Dontae Sharpe: American man wey spend 26 years for prison afta wrong accuse of murder collect pardon

Dontae Sharpe don fight to prove im innocence since dem arrest and wrongly convict am of murder for 1994.

One US court bin convict Oga Sharpe for first-degree murder, sentence am to life in prison ontop di killing of one George Radcliffe.

Authorities find di body of George Radcliffe for inside im pickup truck wit gun wounds for Greenville, North Carolina on Feb 11, 1994.

During di trial into im murder, one teenage eyewitness, Charlene Johnson, testify say im see Oga Sharpe, wey be Black, shoot Oga Radcliffe, wey be white, for one face-to-face gbasgbos on top drug deal

Oga Sharpe lawyer, Theresa Newman, say di eyewitness testify say her client plus another man later put Oga Radcliffe into di truck, crash am into one vacant lot and throway di key.

Months afta di trial, di eyewitness later withdraw her testimony, say she bin no even dey anywia near di murder scene and she bin make up di story wey she tok during di trial.

Authorities later release Oga Dontae from prison for August 2019 afta im don spend 26 years behind bars.

North Carolina governor, Roy Cooper also grant am pardon two years later.

"Dem don clear my family name," im tell tori pipo afta N.C govnor grant am pardon."Dis na burden off my shoulders and my family shoulders."

Wit di full pardon, Oga Sharpe go dey able to file request for compensation from di state.

For interview wit BBC, Dontae Sharpe wey don dey for prison for 26 years say wen im comot im dey shock to see im daughter call am 'daddy' and im daughter pikin dem call am 'grandpa'.

Oga Dontae dey for prison wen dem tell am say im wife don born baby girl.

Im no get chance to bond wit im daughter till im comot for prison 26 years later.

"Many pipo tink say di ultimate goal na wen dem clear your name, get your freedom back but e dey a lot more than dat.

"Sometimes I go wake up just dey cry, I just cry.

"Pipo tink say wen dem free you, di fight don dey over but e just dey start."

Dontae say im remember di first day im enter di prison as a teenager.

"I dey dia till I be 44 years old", im tell BBC.

E add am say fear na one of im greatest challenge wen im dey prison - di fear of neva getting up

"Dem accuse me of killing a white man and a drug dealer gone bad.

"Dem say I be big time known drug dealer.

"I dey known and plenti pipo sabi me but wateva reason e be, I tell dem say dem get di wrong man."

According to Dontae, dem no find any physical evidence or finger print against am.

Dem no find anytin on me.

Dontae also tell BBC say one lady bin come out to tok say her boyfriend bin come home dat night tell am say im shoot one white guy but im no wan go prison.

Di lady say di boyfriend later commit suicide some days later.

"I guess dem no believe am or dem no wan believe her tori but I dunno", im tok.

"My freedom still neva complete as long as e get pipo wey dey in prison wrongfully," Oga Sharpe tok.

"I don dey dia and sabi say e get guys wey dey innocent and know say our system dey corrupt and need to be changed.

Oga Sharpe don become fellow wit Forward Justice, wia im dey advocate for criminal justice reform for North Carolina.

Wit di full pardon wey govnor Roy Copper just announce, Oga Sharpe go fit file a request for compensation from di state.



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