Exclusive | Nearly half of inmates released under then-NC Gov. Roy Cooper during COVID have reoffended — including 18 charged with murder

Nypost · May 07, 2026 · 1417 words · By Josh Christenson; Jared Downing

Political accountability Public Safety vs. Judicial Settlements Recidivism Rates

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What to know about Political accountability

Nearly half of inmates released under then-NC Gov.

Claims checked 25

Techniques found 4

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left17%

Center66%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Nearly half of inmates released under then-NC Gov.

Why it matters

Roy Cooper during COVID have reoffended — including 18 charged with murder WASHINGTON — A mass release of North Carolina prisoners under Democratic Gov.

Common ground

Roy Cooper during the COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating effect on public safety — with nearly half of the sprung inmates going on to commit more crimes, according to a Post review of state records and reports.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Fear, Appeal to Pity: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Political accountability story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Nearly half of inmates released under then-NC Gov. Roy Cooper during COVID have reoffended?
How does this story connect Political accountability with Public Safety vs. Judicial Settlements over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/07/us-news/nearly-half-of-inmates-released-under-nc-g…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 4 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 95% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Fear 80% confidence

Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Pity 85% confidence

Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to pity helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Tu Quoque (You Too) 90% confidence

Dismissing criticism by pointing out the accuser does the same thing.

Why it matters: Recognizing tu quoque (you too) helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 25 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 15

info Single Source 6

help Insufficient Evidence 2

check_circle Corroborated 1

verified Verified 1

info

Claim 1: “Nearly half of inmates released under then-NC Gov. Roy Cooper during COVID have reoffended”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided web search results for this claim are completely irrelevant (discussing Theil's T statistic, radio schematics, and the novel 'Jaws'). No evidence was found to support or refute the recidivism rate for inmates released under Gov. Cooper.

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web search NEUTRAL — A Nearly Painless Guide to Computing Theil’s T Statistic Theil’s T statistic is a flexible, mathematically elegant, and underutilized tool for measuring inequality. The example below shows how anyone …
https://utip.lbj.utexas.edu/tutorials/theil_guide.doc

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web search NEUTRAL — After comparing the DX-440 and ATS-803 schematics I found an extra 22k 1/4 watt resistor going from that FM Mono/Stereo switch Stereo contact to the base of Q206. I added that resistor on mine and I h…
https://www.kevinchant.com/uploads/7/1/0/8/7108231/sangean_a…

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web search NEUTRAL — The jaws smashed together, engulfing head, arms, shoulder, trunk, pelvis and most of the raft. Nearly half the fish had come clear of the water, and it slid forward and down in a belly flopping motion…
https://padletuploads.blob.core.windows.net/prod/42358829/e2…

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Claim 2: “Brandon Locklear... was also sentenced last year to 13 years in prison for shooting a mother dead on the side of a road in August 2023. He had been released two months early in August 2021”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 3: “The ACLU and other groups sued Cooper in April 2020... resulting in the Feb. 25, 2021, settlement”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this claim.

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Claim 4: “Norrell had previously been convicted of murder as a juvenile after he shot two people, one of whom died, in a school parking lot when he was 17.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 5: “Lucas Scronce pleading to the second-degree murder of his 16-month-old daughter in April 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 6: “Brown... his prison offender number was included on the list of thousands set loose via the February 2021 COVID settlement.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “Garry Jenkins was charged with fatally stabbing a man at a convenience store in January 2022... had previously been released from prison in May 2021.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 8: “Norrell... is serving life in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder in a March 2023 double shooting near Raleigh”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 9: “including 18 charged with murder”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence discusses general COVID-19 death statistics and HCQ, but contains no information regarding inmates released under a settlement being charged with murder.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, over 2 million people in the European Region have died from the disease. On 25 October 2023 WHO/Europe made several changes to its respiratory virus surveillance a…
https://www.who.int/europe/emergencies/situations/covid-19

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — It is claimed HCQ is being abandoned for no other reason than it is cheap and not under patent. But steroids are also cheap and not under patent, and no one is trying to dispute those studies that sho…
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/08/04/npr-mounting-evidence…

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web search NEUTRAL — Of these, 90% had Covid-19 listed as the underlying cause of death. So far this year, up to 6 November, 517,650 people have died from any cause in England and Wales. This is 58,555 more than the five-…
https://fullfact.org/health/coronavirus-figures-talk-radio/

schedule

Claim 10: “Convicted felon Jimmie Speight was also let loose in November 2020 — nine months before his projected release date — and was subsequently charged with second-degree murder, rape and kidnapping in April 2021.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 11: “Kyshaun Norrell... ended up getting out more than a year prior [to October 2021], per the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction database.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 12: “Brace... pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter one year later [after August 2022]”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of Wikipedia and Fandom entries for a fictional character named Margaery Tyrell from 'Game of Thrones', which is completely irrelevant to the legal case of Tyrell Brace.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Margaery Tyrell is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation Game of Thrones, where she is…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaery_Tyrell

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — House Tyrell of Highgarden is one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, being Lords Paramount of the Mander and the liege lords of the Reach. A large, wealthy house, its wealth is only surpassed …
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/House_Tyrell

