NC group reviewing man’s conviction in death

CHARLOTTE, NC (AP) — A North Carolina group is reviewing the case of a man convicted of killing a University of North Carolina Charlotte student more than six years ago.

The Charlotte Observer reported the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence is investigating claims that 46-year-old Mark Carver was wrongly convicted of killing Irina Yarmolenko.

The Gaston County man was convicted in 2011 of killing the woman, whose body was found on the banks of the Catawba River. The North Carolina Supreme Court upheld the conviction last year.

Carver was sentenced to life in prison.

Executive Director Christine Mumma said lawyers with the Center on Actual Innocence think Carver’s claim is credible, but she would not say why.

Gaston County District Attorney Locke Bell says he’s confident Carver is guilty.

Information from: The Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotteobserver.com

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