel Wade Moore, Alabama. Convicted 2002.[56]
  • Ronald Kitchen, Illinois. Convicted 1988.[57]
  • Michael Toney, Texas. Convicted 1999. Toney later died in a car accident on October 3, 2009, just one month and a day after his exoneration.[58]

2010s
2010
  • Joe D'Ambrosio, Ohio. Convicted 1989. While he was freed in 2010, but not yet exonerated, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by the state of Ohio challenging the unconditional writ of habeas corpus and bar to D'Ambrosio's re-prosecution on January 23, 2012, nearly two years later, making D'Ambrosio the 140th death row exoneree since 1973.[59][60]
  • Anthony Graves, Texas. Convicted 1994.[61]
2011
  • Gussie Vann, Tennessee. Convicted 1984.[62]
2012
  • Damon Thibodeaux, Louisiana. Convicted 1997.[63]
  • Seth Penalver, Florida. Convicted 1994.[64]
2013
  • Reginald Griffin, Missouri. Convicted 1983.[65]
2014
2015
2017[77]
  • Isaiah McCoy, Delaware. Convicted 2010.
  • Rodricus Crawford, Louisiana. Convicted 2013.
  • Ralph Wright, Florida. Convicted 2014.
  • Rickey Newman, Arkansas. Convicted 2002.
  • Gabriel Solache, Illinois. Convicted 2000.
  • Robert Miller, Oklahoma. Convicted 1988.[78]
2018[79]
  • Vicente Benavides, California. Convicted 1993.
  • Clemente Aguirre-Jarquin, Florida. Convicted 2006.
2019
  • Paul Browning, Nevada. Convicted 1986.[80]
  • Clifford Williams, Florida. Convicted 1976.[81][82]
  • Charles Finch, North Carolina. Convicted 1976.[83]

Canada
  • Steven Truscott was convicted of a schoolmate's murder in 1959 and sentenced at age 14 to death by hanging. His sentence was commuted to life in prison four months later, and he was paroled in 1969. His conviction was overturned in 2007 for "miscarriage of justice".[84]

