7 Historic US DNA Exoneration Cases

It’s hard to overstate the revolutionary contribution DNA has made not only to our understanding of biology, but to the realm of criminal justice. Initially discovered in 1953, it would take more than 30 years before the Nobel Prize winning discovery was viable for use in the field of forensics, following the work of British geneticist Alec Jeffreys in the early 1980’s.

While DNA was inevitably first utilized to secure convictions, it was only a few short years before its value was also realized as a tool for the wrongfully convicted. Indeed, as of 2013 all 50 states in America have passed post conviction statutes concerning access to DNA testing, and DNA evidence has been responsible for over 360 exonerations in the US since 1988.

Despite its usefulness however, you might be surprised to find out that DNA evidence has only featured in a minority of exoneration cases in the US, though legal advocacy organizations like the Innocence Project are working to change that. Combined with continuous improvements to the science, DNA testing has nevertheless earned its reputation as the gold standard of exculpatory evidence.

Today we want to take a look at some of the historic U.S. exoneration cases involving DNA, focusing on some of the scientific achievements, notable landmarks, and their importance to the overall area of criminal justice.

Before we get to the main video, don’t forget to like and subscribe to Crime Zone for more true content like this, making sure to hit the notification bell to stay up to date with our latest content.

With that out of the way, here is our list of 8 Historic US DNA Exoneration Cases.

FOOTAGE USED:

– An Exoneree Reunion: Calvin Willis and Rickey Johnson

– GoFundMe: Craig Richard Coley | Innocent

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