Darryl Hunt

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment
Years Imprisoned:	19.5
Year Crime:	1984
Year Convicted:	1985
Year Cleared:	2004
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	North Carolina
County or Region of Crime:	Forsyth
City of Crime:	Winston-Salem
Result:	Pardoned
Summary of Case:	"Darryl Hunt was wrongly convicted twice of murdering a woman in North Carolina. Hunt's first murder conviction was reversed, but he was re-convicted in 1990. A DNA test in 1994 excluded him as the murderer, but the prosecutor refused to take any action towards his release, claiming it didn't exclude that he had some role in the crime - even though Hunt had unwaveringly disclaimed any involvement. On December 22, 2003, Willard E. Brown confessed to being solely responsible for Deborah Sykes' murder, and DNA test of the remaining evidence didn't exclude him as the culprit. Two days later, December 24, 2003, Darryl Hunt was released on bond pending a hearing to determine if his conviction should be quashed. On February 6, 2004 his conviction was vacated. Darryl Hunt had served over 18 years wrongly imprisoned. On April 15, 2004, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley granted Hunt a full pardon based on his actual innocence. Awarded $358,545 by the state of North Carolina in compensation. Settled with the city of Winston-Salem in March 2007 for $1,650,000. In September 2008 Hunt was awarded an additional $391,455 in compensation by the State of North Carolina when the state law limits were increased in July 2008 to $50,000 per year up to a maximum of $750,000 (15 years). Hunt was awarded total compensation of $2,400,000."
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	"DNA evidence excluded Darryl Hunt as the culprit in 1994, but the prosecutor didn't agree to pursue vacating his conviction until the actual murderer confessed in December 2003, to being solely responsible for the victim's murder."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:	"$2.4 million total. $358,545 (State of North Carolina, March 2007) + $391,455 (State of North Carolina, Sept. 2008) + $1.65 million (City of Winston-Salem, March 2007)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?	Yes
Age When Imprisoned:	20
Age When Released:	38
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Murder, Race, Justice - The State v. Darryl Hunt"
Information Location 1:	http://darrylhunt.journalnow.com/
Information Source 2:	"DNA Evidence Frees N.C. Man, Estes Thompson (AP), The Seattle Times, December 25, 2003, p. A8."
Information Location 2:	http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001823151_dna25.html
Information Source 3:	"Hunt to get additional $391,000 from state, By James Romoser, Winston-Salem Journal, August 20, 2008."
Information Location 3:
Information Source 4:
Information Location 4:
Information Source 5:
Information Location 5:
Book About Case:
Book Information:
Book About Case (2):
Book Information (2):
Movie About Case:
Comments About Case:

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Darryl Hunt

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

19.5

Year Crime:

1984

Year Convicted:

1985

Year Cleared:

2004

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

North Carolina

County or Region of Crime:

Forsyth

City of Crime:

Winston-Salem

Result:

Pardoned

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

"DNA evidence excluded Darryl Hunt as the culprit in 1994, but the prosecutor didn't agree to pursue vacating his conviction until the actual murderer confessed in December 2003, to being solely responsible for the victim's murder."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

"$2.4 million total. $358,545 (State of North Carolina, March 2007) + $391,455 (State of North Carolina, Sept. 2008) + $1.65 million (City of Winston-Salem, March 2007)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

20

Age When Released:

38

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Murder, Race, Justice - The State v. Darryl Hunt"

Information Location 1:

http://darrylhunt.journalnow.com/

Information Source 2:

"DNA Evidence Frees N.C. Man, Estes Thompson (AP), The Seattle Times, December 25, 2003, p. A8."

Information Location 2:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001823151_dna25.html

Information Source 3:

"Hunt to get additional $391,000 from state, By James Romoser, Winston-Salem Journal, August 20, 2008."

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: