This petition is  regarding a pardon for Darryl Cook, who is currently incarcerated in South Carolina. 

Twenty years ago, Darryl was convicted and sentenced to 75 years in prison for a murder that he has said from the beginning that he did not commit. He has served 20 years of his life in prison, and it is time for the record to be set straight and for him to be released. There were 2 mistrials in his case and the use of a Coercive Allen charge in his trial. It appears that the prosecution was so eager for a conviction that they did not really care about whether the actual perpetrator was convicted for it, just that someone was convicted so that they could close the case and move on to the next one. Further the judge who presided over this case, who knew that Mr. Cook was not guilty, has since had to resign. There were subpoenaed phone records,  that prove Mr. Cook was not in the area, that were not allowed to be admitted. There were inconsistent testimonies, a timeline, that would have proven his innocence, that was not allowed, and they used a minor's history to insinuate Mr. Cook. This is a gross mishandling of justice and use of the criminal justice system and taxpayer’s money. 

Darryl’s current situation is that there were two mistrials in his case, he has served 20 years so far, he was almost killed (and was dead for 20 minutes) in 2016 while he was incarcerated at Broad River Correctional Institution when he was attacked by two inmates, he is incredibly loyal to his family, and that he is a valuable member of society. Since beginning this petition and writing the Governor, Mr. Cook has begun experiencing administrative retaliation. We must be on to something if this type of response is deemed necessary by those trying to keep this buried!

Gov. McMaster has the power to grant Darryl Cook a release. His case needs to be looked into and reopened so that he can be granted a pardon. The Governor of South Carolina has the authority to grant him a pardon if he deems that the situation warrants one. It is time to make this situation right!

Darryl Cook has lost 20 years of his life in prison for a crime he has said all along that he did not commit, he cannot get that time back. But what can be done is granting him a pardon, so that he can rejoin society and enjoy the rest of his days with his family and community.

Additionally, South Carolina has a Parole/Pardon Application process, however; I have looked into this, and it is not necessary in a case where the person is innocent. Additionally, that process is a way to squeeze finances out of a group of people who are, in general, poor and this process needs to be investigated as well.