Raleigh, NC – On his way out, Governor Roy Cooper announced on Tuesday (December 31), that he has commuted the sentences of 15 people on death row in North Carolina to life without the possibility of parole. He commuted these sentences after a thorough review of detailed petitions for clemency submitted by the defendants, input from district attorneys and the families of victims, and close review by the Governor’s Office.
“These reviews are among the most difficult decisions a Governor can make and the death penalty is the most severe sentence that the state can impose,” said Governor Cooper. “After thorough review, reflection, and prayer, I concluded that the death sentence imposed on these 15 people should be commuted, while ensuring they will spend the rest of their lives in prison.”
No executions have been carried out in North Carolina since 2006 due to ongoing litigation. Before today’s commutations, North Carolina had 136 offenders on death row and the Governor’s Clemency Office received petitions for clemency from 89 of them. The Governor’s Office carefully reviewed, researched, and considered these 89 petitions for commutations, which included the 15 that were granted today.
While no single factor was determinative in the decision on any one case, the Governor’s Office considered a variety of factors in reviewing the petitions, including:
- Facts and circumstances of the crime
- Whether a murder was particularly heinous and cruel
- Input from prosecutors in the county of conviction
- Input from family members of victims
- Defendant’s criminal history
- Defendant’s conduct and activity in prison
- Mental and intellectual capacity of the defendant at the time of the crime
- Credible claims of innocence
- The potential influence of race, such as the race of the defendant and victim, composition of the jury pool and the final jury, and evidence and testimony offered at trial
- Sentences received by co-defendants
- Whether plea agreements for a lesser sentence were offered prior to trial
- Age of defendant at the time of the crime
- Current age, health, and mental capacity of the defendant
- Adequacy of legal representation at trial and on appeal
- Laws governing capital punishment at the time of conviction
- Juror actions and statements
- Appellate history, including ongoing appeals
The people whose sentences were commuted to life without the possibility of parole are:
Hasson Bacote, 38, convicted in Johnston County in 2009.
Iziah Barden, 67, convicted in Sampson County in 1999.
Nathan Bowie, 53, convicted in Catawba County in 1993.
Rayford Burke, 66, convicted in Iredell County in 1993.
Elrico Fowler, 49, convicted in Mecklenburg County in 1997.
Cerron Hooks, 46, convicted in Forsyth County in 2000.
Guy LeGrande, 65, convicted in Stanly County in 1996.
James Little, 38, convicted in Forsyth County in 2008.
Robbie Locklear, 52, convicted in Robeson County in 1996.
Lawrence Peterson, 55, convicted in Richmond County in 1996.
William Robinson, 41, convicted in Stanly County in 2011.
Christopher Roseboro, 60, convicted in Gaston County in 1997.
Darrell Strickland, 66, convicted in Union County in 1995.
Timothy White, 47, convicted in Forsyth County in 2000.
Vincent Wooten, 52, convicted in Pitt County in 1994.
