Foundation Sets Up Scholarship Fund In Honor Of Darryl Hunt

A scholarship has been established in honor of the late Darryl Hunt, the man who spent nearly 19 years in prison before being exonerated in the death of a Winston-Salem newspaper editor.

The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation has established a $100,000 endowed scholarship fund in Hunt's name, to benefit people who were convicted of crimes and seeking higher education.

The Winston-Salem Journal reports that starting in 2018, the fund will award a $1,000 scholarship to a Forsyth County resident who's been convicted of a crime and has served a jail or prison sentence. The money will help defray the cost of tuition and fees for students attending an accredited vocational or technical school, community college or university.

Hunt was convicted of killing Deborah Sykes in 1984, but DNA evidence led to another man who confessed to the killing. Following his release from prison, Hunt advocated for criminal justice reform and helped ex-offenders regain their footing.

He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in March 2016.