Missouri Supreme Court declines to hear Kevin Strickland case; Jackson County prosecutor vows to pursue justice
Updated: 9:44 AM CDT Jun 2, 2021
KMBC 9 News Staff
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Updated: 9:44 AM CDT Jun 2, 2021
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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 COULD TO KNOW ABOUT THIS MISTAKE NOW OFFICIALS ARE WANTING TO CORRECT THEIR MISTAKE AND SEE STRICKLAND WALK FREE TO GO FROM AS HE PUT IT TO GO FROM CRYING OUT FOR YOUR INNOCENCE FOR FOUR DECADES AND THEN FINALLY HAVING PEOPLE BELIEVE IN HERE IT IS A LOT RIGHT NOW. THERE’S NO TIMELINE FOR STRICKLAND’S RELEASE. IT WILL BE UP TO THE MISSOURI SUPREME COURT TO TAKE ON THIS CASE AND OVERTURN HIS CONVICTION IN KANSAS CITY TONIGHT JAC