Kansas City Man Wrongfully Imprisoned For 43 Years Not Allowed To Attend Mother’s Funeral

A late summer rain fell steadily in Kansas City Saturday morning, but it did not prevent family and friends of Rosetta Thorton, who died Aug. 21, from filing into Graceway Church to pay their respects. The matriarch of the family at the center of a case that highlights the intersection of injustice and right-leaning political agendas gathered without one of its sons, 62-year-old Kevin Strickland, who has spent the last 43 years in prison for a triple-murder the local prosecutor says he did not commit.

“It’s stupid,” said J. Johnson, a family friend. “If the Governor can pardon 31 people, and it should have been 32 and all of them were white. I think that sucks … I mean that sucks, on the real deal. I mean, it’s a shame. It doesn’t make any sense. If everything is showing that he’s innocent, what’s the thing?”

Missouri Governor Mike Parson has declined to pardon Strickland. He and the state’s Attorney General Eric Schmitt have disputed Strickland’s innocence. A new Missouri law went into effect last week, allowing local prosecutors to challenge convictions in courts where they were handed down. Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, who has said Strickland is innocent, moved forward with an evidentiary hearing which was scheduled for Thursday with Judge Kevin Harrell presiding. But less than 24 hours before the hearing, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed an emergency motion requesting that the hearing be delayed. The Missouri Court of Appeals Western District responded in his favor.

Before the hearing was delayed, Judge Harrell had ordered that Strickland be brought from prison to court on Friday, an indication Strickland would be allowed to go free in time to attend his mother’s funeral.

“That’s what I just can’t believe … that he can’t attend his mother’s funeral,” said Keele Johnson. A cousin who was a baby when Strickland went to prison, she added, “He’s only got a few more years left. It’s just sad. I don’t know. I don’t know what to say.”

50-Year sentence, 43 served

In 1979 Strickland was convicted of capital murder for his alleged involvement in the killing of Sherrie Black, John Walker and Larry Ingram. His first trial ended in a mistrial. An all-white jury found him guilty in the second trial and sentenced Strickland to 50 years in prison. He was 18 years old.

An eyewitness, who was injured during the shootings and had identified Strickland as one of the gunmen, recanted the same year. Cynthia Douglas died in 2015 but in a recent court filing, the prosecutor wrote “after years of consternation over what to do about the mistake,” Douglas had approached the Midwest Innocence Project which took on Strickland’s case.

According to the prosecutor, Strickland’s fingerprints were not found at the crime scene. The two men who pleaded guilty to the crime and served prison time also said Strickland was not involved.

Attorney General Schmitt has also asked that Judge Harrell and the entire 16th Circuit Court be recused. On Sept. 13 a decision will be announced. Until then Kevin Strickland’s freedom is once again put on hold without the prospect of seeing his mother when he is released.