noroorreeaye SESS EPS MESO a oor: 2 EVE OO OO Oe STATE OF INDIANA EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT INDIANAPOLIS sxecenive onpen 17-12 Fo PARDON FOR KEITH DONNELL COOPER ‘TO ALL WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY COME, GREETINGS. WHIEREAS, in 1997, Keith Donnell Cooper was convicted by & cout in Elkhart County of Robbery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, @ Cass A felony (lhe “Robbery Conviction”), and wes given «forty (40) year sentence; WHEREAS, hile in ail awaiting trial in the above-referenced matter, Mt. Cooper ‘committed a battery on «fellow inmate and pleaded gulty to the erie of Battery Resulting in Sious Bodily injury, & Class C felony (tae “Batory Conviction’), and was given an eight (8) year sentence to run eoncurrenly ‘with his sentence forthe Robbery Convictions, WAHTERMAS, ster ten (10) years in prison, and after his co-defendants canvietion was ‘overtumed by the Indiana Court of Appeals based on sesious eoucerns about his rial and effetivancis of counsel forthe co-defendant, te judge (Gnobvious recognition of similar eonsems about Mr. Coopers ease) then offered Mr. Conper an opportunity to leave prison easy fr time served, and Mr. Cooper soceped the offer and was released fom prison in 2006, WAIEREAS, Mt. Cooper hes filed «request fora pardon, which focuses almost entre ‘enhis Robbery Conviction and alleges hei innocent ofthat crime WHEREAS, to the Battery Conviction, Mr. Cooper pleaded guilty to that erime, doesnot olaim be is innocent of it, and offers no evidence ofa defect with {Gat prosecution, yet Mr, Cooper has nonetheless requested that he be siven a pardon on the Battery Conviction as well WHEREAS, the extensive record of materials submited in connection with his request for a pauion shows thet the evidence against Me. Cooper has changed dramatically since his Robbery Convition nearly twenty 20) years ago, including, for example, te following: (D allotthe eyewitnesses who identified Mr. Cooper at tl ave now recanted thc testimony and sid they were mistaken; (2) the jaithouss informant has reeented his wil testimony; (9) the DNA evidence from the het wom hy the robber at the exime soene now cleaiy identifies and points to another man who i curently in prison for murder aud who has subsequent been identified by eyewitnesses asthe actual person win shat the vetim and commited ‘the exime; and @ the DNA testing confiemed thst no DINA ftom Me, Cooper was fxd ‘on the bat WHEREAS, the victim who was shot during the robbery and eyewitnesses to the crime shove requested thats pardon be granted to Mr. Cooper;POOMSSSHOSSOSS SOS SSO WHEREAS, the deputy pcosecutor who comicted Mr. Cooper back in 1997 has signed «letirin suppor of a pardon, and, in addition, the tial judge wino resided over Mr. Coopers teal has stated that he has “no objection” to a pardon being isued, WHEREAS, in2014, th Indiana Parole Board, efter engaging in a careful review and ‘examinitin of Mr. Cooper's cate, unanimously resommended, bY a Yate ‘of 0, thatthe governor isue apron to Me. Cooper; WHEREAS, Mr. Cooper file « petition ls fll inthe ElkhsetCireit Couto have bis Robbery Conviction overtured (which is set for hearing in Jato March 2017), which peocess could take yen to ran is course, espeeally here is one or more appeals; WHEREAS, itis evident fiom sroviow of Me, Cooper's case thai is extraordinarily “unique in several respects, and, based on a otlty of the circumstances, is deserving of consideration fora pantoa: and WHEREAS, in light ofthe foregoing, and afar careful consideration, «pardon will be issued to Mr. Cooper for his Robbery Conviction, NOW, THEREFORE , Eri J, Holeomb, Governor ofthe State of Indiana, by vistue ‘of the authority vested ina me bythe Indiana Constitution and the laws of ou Sate, do here issue a Pardon to KEITH DONNELL COOPER for his Robbery Conviction, and iis so ordered. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOY, I, Brie J, Holcomb, have hereunto set my band and cased tobe affixed the (Groat Spal ofthe State of Indiana on this P#R day of February, 2017 a a a Foolcont Governor of Indiana ATTEST: — Connie Lawson Secrelary of State TSS LOH OMS OME NOME ODODE 5 GUIS I IIASA A I ESAS SIS ISIS ISIS SI IS AIST, So