JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Missouri state representative is pleading with the Attorney General’s Office to at the very least issue some sort of statement in the case of a man who was convicted and sentenced for murder.
Ricky Kidd claims he was wrongly imprisoned for a 1996 double murder and is trying to appeal the sentence.
State Representative Brandon Ellington, D-Kansas City, issued the following statement regarding the Missouri Attorney General’s position on the Kidd case:
“The fact that the attorney general has declined to comment on this case and has not issued a statement is beyond absurd,” Ellington said. “The innocence of Ricky Kidd has become apparent to many prominent figures after new evidence has come to light.”
Ellington is referencing the fact that former police commissioner Alvin Brooks and former Jackson County prosecuting attorney Cindy Dodge have looked into the murders and changed their minds about the case, saying they believe Kidd is innocent.
The Attorney General’s office has opposed Ricky’s release since February and, as Ellington stated, is now is opposing Kidd’s petition for writ of Habeas Corpus to allow a trial in Jackson County, which is where he submitted his petition while in custody for a DNA hearing.
“With each passing day, it is becoming abundantly clear that Ricky is innocent and at the very least deserving of a fair trial. He has been locked up since 1996 for this crime,” Ellington said. “I believe that the Attorney General, Josh Hawley, owes it to the people of Missouri, and especially Ricky Kidd and his family, to make a statement on this miscarriage of justice. This was a case where the judge was on the verge of granting Ricky’s release before he intervened. The AG’s office should be tackling state issues such as inmates receiving unfair treatment and poor living conditions and the sexual assaults that have been happening on campus at the UM system. This is where Missourians need your counsel. This is where the AG’s office should be involved…and if not, I plead for their office to at least issue a statement explaining their stance on the matter. This is a man’s life and not some political gambit.”
Benjamin Peters was a reporter for The Missouri Times and Missouri Times Magazine and also produced the #MoLeg Podcast. He joined The Missouri Times in 2016 after working as a sports editor and TV news producer in mid-Missouri. Benjamin is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield.
