death penalty news January 30, 2005
OHIO: 'Rage' at 18-year death row stay A Briton whose US murder conviction was quashed after 18 years on death row has said he feels "incredibly bitter" about his time in jail. Kenny Richey, who won his appeal less than a week ago, said "rage and anger seethe through my blood". The 40-year-old Scot, who remains in an Ohio jail, always denied murdering an ex-girlfriend's child in a fire. Prosecutors have 90 days to decide whether to fight the appeal court decision that his trial was flawed. After his conviction was quashed they expressed disappointment, adding that four separate courts had found that there was sufficient evidence to convict Richey of the "terrible crime". 'Innocent people' "They took 18 years from me for nothing and they're going to get away with that," Mr Richey said. He vowed to continue to campaign to free death-penalty inmates he considered to be innocent. Mr Richey believes the state will appeal against his ruling, but said: "They can't re-try me, they don't have the evidence." Mr Richey, convicted in 1986, has not seen his son since his sentence began and was nervous about meeting him. "Last time I saw him he was four-months-old. He's 19 now. He only got two of my letters I know of," he said. "When I see him I'll say, 'Hello son'. What else do I say?" 'Keep fighting' Of his time inside prison, Mr Richey said: "There was always a damn good chance that they were going to execute me. "You just wait and see, keep fighting, be strong, and don't give up. "You deal with it the best you can and try not to let it get to you. You're only going to end up hurting yourself." Mr Richey hopes to be able to return to his home town of Edinburgh. "Maybe I'll work in a pub or drive trucks or something like that," he said. His girlfriend Karen Torley said she was "so angry" at the length of time his case had taken. "His trial took about three days and it's taken 18 years so far to sort this mess out, and that's ridiculous," she said. "He deserves compensation, that's for sure." (source: BBC News)
