In a significant move, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has reduced the state’s death row population by more than 10%. On Tuesday, just before leaving office, Cooper commuted the death sentences of 15 men convicted of first-degree murder to life in prison without the possibility of parole. This decision marks a major shift for the state, where 136 individuals were on death row before this action.
Roy Cooper, who has served two consecutive terms as governor and previously spent 16 years as North Carolina’s attorney general, handed over the reins to fellow Democrat Josh Stein on Wednesday. Before stepping down, Cooper emphasized that his decision to commute these sentences came after a thorough review process. His team carefully examined petitions from defendants and took into account input from prosecutors and the families of victims.
When evaluating the cases, Cooper’s office considered factors such as how the inmates behaved in prison, whether they had competent legal representation during their trials, and how their sentences compared to those of co-defendants. Cooper acknowledged the gravity of his decision, calling it one of the toughest tasks for any governor, as the death penalty is the most severe punishment the state can impose. After much reflection and prayer, he concluded that these 15 individuals should spend the rest of their lives in prison rather than face execution.
North Carolina is one of 27 states that still have the death penalty, but no executions have been carried out there since 2006. Across the United States, many states are moving away from capital punishment. Even with this reduction, North Carolina still has one of the largest death row populations in the country. However, the number of new death sentences has been dropping in recent years as prosecutors are more selective about pursuing capital cases.
Cooper’s actions drew praise from groups advocating against the death penalty, though some wished he had commuted all death row sentences. They highlighted racial disparities in capital punishment, noting that 13 of the 15 inmates who received clemency are Black. Convictions for the commuted sentences date back to as early as 1993.
One of the men whose sentence was commuted is Hasson Bacote, who was convicted of first-degree murder in Johnston County in 2009. Bacote had been fighting his death sentence under the now-repealed Racial Justice Act. This law allowed prisoners to have their sentences reduced to life without parole if they could prove racial bias played a role in their case. Although the act was repealed in 2013, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that it could still be applied retroactively to most cases. Bacote’s hearing under this law was widely watched as a test case.
Another individual, Guy LeGrande, was spared execution after a judge ruled that his severe mental illness made his sentence unfair. LeGrande was convicted in Stanly County for the 1993 murder of a woman, a crime he committed after her estranged husband promised him a cut of her life insurance payout.
A third person, Christopher Roseboro, was convicted of the 1992 murder and rape of a 72-year-old woman in Gastonia. His case was among those reviewed for commutation.
While these decisions have sparked conversations about the future of the death penalty in North Carolina, Governor Cooper isn’t alone in addressing this controversial issue. Last week, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40 people on federal death row, replacing their death penalties with life imprisonment.
In addition to these actions, Cooper also commuted the sentences of two prisoners convicted of murder, making them eligible for parole. One has already served 34 years in prison, while the other has served 27.
This historic act of clemency underscores ongoing debates about the fairness and morality of the death penalty, not just in North Carolina but across the United States. As new leadership steps in, the path forward for the state’s justice system remains a topic of significant public interest.
