Organizing to end Louisiana’s death penalty.
More About Exonerations
What We’ve Learned in the DNA Era
Hundreds of DNA exoneration cases reveal that murder cases can be riddled with problems: mistaken identification, drunk witnesses, bad lawyers, shoddy forensics, unreliable jailhouse witnesses, coerced confessions, overzealous prosecutors, and more.
Experts estimate that 4% of those currently on death row are actually innocent.
DNA cannot solve these problems – it can only reveal how bad they are. DNA evidence only exists in 5-10% of criminal cases.
Some “forensic” evidence is now known to be based on junk science. Bite-mark, fire pattern and hair analysis is no longer considered real science. From “shaken-baby” to “SIDS” evidence concerning infant deaths has lost rather than gained credibility.
Crime laboratories and coroners have come under fire for errors and even fraud in their forensics.
Visit Witness to Innocence for more information and resources for death row exonerees.
Innocent Louisianan Glenn Ford spent over 30 years on death row before his innocence was discovered. He died of lung cancer 15 months after his release. Photo courtesy of Henrietta Wildsmith/The Times.
147.5 Years Were Taken From Innocent People Wrongfully Sentenced To Death In Louisiana
For over 50,000 days, these innocent people lived in fear that they would be executed for crimes they did not commit. Here are just a few of their stories:
Albert Burrell, an intellectually disabled citizen, was wrongfully sentenced to death for a robbery and murder he did not commit. He had 13.4 years of his life taken away from him.
John Thompson was wrongfully sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit when prosecutors withheld exculpatory evidence. Thirty days before his execution, an investigator found microfiche evidence proving that prosecutors knew he had the wrong blood type. While on death row, Thompson suffered through seven scheduled execution dates. 18 years of his life were taken away. Thompson died in 2017 from a heart attack, having lived free as an adult less time than he was imprisoned.
Ryan Matthews was wrongfully sentenced to death when he was only 17 years old. He was exonerated by DNA evidence.
Damon Thibodeaux was wrongfully sentenced to death for a rape and murder that he did not commit. His conviction resulted from a coerced confession. DNA evidence helped to prove his innocence. He had 15 years of his life taken away from him.
Glenn Ford was wrongfully sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit. He was released after the prosecutor’s office uncovered evidence of his innocence. He had 29.3 years of his life taken away from him; sadly, he died from cancer one year after he obtained his freedom.