‘Keep fighting and praying’: Mother Speaks Out as Sons’ Case Heads to North Carolina Supreme Court

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA — The mother of two men convicted in the 2002 killing of NBA star Chris Paul’s grandfather is speaking out as their case reaches the North Carolina Supreme Court, saying she continues to pray for her sons’ freedom.

Case Background

Rayshawn Banner and Nathaniel Cauthen are among the group known as the “Winston-Salem Five,” five men convicted as teenagers in the death of Nathaniel Jones, Paul’s grandfather.

In August, a judge overturned their convictions, ruling they had been wrongfully imprisoned. But the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office has since appealed the decision, filing with the state’s highest court to block their release.

A Mother’s Pain

For their mother, Teresa Ingram, the back-and-forth has been both emotional and exhausting.

“I will believe it when I see them walking out that door, you know, and then that’s when hope has been resolved,” Ingram told WXII 12.

She said the hardest part is watching her sons continue to suffer behind bars despite a ruling that exonerated them.

“It is painful at times,” Ingram said. “Whenever you see your children going through certain pains… you can’t help but feel that same pain as well, sometimes even worse, because we cannot get them out of the situation that they’re in.”

Holding on to Faith

Ingram said her sons often ask the same haunting question: “Why am I still here?”

But she remains hopeful, insisting that the court battle will not break her spirit.

“The higher it goes, the closer it gets to God,” she said. “They can take it as high as they want to, because they are still exonerated, as they were Aug. 12.”

For now, she says her only choice is to keep fighting and praying while waiting for the state Supreme Court to rule.

What’s Next

Defense attorneys for Banner and Cauthen say they will continue to press the courts for their clients’ release. The case remains one of the most closely watched in North Carolina, highlighting ongoing debates about wrongful convictions and juvenile justice.

Do you believe the North Carolina Supreme Court should uphold the exoneration of the Winston-Salem Five members? Share your thoughts and join the conversation at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.