about nc exonerations
This website compiles information about all known exonerations in North Carolina. You can browse all known exonerations in the table below, and click on an exoneree's name for more information about their case.
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Featured Exoneration
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LaMonte Armstrong
In 1995, LaMonte Armstrong was convicted of the 1988 murder of a university professor in Greensboro, North Carolina, based on testimony from an informant who was known for providing false information. After taking up Armstrong's case, the Duke University Law School Wrongful Convictions Clinic discovered that police had failed to disclose evidence of Armstrong's innocence. In 2010, the informant recanted his testimony, and in 2012 a re-investigation matched a crime scene palm print to a convicted murderer. Charges were dismissed in March 2013 by agreement with the prosecution. Armstrong had served 17 years of his life sentence. |
Name | County | Race | Sex | Convicted | Exonerated | Crime | Sentence | Time Served | DNA | Contributing Factors |
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Joseph Abbitt | Forsyth | B | M | 1995 | 2009 | 2 counts first-degree rape, one count kidnapping, one count of burglary. | Life | 14 | Y | Mistaken Witness ID |
Derrick Allen | Durham | B | M | 1998 | 2010 | Murder/sexual assault of a minor | min. 44 years | 12 | Evidence withheld, | |
Lamonte Armstrong | Guilford | B | M | 1995 | 2013 | Murder | Life | 18 | Y | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
John Wesley Benton | B | M | 1943 | 1943 | Rape | 15 years in prison to be served "at hard labor" |
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Floyd Brown | Anson | B | M | 1993 | 2007 | Murder | Committed to Dorthea Dix mental hospital, ruled incompetent to stand trial | 14 | False Confession, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | |
Keith Brown | Wilson | B | M | 1993 | 1999 | Sexual assault | 35 years | 6 | Y | False Confession, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Glen Edward Chapman | Catawba | B | M | 1994 | 2008 | Murder | Death | 14 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | |
Ronald Cotton | Alamance | B | M | 1985 | 1995 | Rape and burglary | Life | 10 | Y | Mistaken Witness ID, Inadequate Legal Defense |
Erick Daniels | Durham | B | M | 2001 | 2008 | Robbery | 10-15 years | 7 | Mistaken Witness ID, Inadequate Legal Defense | |
Dwayne Allen Dail | Wayne | W | M | 1989 | 2007 | First degree rape, first degree sex offense, first degree burglary, indecent liberties, lewd and lacivious act against a minor. | Two life sentences +18 years | 18 | Y | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence |
Terence Garner | Wayne | B | M | 1998 | 2002 | Armed Robbery | 32-48 years | 4 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation | |
Alan Gell | Bertie | W | M | 1998 | 2004 | Robbery, murder | Death | 6 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | |
Willie Grimes | Catawba | B | M | 1988 | 2012 | 2 counts of rape, 1 count of kidnapping | life + 9 years | 24 | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence | |
Jerry Lee Hamilton | Richmond | M | 1994 | 2003 | Murder | Death | 9 | Y | Perjury or False Accusation | |
Jonathon Hoffman | Union | B | M | 1996 | 2007 | Robbery & Murder | Death | 12 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | |
Darryl Hunt | Forsyth | B | M | 1985 | 2004 | First degree murder | 19 | Y | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | |
Lesly Jean | Onslow | B | 1982 | 1991 | Robbery and sexual assault | 2 Life Sentences | 9 | Y | Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct | |
Levon Junior Jones | Duplin | B | 1993 | 2008 | Death | 15 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | |||
Kenneth Kagonyera | Buncombe | M | 2001 | 2011 | Second Degree Murder | 12-16 years | 10 | Y | False Confession, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | |
Robert Kelly | Chowan | M | 1992 | 1997 | Child Sex Abuse | Life | 5 | Perjury or False Accusation | ||
Shawn Giovanni Massey | Mecklenburg | M | 1999 | 2010 | Kidnapping, Robbery, Burglary | 11.5-15.25 years | 11 | Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct | ||
Noe Moreno | Mecklenburg | M | 2007 | 2012 | Second Degree Murder | 18-22 years | 5 | Inadequate Legal Defense | ||
Charles Munsey | Wilkes | M | 1993 | 1998 | Murder | 5 | Perjury or False Accusation, Confession by Real Perp | |||
Jonathan Scott Pierpont | Madison | W | M | 1992 | 2010 | 1st degree sexual offense | Life | 17 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation | |
Samuel Poole | Moore | M | 1973 | 1974 | Breaking and entering with intent to commit rape | Death | 1 | Insufficient Evidence, overturned by Supreme Court | ||
Alfred Rivera | Forsyth | H | M | 1997 | 1999 | Murder | Death | 2 | Perjury or False Accusation | |
Lonnie Sawyer | Mecklenburg | W | M | 1965 | Kidnapping | 28-32 years | 2 | 1977 | Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct? (withholding evidence) | |
Sandy Sawyer | Mecklenburg | W | M | 1965 | 1977 | Kidnapping | 32-40 years | 2 | Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct? (withholding evidence) | |
Sylvester Smith | Brunswick | B | M | 1984 | 2004 | Rape | Life | 20 | Perjury or False Accusation | |
Steve Snipes | Lee | M | 1998 | 2003 | Armed robbery | 7 years and 6 months | 5 | Mistaken Witness ID, Inadequate Legal Defense | ||
Christopher Spicer | New Hanover | M | 1973 | 1975 | Murder | Death | 2 | Perjury or False Accusation | ||
Donald Edward Sweat | Lee | M | 2007 | 2009 | Asault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury | 93 months to 121 Months | 2 | Insufficient Evidence, overturned by Supreme Court | ||
Greg Taylor | Wake | W | M | 1993 | 2010 | Murder | Life | 17 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation | |
Leo Water | Onslow | W | M | 1982 | 2003 | Rape, sexual offense, robbery with a dangerous weapon | Life | 21 | Y | Mistaken Witness ID |
Robert Wilcoxson | Buncombe | B | M | 2002 | 2011 | Murder | 12-16 years | 9 | Y | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Kathryn Dawn Wilson | Chowan | W | F | 1993 | 1997 | Sexual abuse | Life | 4 | Perjury or False Accusation |