By Victor Omondi
A Missouri man, who has been in prison since 1978, was not responsible for the triple murder for which he was convicted, according to the prosecutor whose office put him in jail.
“All those who have reviewed the evidence in recent months agree Kevin Strickland deserves to be exonerated,” Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said in a statement released Monday. “This is a profound error we must correct now.”
According to a report by the Kansas City Star, Strickland was 18 when the 1978 shootings occurred inside a Kansas City home. Three of the four shooting victims were fatally injured, leaving one survivor, who was shot in the leg.
First Published: 10:51 AM PDT, May 13, 2021
Kevin Strickland was convicted of three Kansas City murders in 1978, largely based on the pivotal testimony of an eyewitness who later recanted, say prosecutors and officials.
A 61-year-old Missouri man who has spent more than four decades behind bars after being convicted of three murders was wrongly convicted and should be exonerated, prosecutors say.
Kevin Strickland was just 18 when the lone survivor of a 1978 shotgun attack inside a Kansas City house identified him as one of the gunmen. Cynthia Douglas was shot in the leg in an assault that killed three others Sherrie Black, John Walker, and Larry Ingram.
Man Jailed 42 Years For Triple-Murder Is Innocent; Prosecutor Wants Him Released
KEY POINTS
The Jackson County office that prosecuted a now-61-year-old Missouri man in 1979 is calling for his release
A review of Kevin Strickland s case found he was wrongfully convicted on the account of an unreliable lone witness
The witness recanted her claims after Strickland s trial and tried to free him until her death
State prosecutors called for the release of a Kansas City, Missouri man who has served over 42 years in prison, saying he was wrongfully convicted, authorities announced Monday.
An amicus brief was filed with the Missouri Supreme Court Monday to support a petition seeking for the release of 61-year-old Kevin Strickland, Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said in a statement.
Kevin Strickland defense team files petition to overturn murder conviction
Andres Gutierrez/KSHB
Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker speaks on Monday, May 10, 2021, about the wrongful conviction of Kevin Strickland, who has been incarcerated for more than 40 years.
and last updated 2021-05-11 21:06:59-04
KANSAS CITY, Mo. â Kevin Strickland entered prison as a convicted triple killer 43 years ago.
The legal system failed Strickland and cost him nearly his entire adult life, supporters said.
But prosecutors, defense attorneys and others are now convinced Strickland was never a murderer.
His defense team, which includes attorneys and investigators from the Midwest Innocence Project, filed a petition Monday asking the Missouri Supreme Court to overturn his conviction.