Kansas City man is innocent in 1978 murders and should be released, prosecutors say Luke Nozicka, The Kansas City Star
May 10 A Kansas City man has languished in prison for more than 40 years for a triple murder he did not commit, Jackson County s top prosecutors have determined. They are now calling for his release.
Kevin Strickland, 61, is innocent in the 1978 killings for which he has been imprisoned for more than two-thirds of his life, the Jackson County Prosecutor s Office has concluded following a monthslong review of his case.
The prosecutor s office is not alone in calling for Strickland s release. Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Missouri, as well as Jackson County s presiding judge, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and members of the team that convicted Strickland four decades ago now all agree he deserves to be exonerated.
Jackson County prosecutor calls for freeing of inmate after 43 years in prison Share Updated: 9:23 PM CDT May 10, 2021 Share Updated: 9:23 PM CDT May 10, 2021
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Show Transcript THE RELEASE OF KEVIN STRICKLAND. FOR 43 YEARS, KEVIN STRICKLAND HAS BEEN IN PRISON FOR A 1978 TRIPLE MURDER IN KANSAS CITY TODAY. MY JOB IS TO APOLOGIZE TODAY. JACKSON COUNTY PROSECUTOR. JEAN PETERS BAKER SAYS HE IS AN INNOCENT MAN. IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE WHEN THE SYSTEM HAS MADE WRONGS. AND WHAT WE DID IN THIS CASE WAS WRONG AND SAYING NOW HE SHOULD GO FREE SO TO MR. STRICKLAND, I AM PROFOUNDLY SORRY FOR THE HARM THAT HAS COME TO YOU PROSECUTOR. PETER’S BAKER SAYS STRICKLAND’S WRONGFUL CONVICTION RELIED HEAVILY ON A WITNESS FROM THE CASE THAT WITNESS EARLY ON NAMED STRICKLAND AS A SUSPECT BUT NOT LONG AFTER CHANGED HER STORY DENYING HIS INVOLVEMENT FOR YEARS UP UNTIL HER DEATH. SHE WAS SIMPLY MISTAKEN SHE TRIED BEST TO ALLOW AS MANY PEOPLE AS SHE COU
Calls intensify to overturn Kevin Stricklandâs wrongful conviction
Strickland has served 43 years for 1978 murders
The attorneys for Kevin Strickland and representatives from the Midwest Innocence Project joined Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney Jean Peters Baker to call for his release Monday afternoon in Kansas City, Missouri.
and last updated 2021-05-10 23:17:22-04
KANSAS CITY, Mo. â Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney Jean Peters Baker joined the attorneys for Kevin Strickland and representatives from the Midwest Innocence Project on Monday in calling for his triple-murder conviction to be overturned and for Strickland to be released from state prison. Today, my job is to apologize, Peters Baker said during a news conference Monday afternoon. It is important to recognize when the system has made wrongs. And what we did in this case was wrong. So to Mr. Strickland, I am profoundly sorry. I am profoundly sorry for the harm that has come to you.
The Associated Press
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