In 1981, at the age of eighteen, Kenny Richey left his home in Scotland to live with his American Father in Ohio State.
In June 1986, one week before his return to the United Kingdom, Kenny was arrested for a crime the evidence shows was not a crime at all.
Since his conviction some months later, he has been sitting on death row, waiting to be strapped into 'Old Sparky' Ohio's electric chair.
The State remains keen to execute him.
During the months preceding 21 March 1997, evidence was presented to the Ohio Court of Common Pleas, conclusively establishing the innocence of Kenny Richey.
This compelling evidence was submitted to support a bid for a hearing to allow Kenny's defence team to show that the case was a tragic miscarriage of justice.
The state prosecution did not dispute the accuracy of the new evidence.
Prosecution Dan Gershutz said, "Even though this new evidence may establish Mr Richey's innocence, the Ohio and United States constitution nonetheless allow him to be executed because the prosecution did not know that the scientific testimony offered at the trial was false and unreliable".
Without setting any reasons, Judge Michael Corrigan agreed, (Judge Corrigan was the foreman of a panel of three judges who convicted Kenny then sentenced him to die by electrocution). He refused the defences request for an evidentiary hearing and dismissed Kenny's appeal. Thus Kenny was denied the right to prove his innocence of the crime for which was convicted.
Please keep it civil on this message board. Flaming will not tolerated!! And will be deleted always.
I can be contacted by email at kennyisinnocent@yahoo.co.uk
