Gov. Roy Cooper is pardoning two men: An Alamance County man who went through three murder trials before being acquitted and a Pitt County pastor who was wrongfully convicted of armed robbery as a teenager, spent nearly a decade in prison, and has spent the rest of his life since then trying to rebuild his reputation — and clear his name.
Mark Crotts was arrested for a 1990 double murder in Alamance County; the Greensboro News & Records reported at the time that the victims were his landlords. He was convicted but that conviction was thrown out after a judicial finding that the government violated his constitutional rights at trial. Prosecutors then tried him for murder two more times, failing to secure a conviction either time, and Crotts went free — but not before he spent two years in prison due to his initial wrongful conviction.
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In North Carolina, people who are wrongfully imprisoned are only eligible to receive restitution from the state if they're pardoned by the governor. Cooper's pardons Wednesday set up Crotts and the other man, Darron Carmon, to receive six-figure sums for their years behind bars.
Carmon was 19 when police in his hometown of Winterville in Pitt County arrested him for sticking up a gas station. He professed his innocence throughout the investigation and the subsequent trial, but a jury disagreed and sentenced him to nearly 15 years in prison. He only served about half his sentence, released for good behavior after eight years. His father had been a pastor and after getting out he followed in his dad’s footsteps, pastoring local churches and starting youth mentoring programs.
Years later, new facts would emerge that backed up his claim of innocence: A Pitt County judge agreed that the local police had “impermissibly” leaned on the gas station clerk to say Carmon was the robber. And a set of fingerprints the police found at the scene, possibly belonging to the real robber, didn’t match Carmon’s fingerprints. But investigators hid that fingerprint evidence. They didn’t disclose it to Carmon before the trial, and the jury wasn't told about it during the trial either.
Because of those new facts, as well as additional concerns about the conduct of Carmon's original 1994 trial, he was officially exonerated in 2022.
His exoneration and pardon came with the aid of Durham attorney Abraham Rubert-Schewel and others from the firm Tin Fulton Walker & Owen.
“Not only is he innocent, but Darron Carmon is an exceptional person of the highest character,” his attorneys wrote in seeking a pardon from Cooper. “While in prison, he maintained an excellent disciplinary record with zero infractions, and once released, he built an impactful career as a pastor and community leader.”
Other sentences commuted
In addition to the two pardons, Cooper also commuted the sentences of six people. Some will be immediately from prison this month on Cooper's orders; others will be made eligible for parole despite their initial convictions of life without parole.
"Ensuring careful review of cases while taking executive clemency action is a responsibility I take seriously,” Cooper wrote in a press release announcing his decisions, adding: "All of these individuals are deserving of clemency, and we will continue to work to protect our communities and improve the fairness of our criminal justice system.”
Four of them are people who were juveniles at the time of the crime, appear to have been rehabilitated by their years in prison, and were recommended for release by the Juvenile Sentence Review Board. The other two are older prisoners, recommended for release as part of what Cooper said has been a 25-year process to identify people who received life-without-parole sentences years ago that should be reconsidered now.
Cooper's office provided details on their crimes and subsequent rehabilitation:
Terence Smith, 42, has served nearly 25 years for his involvement in a robbery where three people were shot and injured in Forsyth County. Mr. Smith was 17 at time of the crime, was not the shooter and has expressed remorse. While incarcerated, Mr. Smith participated in extensive programming, including community college classes, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, and numerous self-improvement classes. He has also regularly worked in prison and maintained and fostered a close relationship with his family. Mr. Smith will be released November 27, 2024.
George Lesane, 47, has served over 30 years for the murder of Larry McCormick in Robeson County when Mr. Lesane was 17. While incarcerated, Mr. Lesane has had a strong prison record and been employed in a number of jobs. He has also completed his GED and taken numerous community college courses, as well as self-improvement classes including Napoleon Hill. He has also served as a Final Step mentor sharing his experiences with teachers and principals of at-risk youth. He is a faith leader in the facility. Mr. Lesane will be released November 27, 2024.
Donte Santiago, 40, has served more than 23 years for the murder of Frederick Howell in Onslow County when Mr. Santiago was 16. While incarcerated, Mr. Santiago has been a faith leader and served as a spiritual mentor for others. He has also pursued educational opportunities, including earning his GED, and several certificates from UNC. He works as a gold-leash trainer in a prison program for training service dogs. Mr. Santiago will become parole eligible immediately.
Kirston Angell, 35, has served 17 years for the murder of Bobby Boles and assault with a deadly weapon against two other victims in Davie County. He was 16 at the time of the crimes. While incarcerated, Mr. Angell has graduated summa cum laude from the College at Southeastern, North Carolina Field Minister Program. He now ministers to younger inmates at the Foothills Correctional Institution. He is currently studying for his master’s degree. He has also participated in the New Leash on Life dog training program, won numerous art awards, and had an exemplary disciplinary record. He will become parole eligible as of January 1, 2027.
Penny Jarrett, 60, has served 27 years of a life without parole sentence for the murder of Henry Draughn in Guilford County. A commutation was recommended by both a resident superior court judge and the Parole Commission. While incarcerated, Ms. Jarrett has taken advantage of numerous educational and training opportunities, including earning certificates in culinary technology and working on the state tourism hotline, as well as other jobs. She has also volunteered and provided mentorship to newer inmates. Ms. Jarrett will become parole eligible immediately.
Jesse Graham, 71, has served 26 years of a life without parole sentence for the murder of Jimmy Harris in Guilford County. While incarcerated, Mr. Graham has been a senior speaker for the Think Smart program and spoken to college basketball players to counsel them on making good decisions. He is also the President of the Central Prison Veterans Club, has had numerous jobs, and is the captain of the Central Prison weightlifting team. A commutation was recommended by both a resident superior court judge and the Parole Commission. Mr. Graham will become parole eligible immediately.