Former North Carolina Governor and current Democrat Senate candidate Roy Cooper is peddling a dangerous lie to the people of North Carolina.
While he campaigns on tough-on-crime rhetoric, his record as governor tells a different story, one that directly endangered thousands of residents. Cooper released more than 3,500 violent criminal offenders back onto North Carolina's streets, including DeCarlos Brown Jr., who brutally murdered a Ukrainian immigrant on her way home from work last August.
🚨 Then-North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper RELEASED repeat offender DeCarlos Brown Jr., along with 3,500 other criminals, through a COVID-era settlement.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 4, 2026
DeCarlos then went on to brutally murder 23-year old Iryna Zarutska.
This blood is on Cooper's hands. pic.twitter.com/TSBbXOJYia
His administration also commuted life sentences for dozens of other violent offenders. These cases are just a few examples of a pattern that contradicts everything Cooper claims to stand for.
Under his administration, Arthur Vause was released, who was convicted of stabbing his stepmother, Nancy Cook, to death in 1988 after she allowed him and his girlfriend to stay in her apartment. Vause left the body in the home, stole her car and $300, and attempted to flee to Canada before giving up in Ohio.
The administration also released Donna Westbrooks, who orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot to kill her husband and collect his $50,000 life insurance payout to cover her debts. Her husband was stabbed 23 times.
Elroy Mitchell was released after murdering his 81-year-old great-aunt, Alberta Futch, by strangling her inside her home and then stealing cash from her residence.
Sticardo McCullers was released after joining a group of young men who went on a joy ride, targeting people to assault and rob. McCullers struck Edward Wayne Clopton in the head with a baseball bat, stole his money, and left Clopton severely injured in a motel parking lot.
Haywood Peele was also released after participating in the armed robbery and murder of a Cumberland County store owner during a late-night holdup. Peele and his accomplice killed the store owner, robbed the cash register, and fled the scene.
And yet along his campaign trail Roy Cooper has lauded nothing but his "tough on crime" policies.
When North Carolina Democrat Roy Cooper says he's "worked to keep communities safe," he's lying.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 19, 2026
His soft-on-crime policies let convicted murderers off death row, and he released 3,500 violent criminals back onto the streets. pic.twitter.com/HKrdUFjsXC
North Carolina Democrat Roy Cooper’s soft-on-crime policies let 15 convicted murderers off death row and 3,500 criminals back onto the streets.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 4, 2026
When Cooper says he kept “communities safe,” he’s lying. pic.twitter.com/KqtbitXoMb
“Roy Cooper’s careless decision to let more than 3,500 convicted felons walk free was a disgrace to the victims and families of those he let free," a Whatley Campaign spokesman said. Roy Cooper let vicious sexual predators walk free without care for the victims or the awful crimes they went through. These victims deserved justice for what occurred, Roy Cooper robbed them of this justice and North Carolinians of their safety.”