It's abhorrent that there are states in the USA that still allow that barbaric and inhumane practice to continue, even after knowing the problems that exist today with false convictions.
Below is a list of innocent men convicted and sentenced to death but finally were exonerated thru DNA testing before the sentence was carried out and they lost their lives.
Too many for one post, so I made 3 (that worked)
Last exoneration November 5, 2018 (#164)
For Inclusion on DPIC's Innocence List:
Defendants must have been convicted, sentenced to death and subsequently either-
a. Been
acquitted of all charges related to the crime that placed them on death row, or
b. Had all charges related to the crime that placed them on death row
dismissed by the prosecution or the courts, or
c. Been granted a complete
pardon based on evidence of innocence.
For a fuller description of the criteria used in this list and the reasons why these criteria were chosen, see Section V of DPIC's most recent Innocence Report. See also an excerpt below from an article in the Baltimore Sun by Dan Rodricks regarding the use of the term "exonerated."
The list includes cases in which the release occurred 1973 or later.
See also DPIC's Innocence Database -Searchable database of all exonerations since 1973 - allows you to search and sort for cases by year, state, race, and other variables.
NR* Name State Race Year Convicted Year Exonerated Years Between Reason DNA**
1
David Keaton FL Black 1971 1973 2 Charges Dismissed
2
Samuel A. Poole NC Black 1973 1974 1 Charges Dismissed
3
Wilbert Lee FL Black 1963 1975 12 Pardoned
4
Freddie Pitts FL Black 1963 1975 12 Pardoned
5
James Creamer GA White 1973 1975 2 Charges Dismissed
6
Christopher Spicer NC Black 1973 1975 2 Acquitted
7
Thomas Gladish NM White 1974 1976 2 Charges Dismissed
8
Richard Greer NM White 1974 1976 2 Charges Dismissed
9
Ronald Keine NM White 1974 1976 2 Charges Dismissed
10
Clarence Smith NM White 1974 1976 2 Charges Dismissed
11
Delbert Tibbs FL Black 1974 1977 3 Charges Dismissed
12
Earl Charles GA Black 1975 1978 3 Charges Dismissed
13
Jonathan Treadway AZ White 1975 1978 3 Acquitted
14
Gary Beeman OH White 1976 1979 3 Acquitted
15
Jerry Banks GA Black 1975 1980 5 Charges Dismissed
16
Larry Hicks IN Black 1978 1980 2 Acquitted
17
Charles Ray Giddens OK Black 1978 1981 3 Charges Dismissed
18
Michael Linder SC White 1979 1981 2 Acquitted
19
Johnny Ross LA Black 1975 1981 6 Charges Dismissed
20
Ernest (Shujaa) Graham CA Black 1976 1981 5 Acquitted
21
Annibal Jaramillo FL Latino 1981 1982 1 Charges Dismissed
22
Lawyer Johnson MA Black 1971 1982 11 Charges Dismissed
23
Larry Fisher MS White 1984 1985 1 Acquitted
24
Anthony Brown FL Black 1983 1986 3 Acquitted
25
Neil Ferber PA White 1982 1986 4 Charges Dismissed
26
Clifford Henry Bowen OK White 1981 1986 5 Charges Dismissed
27
Joseph Green Brown FL Black 1974 1987 13 Charges Dismissed
28
Perry Cobb IL Black 1979 1987 8 Acquitted
29
Darby (Jesse) Tillis IL Black 1979 1987 8 Acquitted
30
Vernon McManus TX White 1977 1987 10 Charges Dismissed
31
Anthony Ray Peek FL Black 1978 1987 9 Acquitted
32
Juan Ramos FL Latino 1983 1987 4 Acquitted
33
Robert Wallace GA Black 1980 1987 7 Acquitted
34
Richard Neal Jones OK White 1983 1987 4 Acquitted
35
Willie Brown FL Black 1983 1988 5 Charges Dismissed
36
Larry Troy FL Black 1983 1988 5 Charges Dismissed
37
Randall Dale Adams TX White 1977 1989 12 Charges Dismissed
38
Robert Cox FL White 1988 1989 1 Charges Dismissed
39
James Richardson FL Black 1968 1989 21 Charges Dismissed
40
Clarence Brandley TX Black 1981 1990 9 Charges Dismissed
41
John C. Skelton TX White 1983 1990 7 Acquitted
42
Dale Johnston OH White 1984 1990 6 Charges Dismissed
43
Jimmy Lee Mathers AZ White 1987 1990 3 Acquitted
44
Gary Nelson GA Black 1980 1991 11 Charges Dismissed
45
Bradley P. Scott FL White 1988 1991 3 Acquitted
46
Charles Smith IN Black 1983 1991 8 Acquitted
47
Jay C. Smith PA White 1986 1992 6 Acquitted
48
Kirk Bloodsworth MD White 1984 1993 9 Charges Dismissed Yes
49
Federico M. Macias TX Latino 1984 1993 9 Charges Dismissed
