NOVA Online | Killer's Trail

Cleared by DNA

In his drive to prove his father innocent using results of DNA analysis, Sam Reese Sheppard is not alone. Indeed, the sheer number of inmates who have gained their freedom since the advent of forensic DNA testing in the late 1980s may surprise you. Below is an up-to-date list of those freed inmates, most of whom were incarcerated for murder or rape. The list is maintained by the Innocence Project at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City. For information on the Innocence Project, see Resources.

Name of Defendant	Location	Date of Conviction	Date of Release	Length of Incarceration (years)

Kenneth Adams	IL	Oct-78	Jul-96	19
Gilbert Alejandro	TX	Oct-90	Jul-94	14
Kirk Bloodsworth	MD	Mar-85	Jun-93	8
Mark Diaz Bravo	CA	Oct-90	Jan-94	4
Dale Brison	PA	Jun-91	Jan-94	4
Ronnie Bullock	IL	May-84	Oct-94	10
Kevin Byrd	TX	Aug-85	Oct-97	12
Leonard Callace	NY	Mar-87	Oct-92	6
Terry Chalmers	NY	Jun-87	Apr-95	7.5
Marion Coakley	NY	Aug-85	Sep-87	4
Ronald Cotton	NC	Jan-85	Jun-95	11
Rolando Cruz	IL	Jan-85	Nov-95	11
Charles Dabbs	NY	Apr-84	Aug-91	9
Dewey Davis	WV	Jan-87	Jun-94	7.5
Gerald Davis	WV	Jul-86	Jul-94	8
Frederick Daye	CA	Aug-84	Sep-94	10
Gary Dotson	IL	Jul-79	Aug-89	8
Timothy Durham	OK	Mar-93	Jan-97	5
Dennis Fritz	OK	Apr-88	Apr-99	12
Anthony Gray	MD	Oct-91	Feb-99	7
Edward Green	DC	Jul-89	Mar-90	0.75
Kevin Green	CA	Oct-80	Jun-96	16
Ricky Hammond	CT	Mar-90	Oct-92	2.5
William Harris	WV	Oct-87	Oct-95	8
Alejandro Hernandez	IL	Jan-85	Nov-95	11
Anthony Hicks	WI	Dec-91	Jul-96	5
Larry Holdren	WV	Mar-84	Jun-99	15
Edward Honaker	VA	Feb-85	Oct-94	10
Vincent Jenkins	NY	Nov-83	not yet	U
Verneal Jimerson	IL	Dec-85	Jun-96	11
Jones Joe	KS	Feb-86	Jul-92	7
Calvin Johnson	GA	Nov-83	Jun-99	16
Richard Johnson	IL	Jan-92	Dec-95	4
Ronald Jones	IL	Jul-89	May-99	10
Kerry Kotler	NY	Mar-82	Dec-92	11
Steven Linscott	IL	Jun-82	Jan-85	3
Dale Mahan	AL	Jun-84	Dec-97	14
Ronnie Mahan	AL	Jun-84	Dec-97	14
Robert Miller	OK	Jan-88	Jan-98	9
Marvin Mitchell	MA	Jan-90	Apr-97	8
Perry Mitchell	SC	Jan-84	Aug-98	14
Vincent Moto	PA	Jan-88	Nov-95	9
Bruce Nelson	PA	Apr-85	May-91	9
Victor Ortiz	NY	Jan-84	Oct-96	14
Brian Piszczek	OH	Jun-91	Sep-94	4
Willie Rainge	IL	Oct-78	Jul-96	18
Donald Reynolds	IL	Feb-88	Nov-97	9
Fredric Saecker	WI	Jan-90	May-96	6
Ben Salazar	TX	Jan-92	Oct-97	5
Dwayne Scruggs	IN	May-86	Dec-93	8
David Shepard	NJ	Sep-84	Apr-95	11
Walter Smith	OH	Dec-86	Dec-96	10
Walter Snyder	VA	Jun-86	Apr-93	7
Steven Toney	MO	Apr-83	Jul-96	14
David Vasquez	VA	Feb-85	Jan-89	5
Billy Wardell	IL	Feb-88	Nov-97	9
Thomas Webb	OK	Jan-83	May-96	14
Troy Webb	VA	Apr-89	Oct-96	7
Dennis Williams	IL	Oct-78	Jul-96	18
Ron Williamson	OK	Apr-88	Apr-99	12
John Willis	IL	Sep-90	Feb-99	9
Glen Woodall	WV	Jun-87	May-92	4
Herman Kaglick	CAN	Jan-92	Jan-98	5
David Milgaard	CAN	Jan-70	Apr-92	23
Gordon Folland	CAN	Mar-95	Nov-96	3
Guy Paul Morin	CAN	Jul-92	Jan-95	2
Gregory Parsons	CAN	Feb-94	Feb-98	0.25