See also

References
  1. "Innocence: List of Those Freed from Death Row". Death Penalty Information Center. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  2. Furukawa, Yukina (January 19, 2019) "Former death row inmate expresses concerns about ex-boxer's retrial" Mainichi Shimbun.
  3. Hirano, Keiji (November 6, 2014) "Freed death row prisoner brings new life to group fighting capital punishment". The Japan Times.
  4. McNeill, David; Mason, C.M. (August 4, 2007). "One who has lived to tell the tale". The Japan Times.
  5. "Hsichih Trio acquitted as 20-year murder case finally closed". Want Chinese Times. 31 August 2012.
  6. "Cheng Hsing-tse freed from death row". Taipei Times. 4 May 2016.
  7. Mary Westlake v Criminal Cases Review Commission [2004] EWHC 2779 (Admin) (17 November 2004), High Court (England and Wales). It includes a segment from the Hansard transcript of Jenkins's decision to recommend a pardon in the House of Commons.
  8. "Hanged man's pardon 'inadequate'". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 16 November 2004. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
  9. "Open verdict on hanged man's son". BBC News. 22 October 2003.
  10. "Court of Appeal judgment [1998] EWCA Crim 2516 (30 July 1998)". Bailii.org. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  11. "MURDER (ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY)". Hansard, 16 December 1969.
  12. "MURDER (ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY) ACT 1965". Hansard, 18 December 1969.
  13. (10 October 2016) International Day against Death penalty European Commission, Memo 06/390, Press release, Retrieved 22 March 2015
  14. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/policy-issues/innocence-database
  15. Tibbs, Delbert Lee (2001). "Studs Terkel: Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Center on Wrongful Convictions". Northwestern University School of Law. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
  16. "Former death row inmate now charged in wife's killing". Fox News. September 17, 2012
  17. "Joseph "Shabaka" Green Brown". National Registry of Exonerations, University of California-Irvine.
  18. .Northwestern Law Center. January 15th, 2001
  19. .Chicago Tribune. November 13th, 2014
  20. Suro, Roberto (March 2, 1989). "Conviction Voided in Texas Murder". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  21. Suro, Roberto (November 27, 1988). "Death Row Luck: 'I'm Still Alive'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  22. Walter McMillian National Registry of Exonerations.
  23. Grisham, John (2006). The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town. Doubleday Books
  24. "Bones linked to jailed hit man". derkeiler.com. March 29, 2007
  25. "Rolando Cruz". Innocence Project. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  26. "Alejandro Hernandez". Innocence Project. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  27. Warden, Rob. "Joseph Burrows: Perjured testimony by the actual killer put Joseph Burrows on death row". Center on Wrongful Convictions. Northwestern University School of Law. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  28. "Verneal Jimerson". Innocence Project. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  29. "Dennis Williams". Innocence Project. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  30. "Why Innocent People Confess to Murder". ABC News. 09 Nov. 2010.
  31. Getting Off Death Row, NPR, March 26, 2007
  32. Cohen, Stanley (2003). The Wrong Men: America's Epidemic of Wrongful Death Row Convictions. Carroll & Graf Publishers. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-7867-1258-8.
  33. "Ronald Jones". Innocence Project. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  34. "Know the Cases: Browse Profiles: Earl Washington" Archived 2010-06-27 at the Wayback Machine. Innocence Project. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  35. "Frank Lee Smith". Innocence Project. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  36. "Charles Irvin Fain". Innocence Project. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  37. Chachere, Vickie: "Florida Death Row Inmate To Be Released After 17 Years", Associated Press, Jan 3, 2002
  38. "Know the Cases: Browse Profiles: Ray Krone" Archived 2014-04-03 at the Library of Congress Web Archives. Innocence Project. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  39. Delikat, Stacey (April 27, 2012). "Death row exoneree celebrates 10 years of freedom". azfamily.com.
  40. Pennsylvania v. Yarris, No 690-OF1982, Court of Common Pleas, Delaware County, September 3, 2003. Order vacating conviction.
  41. Gross, Alexandra (10 July 2014). "JOHN THOMPSON". The National Registry of Exonerations. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  42. Joseph Neff (2004-12-19). "N.C. Prosecutors Stifled Evidence". The News & Observer. pp. A1.
  43. Balleza, Maureen (October 8, 2004). "After 17 years on death row, Texas inmate walks free". The New York Times. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  44. "OneLife LA". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
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  46. "Curtis McCarty". Innocence Project. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  47. "Kennedy Brewer". Innocence Project. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
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  51. Jennings, Diane (August 23, 2013). "Texas Supreme Court denies admitted child rapist Michael Blair compensation for wrongful conviction in Ashley Estell murder". The Dallas Morning News.
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  55. Satterfield, Jamie (May 12, 2009). "Prosecutor drops charges; House's family 'on Cloud Nine'". knoxnews.com.
  56. McClain, Clarissa; Galloway, Drew (June 17, 2013). "The Top Stories from the Past 50 Years". WHNT 19 News.
  57. Blakley, Derrick (September 5, 2013). "City Poised To Pay Another Police-Torture Settlement". CBS 2 Chicago.
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  67. "State Supreme Court throws out death row inmate's conviction for 1987 killing". Tampa Bay Times. June 13, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
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  73. Nave, R. L. (2015-04-22). "DA Dropping Charges Against Willie Jerome Manning in One Set of Murders". Jackson Free Press. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  74. Balko, Radley (2015-06-10). "Texas death row inmate Alfred Dewayne Brown is released from prison". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  75. "William Lee". National Registry of Exonerations. Michigan State University College of Law. 2016-01-18. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  76. "Supreme Court vacates death sentence of Pasco man convicted in Land O'Lakes murder". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  77. "Innocence Database". Death Penalty Information Center. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
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  81. The National Registry of Exonerations Clifford Williams Jr.
  82. For 42 years, two Florida men were imprisoned for murder. Now, they're free after the state tosses the case. CNN, March 29, 2019
  83. The National Registry of Exonerations Charles Finch
  84. "Canada's wrongful convictions". Canadian Broadcasting Company. 6 August 2009.
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