Winston-Salem murder of Chris Paul's grandpa to be subject of Innocence Inquiry Commission hearing Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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EXPERTS ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS IN THE UNITED STATES. TALITH A NEWS EXCLUSIVE. KENNY: NEW EVIDENCE IN A MURDER CASE THAT SENT FIVE WINSTON-SALEM TEENAGERS TO PRISON ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO. TALITHA: THIS CASE INVOLVES THE 2002 MURDER OF NATHANIEL JONES, GRANDFATHER OF NBA ALL-STAR CHRIS PAUL. KENNY: BILL O’NEIL EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENS NOW. BILL: WE DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE NEW EVIDENCE IN THIS CASE. INVESTIGATORS WILL PRESENT IT AT A HEARING SCHEDULED FOR NEXT MONTH BEFORE -- THIS AGENCY HAS EXISTED FOR A DOZEN YEARS. ONLY 15 CASES HAVE BEEN HEARD, AND OUT OF THOSE 15-CASES, 12 MEN WERE SET FREE. >> GUILTY OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER. BILL: THEY WERE TEENAGERS WHEN A JUDGE SENTENCED THEM TO PRISON FOR KILLING CHRIS PAUL’S GRANDFATHER, NATHANIEL JONES RAYSHAWN BANNER, NATHANIEL CAUTHEN, JERMAL TOLLIVER, CHRIS BRYANT AND DORRELL BRAYBOY >> IT HAS BEEN A LONG NINE DAYS. JUSTICE WAS SERVED. BILL: TODAY, THEY’RE ALL IN THEIR EARLY 30’S, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF DORRELL BRAYBOY WHO WAS STABBED TO DEATH LAST SUMMER. BRAYBOY, ALONG WITH TOLLIVER AND BRYANT WERE RELEASED FROM PRISON AFTER SERVING 12 YEARS. BANNER AND CAUTHEN REMAIN LOCK UP SERVING LIFE SENTENCES. >> SO WE HAVE A VERY BROAD AUTHORITY TO SIMPLY GET TO THE TRUTH. BILL: WXII 12 NEWS HAS LEARNED STATE INVESTIGATORS HAVE CALLED FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CASE AGAINST THE WINSTON-SALEM THEY FIVE. WOULD NOT DISCUSS THE SPECIFIC CASE, BUT EXPLAIN HOW THE NORTH CAROLINA INNOCENCE INQUIRY COMMISSION WORKS. >> WHAT’S IT TAKE TO GET TO A HEARING STAGE BECAUSE IT SOUNDS , AS IF GETTING THERE IS NOT EASY. >> IT’S NOT EASY. SO WE HAVE A VERY RIGOROUS REVIEW PROCESS. WE’RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING NEW. AND THAT NEW EVIDENCE HAS TO BE CREDIBLE AND VERIFIABLE. THE NEW IS, IS THE BIG DEAL. AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE SOMETHING NEW. IT’S REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER IT’S CREDIBLE VERIFIABLE BILL: WE DON’T KNOW WHAT’S NE IN THE CASE AGAINST THE WINSTON-SALEM BUT FIVE, INVESTIGATORS SAY TYPICAL EVIDENCE IN THESE CASES INVOLVE, DNA, FINGERPRINTS, A RECANTING WITNESS OR A NEW WITNESS COMING FORWARD. THE TWO ATTORNEY’S HEADING THE COMMISSION, THE ONLY STATE AGENCY OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY NOT ONLY WON’T DISCUSS , SPECIFIC CASES, THEY WOULDN’T EVEN CONFIRM WHAT CASE WILL BE HEARD AT NEXT MONTH’S PUBLIC HEARING. >> IT’S A BALANCE OF AVAILABILITY TO COMPLETE INVESTIGATIONS UNDER OUR CONFIDENTIALITY SO THAT THOSE INVESTIGATIONS ARE PROPER AND CAN BE TRUSTED WITHOUT ANY KIND OF INTERFERENCE. BILL: WXII 12 NEWS HAS CONFIRMED FROM OTHER SOURCES THE MARCH 9 HEARING WILL DEAL WITH THE CASE AGAINST THE WINSTON-SALEM AN FIVE. 8-MEMBER COMMISSION WILL HEAR EVIDENCE PRESENTED BY STAFF INSIDE THIS ROOM AT THE -- AT THE NORTH CAROLINA JUDCIAL CENTER IN RALEIGH. WINSTON-SALEM ATTORNEY MICHAEL GRACE, A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION, TELLS WXII 12 NEWS HE HAS RECUSED HIMSELF BECAUSE OF HIS PERSONAL RELATIONSH WITH THE VICTIM’S FAMILY. DURING THE HEARING WITNESSES WILL BE CALLED, INCLUDING THOSE CONVICTED OF THE CRIME, AS WELL AS THE VICTIMS’ FAMILY MEMBERS. IF A MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION FINDS THE NEW EVIDEN WARRANTS FURTHER JUDICIAL REVIEW, THE CASE IS REFERED TO A THREE-JUDGE PANEL WHICH THEN DETERMINES THE FINAL TRUTH. >> THERE’S NO GREATER WORK AND FINDING TRUTH, WHATEVER THAT TRUTH MAY BE, AND THAT IS WH WE DO HERE. I WOULD SAY, I WAS A LITIGATOR FOR MOST MUCH OF MY CAREER AND I CAN REMEMBER TRYING JURY TRIAL AND WINNING AND THAT’S EXCITING I REMEMBER THINKING AT THAT POINT MAN. I DON’T THINK THE LAWYER GETS ANY BETTER THAN THIS. THIS JOB IS BETTER THAN THAT. BILL: THE SECOND CHANCE FOR THE WINSTON-SALEM IS CONNECTED TO FIVE ANOTHER WS CASE, DARYL HUNT. WHEN DARYL HUNT WAS RELEAS FROM PRISON AFTER 18 YEARS FOR A CRIME HE DIDN’T COMMIT LAWMAKERS DECIDED THEY NEEDED TO TAKE ACTION. THE NORTH CAROLINA INNOCENCE INQUIRY COMMISSION. KENNY: CHARLES PAUL IS THE SON OF THE VICTIM IN THIS CASE. MR. PAUL TELLS WXII 12 NEWS HE WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT THE UPCOMING HEARING. HE SAYS HE’S PRAYING FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED, INCLUDING THE YOUNG MEN CONVICTED OF KILLING HIS FATHER, AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE HEARING IS SCHEDULED

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