Exoneree Inspires Tulsa Students With Wrongful Conviction Story

<p>A Tulsa man who spent 22 years in prison for a crime he did not commit wants to keep future generations from following his path.</p>

Tuesday, December 20th 2016, 10:57 pm

By: News On 6


A Tulsa man who spent 22 years in prison for a crime he did not commit wants to keep future generations from following his path.

Tuesday, exoneree De'Marchoe Carpenter spoke to a group of students at Hamilton Elementary.

Carpenter was just a teenager when police arrested him for a murder he did not commit; Tuesday, he encouraged kids to focus on school and stay out of trouble.

An auditorium full of students listened carefully Carpenter talked about being wrongfully convicted.

5/9/2016 Related Story: Tulsa Men Freed After 21 Years In Prison, Not Bitter About The Past

Fourth-grader Jayshawna Silk said she learned a lot.

"I think that the bad was pretty bad, you got to learn from your mistakes. But the good was pretty good," Silk said. “’Cause the mistakes got fixed."

Carpenter himself attended Hamilton.

He now says his mission is keeping young people on the right track, speaking from experience.

"I just don't want to see the youth end up where I was at. That wasn't a good place," Carpenter said.

In 1994, police arrested Carpenter and his friend Malcolm Scott for the shooting and killing of 19-year-old Karen Summers - a murder they did not commit.

Eventually, a death row inmate confessed; and in May of this year, both men were freed, their criminal record wiped clean.

Carpenter is now working full time but said his real passion is speaking to kids. His message to them is to always focus on school.

"Education. Education is key," he said.

Social worker Whitney Pingleton said many of the students live in rough neighborhoods, and someone like Carpenter can get through to them.

"He comes from where our kids come from, and he can relate on a different level than most adults can," Pingleton said.

Carpenter said, "If I can touch anyone, a couple of lives, that's what matters."

Carpenter has been out of prison for seven months now. He said he looks forward to living life and going to his first Thunder game this Christmas.

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