Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s 2021 prison settlement secretly released thousands of inmates, including murderers and rapists, onto the streets, records reveal, as he now seeks higher office while refusing full transparency on those he set free.
Story Highlights
- Cooper’s 2021 settlement authorized “early reentry” for 3,500 inmates but kept lists secret, now revealing violent offenders including 19 first-degree murderers and 11 rapists.
- DeCarlos Brown Jr., accused of fatally stabbing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte light rail, appears on Cooper’s release supervision lists tied to the settlement program.
- Republicans demand full transparency as Cooper campaigns for U.S. Senate, exposing what critics call systematic prioritization of criminals over public safety.
- Parole board, appointed by Cooper, granted release to lifers convicted of heinous crimes, shocking original jurors who expected life sentences to mean life behind bars.
Cooper’s Secret Settlement Exposed
Roy Cooper’s administration negotiated a February 2021 lawsuit settlement promising “early reentry” for 3,500 North Carolina inmates amid COVID-19 prison overcrowding. The administration publicly emphasized targeting non-violent offenders, but kept the actual release lists private. When North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger obtained partial records in early 2026, the lists revealed shocking inclusions: 19 first-degree murderers, 16 second-degree murderers, and 11 first-degree rapists among those released. Cooper’s parole commission, comprised of his appointees, systematically granted freedom to violent criminals under this settlement framework, betraying the administration’s stated focus on non-violent cases and exposing North Carolina families to preventable danger.
The Zarutska Murder Connection
DeCarlos Brown Jr. stands accused of stabbing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska to death on a Charlotte light-rail train in summer 2025. Brown served a full 73-month sentence for armed robbery, released September 2020 into post-release supervision. His name appears on Cooper administration lists tied to the 2021 settlement, representing inmates under supervision or transition programs the settlement encompassed. While Cooper’s campaign insists Brown served his full sentence and wasn’t released early from prison, the controversy highlights how Cooper’s broader criminal justice philosophy—including cashless bail policies and opposition to immigration enforcement—created an environment where repeat offenders circulated freely. Brown now faces possible death penalty charges.
Pattern of Pro-Criminal Policies
Cooper’s criminal justice record extends beyond the settlement controversy. As governor, he vetoed immigration enforcement legislation while presiding over counties criticized as “sanctuary” jurisdictions. His administration championed cashless bail reforms and diversity initiatives Republicans label “pro-crime.” The settlement’s most egregious element involved retroactive application to pre-1994 lifers, when North Carolina law allowed parole for life sentences. David Hartsell, convicted of 1980s murder, received parole in March 2021 post-settlement, stunning original jurors who believed life meant life. Cooper’s approach consistently favored offender rehabilitation over victim protection, undermining traditional law-and-order principles that keep communities safe and honoring sentences juries intended as permanent removal from society.
Republicans Demand Accountability
Senator Phil Berger confronted Cooper’s opacity directly: “Cooper let thousands out early and hid his actions from North Carolinians.” Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley called Cooper “disqualified” for releasing repeat offenders who harm citizens. Congressional candidate Mark Harris and state Representative Destin Hall joined demands for complete list disclosure, arguing voters deserve transparency before Cooper seeks Senate elevation. Cooper’s campaign dismisses criticism as politically motivated lies, but refuses to release full lists despite bipartisan transparency norms. This stonewalling exemplifies government overreach—bureaucrats making life-or-death public safety decisions in secret, then hiding accountability when policies fail catastrophically. North Carolina families paying the price for Cooper’s ideological experiment deserve answers he refuses to provide.
The settlement’s long-term implications threaten to reshape North Carolina’s criminal justice system permanently. Cooper’s precedent incentivizes future administrations to prioritize prison population reduction over public safety, using emergency pretexts like COVID-19 to circumvent legislative oversight. Advocacy groups that sued for the original settlement continue pushing expanded release programs, emboldened by Cooper’s capitulation. Meanwhile, Charlotte residents fear light-rail safety after Zarutska’s murder, and families of other victims from released offenders contemplate lawsuits. Cooper’s Senate campaign hinges on rehabilitating his “tough prosecutor” image from his attorney general years, but these revelations expose a governor who abandoned law enforcement principles for progressive criminal justice experimentation, leaving innocent victims as collateral damage in his political ambitions.
Sources:
Fact check: DeCarlos Brown is not an undocumented immigrant
Fleshing out Roy Cooper secret list
