More than three decades after raping and murdering an elderly woman, Christopher Roseboro, on death row since 1994, on Tuesday saw North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper commute his sentence to life without the possibility of parole—as Roseboro was among 15 granted clemency by the outgoing Democrat.
Why It Matters
Opponents of the death penalty have urged Cooper to commute sentences of the 136 people on death row in North Carolina, converting them to prison terms. The Tar Heel State has not executed a death row inmate since 2006.
Cooper’s decision comes in the wake of a series of death row commutations made at the federal level by President Joe Biden during the closing days of his administration. Unable to seek a third consecutive term, the governor’s run will end next week.
Tuesday’s action reduced North Carolina’s death row population by more than 10 percent. Before Tuesday, the state had 136 death row offenders, with Cooper’s office receiving clemency petitions from 89 of them.
What To Know
In March 1992, Roseboro murdered 72-year-old Martha Edwards in her home. The pathologist in the case indicated that the cause of death was consistent with smothering. Evidence presented at Roseboro’s trial suggested that Edwards was also raped either while she was dying or after her death as Roseboro burglarized the house…