Richey arrives in Scotland

"It feels great,'' said Richey. "I'm glad to be back. Thank you for the support from over here.''

When asked what he wanted to say to the state of Ohio, which convicted him of aggravated murder in the 1986 fire death of a 2-year-old Columbus Grove girl, he said, "I don't think you want to hear that.''

And with that he was swept away into a car amid a flurry of flashes in a scene more expected of someone like Britney Spears than a convicted felon returning to his home after spending more than 21 years in Ohio prisons, most of it on death row.

Richey and his Cloverdale brother Steve were headed for an undisclosed hotel
for a reunion with their mother. The tears were to be documented through exclusive deals with British media that are expected to garner the Richeys the equivalent of about $60,000 U.S. dollars.

That's not a lot of money by British media standards, but not bad for someone returning home without a cent to his name, no job, and probable heart surgery ahead.

"There's always a lot of interest, especially photographers, when famous sporting teams come through - rugby, World Cup teams, or famous football teams,'' said Jackie Shuttleworth, airport public relations manager. "That will attract a certain amount of press, but nothing this big.''

Cynthia Collins, the girl who died in the 1986 fire that Richey was initially convicted of setting, was an afterthought yesterday in the live countdown for Richey's arrival.

Lothian and Border Police worked to keep the crowd in check while allowing other annoyed travelers to be on their way.

"Great to arrive at the same time as Kenny Richey!'' grumbled a disgruntled, bag-totting traveler as she navigated the crush of press.

Richey's return to Scotland where he grew up was delayed by half a day when weather led to cancellation of his initial flight from Dayton. Ultimately, he was rerouted to Washington and then Frankfurt, Germany before catching an afternoon flight to Edinburgh that landed at 5:36 p.m. British time.

SkyTV, the Mail on Sunday newspaper, and Sunday People tabloid have all secured exclusive deals with Richey's family for the story, not counting some minor paydays expected later on UK talk shows. The media outlets paid for the flight tickets for Richey and his brother, and a representative of the organizations flew with him from Dayton to ensure the exclusives stayed that way.

The Cincinnati-based U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Richey's convictions for a second time last year, determining that his defense lawyer was inadequate at the original trial for failing to properly challenge questionable arson evidence that served as part of the case against Richey.

Richey pleaded guilty Monday to lesser felonies of attempted involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment, and breaking and entering, the combined sentence for which amounted to slightly less than the 21-plus years Richey had already served. He was then immediately released with a stern warning from Putnam County Court for him to get out of Ohio as soon as possible.

Although front page news in his native Scotland and to a slightly lesser extent in the broader United Kingdom, Mr. Richey's story has never garnered the same kind of attention in the United States. While Richey's release on Monday after 21 years in prison was an inside brief in US Today the following day, Scottish newspapers have speculated on Richey's renewed relationship with his ex-wife Wendy as well as how long he'll stay out of trouble now that he's returned home.

Contact Jim Provance at: "This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it!" or 614-221-0496

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