• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About the author and her website
  • References
  • Archives
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Contact Page

Defrosting Cold Cases

Research website by Alice de Sturler

  • My Research Method
  • How to search for cases
  • Cold Case Database
    • Cases A-G
    • Cases H-N
    • Cases O-Z
  • Case of the Month: Rita Hester
  • Book Reviews
You are here: Home / Miscellaneous / Disappointed in Richey’s behaviour

Disappointed in Richey’s behaviour

January 16, 2010 By Alice

Kenneth "Kenny" Richey
Kenneth “Kenny” Richey

Disappointed in Richey’s behaviour: I read in the news that Kenneth Richey, a former death row inmate from Ohio, who was released on January 7, 2008, has been in trouble with the law. A bit of history here, is in order.

In 1987, Kenny was sentenced to death for the murder of two years old Cynthia Collins, and was moved to Mansfield Correctional Institution, Ohio. He was tried before a 3-judge panel after his attorneys advised him that he may not get a fair trial before a jury since the murder involved a child. Cynthia died of smoke inhalation.

The prosecution based its case against Kenny on transferred intent: Kenny allegedly had the intention to kill his former girlfriend, Candy Barchet, and her new boyfriend, by setting fire in the apartment above theirs. Common sense would question why Kenny would choose the apartment above his ex-girlfriend’s since flames tend to go up instead of down.

The apartment above Kenny’s ex-girlfriend’s belonged to Hope Collins and her daughter Cynthia. Hope had left Cynthia alone that night to go to a party. The prosecution later claimed she asked Kenny to babysit and that instead, he left Cynthia alone. The prosecution also admitted at trial, there was no evidence Kenny intended to kill Cynthia and that several times he tried to save her but, was held back by flames, smoke, and ultimately, by the fire department.

Initially the local Fire Chief and the Ohio State Fire Marshall ruled the fire accidental. The prosecution disagreed and hired its experts. The authorities were convinced the fire was arson, started by igniting paint thinner and gasoline on the carpet. Kenny’s trial attorneys failed to have their own forensic tests done. In 1996, arson experts Andrew T Armstrong and Richard L.P. Custer reexamined the pieces of evidence and concluded the original findings were based on unsound scientific principles that are not acceptable in the forensic science community for the investigation of arson-related fires today. You can read that here.

Since his release in the beginning of 2008, Richey has been arrested many times. January 13th of this year, he was arrested for allegedly hitting his son Sean Richey in the back of the head with a baseball bat. In March 2009, he was accused of but later cleared of violently assaulting and robbing an elderly man over a £200 debt to a pub landlord. And later in the month, he was in trouble over a lady’s stolen handbag.

I do not think that after 21 years of incarceration and death row, it was a good idea for Richey to be released without extensive counseling. He shows all the signs of a man not adjusted to and highly uncomfortable dealing with freedom on his own. Without professional help to adjust to a changed society, former inmates may have the greatest trouble letting go of prison mentality. And that is exactly what Richey shows here.

Thank you for sharing!

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Arson Detection, Death Row, Kenneth Richey, Ohio

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Case of the Month: Forensic arson detection says:
    April 2, 2015 at 11:53 am

    […] Dougherty and Willingham cases show exactly the same issues that plagued the Kenneth Richey case. Richey was on death row in Ohio for arson with transferred intent. Richey allegedly had the […]

Primary Sidebar

Dina Fort

Author Notes

On this website, I write about old, unsolved cases. Most are from the pre-DNA era and are in need of renewed media attention. I only do research and leave the active investigation of these cases to the professionals.

My posts are about homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to these cases.

On book reviews: I only review select works of true crime, crime fiction, and historical fiction/mysteries. The stories have to fit my website's theme and research. It remains my prerogative to not review a book.

My database has over 325 cases listed by the victim’s last name. You will find a brief description there as well. The database will always be free to the public to use. You cannot buy ad space on my website, ever.

All writing suggestions that come in by email are added to my to-do list in the order in which they were received. Please be patient. My to-do list is very long but no case gets dropped and I will get back in touch.

Defrosting Cold Cases is NOT an organization. It is my brainchild.

If you have any questions about my website please check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, the about page, and the tabs in both menu bars. If you still cannot find the answer there, please contact me.

Thank you,

Alice de Sturler

Copyright

If you use my work, please add a link back. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. Thank you!

Protected by Copyscape

Categories

Top Posts & Pages

  • Cold Case Database
  • How to search for cases
  • The Vernon-Tolland Three
  • Gina Renee Hall partial remains found
  • Gerard Homer Soules (Aug 3, 1936 - June 4, 1992)

Subscribe to DCC by email

Enter your email address to get new posts notifications in your inbox

RSS Unknown Feed

William Thomas Zeigler

Category: ALL POSTS

On March 31, 2016, an evidentiary hearing was held to request touch DNA testing. On July 18, 2016, Judge Whitehead denied that request.

On November 23, 2016, an appeal was filed with the Florida Supreme Court. On April 21, 2017, the Florida Supreme Court denied the request for touch DNA analysis.

On May 8, 2017 a motion for a rehearing with the US Supreme Court was filed. It was denied November 13, 2017.

In the summer of 2019, the appeal for DNA testing to the Florida Conviction Integrity Unit was denied.

Richard Lapointe

Category: ALL POSTS

In March 2015, the Connecticut State Supreme Court ordered a new trial for Richard lapointe. On Oct 2, 2015, International Wrongful Conviction Day, Richard was set free. The judge ruled that he cannot be retried for the 1987 rape-murder of Mrs. Bernice Martin. Richard Lapointe died on Aug 4, 2020 of Covid19 complications.

In 1987, someone killed Bernice Martin. I hope that she will not become a forgotten file.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright: Please add a link back if you use my work. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. If you need help with this, just contact me. Thank you, Alice de Sturler

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2009–2021 - Defrosting Cold Cases - All rights reserved · Hosting & WordPress: 3J WordPress Write Data

wordpress counter

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.