Darryl Hunt Research Paper
Darryl Hunt worked at a local news department in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. On April 10, 1984, Deborah Sykes was found killed and raped. Deborah Sykes was a co worker of Darryl Hunt’s, he claimed they had never talked really while he had worked there. The man who found her dead, called 911 and introduced himself as Sammy Mitchell, although the man was actually John Gray( Innocent Project). The police questioned John Gray and had him do a line up, to find the man he saw with Deborah Sykes. At first John identified a man who was in jail at the time, which police knew the man could not of done it for he was behind bars.( Innocent Project).
A local man had then also came in and said he had seen a black man with Deborah Sykes then. The cops also had him do a line up to find the man, the first time he went, he choose Darryl Hunt. The police then questioned Darryl Hunt, Hunt claimed he was home with …show more content…
his girlfriend at the time(Innocent Project). The police then had John come back in and did another line up to find a new suspect, he also picked Darryl Hunt.
The police then questioned his girlfriend, she had some legal trouble and thought that if she said he was guilty she would get out of it. Even though she knew she had lied and would lose him she thought it was a good idea. Since she went to jail anyways, she made a claim that she would not testify at the trial, even though they still used her word, which is illegal( Innocent Project). Hunt was sentenced with first degree murder by the Winston- Salem judge( Innocent Project).
Eyewitnesses testified that they had seen Darryl Hunt with Deborah Sykes the night Deborah was killed. They said they seen Darryl enter a local hotel and leave behind bloody paper towels in the restroom(Innocent Project). Hunt testified and said he had nothing to do with the case, but no one had believed him because of the evidence against him. He was sentenced to life in prison and later told news that he was one vote away from getting the death penalty ( Alternatives for The Death Penalty).
They then let Hunt go on bond in 1989 because the prosecutor's had used the girlfriend's testimony even though she had recanted.
Hunt was given a chance to plead guilty and then just serve 5 years. He refused for he knew he did not commit the crime and would not let Deborah Sykes death land on his shoulders. He was put through a second trial which was held in Catawba County in front of an all white jury. This time two jail informants claimed that Hunt plead guilty to them, Hunt was sentenced again in prison for life (Innocent Project).
While this was going on, Darryl Hunt’s original lawyer Mark Rabil was working with some scientist to figure out if the DNA inside of Deborah Sykes and on the crime scene, was Darryl Hunt’s or some other gentleman’s. The DNA result came back and the DNA that was found at the crime scene, did not match Darryl Hunt’s DNA at all (Innocent Project). Although the proof was there, Darryl Hunt’s appeal for trial was rejected by the court, because the people believed that even with that evidence it still didn’t prove Darryl Hunt
innocent.
As they waited for the result to find the man, Darryl Hunt talked to Deborah’s mother and father. The Sykes family was against the court letting Darryl Hunt go, they believed he had some part in the crime( Winston- Salem Journal). Darryl Hunt muttered “I feel the pain you felt… I didn't do it. I wasn't there. I can't explain why people said what they did and why they lied. Only god can.”( Winston- Salem Journal)
Finally in 2004, they found the man behind the rape and murder. The man who had committed the crime had already died from being incarcerated for an earlier crime, that man was Willard E. Brown. Willard E. Brown had been in jail multiply time for charges of assault. He is still in jail up to this day and is in for life. Darryl Hunt was exonerated in 2005, and went on to make a program to help others(Innocent Project). The project, known as the Innocent Project, also has a website that talks about his legacy, how brave he was and how he stuck through it until the end. He then died in North Carolina, on March 10, 2016. He was thankful for the people who stuck with him and continually stood up for him. He ended up also suing Winston-Salem and made millions of dollars.
A local man had then also came in and said he had seen a black man with Deborah Sykes then. The cops also had him do a line up to find the man, the first time he went, he choose Darryl Hunt. The police then questioned Darryl Hunt, Hunt claimed he was home with …show more content…
his girlfriend at the time(Innocent Project). The police then had John come back in and did another line up to find a new suspect, he also picked Darryl Hunt.
The police then questioned his girlfriend, she had some legal trouble and thought that if she said he was guilty she would get out of it. Even though she knew she had lied and would lose him she thought it was a good idea. Since she went to jail anyways, she made a claim that she would not testify at the trial, even though they still used her word, which is illegal( Innocent Project). Hunt was sentenced with first degree murder by the Winston- Salem judge( Innocent Project).
Eyewitnesses testified that they had seen Darryl Hunt with Deborah Sykes the night Deborah was killed. They said they seen Darryl enter a local hotel and leave behind bloody paper towels in the restroom(Innocent Project). Hunt testified and said he had nothing to do with the case, but no one had believed him because of the evidence against him. He was sentenced to life in prison and later told news that he was one vote away from getting the death penalty ( Alternatives for The Death Penalty).
They then let Hunt go on bond in 1989 because the prosecutor's had used the girlfriend's testimony even though she had recanted.
Hunt was given a chance to plead guilty and then just serve 5 years. He refused for he knew he did not commit the crime and would not let Deborah Sykes death land on his shoulders. He was put through a second trial which was held in Catawba County in front of an all white jury. This time two jail informants claimed that Hunt plead guilty to them, Hunt was sentenced again in prison for life (Innocent Project).
While this was going on, Darryl Hunt’s original lawyer Mark Rabil was working with some scientist to figure out if the DNA inside of Deborah Sykes and on the crime scene, was Darryl Hunt’s or some other gentleman’s. The DNA result came back and the DNA that was found at the crime scene, did not match Darryl Hunt’s DNA at all (Innocent Project). Although the proof was there, Darryl Hunt’s appeal for trial was rejected by the court, because the people believed that even with that evidence it still didn’t prove Darryl Hunt
innocent.
As they waited for the result to find the man, Darryl Hunt talked to Deborah’s mother and father. The Sykes family was against the court letting Darryl Hunt go, they believed he had some part in the crime( Winston- Salem Journal). Darryl Hunt muttered “I feel the pain you felt… I didn't do it. I wasn't there. I can't explain why people said what they did and why they lied. Only god can.”( Winston- Salem Journal)
Finally in 2004, they found the man behind the rape and murder. The man who had committed the crime had already died from being incarcerated for an earlier crime, that man was Willard E. Brown. Willard E. Brown had been in jail multiply time for charges of assault. He is still in jail up to this day and is in for life. Darryl Hunt was exonerated in 2005, and went on to make a program to help others(Innocent Project). The project, known as the Innocent Project, also has a website that talks about his legacy, how brave he was and how he stuck through it until the end. He then died in North Carolina, on March 10, 2016. He was thankful for the people who stuck with him and continually stood up for him. He ended up also suing Winston-Salem and made millions of dollars.