In 1989, Richardson Was Released
Despite initial resistance to reopening James’s case, his new legal team persevered and presented a compelling argument for his innocence. Finally, their efforts found traction when Circuit Judge Clifton Kelly took notice. On October 25, 1989 is the 22nd anniversary of the Richardson children’s tragic deaths.
James Joseph Richardson stood in the very same courtroom where he had received his initial death sentence. However, this time, the verdict was dramatically different. James Richardson was declared not guilty, and after spending 21 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit, he was finally a free man.
