The long and arduous campaign to save Kenny Richey from a hot seat in Ohio was absolutely right and proper. There were too many unanswered questions for him to be executed. Not enough facts emerged about that fateful evening when a young child died in a mystery blaze. Yet while his death sentence was wrong that does not mean that should be welcomed back to Scotland as some kind of long-lost hero as will inevitably happen this coming week? Richey is not a hero. Never was.
Richey leaves the courthouse
Before accepting him as a person worthy of any note, I think the public needs to hear that admission that he has done nothing to warrant special treatment from his own lips. We have to be sure he is grounded in reality. Only then may we decide we want to listen to his story. Otherwise, despite the inevitable column inches, most of us will be sceptical and suspicious of the man himself. For decades, Richey vowed he was innocent. He would never admit any guilt over the death of poor Cynthia Collins. She was the two-year-old who died when an apartment block near where Richey had been drinking caught fire. Yet now he has pleaded no contest to the charge of involuntary manslaughter. He has no defence to the charge.
So he is officially not innocent. Yet that is not to say that he is actually guilty. A crucial point. There was a lot of circumstantial evidence – but that is all it was. The plea bargain which has been struck means all sides accept his sentence to be the time he has already served. It gets him outta there. Not quite without a stain on his character but onto the outside of Putnam County Jail. Whether that move means that Richey has now decided to abandon his previous denials of any guilt or whether it means he has tired of his plan to maintain his innocence and grabbed with both hands the first real chance of walking, we shall no doubt soon hear.
He can also say that he has served his time and repaid his debt to society. His representatives will say he must be allowed to move on. And that bit is true, as far as it goes. What the deal he has signed up to really means is that he cannot ever again claim to be innocent of some part in that child’s death. That could be a burden that will wear heavily on him when he goes for a pint after the steak dinner his mother has promised him. Can he shrug off the aggravating drunks at the end of the bar? You can just hear them. ‘Hey you. Yeah you, kiddie killer. Been roasting any wee girls today? Ah’m gonna roast you, ya scumbag.’
Can he ever adjust to life in Scotland after 20 years incarceration? The £50,000 of media cash negotiated by Max Clifford will certainly help for a bit. He then has a choice. He can resume life as, by all accounts, a boorish and aggressive drunk or become a personality, whatever that is. It will take maybe six months for main media interest to wane. Then the only TV offers could be from I’m A Jailbird Get Me Out Of Here! Then what? Will he be fit to work again? If so, what work? Or will the now-not-quite-so-innocent Richey get swept along with the bandwagon and keep accepting the inevitable offers of book publishing, documentaries and even films?
Being a luckless if not jinxed fellow who has lived an unusual life, there is plenty to satisfy these less salubrious outlets. For whatever reason, dumping Karen Torley last year, after she had campaigned for him for so long, in favour of the woman he was briefly married to 20 years ago will keep them knocking at his door for a wee while longer.
Media tart or barfly? Tough call. No actually, these are both the easy options that anyone in his position could go for. These are what Richey could become with no effort at all. That is, if he wanted the rest of his life to be all me, me, me. However, Richey could instead prove us doubters wrong and use his high profile to aid those who fought for him and people like him. Now there is a novel idea. Doing something that is not for me, me, me.
But who or what could he help? Let me offer a suggestion. A certain organisation that I am a member of, Amnesty International, is opposed to capital punishment in all cases. It spent many years arguing with the authorities in Ohio for both Richey’s retrial and for his death sentence to be commuted. Is there a more deserving or more appropriate cause for him? Having side-stepped a horrible death against all the odds, and after a tireless campaign by others on his behalf, will this man who now has a ready-made international platform on human rights, want to give something back? To help others?
It would not be an easy choice. It would be a thankless one at times. It would also give the rest of his life a definite direction, a real purpose and show that he was a man of real courage embodied with the spirit of human love and gratitude. Over to you, Mr Richey.
29 responses so far ↓
diane // July 18, 2008 at 10:21 pm
hero…NEVER!
Evil man who assalted at 63 year old man &put him in hospital with terrible injuries..
evil man who should be locked up
diane // July 18, 2008 at 10:40 pm
when the make the film about him are they going to apply the part of him beating up old men&robbing them&the disstress that it caused to the old mans family?a man who can do that can do worse!!!!So for all those who showed support….do you support his actions now?
Lynda // July 22, 2008 at 8:06 am
Kenny you snake, beat up a grandpa???? is money everything???
Lynda // July 22, 2008 at 8:07 am
A reply to a teen molester, who screw around so many women??
Lynda // July 22, 2008 at 8:12 am
SORRY… HE STOLE MY HEART TOO….. HE IS A GOOD LIER!!
diane // July 24, 2008 at 4:25 pm
the old man he beat up did not owe kenny richey a penny…he should be back behind bars!!!
Rosie // September 10, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Jesus
Give this guy a break , he has paid the price , all those years in prison , on death row , for a crime he didn’t commit . A price the state of Ohio thought he should pay .Not one of us knows what he is going through in his own mind .
If people would get off his back and give a little support and kindness and show some compassion , his life will become a little better .
He has lived in a structured environment for over 20 years , life on the outside must be strange to him
People are far too quick to pass judgement on others, and believe all they read in papers .
I for one wish Kenny good luck , and i pray he finds the peace he is looking for .
I also pray for the little girl who lost her life and the childs family .
All you who call Kenny rotten and continue to bad mouth him , walk a mile in his shoes along the walkways of death row , then mouth off .
diane // September 15, 2008 at 3:02 pm
rosie….he would have got break if he didnt come back to edinburgh and behave like a violent thug!Are u aware he is on remand for beating up a frail 63 year old man???the old man had his arm broken & has been left in a terrible state…so do you think thats ok do you??
