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Home Kenny Richey Timeline: Richey's journey to death row Timeline: Richey's journey to death row
Saturday, 11 August 2007
Kenny Richey has had his death sentence overturned by a federal court of appeal today after spending 20 years on death row. Below is a chronology of key events leading up to today's decision:
August 3, 1964: Kenny Richey is born in Holland to an American father and Scottish mother. His parents moved to Edinburgh when he was a baby.
December, 1982: Following his parents' divorce, Richey moves to the US to live with his father in Columbus Grove, Ohio.
1984: Richey moves to Minnesota where he meets his future wife Wendy and joins the US Marines
1985: Richey is discharged from the Marines. After his marriage fails he returns to Columbus Grove to live with his father.
June 30, 1986: One week before Richey is due to return to Scotland, two-year-old Cynthia Collins dies in a house fire.
January 1987: Kenny is convicted of murder and sentenced to death. An immediate appeal is lodged.
June 30, 1987: Richey's scheduled appointment with the electric chair coincides with the first anniversary of Collins' death. A stay is granted.
1992: A direct appeal is lodged with Ohio Supreme Court and denied by four votes to three.
1994: Richey comes within an hour of death before another stay is granted.
March 1997: An appeal is lodged with the same judge who sentenced Richey to death. It is rejected.
1997: Two witnesses who had claimed they heard Richey threaten to burn down the Ohio flat where Collins died, retract their statements.
1998:An appeal is denied by Ohio Supreme Court.
June 1998: Richey's last scheduled execution date is avoided when a stay is granted and the case is transferred to the federal courts.
March 2004: 150 MPs sign a Commons motion backing Richey's claim of innocence after Prime Minister Tony Blair pledges to look into the case.
January 25, 2005: The 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals overturns Richey's conviction and sentence based on incompetent legal counsel.
February 8, 2005: Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro files a state motion to rehear Richey's case and asks for an extra 14 days to prepare its challenge.
February 22, 2005: Prosecutors file their request for an entire 12-judge appeal court to reconsider its decision.
April 19, 2005: The Appeal Court in the US state of Ohio rules that he should be retried within 90 days or set free.
July 28, 2005: Prosecutors lodge an appeal against the decision to overturn the conviction and Richey's hopes of freedom begin to fade.
September 5, 2006: Appeal court decides to re-hear evidence in January 2007.
January 22, 2007: Judges in Cincinnati decide whether evidence that emerged after his murder trial should be re-examined.
July 12, 2007: Supporters campaigning to save Richey start a fresh petition to pressure new Prime Minister Gordon Brown to take action on the case.
August 10, 2007: His conviction is overturned on appeal for the second time by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.