Exonerated · New Jersey, Camden County

Taron Hill

Spotlight case — not a Xonorate client

Convicted of Two counts of murder and related weapons offenses2006 → 2021

State: New Jersey
County: Camden
Race / ethnicity: Black
Sex: Male
Age at time of crime: 18
DNA evidence involved: No

Taron Hill was convicted in 2006 of the September 25, 2004 shooting deaths of Robin Battie and Tinesha Lewis in Camden, New Jersey, and sentenced to 60 years without parole. The case against him rested on a single-photo eyewitness identification and two jailhouse informants who later recanted — no forensic evidence ever tied him to the crime, and the murder weapon was never found. New Jersey's Conviction Review Unit, in its first-ever exoneration, found clear and convincing evidence he should not have been convicted. His conviction was vacated July 9, 2021, after more than 16 years in prison.

I.The conviction

Charge: Two counts of murder and related weapons offenses
Year convicted: 2006
Sentence: 60 years without possibility of parole
Time served: 16 years, 7 months
What contributed to the conviction: A single eyewitness identified Hill through a procedure using only one photo. Two jailhouse informants corroborated that identification at trial — both later recanted. No physical or forensic evidence connected Hill to the crime, and the murder weapon was never recovered.

Mistaken witness identificationPerjury or false accusationJailhouse informantsInadequate legal defense

II.Exoneration

Year exonerated: 2021
What led to exoneration: New Jersey's Attorney General's Office Conviction Review Unit reviewed the case and found clear and convincing evidence Hill should not have been convicted, citing the flawed single-photo identification and the informants' recantations. Camden County Superior Court Judge Edward J. McBride Jr. vacated the conviction on July 9, 2021 — the Conviction Review Unit's first exoneration. Attorney Justin Bonus represented Hill.

III.The cost

Impact on family

Taron Hill was 18 years old and working at a McDonald's fast food restaurant when he was arrested. His only child was one month old at the time, meaning the earliest weeks of his child's life were also the last he spent with them before his wrongful conviction separated them. Wrongful convictions damage far more than the individual falsely accused; they fracture families, and some are never able to rebuild.

IV.Documents

CBS News: Conviction vacated after 16 years	On file
Attorney General Announces First Action By Statewide Conviction Review Unit	On file
Taron Hill \| National Registry of Exonerations	On file

V.Take action

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