In 1984, in a gross miscarriage of justice and law enforcement Darryl Hunt was convicted for the kidnapping, robbery, rape and murder of 25-year-old Deborah Skyes, a copy editor at the local paper in Winston Salem, N. Carolina. He served 20 years for a crime he did not commit. After his conviction, the perpetrator repeated his crime 6 months later. While his victim heroically managed to escape~ naked, throat slashed, raped, beaten severely she never saw justice. The victim was discouraged by both police and prosecutors to seek justice, afraid the case against Mr. Hunt would weaken. In fact, right before one of Mr. Hunts appeals all the evidence in her case was destroyed.

This story, in the words of one participant, would be comical if it did not involve a mans life. “Eye witness” testimony ,jail house informants, law enforcement negligence, prosecutorial misconduct and down right disregard for the law, K.K.K. witness’s~ this case reads like it was right out of the old south except Mr. Hunt walk a free and vindicated man in 2004.

Underling this sad story is the moral courage of a man, many thought “retarded”, with an 8^th grade education. He refused to name an innocent man as the perpetrator, refused $12,000 “reward” to name another, and refused a plea deal for a crime he did not commit. Upon his release, he held no hatred to those involved.

The sub story of a families grief over the horrendous loss of their loved one, their inability to see the facts about the real killer ~who confessed~ is heartbreaking to watch. It is a lesson in forgiveness and the cost of not being able to forgive either the innocent or the guilty.

Around 1989 DNA began to be a useful tool in fighting crime ,there have been some 151 exonerations in death and life sentencing cases, and some 49 convictions based on DNA~ the tip of the iceberg. Consider that some 100,000 arrested have been released by DNA evidence, which excludes them in the crime and that approximately 20% of felony cases, have biological evidence to test. The local trial, which I have written about, would not have as much DNA to test, if the father, after police were “done” with the scene had not found the knife used in the crime. It was in plain sight, that DNA is now being questioned “, cross contamination, because the police told the father to “bring in the knife”. .

Near the end of the documentary you see the original prosecutor break down into tears over his role in the nightmare, you realize somebody finally listened. That was all Darryl Hunt wanted.

Peace as always and in all ways~Sage

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