US man Dontae Sharpe was wrongfully imprisoned for 26 years pardoned
Dontae Sharpe had fought to prove his innocence since his 1994 arrest. He was released from prison in August 2019." My family's name has been cleared," he told reporters on Friday. "It's a burden off of my shoulders and my family's shoulders."
The news follows a documentary on the miscarriage of justice in his case. Mr Sharpe's story highlighted how it could take years to get a full pardon even after someone is forgiven and wins their freedom.
In a statement announcing the pardon Governor Roy Cooper said that he had carefully reviewed the case, and those wrongly convicted like Mr Sharpe "deserve to have that injustice fully and publicly acknowledged".
With the full pardon, Mr Sharpe will file a request for compensation from the state.
"My freedom still ain't complete as long as there are people wrongfully in prison, wrongfully convicted, and people waiting on pardons," Mr Sharpe added.
"I've been in there and know there are guys that are innocent and know that our system is corrupt and needs to be changed."
Mr Sharpe is a fellow with forwarding Justice, where he advocates for criminal justice reform in North Carolina.
He was convicted on a first-degree murder charge over the killing of George Radcliffe. Months after the trial, a teenage eyewitness for the state recanted her testimony. It still took over two decades for Mr Sharpe to be pardoned and released from prison.
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