Amidst mounting pressure from activist organizations, North Carolina’s Governor, Roy Cooper (D), expedited the early release of thousands of inmates during the COVID-19 crisis.
Among those released were several notorious offenders, including some of the state’s most dangerous child rapists and sexual predators. This group included an undocumented immigrant from Honduras, who had been convicted for abusing at least six young girls.
This decision came despite assurances from the Department of Public Safety that individuals incarcerated for crimes against persons would not be eligible for early release.
RedState has uncovered details about at least four such individuals who were prematurely freed.
In conducting this investigation, we meticulously examined the official settlement document PDF for names and offender numbers present on Governor Cooper’s early release roster. We then verified their identities using the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction’s public offender search tool, confirming their photographs, complete criminal records, release dates, and current situations.
To discover the sex predators, we searched the official PDF settlement document for the names and offender numbers of the individuals on Roy Cooper’s early release list, then cross-referenced them in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction’s public offender search tool to confirm their photos, full criminal histories, release dates, and current status.
The result? Some of the more horrifying cases one could possibly uncover — the worst child rapists and predators who were quietly placed on Cooper’s list and set free early.
Here’s 2 minutes of Roy Cooper refusing to answer why he agreed to release Iryna Zarutska’s killer from prison early, along with 3,500 other criminals.pic.twitter.com/u8GtNnBAiZ https://t.co/oHFcfzRlq6
— Senate Republicans (@NRSC) May 3, 2026