Which convicted woman was officially exonerated in 2022?

Elizabeth Johnson Jr. was officially exonerated in 2022, becoming the last person convicted in the Salem witch trials to have her conviction formally overturned. Massachusetts cleared her name 329 years after her 1693 conviction.

Johnson was an Andover resident caught up in the wider witchcraft panic that spread through Essex County. She confessed to witchcraft during questioning, but later pleaded not guilty at trial. In January 1693, a court convicted her and sentenced her to death. Governor William Phips soon reprieved her, so she was not executed.

Most Salem-era convictions were eventually annulled through legislation, including major actions in 1711, 1957, and 2001. Johnson's name was repeatedly overlooked, partly because she had survived and was not among the people executed. Her conviction therefore remained technically on the books for centuries.

The 2022 exoneration followed research and lobbying by students from North Andover Middle School, working with local historians and educators. The case is a reminder that “convicted” did not mean “executed” in Salem: many defendants were jailed, pardoned, released, or later cleared.