The charges revolve around the murder of 17-year-old Brittany Willis of Wilson.
In September, Johnson was released from jail one day after his trial was supposed to start. Questions about the evidence gave him hope.
The state attorney general assigned a special prosecutor to the case. According to Johnson's father, the charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence.
Instead, Johnson will be charged with accessory after the fact.
Johnson has always proclaimed his innocence, saying a former friend named Kevin Meeks committed the murder and bragged about it. But Johnson said when he told authorities about Meeks, Meeks named Johnson as the murderer.
The NAACP has also been involved in the case, claiming injustices against Johnson.
"The light of Christmas has shown on the dark nightmare that James Johnson has suffered for 42 months in a false incarceration on murder, rape, and kidnapping charges without a trial," Rev. Dr. William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP said. "Tonight the special prosecutor dismissed all murder, rape and kidnaping charges against him. It is a major victory for truth and justice."
"James is an innocent young man who was falsely accused," Barber added. "It is not yet a total victory because one count of accessory remains, but we will celebrate tonight, and pick up the fight tomorrow for James' full exoneration tomorrow."
