The exact number of exonerated American prisoners is unknown . But data gathered by university law schools indicates it 's more than 2,000 . Fascinating details surrounding some of these exonerations set them apart from the rest . Here are five recent exonerations that made headlines . 1 . Michael Morton . The subject of a CNN film , Michael Morton was n't home when his wife , Christine , was beaten to death in front of their 3-year-old son at their Austin , Texas-area home in 1986 . But a prosecutor said the evidence suggested otherwise . The problem was , the jury was prevented from hearing all the evidence in the case . Wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison , a team of loyal supporters and DNA evidence helped Morton win his freedom in 2011 . Last month , Morton 's former prosecutor pleaded no contest to a court order to show cause regarding evidence that was not used in the trial . Read more about Michael Morton 's story . 2 . Brian Banks and the incredible twist . At age 17 , fearing a potentially long sentence , college football hopeful Brian Banks followed the advice of his attorney and pleaded no contest to assaulting a Long Beach , California , high school classmate in 2002 . Banks maintained his innocence throughout nearly six years of imprisonment , subsequent probation and registration as a sex offender . But in 2011 , the case took an incredible twist when the alleged victim sent Banks a Facebook friend request . According to the California Innocence Project , the woman later admitted that Banks had not kidnapped or raped her during a consensual encounter at Long Beach Polytechnic High School , where Banks was a middle linebacker with a scholarship offer from the University of Southern California . Read more about Banks ' story . 3 . Douglas Prade and the bite marks . In 1997 , former Akron , Ohio , police captain Douglas Prade was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife , Margo Prade , a popular doctor . Her gunshot-riddled body was found in her vehicle in her office parking lot . No murder weapon was found and prosecutors produced no witnesses to the killing . The main evidence against Prade was a bite mark on the victim 's arm and lab coat that a prosecution expert matched to Prade 's teeth . DNA tests conducted at the time were inconclusive . With help from the University of Cincinnati 's Innocence Project , Prade appealed the conviction . In 2010 , Prade won an Ohio Supreme Court ruling that allowed retesting of DNA evidence using newer methods . When the results came back , none of the DNA evidence could be matched to Prade . Read more about Prade 's case . 4 . Clarence Harrison and the wristwatch . If police had never heard about a wristwatch that Clarence Harrison had for sale , perhaps he never would have been wrongly convicted of rape . He never would have lost 17 years serving time in a Georgia prison . In 1986 a woman was raped and her wristwatch was stolen , according to the Innocence Project . Neighbors told police that Harrison lived near the victim and that he had a wristwatch for sale . Police searched Harrison 's home and did n't find the watch . But the victim identified Harrison in a photo lineup as her attacker . Blood tests pointed to Harrison as the possible attacker . But the testing was incorrect , the Innocence Project later said . It was n't until 2004 that DNA testing proved Harrison could not have committed the crime . Harrison was freed . More about Harrison . 5 . James Bain , longest serving exoneree . Of the hundreds of U.S. prisoners exonerated by DNA tests , none has served more time behind bars than James Bain , according to the Innocence Project . Now free , Bain will never regain the 35 years he spent in Florida 's prison system . In 1974 , a 9-year-old boy was taken from his bedroom and raped on a baseball field in Lake Wales , Florida . The boy later told police his attacker had bushy sideburns and a mustache . After being shown five photos of potential suspects , the victim picked out a photo of Bain , according to a police report . Bain was 19 when he was convicted on charges of kidnapping , burglary and strong-arm rape . He received a life sentence . In 2001 , Florida passed a statute allowing cases to be reopened for DNA testing . Four times Bain submitted handwritten motions seeking such testing . Each time he was denied . After an appeals court ruled he was entitled to a hearing , Bain 's fifth motion was successful . Finally , after DNA testing proved negative , Bain was set free in 2009 . He was 54 years old . `` I 'm not angry , '' Bain told reporters . Read more about Bain 's case .
Cleared in the murder of his wife , Michael Morton walked free after nearly 25 years . Brian Banks now plays for the NFL after he was exonerated of rape charges . Ex-police captain Douglas Prade was wrongly accused of killing his wife ; now he 's free . James Bain says , `` I 'm not angry , '' after serving 35 years for a crime he did n't commit .