Man Leaves Death Row

Jan 08, 04:36 PM

BRITON Kenny Richey was heading back to the UK today after spending more than 20 years on America's death row.

The 43-year-old from Edinburgh, who reached a plea deal with prosecutors over an arson attack in which a two-year-old girl died, walked free from jail in Putnam County, Ohio, yesterday.

Mr Richey thanked all those who "never doubted my innocence" and said he was looking forward to "going home to Scotland".

After spending the night at the home of his brother Steven, he is was leaving Dayton, Ohio, this afternoon on a flight to Chicago before flying first to Heathrow, and then on to Edinburgh tomorrow afternoon. Richey was convicted in 1987 of an arson attack on an apartment block in an Ohio town in which Cynthia Collins, two, died but in August last year the sentence was overturned.

Yesterday, he pleaded no contest to charges of attempted involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and breaking and entering at the Putnam County Common Pleas Court in Ottawa, Ohio.

He was sentenced to a total of 21 years - time he has already served.

His first meal as a free man was a steak lunch at an Applebee's restaurant in Putnam County, Ohio.

His lawyer, Ken Parsigian, said: "He's told me that for 15 years that when he gets out that's what he's going to get."

Earlier, clean-shaven Richey, wearing black shirt and trousers I with a blue tie, appeared in court I with his arms and ankles shackled I for the 40-minute hearing which I secured his freedom.

He spoke in his broad Scottish I accent several times, but only to I confirm to Judge Alan Travis that he I understood the proceedings and the I terms of his plea deal.

The judge told him that although I his plea was not an admission of I guilt, it would lead to him being I found guilty by the court.