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web search NEUTRAL — This page is about the Great House. For the short, see: House Tyrell (short) House Tyrell[1] of Highgarden is an extinct Great House of Westeros. It ruled over the Reach, a vast, fertile, and heavily-…
https://gameofthrones.fandom.com/wiki/House_Tyrell

info

Claim 13: “higher than the rate for the nearly 13,000 released over the course of fiscal year 2021 (44%)”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provides a 44% rate for general FY2021 releases, but does not provide the 48% figure for the settlement group to allow for a comparison.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Recidivism is also used to refer to the percentage of former prisoners who are rearrested for a similar offense. [1] The term is frequently used in conjunction with criminal behavior and substance abu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recidivism

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Oct 13, 2025 · Recidivism means the tendency of a person who has been convicted of a crime to reoffend after being punished or released. It’s often used as a measure of how effective the criminal just…
https://www.simplypsychology.org/recidivism.html

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Statistical information and publications about recidivism and reentry in the United States from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
https://bjs.ojp.gov/topics/recidivism-and-reentry

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Claim 14: “In New York, the administration of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo oversaw the release of 11,410 inmates, with an around 19% recidivism rate”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 15: “Cooper... narrowly avoided releasing as many as 18,000 prisoners under pressure from activists before the court-ordered settlement.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this claim.

schedule

Claim 16: “Harvey West, had pleaded guilty to multiple counts of indecent liberty with a child in 2000 and was released in 2006.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 17: “Daron Owens, was hit with a 10-year federal sentence for being involved in a November 2021 drive-by shooting. Owens... had been released in June 2021, a month earlier than scheduled.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 18: “At least 3,500 convicts were released as part of a little-known settlement between Cooper’s administration and civil rights groups in February 2021”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that a 2021 settlement led to the release of 3,500 inmates from North Carolina prisons.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Administration was released that identified 18 areas of non-compliance with federal requirements by CATS and required CATS to submit a corrective action plan within 30 days.[76][77].
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Iryna_Zarutska

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web search NEUTRAL — The more we rely on AI to summarize for us, the less we exercise the parts of...
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2…

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web search NEUTRAL — “We must honestly say that the 500,000 that are now being talked about if divided into months, is 30 thousand a month, and then we will approximately understand what is happening at the front,” he hig…
https://www.eurasiantimes.com/it-will-be-a-shock-ukraine-los…

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Claim 19: “Speight was among more than 80 released convicts who were charged with sex offenses after getting out.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 20: “Decarlos Brown Jr... was charged with murdering a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte light rail train in August 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 21: “North Carolina’s Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission found in a 2024 report that the recidivism rate for the 3,500 released as part of the settlement was 48%”

SINGLE SOURCE

One source mentions a 44% re-arrest rate for a general sample of 12,889 people in FY2021, but there is no evidence provided confirming the specific 48% rate for the 3,500 settlement group.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — An April report by the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission found a 44 percent re-arrest rate within two years from a sample of 12,889 people released from North Carolina state pri…
https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2024/10/08/recidivis…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The recidivism rate in Illinois within one year of release is 17% and within three years of release is 38.5%. The Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council estimated that the recidivism rate would c…
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/recidivism-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — States Report Lower Recidivism: By the Numbers.(See State-by-State Recidivism Rates and Methodology Notes.) Our findings reveal that recidivism rates have dropped considerably in the past 15 years
https://csgjusticecenter.org/publications/50-states-1-goal/

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Claim 22: “More than 215,000 inmates exited federal facilities between February 2020 and February 2021, according to a Bureau of Justice Statistics report in December 2022.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 23: “Tyrell Brace, who was arrested and charged with the murder of Elante’ Thompson, 23, on Jan. 29, 2022, after being set free in July 2021”

VERIFIED

A web search result explicitly confirms that Tyrell Brace was arrested for the murder of 23-year-old Elante Thompson on January 29, 2022.

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web search NEUTRAL — Following a seven-month investigation, 27-year-old Tyrell Brace was arrested for the murder of 23-year-old Elante’ Thompson. Thompson was shot and killed on Woodside Avenue on Jan. 29, 2022, while ins…
https://www.wbtv.com/2022/08/29/man-arrested-january-murder-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Peloquin said that on July 30, 2022 Nicolae Miu 'sprinted' toward the group. Miu was charged with first-degree intentional homicide after Isaac Shuman, 17, died from his stab wounds.
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-13284983/wisconsin-ni…

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web search NEUTRAL — A subsequent ballistic examination linked the weapon to the murder of Mr Buxton. Also around this time, strike force detectives located and seized one of the vehicles believed to have been in the area…
https://www.westernweekender.com.au/2021/06/police-charge-ma…

info

Claim 24: “The Post found more than 600 of those later committed serious felonies like homicides, sex offenses, or other violent crimes.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the existence of the 3,500-person release is corroborated, the specific figure of 'more than 600' committing serious felonies is not explicitly confirmed across multiple independent sources in the provided evidence, though the context of the releases is mentioned.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The suspect in the Charlotte rail murder case was released from prison during a mass inmate release authorized under a former Democratic governor, state GOP says.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/charlotte-rail-murder-suspect-lin…

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web search NEUTRAL — COVID-era prison release settlement under Cooper linked to suspect in Zarutska murder Documents show Brown as one of 3,500 released due to a COVID settlement; Senate leader says he has the list Februa…
https://nsjonline.com/article/2026/02/covid-era-prison-relea…

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web search NEUTRAL — A settlement to a lawsuit in 2021 released 3,500 inmates from North Carolina prisons, and that list has been the focus of Republican criticism against Gov. Roy Cooper in the state's U.S. Senate.
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/a…

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Claim 25: “California let loose at least 15,000, around one-third of whom later ended up back behind bars, according to a report last year from the outlet CalMatters.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.