As of July 1, 2024, 200 people in the U.S. have been exonerated and freed from death row since 1973 (article available here).
In 2021, the Death Penalty Information Center dubbed this national reality an “innocence epidemic” when the number of death row exonerations had reached 185 people. Two recent exonerations have brought the number to 200: the June 19, 2024 exoneration of Kerry Cook in Texas and the July 1, 2024 exoneration of Larry Roberts in California.
Both cases involved the withholding of evidence favorable to the defense, in violation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1963 ruling in Brady v. Maryland, and the knowing presentation of perjured testimony. In describing Mr. Cook’s case, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals wrote: “when it comes to solid support for actual innocence, this case contains it all—uncontroverted Brady violations, proof of false testimony, admissions of perjury, and new scientific evidence.”
Witness to Innocence (WTI) is a national organization based in Philadelphia and made up entirely of exonerated death row survivors who have been raising awareness about wrongful capital convictions for over 20 years.