Man sentenced to life for 1991 Hickory murder, now granted parole

HICKORY, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — A man sentenced to life for murder over three decades ago has now been released on parole, according to the North Carolina Post-Release Supervision & Parole Commission.

Odell Lamont Alexander, now 51 years old, was sentenced to life in September 1992 for First Degree Murder and was also given six years for AWDWWITKISI (assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflict serious injury).

Alexander is one of two men convicted in the 1991 murder of Darrin Karon Burch, according to court documents. On June 27, 1991, sometime between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. the next day, another man, Corey Hill, drove to “The Hill” area of Hickory, where he was approached by Darrin Burch, who told Hill that something was going on and that he was going to be part of a fight.

Officials say Hill went to grab some food from a nearby restaurant and while he was waiting for his food to be prepared, he saw Burch and Alexander fighting and surrounded by a crowd of people. Hill did not get involved.

According to court documents, Burch was playing craps with someone named Stickman when a man named Rodney Cunningham walked by, drunk and waving a gun around. Burch told Cunningham to put the gun away to which Cunningham started cursing at Burch. Burch then punched Alexander and a fight ensued. The fight ended with Alexander being knocked unconscious and Burch running away.

Hill then walked back to the restaurant to get his food and along the way told Burch that he would pick him up down the street. Hill got in his truck and circled around looking for Burch until Hill heard Burch call out from some bushes, according to authorities. Burch got into the truck and the two continued on passing the restaurant.

Around the same time, a witness says Cunningham, armed with a shotgun, and Alexander, armed with a handgun, spotted Hill’s truck and opened fire. Cunningham fired four shots, but it is unknown how many times Alexander fired his weapon.

Hill says he got a glimpse in the rearview mirror of Cunningham standing with a shotgun. He then heard the sounds of both guns before Burch said “Oh sh..” and fell onto Hill’s lap.

Court documents say Hill, who was injured by broken glass drove straight to the emergency room at Frye Regional Hospital. An autopsy revealed that Burch was killed by a single shot to the head. Hill and another witness later identified Cunningham and Alexander as the shooters.

On October 7, 2024, Alexander was released on parole due to a change in sentencing guidelines which allows those sentenced to life before October 1994 to have a chance to request parole.

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