question archive In 1984, a twenty-five-year-old white woman, Deborah Sykes, was brutally raped and murdered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
In 1984, a twenty-five-year-old white woman, Deborah Sykes, was brutally raped and murdered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Subject:SociologyPrice: Bought3
In 1984, a twenty-five-year-old white woman, Deborah Sykes, was brutally
raped and murdered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Based on testimony from questionable witnesses, African-American Darryl Hunt was arrested and convicted of the crime. His case was racially charged and divided Winston-Salem. Hunt professed his innocence and had the support of many in the African-American community, but most whites were convinced of his guilt. In 1993, after finding proof that the district attorney's office withheld evidence from the defense, Hunt was denied another trial. However, the judge ruled that the evidence could be tested for DNA. In this segment, we see how this process unfolded. Even though the DNA test showed conclusively that Hunt was not the rapist, his conviction stood until the real killer was found ten years later.
Do you think Darryl Hunt's story is an isolated mistake or part of a larger pattern of inequality?
-Do you think the outcome would have been different if Hunt were white? if the victim were African American? Why?
-What does this case tell us about race and justice in the United States?
-This murder took place more than twenty-five years ago. Do you think that the outcome would be different if it happened today?
