RALEIGH, N.C. — Governor Roy Cooper granted a pardon of innocence Friday for a Charlotte man who spent 26 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.
Officials say Montoyae Dontae Sharpe’s pardon was granted after being thoroughly reviewed by the Office of Executive Clemency, the Office of the General Counsel, and the Governor.
“I have carefully reviewed Montoyae Dontae Sharpe’s case and am granting him a Pardon of Innocence,” said Governor Cooper. “Mr. Sharpe and others who have been wrongly convicted deserve to have that injustice fully and publicly acknowledged.”
Officials say this pardon makes Sharpe eligible to file a claim under North Carolina law, which allows compensation to persons wrongly convicted of felonies.