James Joseph Richardson is exonerated after 21 years in prison.
If not for injustice, James Richardson would likely not be a figure in history. But after being wrongfully convicted of killing his seven children and spending 21 years in prison, the Florida fruit picker was exonerated by special prosecutor Janet Reno on April 25, 1989.
On Oct. 25, 1967, Richardson's wife, Annie, had asked neighbor Bessie Reece to serve the children their lunch while she and her husband were at work. Reece laced the beans and rice with an insecticide called parathion that left the children, aged 2 to 11, foaming at the mouth and dead within minutes.
The police suspected Richardson of killing his children after learning that he had met with a life insurance agent with whom he'd discussed getting policies for the entire family. During trial, the jury was not told that it was the salesman who had initiated the meeting or that Richardson could not afford to buy life insurance at all.
READ MORE: James Joseph Richardson is exonerated after 21 years in prison.
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Posted By: Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
Monday, April 25th 2022 at 11:44AM
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