Dec. 31 (UPI) — Outgoing North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday announced 15 commutations of the death penalty to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“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,” Cooper said Tuesday in an online announcement .
“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,” he said.
The respective convictions occurred as long ago as 1993 and as recently as 2011, while the affected inmates’ current ages range from 38 to 67.
The inmates who will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole instead of being executed include Hasson Bacote, 38, who was convicted in Johnson County in 2009; Iziah Barden, 67, who was convicted in Sampson County in 1999; Nathan Bowie, 53, who was convicted in Catawba County in 1993; Rayford Burke, 66, who was convicted in Iredell County in 1993; and Elrico Fowler, 49, who was convicted in Mecklenburg County in 1997.