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Home Kenny Richey Prosecutor lists evidence he wants to use against Richey Prosecutor lists evidence he wants to use against Richey
Friday, 09 November 2007
Greg Sowinski | "This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it!" - 11.08.2007
OTTAWA —Prosecutors filed a list of evidence including 43 witnesses they plan to use to try to put Kenneth Richey back on Ohio’s death row for the fire death of a 2-year-old girl more than 20 years ago.
The victim’s mother, trial transcripts of five witnesses who have since died, emergency responders to the scene, witnesses who used to live in the apartment complex, former friends of Richey and fire investigators also made the list.
The documents were filed this week in Putnam County Common Pleas Court.
Richey, 43, faces the death penalty. He is charged with aggravated murder, aggravated arson, child endangering, and breaking and entering in a 1986 apartment fire in Columbus Grove that killed Cynthia Collins.
Richey won a new trial after a federal appellate court tossed his 1987 conviction by ruling his first attorneys didn’t do a good enough job for him.
Statements Richey made to police, his previous criminal record, samples of carpet pulled after the fire and belongings of Richey such as his clothing and items from his days in the U.S. Marine Corp. also were on the list.
There’s also Collins’ medical records and death certificate, as well as a psychological report on Richey from 1983, three years before the fire. Transcripts of taped interviews with Richey in the days after the fire also made the list.
In other filings, Richey’s legal team stated March 28, 2008, would be a date they are available to start the trial but that date is not final. The judge has approved the release of Richey’s prison records to his attorneys which can include disciplinary and medical records.
Visiting Judge Alan Travis, of Columbus, also issued an order allowing members of Richey’s legal team who are not attorneys to have access to Richey while he is in the Putnam County jail for private face-to-face meetings.
The judge approved Richey’s request for a psychological expert at $150 per hour to be part of his legal team.
The judge appointed an investigator to Richey’s legal team at $35 an hour as well as a mitigation specialist who would be used if Richey is convicted and the case goes to the penalty phase. That person also will get $35 an hour.