Current Cases

The North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence is working to investigate a multitude of cases at any given time.  Currently, the Center has 6 cases with scheduled litigation and many more in the advanced stages of investigation.

Terron Chavis awaits DNA testing to prove his innocence - The Crime On March 5, 2004, a woman was nursing her five-week-old daughter when she heard a knock at the
Daniel Green, incarcerated for almost three decades, is appealing the denial of his evidentiary hearing - Daniel Green has been incarcerated for 25 years for a robbery and murder he did not commit. On March 21, 1996, Daniel Green was convicted of first degree felony murder in the 1993 armed robbery and death of James Jordan.  He was sentenced to life in prison plus ten years.  Daniel has always maintained that he was not involved in the robbery or death of James Jordan, who is the father of NBA legend, Michael Jordan.
Alex Trogdon has been incarcerated for 11 years for a crime that never happened - Alex Trogdon has been incarcerated for 11 years for a crime that never happened. Based upon new scientific evidence challenging the shaken baby syndrome diagnosis and bitemark identifications, as well as strong evidence that he received ineffective assistance of counsel at his trial, we believe Alex is entitled to a new trial.
Rayshawn Banner awaits three-judge panel to consider innocence - In 2004, brothers Rayshawn Banner and Nathaniel Cauthen were convicted of the murder and robbery of Nathaniel Jones. In 2005, their co-defendants, Jermal Tolliver, Christopher Bryant, and Dorrell Brayboy were convicted after a separate trial. Banner was only 14 years old and the others were only 15 years old when the crime occurred. All five boys have claimed innocence at their trials and have continued to claim innocence since that time.
Charles Wakefield, Jr. discovers new evidence that casts doubt on his murder conviction from 1975 - Wakefield has always claimed his innocence. A recent, nationally recognized Greenville podcast by journalist Brad Willis, “Murder, Etc.”, has uncovered evidence supporting Wakefield’s innocence and, importantly, gaining the support of the Looper family.
Robert Bragg - Robert "Bobby" Bragg was convicted of first-degree murder in February 1996 for the December 1994 murder of Coy Hartley. The elderly Mr. Hartley was found beaten to death in his trailer in Boone, North Carolina.  Mr. Hartley died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head.  Robert Bragg was identified as a suspect, despite the fact that numerous witnesses confirmed that Mr. Bragg was in Tennessee at the time of the murder. In fact, Mr. Bragg waived extradition against the advice of a Tennessee judge, who suggested there was insufficient evidence for probable cause for the extradition.