Kevin Strickland facts for kids

Kevin Bernard Strickland (born June 7, 1959) is an American man who was unfairly found guilty of killing three people in Kansas City, Missouri. This happened in 1979 when he was just 20 years old. There was no physical evidence connecting him to the crime scene. The only person who said she saw him there later changed her story. She said the police pressured her to name him.

Kevin Strickland was given a life sentence, meaning he would spend the rest of his life in prison. In 2021, his case got a lot of attention. Even some of the people who worked on his original case said they believed he was innocent. They asked for him to be set free.

Two other men who admitted to the killings said that Strickland was not involved. Also, a fingerprint found on the shotgun used in the crime belonged to someone else. The only witness, Cynthia Douglas, tried many times to say her first statement was not true before she passed away in 2015.

Many important people, including legal experts and politicians, asked for Kevin Strickland to be officially cleared. In June 2021, the highest court in Missouri did not agree to release him. The Governor of Missouri, Mike Parson, also refused to pardon him. He said it was not a "priority" and he was not sure if Strickland was innocent. The state's top lawyer, the Missouri Attorney General, even fought in court to keep him in prison.

Finally, on November 23, 2021, a judge named James Welsh overturned Strickland's conviction. The judge said the conviction was not based on physical evidence. It was based only on the witness's story, and she later said her story was false. Kevin Strickland was released from prison on the same day. He was officially cleared after spending more than 42 years in prison. This made his case the longest confirmed wrongful conviction in Missouri's history.

Why People Wanted Him Released

Kevin Strickland's case was looked into by a newspaper called The Kansas City Star in September 2020. This made prosecutors review his case again. On May 10, 2021, the prosecutor for Jackson County, Jean Peters Baker, wrote a letter. She said she believed he was innocent and should be released from prison.

Other people who had worked on Strickland's case before also said they thought he was innocent. Even federal prosecutors agreed. The Mayor of Kansas City, Quinton Lucas, and many state lawmakers also wanted him released. This included Andrew McDaniel, a Republican leader in the state's prison committee.

However, the Supreme Court of Missouri did not agree to release Strickland in June 2021. In August 2021, Governor Mike Parson still refused to pardon him. He had said before that Strickland's case was not important to him. He also said he was not sure if Strickland was innocent. Some newspapers and politicians criticized the Governor's decision. They pointed out that he had pardoned other people in different cases.

An assistant attorney general for Missouri, Andrew Clarke, said his office believed Strickland was guilty. He thought Strickland should stay in prison. He said Strickland had "worked to evade responsibility." In August 2021, the attorney general's office even sent a legal order to prosecutor Jean Peters Baker. They wanted her to hand over any messages she had about Strickland. Baker called this action harassment.

The Hearing That Led to Freedom

In November 2021, prosecutor Jean Peters Baker organized a three-day hearing. This hearing was held to show why Strickland's guilty verdicts should be changed. She explained that the justice system can correct its mistakes. She said, "I now trust in you to return just a fraction of what we've all lost, what Mr. Strickland lost, by bringing him home."

The last of many witnesses was former Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Edward D. Robertson Jr.. He explained that the witness, Cynthia Douglas, had often changed her story. Her changing statements were the main reason to believe Strickland was innocent.

On November 23, 2021, Judge James Welsh wrote his decision. He said that after more than 42 years in prison, the court could no longer trust Strickland's conviction. He ordered that the conviction must be set aside. He also ordered that Kevin Bernard Strickland be immediately released from custody.

Kevin's Life

Kevin Strickland was born on June 7, 1959. He has one daughter. He uses a wheelchair and has had some health problems. He mentioned having "a couple of heart attacks" and high blood pressure. He also said his ability to stand is not good.

His father passed away in 2011. His mother, Rosetta Thornton, died on August 21, 2021. This was just a few months before he was finally set free. Before his release, Kevin Strickland said he really wanted to see the ocean.

Help After Release

Even though Kevin Strickland spent the longest time in prison unfairly in Missouri's history, he could not get money from the state. This is because the law only allows compensation if someone is cleared based on DNA evidence.

However, a group called the Midwest Innocence Project started a fundraising campaign for him. They used a website called GoFundMe in June 2021. By the time he was released, they had raised more than $200,000. If his case had qualified for state compensation, the amount could have been much more. In other states, people in similar situations have received over $20 million. In just a few days after his release, donations grew quickly. The amount raised went over $1 million from more than 14,000 people.

See also

In Spanish: Kevin Strickland para niños