What begins as a school project becomes an emotional journey into historic wounds.

THE LAST WITCH is a documentary following eﬀorts to exonerate Elizabeth Johnson Jr., the last person convicted of witchcraft during the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. As a schoolteacher, her students, and a state senator work to clear Elizabeth’s name, what begins as a unique school project quickly becomes an emotional journey into historical wounds left unattended—and the contemporary implications of those wounds.

THE LAST WITCH shows how a schoolteacher, her students, and their allies not only set Elizabeth’s wrongful conviction right, but that by making amends with the past, they provide all of us with inspiration to create a better future. THE LAST WITCH spotlights the impact one person can have to change history. The film draws attention to our own responsibility to advocate for justice, and the importance of civic education in protecting democracy.

Who was...

THE • LAST

WITCH?

The last person tried for the crime of witchcraft in the Salem Witch Trials was Elizabeth Johnson, Jr., a 22-year-old woman who was deemed “simplish,” accused, arrested, bullied and convicted. While she was not executed, her sentence as a “detestable witch” continued to subject her to ongoing injustices after the Trials and remained beyond her lifetime until present day.

August 10, 1692 : Arrested for Witchcraft

January 11, 1693 : Sentenced to Hang

July 28, 2022: Exonerated of the Crime,

330 years later

THE PLAYERS

Key characters in our story

CARRIE LAPIERRE

8th Grade School Teacher

Carrie’s passion for history and justice inspired 250 of her students to take on Elizabeth Johnson Jr’s case as the last person in Massachusetts to be exonerated of the conviction of witchcraft

DIANA DIZOGLIO

Massachusetts State Senator

As the daughter of a single mother who
had her at 17, Diana has always had to
fight for the things that have mattered to
her, including the injustice done to
Elizabeth Johnson Jr.

THE 8th GRADE CLASS

North Andover Middle School

Around 120 students, aged 13-14 years,
are challenged to read primary sources
and send letters and postcards to the
legislature to clear the name of a woman
who lived many years before them during
events that will shape their lives today.

THE RE-ENACTMENTS

To bring the story to life for the viewer, three re-enactments will be filmed on location

THE HISTORY

We are illustrating key elements in history leading up to the Salem Witch Trials, with an added voice-over to quickly orient the viewer to the context, atmosphere, and rules that led up to Elizabeth Johnson Jr's accusation of witchcraft in 1692.

THE TRIAL

Elizabeth’s journey, including her examination and confession on August 11, 1692, were transcribed verbatim. That transcript serves as the foundation for illustrations of Elizabeth Johnson Jr's story. A voice-over actress will speak Elizabeth's words as she describes her harrowing experience of being accused and convicted as a witch.

THE MEETING HOUSE

We filmed limited reenactments at the Rebecca Nurse Meeting House in Danvers, MA (pictured at right). The Meeting House is a standing replica of the original Salem Village Meeting House, where many accused were interrogated during the Trials.

Director’s Statement

As a former university teacher, I relate to how Carrie LaPierre, a middle school teacher, uses Elizabeth Johnson Jr.’s story to teach her students that by taking action to clear Elizabeth of her conviction, we can all make a diﬀerence.

330 years after the Salem Witch Trials came to an end, Carrie, her students, and the last convicted witch together teach us all much-needed lessons about humanity, community, and spirituality. These lessons will take us beyond the Salem Witch Trials to contemporary “witch hunts,” as THE LAST WITCH embarks on a social impact campaign in support of civic education and participation—to encourage all of us to understand and engage in democracy.

I look forward to it.

Annika Hylmö, Ph.D.