I pray also for the little girl who lost her life&her family but as of richey i believe he is were he belongs back behind bars..
Louise // September 21, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Rosie, in reply to your comment.. i know kenny personally, i was with him 24/7 for nearly 3 months, i do confirm that everything in the papers was true, he lied through his teeth to get money e.g. he never did have cancer, he used me to get money from the media and when that didn’t happen he took a knife to the reporters throat and demanded she paid up the money for the story, he got 1grand out it. not to mention, he battered his girlfriend kimberley a 63yr old man and mentally abused myself.
i actually don’t think you’ve got a right to say give him a break, as you can see he’s brung it all upon himself & yeah he might have not commited that crime but he has commited more since being back in scotland. i know alot more than just what the papers are making out. he’s a junkie & an alcoholic. you don’t know him at all so don’t say he’s completely innocent.
diane // September 21, 2008 at 5:54 pm
well said louise…i couldnt have put it better myself
Jess // November 2, 2008 at 1:54 pm
so when is this trial for the charge of beating the old man up?
Mr Richey seems to be his own worst enemy. I read now he is wanting back with his ex wife. She must be nuts to even consider this.
diane // November 3, 2008 at 2:52 pm
the trial is late this year…just hope he gets what he deserves!
i agree his ex-wife should think long&hard!he was bad before he went to america dont think he,s going to change now,good honest hard working people in scotland dont like animals who do bad things to children or old folk so lets hope the judge sees him for what he is!!
concerned // December 26, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I dont know how anyone expects the man to come back here after 21 years of hell on death row for a crime he did not even commit, and behave “normal”. the man needs help and I hope and pray he gets the help he needs.
People have got it all wrong. He did not do anything to any child. He did not hurt a child or kill a child.
The man was wrongfully convicted and was sent to die in the electric chair for something he did not do. Would you not be angry too?
It also has not been proven in any court of law that he is guilty of hurting the old man. It is innocent until proven guilty in this country
diane // January 6, 2009 at 11:03 am
concerned…well as they say time will tell then you may eat your words..then i,d like to see your comments of support then,or if he,s found guilty of beating up a old man will this be excused on the excuse of what he,s been through!!well it doesnt wash with me,a crime is a crime&time will tell,he was a criminal before he even went to america or do you not read the facts.If you care to read any facts he,s now got numerous charges against him&I for one hope&pray that he is found guilty for the sake of the old man concered as hes been through enough&for the safety of the public as he is a danger,who will be his next victim!!!!then we can sit back as say….TOLD YOU SO.
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Kenny-Richey-in-court-on.4751096.jp
concerned // January 6, 2009 at 3:10 pm
The charges he has are all related to the crime he is in prison for now.
Where did you get your phsycology degree or law degree for that matter?
If he hurt the old man then yes he deserves to be punished but as for right now he has not been found guilty of anything yet.
Trial by media and message boards is a very dangerous thing ya know. It could come across that you are trying to sway people’s opinions before they hear what the ACTUAL facts of the case are. Which could help lose the case. Think on that!
Lets leave it to the courts and a jury of people who will hear the real facts and can decide what the verdict will be. It is not up to us the general public to be judge and jury especially when we do not have the full facts available.
diane // January 6, 2009 at 4:52 pm
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/latestnews/Kenny-Richey-plans-to-quit.4597927.jp#comments
well check the 32 comments left here!!!
as ive said already time will tell
concerned // January 7, 2009 at 11:01 pm
You are right time will tell.
But people who do not know ALL the facts should not be trying to be judge and jury in ANY case.
Trial by media and screaming people can sometimes resort to people being freed because they have had an unfair trial and people have already heard what other peoples opinions are.
Think on that!
concerned // March 2, 2009 at 8:51 pm
so has the trial began then or what?
concerned // March 4, 2009 at 5:44 pm
I see that the trial has begun and am wondering why on earth the landlord of the Dickens Bar who Mr McCall swears on oath, told him that HE had put out a contract on him, has not been arrested.
Makes one wonder indeed.
Concerned // March 5, 2009 at 1:17 pm
I see Mr Richey was CLEARED and freed.
Iain Maciver // March 5, 2009 at 1:28 pm
He was cleared only on the assault charge but not freed. He is back in custody.
concerned // March 5, 2009 at 1:46 pm
It stated in media that he was free but I have since read he is still in custody.
He will be freed. He was convicted on breach of the peace. And will be sentenced for that. Since he has already done 8 months then he will be freed.
He was cleared on all other charges.
news reader // March 5, 2009 at 2:25 pm
HE wasnt found not guilty on these charges the charges were dropped,just like his american charges he was never found not guilty of those either.When he gets free tommorow it will just be the matter of time time hes in the headlines again.
Concerned // March 5, 2009 at 3:46 pm
He was CLEARED because the charges were dropped due to a witness’s testimony and the jury did not get to vote guilty or not guilty
However, this was due to a point of law and I agree it will just be a matter of time before he is in the headlines again.
The American case is nothing to do with this case. And is nothing like it.
diane // March 5, 2009 at 3:57 pm
no justice in scottish law, even when everyone knows it was richey he gets to walk, his next victim might not be so lucky to walk away
Concerned // March 5, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Diane
Remember this. What goes around will come around! Richey needs to remember that
diane // March 13, 2009 at 11:21 am
this just shows the man he is
http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/article2316520.ece
concerned // March 14, 2009 at 2:34 pm
What a terrible lie to tell.
Its all coming out in the wash now isnt it?
diane // March 28, 2009 at 1:40 pm
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/breaking-edinburgh-news/Kenny-Richey-denies-handbag-bar.5115844.jp
didnt take long for him to get back in news.