Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) let thousands of convicted criminals out of North Carolina prisons during the COVID pandemic. State recidivism figures later showed nearly half reoffended, while a newly launched database tracking post-release violations puts the number closer to 57 percent. At least 18 of those released inmates were later charged with murder.
Now that Cooper is running for the U.S. Senate, the full scope of what his administration unleashed is coming into focus.
The settlement came after civil rights groups sued Cooper's administration, claiming overcrowded prisons put inmates at risk during the pandemic. The agreement, reported at the time, required releasing at least 3,500 inmates over six months. But state records show 4,234 offenders were ultimately released, 734 more than the settlement minimum.
Cooper has insisted the releases were forced on him. The 734 extra releases suggest otherwise.
When the settlement was signed, Cooper's own Department of Public Safety framed it as business as usual.
"The department will move forward with the actions outlined over the next 180 days, most of which it is already carrying out daily," said Timothy Moose, then the agency's chief deputy secretary for Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice.
According to reviews of state records, more than 600 of the released inmates went on to commit serious felonies, homicides, sex offenses, and violent crimes. Eighteen were charged with murder.
One of them was Tyrell Brace. Released in 2021, he later pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Elante' Thompson, a 23-year-old gunned down while trying to break up a fight. Thompson left behind a young daughter, now 6.
His mother, Debra Thompson, placed the blame squarely on Cooper.
"Why would you release somebody like that?" she told the Post. "They're already showing they're a gangster to society. You're going to release a menace on the street?"
She is now studying for law school, a choice, she said, inspired by her son's murder.
Then there is Kyshaun Norrell. He had previously been convicted of murder as a juvenile after shooting two people in a school parking lot at 17, killing one. He was released early under the settlement, more than a year ahead of his scheduled October 2021 release date. In March 2023, he shot two more people near Raleigh, killing David Chavis, 34. Norrell is now serving life in prison for first-degree murder.
Carrie Chavis, David's mother, told reporters she doesn't blame Cooper by name. But her words carried their own indictment.
"He already killed someone before. They shouldn't have even had the opportunity to let him out," she said. "I'm still grieving for my son. The pain's not ever going away."
Brace and Norrell are among the cases cataloged in a searchable database called CooperReleasedHim.com, which allows users to search released inmates by county, conviction history, and post-release offenses.
According to the database, 2,412 of the 4,234 inmates released under the settlement later committed additional crimes or post-release violations, a reoffense rate of nearly 57 percent. The database identifies 70 convicted murderers, 99 rapists, and 203 offenders convicted of taking indecent liberties with a child among those released.
The database also reignited questions about the total number of inmates released. Mainstream outlets have continued citing the 3,500-inmate figure from the original settlement, while critics point to state records showing hundreds more offenders were ultimately released.
WRAL continues to inaccurately report that only 3,500 criminals were released under Roy Cooper's settlement, despite the list of 4,234 unique offender IDs being public for months
The fact that Cooper's subordinates released 734 convicts more than required undercuts the narrative that the settlement was forced on Cooper.
WRAL continues to inaccurately report that only 3,500 criminals were released under Roy Cooper's settlement, despite the list of 4,234 unique offender IDs being public for months
— Cooper Released Him (@CooperReleased) May 8, 2026
The fact that Cooper's subordinates released 734 convicts more than required undercuts the narrative… pic.twitter.com/qSXsXDuyMt
North Carolina lawmakers are now preparing a deeper review of the settlement. Reports say that this week, House Speaker Destin Hall (R) said a legislative committee investigating the agreement is expected to meet soon and that what lawmakers have uncovered so far is "worse than we thought."
Cooper's campaign has responded by attacking the database creator and pointing to similar federal prisoner releases during the Trump administration.
See Also: If You Live in a Democrat-Controlled Area, You're in Danger
Troubling Allegations Against Roy Cooper Related to Zarutska Case Rock North Carolina Senate Race
A spokesperson told North State Journal that the site's founder was "a convicted January 6th rioter" and argued that the Trump administration used similar criteria when releasing federal prisoners during COVID.
The campaign did not directly dispute the release figures or the recidivism totals cited by the database project.
His GOP opponent, former RNC Chairman Michael Whatley, had this to say:
Roy Cooper was a complete failure at keeping our communities safe.
— Michael Whatley (@WhatleyNC) May 7, 2026
19 North Carolinians would be alive today if Roy Cooper had not released their killers from prison.
Victims’ families deserve answers. Why did Roy Cooper allow these dangerous criminals back on our streets? pic.twitter.com/pyAZIKWiG6
Cooper wants North Carolina voters to send him to the U.S. Senate. They'll have to decide whether to trust the man who put those families through that pain with a bigger job.
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